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🌱 How the new I-81 lanes could change your Salem commute

Salem, Virginia Patch AM: a 5 min read

Hello again Salem! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How the new I-81 lanes could change your Salem commute
  • Could Salem’s most vulnerable residents lose their lifeline to 911?
  • How new VA housing grants could help Salem-area veterans in 2027.

Also on today's calendar: Heartland Marimba Quartet Concert and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What day of the year is trucker's day? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
Today's Salem Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. After investing billions to light up their network from big cities to small towns, T-Mobile is America's Best Mobile Network in the US according to Ookla Speedtest®. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 1H 2026. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's Salem Patch AM possible.
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Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Hot with a couple of t-storms, with a high of 90 and low of 70 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Saturday: Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm, temps: high: 76, low: 67.
  • Sunday: An afternoon t-storm; humid, with a high of 84 and low of 67 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. New lanes open on I-81 in Roanoke County and Salem, but work continues (wdbj7.com) — Drivers in Salem now have access to five miles of newly widened I-81, adding a third lane in each direction between Exits 137 and 141 to ease daily congestion and improve safety. Some construction work, including signage and landscaping, will continue with occasional lane closures, and more widening is underway north in Botetourt County.
   

2. Verizon's Copper Landline Retirement Looms for Rural Virginia Residents (theroanokestar.com) — A 91-year-old Salem woman’s reliance on her copper landline for 911 access highlights what Verizon’s planned retirement of traditional phone lines could mean for vulnerable Salem and rural Virginia residents. With cell service spotty and fiber still unavailable in some areas, local officials are urging people in coverage gaps to document their situations as federal regulators weigh Verizon’s request.
   

3. VA awards $28 million in grants to fight Veteran homelessness in Virginia (va.gov) — Veterans in Salem and across Southwest Virginia could see expanded housing support after the Salem VA Health Care System announced more than $28 million in grants for organizations fighting veteran homelessness in 2027. The funding, part of a national VA initiative, will bolster local partnerships that prevent evictions, provide transitional housing, and connect vulnerable veterans with services to stabilize their lives.
   

4. What we know — and don't know — about the company behind the Wood Haven Technology Park deal (wsls.com) — Salem holds a 12% ownership stake in Wood Haven Technology Park, tying the city’s finances and future development prospects to a controversial land deal now moving forward with a little-known company called Clearview Dynamics. Regional leaders and residents are pressing for more transparency about what might be built on the Roanoke County site, as zoning allows a range of light industrial uses but no project has been confirmed.
   

5. Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge reaches record high $972.5 million in tourism revenue in 2025 (wsls.com) — Tourism in Virginia’s Blue Ridge brought in a record $972.5 million in 2025, generating $47.1 million in local tax revenue shared by Roanoke, Salem, and nearby counties. For Salem households, that visitor spending helps reduce local tax burdens while supporting jobs, major events like national cycling championships, and ongoing marketing that keeps visitors coming back.
   

📸 Around Salem

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Salem

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📣 Salem Shout Outs!

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Taco Bell posted a job opening for Opening Team Members-Food Service/ Food Prep in Salem. Apply here.
  • Elwood Staffing posted a job opening for Machine Operator in Salem. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Salem here.

Ok Salem! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: 10-4, good buddy! (Thank you Jean H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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Stay in the loop with what's happening in Salem

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

Stay in the loop with what's happening in Salem

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.