Roanoke double-homicide suspect identified, Hotel Roanoke sale moves forward, and early voting begins for Virginia redistricting referendum — WFIR News Express 3/9/26

On this Monday, March 9, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express, Roanoke Police say detectives have identified the suspect in February’s deadly shooting on Carroll Avenue NW and have him in custody on unrelated charges as prosecutors prepare to take the homicide case to a grand jury. We also have major local business news as the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center Commission approves a brokerage contract with Newmark to market and sell the Conference Center alongside the Virginia Tech Foundation’s effort to sell the Hotel Roanoke.As the conflict in Iran enters its tenth day, a Virginia Tech professor and Iranian native explains potential consequences for Iran, the region, and the global economy. In Richmond, the lieutenant governor backs legislation expanding bargaining rights for campus workers, while budget negotiators face a deadline as data center tax incentives become a major sticking point.We also track several General Assembly developments — including the defeat of a proposed statewide animal cruelty registry again, new laws shifting invasive plant violations from criminal penalties to civil fines, and the start of early voting for the April 21 redistricting referendum as former Governor Glenn Youngkin urges voters to reject the plan. We’ll tell you where and when Roanoke voters can cast ballots early and the deadline to register.Plus, a roofing initiative aimed at helping local veterans, a first-degree murder suspect captured in Grayson County, a serious Bedford County rollover crash that required an airlift, AAA’s warning about drowsy driving after the time change, and a Bedford County School Board meeting this week on potential school closures and rezoning.That’s the latest from WFIR News Express — follow the feed so you don’t miss the next update.