www.roanoke.com

Selected video

Speeding on I-81

You might think that with gas being up 93 cents a gallon from a year ago to $3.48 in the Roanoke Valley, motorists would have slowed down to conserve fuel, especially for long-haul trips. Not so -- and Virginia State Police Trooper Andy Cochran has you on his radar.

Roanoke woman trains for Ironman triathlon

Kati Derrick will compete in her second Ironman Louisville, a mega-triathlon that consists of 140.6 miles, this Sunday. Derrick is also a personal triathlon trainer and is coaching Robin Giordano to do the Ironman Louisville with her.

Hitchhiking from Roanoke to Greensboro

Kristen Lentz, of Conway, S.C., and John Blitch, of Hickory, N.C., hitchhiked in Roanoke.

Obama campaigns in Martinsville

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama began a two-day Virginia campaign swing in a community with the state's highest unemployment rate, telling a Martinsville audience that he will take aggressive steps to improve the plight of economically-distressed communities that are reeling from plant closings and layoffs.

First day of football practice at Patrick Henry

Benjamin Mesadieu of Patrick Henry High School practiced football on Monday, the first official day of practice in Timesland.

Firefighter returns to duty

It didn't matter that Thursday was Roanoke firefighter Scott Hetherington's first day back at work since suffering a cardiac arrest during a fire; he still had to scrub the toilet at station No. 7.

Behind the scenes at a fireworks show

Nothing compares with the rush of hand-lighting fireworks. At least that's what James Irby believes. He has sky-dived and bungee-jumped, but says he would choose the thrill of lighting fireworks any day.

Elephants prepare for their debut

Of all the big eaters headed to the Salem Fair, all the large appetites hungry for fried Oreos and chicken-on-a-stick, none can match Cora and Shannon. The two elephants each eat close to 300 pounds of hay and grain a day.

Other multimedia

Time lapse of Scott Stadium

A record 64,947 filled Scott Stadium in Charlottesville see Virginia open its 2008 college football season against the USC Trojans. USC beat Virginia 52-7.

Breast cancer survivor delivers 'miracle baby'

Cara Cubitt lost her breasts and hair to cancer before she was 30. The Vinton woman refused to lose her hope of motherhood.

Young runners get stinging incentive

The participants in a miniduathlon were urged on by some angry yellow jackets.

Panoramic: A day at Douthat State Park

Spend a day at Douthat State Park through a series of interactive panoramas.

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 were 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.

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.

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.