Will Thomas
Multimedia Journalist
Roanoke, Virginia
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Following his graduation from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2018, Will Thomas began his reporting career at Wyoming News Now. After two years of covering Casper and Cheyenne, he joined the WDBJ7 newsroom in August 2021.
Education
Awards
Updated: 10 hours ago
|By Will Thomas
Organizers were excited to bring the event back to Elmwood Park. It was held at River’s Edge in 2021 and went virtual in 2020.
Updated: 10 hours ago
|By Will Thomas
Veterans and community members gather each year to continue to shine a spotlight on the local mental health resources available for veterans.
Updated: May. 20, 2022 at 10:20 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
PLAY Roanoke hosted the dedication ceremony at Washington Park.
Updated: May. 20, 2022 at 9:55 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Teamsters Local Union 171 believes if a deal is not reached soon, it could lead to an employee walk-out.
Updated: May. 15, 2022 at 6:34 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Before last year, the girls could only participate in a co-ed league.
Updated: May. 15, 2022 at 6:20 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Pilot Flying-J and Love’s both said that there are diesel supply issues, and the companies are monitoring the situation. Several trade publications say diesel supplies on the East coast are now at the lowest in almost 20-years.
Updated: May. 14, 2022 at 7:00 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the Poff Building downtown in support of abortion rights Saturday afternoon.
Updated: May. 14, 2022 at 6:23 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
U.S. Army Air Forces Private First Class, Edward Henderson (Pete) Benson Jr., was killed on March 22, 1945 on the South Pacific island of Biak. But it’s taken decades to identify PFC Benson’s remains.
Updated: May. 13, 2022 at 10:46 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Virginia Western Community College graduates piled into the Berglund Center Friday evening. But for one graduate, this has been decades in the making.
Updated: May. 13, 2022 at 10:26 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
A beloved four-legged friend, "POWMIA" was laid to rest Friday afternoon, with full military honors, a high and rare distinction for a therapy dog.
Updated: May. 12, 2022 at 10:23 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
As graduation approached, Wichser wanted to bring awareness to an important issue, the 18 active duty military and veterans who take their lives each day.
Updated: May. 12, 2022 at 9:49 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Law enforcement, their families, friends and the community came out Thursday evening to honor and remember the men and women who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Updated: May. 11, 2022 at 6:28 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
PLAY Roanoke already has opening day on their minds as they put the finishing touches on pools across the Star City.
Updated: May. 11, 2022 at 6:12 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Whether it’s finding items, or the price of them, a weekly trip to the grocery store has gotten difficult for residents amid inflation and supply chain issues.
Updated: May. 8, 2022 at 7:24 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Downtown Roanoke restaurants made sure mothers and their families were welcomed Sunday.
Updated: May. 8, 2022 at 7:15 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The protest comes after a Supreme Court document was leaked this week showing SCOTUS could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade.
Updated: May. 8, 2022 at 7:01 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
City leaders may have found a way to potentially expand services with one-time American Rescue Plan Act money. They have found $3 million of the ARPA funds that would go towards a mobility initiative.
Updated: May. 7, 2022 at 7:05 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Camden Brown's family held a birthday celebration for what would have been his 9th birthday.
Updated: May. 7, 2022 at 6:50 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The sun hasn’t been around much for the last couple days, but it wasn’t going to stop Radford University graduates from walking across the stage.
Updated: May. 7, 2022 at 6:18 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The Robb family has had a busy week with their daughter being bitten by a rabid fox, while also welcoming the newest baby boy to their family.
Updated: May. 7, 2022 at 12:17 AM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Big Lick Comics, like many shops, is preparing to give out thousands of free comic books on Saturday.
Updated: May. 7, 2022 at 12:06 AM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Emergency responders start preparing well in advance for the potential threats of severe weather.
Updated: May. 5, 2022 at 10:10 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
23-year-old Brooks Mullen was found dead on January 10 outside a home on Yellow Mountain Road. On Tuesday, after an almost four month investigation, Roanoke Police arrested and charged 30-year-old Lavon Belcher with her murder.
Updated: May. 5, 2022 at 9:52 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Gold’s Gym in north Roanoke is taking the chance to thank its current members and also welcome in potential new ones.
