Claude Dewberry was on two Japanese ships that were sunk by American bombers, not realizing they were carrying POWs. He survived the first, but not the second. It’s taken eight decades for his remains to be found and identified. His funeral is Saturday.
Culture
Cardinal News covers culture and all the stories that are shaping Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Posted inCulture
Growing gardens of happiness at FloydFest
Danielle Ward manages landscaping at the annual music festival, a job that includes mitigating rain’s effects on the site’s wetlands, keeping pollinators happy — and using goats to get rid of poison ivy.
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Tedeschi Trucks Band cancels FloydFest appearance, citing singer’s illness
The group was atop the bill for the 2026 festival in Floyd County and was scheduled for a two-hour main stage set on Friday.
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Virginia approves historical marker to the song that inspired a generation of rock stars
Link Wray’s “Rumble” used power chords and distortion. It came to life accidentally at a sock hop in Fredericksburg in 1957.
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Who defines a city’s image? A proposed mural celebrating Galax’s old-time music roots divides local leaders.
The city council voted 4-3 to nix the design for a mural depicting a multiracial group of four musicians.
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‘Cheese slaw town’: Pimiento cheese’s Roanoke kin retains its spicy cult following
The treat, good as a side or a condiment, can be found in a few places across the Roanoke Valley, or made at home.
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Natural Bridge Zoo case will lead to three separate trials, judge rules
The judge also said he’d issue a gag order against most parties involved in the case, including the attorney general’s office.
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2 baby giraffes missing from Natural Bridge Zoo have been recovered safely, AG’s office says
Jay Jones released no information on where or how the giraffes were found, citing an “ongoing criminal investigation” that’s been going on for more than a year.
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Grandin Theatre digging a hole for performer perks
A new dressing room and restroom area are being constructed underground, adjacent to the Roanoke theater’s new green room.
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A couple was killed in Bedford County in 1985. Jens Soering was convicted but has steadfastly maintained his innocence — and says he has new evidence to prove it.
Soering served 33 years in prison in a case that garnered worldwide attention. His new court filing seeks to erase his two convictions.
