Selected video

Swedish exchange student returns to Blacksburg one year after shootings

Martin Arvebro was in McBryde Hall when he heard a "commotion" outside, police standing around with rifles, ambulance sirens blaring and students running toward buildings to get inside. He turned on his camera and began filming.

Virginia Tech shares words of gratitude

Thousands gathered at the Virginia Tech Drillfield in Blacksburg Nov. 17, 2007 to spell out "VT Thanks You".

The Ralph Caucus

Freshman Sen. Ralph Smith is building his reputation as a true conservative.

Young race car driver

In three years, Darrell Wallace Jr. can get a driver's license. Till then, the 13-year-old will have to be satisfied racing a blue, 375-horsepower Chevy Monte Carlo in the Late Model stock car division at speeds of up to 90 mph.

Roll call

Chris Santoro, a Washington and Lee University junior, gives Rhode Island's delegates during roll call at the 100th anniversary of the W&L Mock Convention.

Santa to seniors

Social worker Dreama Locks delivers presents to Roanoke resident Cindy King, who has had polio since she was a child.

A new recruit

For 18 years, Tamara Keister has been a stay-at-home mom, the driver of an eight-passenger sport utility vehicle -- perfect for hauling her four school-age kids to all manner of after-school activities. Now's she's trading the Suburban for a police cruiser.

Cooking at the Rescue Mission

Students from the Young Chef's Academy prepare both lunch and dinner at The Rescue Mission Thursday morning. The students were volunteering newly learned food making skills by making BBQ.

VA Tech cadet week

Virginia Tech's Corps of Cadets, which became a symbol of Tech during national media coverage of the April 16 shootings, welcomes a new crop of cadets, many of whom are on military scholarships, to campus each year.

Late nights at Yummy's

Grilling the midnight oil: Leslie and Tyrone Jarvis are the real mom and pop owners of Yummy's, which Roanoke College kids have called the best thing since sliced bread.

Selected audio galleries

Blaine Compton is Elvis

Family man Blaine Compton has been an Elvis Presley impersonator for nearly a decade.

First day of classes

Trey Davis, executive director of internal affairs, Student Government Association at Virginia Tech, talks about campus mood on the first day of classes.

Virginia Tech Media Day

The Virginia Tech football team and coach talks to the media on Media Day.

Margie Jumper, Roanoke's Rosa Parks

The Homegoing celebration of Margie M. Jumper's, Roanoke's Rosa Parks. The ceremony was held at Loudon Avenue Christian Church.

Street Preacher

Samuel Boutwell, 7, of Mississippi preaches in Roanoke's Market Square. His family, on a mission trip to New York and Washington, stopped in Roanoke partly because of the city's prominence on the map and partly because of the Virginia Tech shootings.

Seeking Identity

Jaclyn Meridth's says she is a person without a name, a country or a gender. Since she was orphaned and never had a birth certificate she created her identity. The government seems sure Meridth is a fraud. Members of her church thinks she is genuine.

Special series

Virginia Tech multimedia coverage

Stories, video, photo galleries, interactive graphics and PDFs of special sections dedicated to the Virginia Tech shootings.

Henry County Sheriff's Office: Above the law?

Henry County's sheriff, 13 deputies, and 7 civilian employees are charged with multiple crimes in a 48-count indictment.

Homicide on the Huckleberry

For 37 hours in August 2006, William Morva, a high school dropout who hung around Blacksburg coffee shops, was on the run.

Running on empty: Hellgate 100K

The Hellgate 100K is an event feared even by ultrarunners -- people who may run a marathon-length race as a regular workout. It's 17 hours of Virginia's roughest terrain, with the goal of covering at least 66 miles on foot. About 65 percent of the entrants usually manage to finish the race.

Hokies at Home: A sensory tour of Game Day

Experience the sights and sounds from Virginia Tech football in audio, video and photography.

Sporting Life Photo Blog

A photo blog celebrating the sports we play and the competitive spirit that comes with them.

Capoeira

In a stark, cinder block room in Salem, the smell of sweat lingers in the air. A group, mostly males in their 20s, begins a series of gravity-defying moves including flips, spins, cartwheels and handstands.It’s called capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art practiced by African slaves in Brazil centuries ago. It arrived in Salem two years ago.

The AT: An Uncertain Path

No longer just a footpath, The Trail has become an early warning system for sprawl, pollution, habitat loss and the ecological threats facing the eastern United States.

Land of Opportunity

In increasing numbers, Hispanic immigrants are putting down roots in the Roanoke Valley. They're pouring concrete, opening hair salons and filling classrooms. Some employers, meanwhile, are attributing their success to this new labor pool. In this occasional series, The Roanoke Times explores the local impact of the national debate about immigration.

Homestand

Get a behind-the-scenes look at four days in minor league baseball with Homestand from The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com.

The Crooked Road

Reporter Ralph Berrier Jr., photographer Kyle Green and videojournalist Seth Gitner take you on a musical journey along The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, from Ferrum to Clintwood with back-road stops along the way.

Jordan's War

Roanoke native Jordan Sherwood is a still young man, but he's already a combat veteran with two Purple Hearts. After his second war injury, he returns home to recuperate and ponder his future. As a combat photographer, he has a rare skill the Marines need. Will he be sent back to Iraq again?

Unlikely Refuge

This story begins all over the world, in deserts and mountains and coastal plains. It ends in a Raleigh Court apartment complex that is the most diverse 9-acre spread in Roanoke — a holy jumble of Christians and Muslims, Africans and Eastern Europeans, working-class whites and blacks.In some ways, theirs is a classic immigrant story: They arrive from far-off lands and come together in a melting pot of cultures.But when African-born refugees join the mix, the immigrant's tale takes on a new — and more complicated — twist.