One of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s top education officials wants to push back a first review of new history and social science standards for K through 12 students; The ACLU of Virginia is suing to force the state to release a man from prison; A new report says the city of Hopewell, the Richmond-area and much of eastern Virginia will be dealing with even more scorching temperatures in the coming decades; and other local news stories.

Representative Donald McEachin says he’s declined invitations to debate his Republican opponent; Activists opposing the Mountain Valley Pipeline gathered less than a mile from its path over the weekend; Dulles International is set to join dozens of other airports across the country developing solar and battery capacity that could power 37,000 homes in Northern Virginia; and other local news stories.

08/15/22 Photojournalist Amos has a new exhibit "The story of us” features Charlottesville residents who were at the Unite the Right Rally and includes QR codes that link to short recordings of those featured in the pictures.

Five years after Unite the Right, Charlottesville grapples with its identity; Virginia Department of Education reviews standards for teaching history; VCU loses half a million dollars in email scam; and other local stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin signals a desire to change a recently adopted statewide transgender model policy; VPM News Director speaks with Pulitzer prize winning photographer about Unite the Rite anniversary; Hanover School Board lays out policy around transgender bathroom use; and other local stories.

The Hanover County school board began discussing a new draft policy around transgender facility uses; Social justice protesters have been paid more than $1 million by the City of Richmond; Sixty-six patients died in state-operated behavioral health facilities during fiscal year 2021; and other local stories.

Richmond Police Chief shut down questions about an alleged July 4th mass shooting plot; Richmond names a new street sweeper after late Hip Hop artist; Virginia Beach high schooler wins who runs a tree-planting nonprofit wins national award; and other local stories.

Richmond muralist covers walls across the world

The first of three phases in a project to replace Creighton Court in Richmond concluded last month; VDOE is near finalizing model policy on explicit material; North Carolina Gov visits VA's wind turbines; and other local stories.

Prosecutors present no evidence of planned Dogwood Dell shooting, toss gun charges; Hanover schools removes controversial T-shirt; Update on traffic stop in the town of Windsor that made national headlines; and other local stories

Richmond judge decides today on trail around July 4th mass shooting plot; A Charlottesville city employee who attended the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will remain on the payroll; Windsor police officer won't face criminal charges over controversial stop; and other local stories.

Richmond Public Schools has many unfilled vacancies as the new school starts soon; A House of Delegates redistricting lawsuit has been tossed; Youth Crimes are on the rise in Hampton Roads; and other local stories

After years of discussion with industry leaders, Old Dominion University has started a brand-new school to train people for the maritime industry. Elspeth McMahon, a long-time maritime educator and U.S. Navy Reserve officer, recently took the job to lead the new school. Ryan Murphy from partner station WHRO sat down with her to talk about the school's priorities

Richmond is researching what it would take to provide free preschool to all 3 and 4 year olds in the city; More than a dozen public figures and LGBTQ advocacy groups want the Virginia Supreme Court to uphold a decision that says requiring teachers to use a student’s preferred pronoun is not in violation of their rights; A new poll released on Thursday from VCU’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs shows that about 50% of Virginians are satisfied with current abortion laws and that they shouldn’t be changed; and other local news stories.

FEMA will help state officials determine the extent of flood damage in Buchanan County; This week, Virginia’s Attorney General joined a coalition of 21 other Republican attorneys general in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture; A federal appeals court has sided with Virginia Beach in a case about how the city conducts local elections; and other local news stories.

Attorney General Jason Miyares says Virginia law enforcement agencies recognize the bungled response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and they’re taking notes; Former Virginia Tech Football player Isi Etute will be enrolling at Iowa Western Community College for the 2022 football season; A new discount airline is coming to the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport; and other local news stories.

The Richmond Police Department says they’ve compiled a list of about a hundred potential perpetrators of gun violence in the city; Deaths among teen drivers increased by more than 55 percent in Virginia last year; The public can now get a behind the scenes look at Richmond Police communications before officers teargassed protesters at the former Robert E. Lee monument during protests in 2020; and other local news stories.

Last Month, Richmond’s Branch Museum unveiled its Re(Framing) protest exhibit, which takes a look at the positive community outcomes that resulted from the racial justice protests in the summer of 2020 through the photography of Regina Boone and Sandra Sellars. VPM News intern Davis spoke with both of them recently.

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are doing additional outreach to provide Monkeypox vaccinations to people who are more likely to be exposed to the illness based on certain risk factors; Unity Day in Charlottesville is cancelled for the third year in a row; Hanover County is in the process of replacing John M. Gandy Elementary School in Ashland. The new building will include non-gendered, single-occupant bathrooms; and other local news stories.