Updated: May. 4, 2022 at 9:12 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Since the start of the year, The Salvation Army has had a national campaign called “Love Beyond.”
Updated: May. 1, 2022 at 5:51 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The weather didn’t stop the crowds from coming out Sunday afternoon for the wrap-up of the 30th annual Roanoke Pride Festival.
Updated: Apr. 30, 2022 at 5:35 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Whether it’s gas or cash, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium is helping Virginians get a quick buck on Saturday.
Updated: Apr. 30, 2022 at 5:25 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Saturday morning’s Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon was the 300th Morris has completed. An almost four decade journey that has taken him to all 50 states and four continents.
Updated: Apr. 29, 2022 at 10:19 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The streets of Grandin Village were alive with music on Friday night for the return of “Grandin Chillage.”
Updated: Apr. 29, 2022 at 10:04 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Each year, from February 15th to April 30th Virginians are only allowed to have open fires from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Updated: Apr. 28, 2022 at 10:44 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Kristi Martin, a fourth grade teacher at Westside Elementary, earned this year's award.
Updated: Apr. 28, 2022 at 10:11 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The Chief Tassel building has been a part of the Martinsville community since 1929.
Updated: Apr. 21, 2022 at 7:49 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
A Virginia Tech-led coalition was named a finalist for the Economic Development Administration’s “Build Back Better Regional Challenge.”
Updated: Apr. 21, 2022 at 7:28 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
A Wednesday night virtual safety summit brought in 13 local, regional and national leaders together to talk about school safety. A conversation that one parent hopes will lead to action sooner, rather than later.
Updated: Apr. 20, 2022 at 10:39 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
“Earth Day Roanoke” was founded in 1990.
Updated: Apr. 20, 2022 at 10:24 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Safety. That’s what 13 leaders inside and out of the Roanoke community came together to talk about at RCPS’s Safety Summit on Wednesday.
Updated: Apr. 19, 2022 at 6:56 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The proposed gas tax came up at the Roanoke Regional Chamber's annual "Legislative Wrap-Up" Tuesday morning.
Updated: Apr. 19, 2022 at 6:42 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Lawmakers and community members filled up their plates at the Salem Civic Center Tuesday morning, before a panel discussion was held to hear from legislators.
Updated: Apr. 18, 2022 at 6:44 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
It’s a project that has been four years in the making, renovations of the first floor at the Oliver W. Hill Justice Center began in January.
Updated: Apr. 18, 2022 at 6:18 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Since the pandemic began, emergency allotment benefits have been going to households using Virginia's "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program."
Updated: Apr. 17, 2022 at 5:30 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Easter Sunday has looked much different over the past two years because of the pandemic. But this year, the crowds came out at New Life Christian Ministries.
Updated: Apr. 16, 2022 at 7:14 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
"The Market at Virginia Tech" is a program that aims to help students who might not know where their next meal is coming from.
Updated: Apr. 16, 2022 at 6:39 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Each year, the Hokie community comes together for a Day of Remembrance in honor of the 32 lives lost 15-years ago.
Updated: Apr. 15, 2022 at 10:58 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
The Salvation Army of Roanoke continues to show "Love Beyond" in its national campaign.
Updated: Apr. 15, 2022 at 10:43 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
For 13 years, thousands of runners near and far have made their way to the Roanoke Valley for the Blue Ridge Marathon.
Updated: Apr. 13, 2022 at 5:17 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Experts said the cause is mainly due to supply chain issues during the pandemic.
Updated: Apr. 10, 2022 at 6:52 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Each month, Grandin Village businesses come together to host “Sidewalk Sunday.”
Updated: Apr. 10, 2022 at 6:36 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
Street performers aren’t your everyday scene in downtown Roanoke. But that’s exactly what was on display at Elmwood Park this weekend.
Updated: Apr. 10, 2022 at 3:04 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
It was a special week for the “Feed the Need Foundation” as it established its first food pantry at Natural Bridge Elementary School.
Updated: Apr. 9, 2022 at 6:16 PM EDT
|By Will Thomas
More than a thousand fans came out to support the Liberty University Football team at its annual spring game.