Hometown Stories

Hometown Stories Episode 56: Virginia man buys home where ancestors were once enslaved

Mar 29, 2023

In 2020, Frederick Miller was looking to buy a place in Gretna, Virginia to host family gatherings. He settled on Sharswood, a stately home with gothic architecture and a hidden past. He discovered a beautiful property and a family mystery. In this episode of Hometown Stories, WDBJ7s Makayla Shelton explains how the...

Hometown Stories Episode 55 - Henrietta Lacks' hometown to pay tribute to her extraordinary life.

Mar 22, 2023

Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke in the 1920s. Unknowingly, she would go on to change the world, thanks to her immortal cells - taken from her without her consent or knowledge. More than 70 years after her death, her hometown is recognizing her in new ways with the help of two local artists

Hometown Stories Episode 54 - Three Years Later: Public Health Leader Reflects on COVID crisis

Mar 13, 2023

Three years. That's how long it's been since we first became aware of the threat of COVID-19.

During her recent teleconference, we asked the head of the Roanoke City Alleghany Health District to reflect on this anniversary that is both somber and celebratory.

Dr. Cynthia Morrow says there is so much we've learned...

Hometown Stories Episode 53: A Hidden Look at the Real Lives of WWII Soldiers.

Mar 1, 2023

A historian walks into the National Archives and walks out with something we’ve never seen before. Virginia Tech Professor Ed Gitre unearths forgotten surveys of WWII soldiers. In this episode of Hometown Stories, how history and technology are painting us a more intimate picture of life as a soldier, one Gitre hopes...