Adult Protective Services is investigating a Petersburg assisted living facility after residents reported never receiving federal stimulus money; Yesterday, the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts started vaccinating people at high risk of contracting monkeypox; According to the Virginia Department of Health, more than 96 percent of abortions in the state have taken place during the first trimester since 2016; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has now appointed majorities on the state boards regulating education and air pollution; State regulators signed off on Appalachian Power’s latest renewable energy plan, as well as a rate increase to help cover some of the costs; As summer temperatures are expected to settle in the high 90s through the rest of the week, local health officials want to remind residents of the dangers of heat-related illnesses; and other local news stories.

Flooding in Buchanan County last week destroyed 33 properties and caused major damage to 32 others; 36 people in Central Virginia have been arrested on charges-related to sex trafficking; Norfolk’s City Council will vote on a resolution today that aims to refocus Hampton Roads Ventures’ money back to Hampton Roads; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin caused a stir with some comments he recently made on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about same-sex marriage laws in Virginia. Politifact Virginia Editor Warren Fiske spoke with VPM News Legal Reporter Whittney Evans about the comments.

A new report shows exactly where people in Virginia prisons and jails come from; Attorney General Jason Miyares called the people who vandalized a pregnancy center in Lynchburg quote “cowards” who carried out an act of “political violence"; Last month was Norfolk International Airport’s busiest month in its 80 year history; and other local news stories.

Virginia was bumped from its coveted ranking as CNBC’s “Top State for Business” - a spot it's held since 2019; Home sales in Virginia are slowing, but experts told lawmakers yesterday they don’t expect things to get much cheaper; 4,000 beagles in Virginia are looking for new forever homes; and other local news stories.

A grand jury investigation into the Loudoun County School District’s handling of two sexual assaults is moving forward; Bomb threats prompted evacuations and police investigations at multiple college campuses around Hampton Roads yesterday; Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, which is the final resting place for thousands of Confederate soldiers and leaders, has banned the display of Confederate flags; and other local news stories.

More than two hundred families are facing eviction from an apartment complex in Henrico County next month; Another presumed case of monkeypox has been identified in Virginia, making the total number of cases in the state 27 as of yesterday; The second of two suspects police say were allegedly planning a mass shooting on July 4th in Richmond is being held in custody without bond; and other local news stories.

COVID-19 has been impacting people across the world for three summers. So, at what point will we call it an endemic — instead of a pandemic? VPM News Morning Edition Host Phil Liles spoke with Chtaura Jackson, an epidemiologist with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts about where we are now with COVID-19.

State officials said last week they plan on cracking down on the sale of hemp products that can get you high, like Delta-8 gummies; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s PAC broke a fundraising record, bringing in more than $1.5 million dollars between April 1st and June 30th; The Enrichmond Foundation, a nonprofit that's been overseeing the restoration of two historic Black cemeteries, is officially no more; and other local news stories.

Yesterday Richmond Police shared details of an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting on July 4th; The Virginia DMV is launching a new way to save money for drivers who use less gas; Portsmouth Senator Louise Lucas was barraged with racist and homophobic tweets, after voicing support for abortion rights; and other local news stories.

An organization that owns two historic Black cemeteries in Richmond has apparently ceased to exist; Richmond Police announced there was no need to tear gas hundreds of people at the former Robert E. Lee Monument during protests in 2020; Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced four appointees to Virginia Military Institute’s Board of Visitors; and other local news stories.

The cause of a February fire that partially destroyed Richmond’s William Fox Elementary School has been deemed “undetermined,” according to a 31-page partially-redacted report; Virginia legislators have pushed back a statewide commitment to ban polystyrene foam to-go containers by five years; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration is warning federal officials about the negative impacts of an offshore wind energy project; and other local news stories.

If you drive by the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, you’ll see 12,000 small American flags lining the property. The display is called the “Hill of Heroes,” and it honors the lives of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. The installation will be available for public viewings until July 8. VPM News Morning Edition Host Phil Liles spoke with Dr. Clay Mountcastle, the director of the Virginia War Memorial, about how the project got started.

It’s been one week since the U.S. Supreme Court removed the constitutional protection for abortion, and Christian faith leaders are divided on the issue; After a contentious General Assembly session this year, a range of hard-fought new laws take effect in Virginia today; Yesterday, the Virginia Department of Health launched a new dashboard to track firearm injuries reported by hospital emergency departments statewide; and other local news stories.

As the holiday weekend approaches, inflation continues to drive prices; Norfolk’s Ohio Creek Watershed Project is nearing completion; Plans are in motion for the Shenandoah Rail Trail, but advocates and lawmakers say it will still be some time before the trail is open to the public; and other local news stories.

