Good morning, Blacksburg.

Melrose Plaza celebrated its grand opening on July 31—local community members attended the event to learn about the new venue.

A suspect admitted in court documents on Jul.

31 to trying to kill a councilman and police are now investigating the case.

University Libraries at Virginia Tech hosted a four-day Maker Camp where middle school students used coding, circuitry, and design thinking to build custom musical instruments for a library employee with hand mobility challenges.

The camp gave students practical experience with digital and physical prototyping—helping them turn creative ideas into real projects.

Ph.D. student Elizabeth Curtiss led a group of geoscience campers in a game that put them in scientist roles to decide how to handle a pretend volcano crisis—campers rolled dice and shared clues—teaching them how to work as a team.

Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday starts at midnight today and runs through Sunday.

Shoppers will not pay sales tax on select items—school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items, and energy-efficient products—after the program was reinstated following a brief break in 2023.

At LewisGale Montgomery Hospital, nurse Rhonda Whaling needed a liver transplant after being diagnosed with non-alcoholic cirrhosis and a coworker volunteered to donate her liver.

Rebecca Hooper was approved as a living donor and the transplant will happen soon at VCU Medical Center—her act shows the strong care of hospital staff.

Virginia Hollow at Steppin' Out 2025

3-4 p.m. — Acoustic Stage — Free entry — Enjoy live music from Virginia Hollow at this vibrant community event.

Marquee Night Out - Classics Mixology Tasting

7:30-9 p.m. — B&B Theatres Blacksburg 11 with B-Roll Bowling — Limited seats — Learn to craft iconic cocktails like a pro while enjoying a guided tasting experience.