A number of bills introduced this year attempted to roll back protections for LGBTQ Virginians, but those measures won’t become law this week; A state lawmaker says he will propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that will quote “protect life at conception"; An abortion provider in Bristol, Tennesse is planning to move across the border to its sister city in Virginia; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s order requiring state employees to return to the office is adding to tensions at the Virginia Department of Health; Abortion is still legal in Virginia despite the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade last Friday; Researchers at UVA Health helped pen new guidelines to minimize the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome, also known as SIDS; and other local news stories.

In light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade last week, we are revisiting a conversation VPM News reporter Megan Pauly had with Daniel Williams, a professor at the University of West Georgia. They spoke about what the abortion debate has historically looked like in Virginia. Williams is the author of two books: God’s Own Party: The Making of the Christian Right – and Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade.

Virginia health commissioner Dr. Colin Greene was formally reprimanded by the State Board of Health yesterday; Goochland High School hosted a screening of a film promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen on Thursday night; U.S. Senator Tim Kaine says he’s hopeful the next vote he casts will make gun control a priority in America; and other local news stories.

A Regent Law School graduate is suing the U.S. Department of Education to end religious exemptions to Title IX; Two years after being toppled during protests, the statue of Jefferson Davis is now on display in the designer's museum; The Norfolk Botanical Garden is launching a major expansion, with an emphasis on so-called green building; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin once again condemned comments made by Virginia health commissioner Colin Greene; Governor Youngkin signed the two-year budget yesterday, which included $100 million towards funding new lab schools; Virginia State University has extended the contract of the school’s president until 2029; and other local news stories.

Republicans in Virginia are heading to the polls today; The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors is accepting applications through Thursday to fill a vacant seat; The state health commissioner is walking back dismissive comments he made about the role of structural racism in public health; and other local news stories.

Structural racism and sexism at Virginia Military Institute were heavily scrutinized in 2020 and 2021, leading to leadership changes at the school. In Sounds Like Hate, a podcast from the Southern Poverty Law Center, Jamila Paksima and Yvonne Latty explore how VMI’s confederate roots are felt by the students and graduates of today.

State Health Commissioner Colin Greene has been the subject of controversy after the Washington Post quoted him downplaying the role of racism in public health; The Virginia Department of Health is adjusting COVID-19 exposure guidelines;Governor Glenn Youngkin has proposed an amendment to the state budget that bars the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion-related services; and other local news stories.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the federal law that banned sex discrimination in education; Data from the University of Virginia shows that roughly 10% of people charged with assaulting a police officer have a history of mental illness; The Hanover County School Board narrowly voted to keep the book “A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart” on elementary library shelves following a parent complaint; and other local news stories.

Republicans in two closely watched Virginia Congressional districts are making their final pitch to voters ahead of the June 21st primary; This weekend is Juneteenth, the anniversary of when the last enslaved people were freed after the Civil War, but some are upset about Norfolk's plans to mark the holiday; Richmond will offer a gun buyback program later this year; and other local news stories.

State lawmakers want Virginia’s economy to become more innovative, but a state report released yesterday says incentives designed to push the change aren’t working; Researchers with the nonprofit Climate Central found that Virginia could lose up to 42 percent of its tidal wetlands by 2100 due to sea level rise; Big local cities do a lot of work on flood resilience, but it’s even harder for smaller localities in coastal Virginia that have fewer resources; and other local news stories.

2022 is a special time for the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond as it celebrates its centennial anniversary. This also marks 10 years after the discovery of its infamous black cat sibling duo, Edgar and Pluto.

A top state lawmaker says the Virginia General Assembly won’t vote this month on a plan to give the Washington Commanders tax breaks to build a stadium; A part of the state budget proposal excludes private colleges and universities from funding for lab schools; A proposal to create a fund for victims of mass violence didn’t make it into the budget this year; and other local news stories.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine wants to bring gun control legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 to a national level; Authorities have been investigating the possible drownings of two women, who went missing during a float trip down the James River on Memorial Day weekend; The state is investigating the City of Petersburg’s fire department after allegations were raised by the local firefighter’s union; and other local news stories.

The Richmond school board has approved an emergency procurement route to award a contract for the design of a new Fox Elementary; The Chesapeake Bay watershed received a C+ on its latest report card; Former Representative Denver Riggleman says he’s no longer a Republican; and other local news stories.

A virtual committee meeting of the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory board in May was interrupted by a flood of racist and homophobic messages from anonymous accounts; This month marks 50 years since Title IX was signed into federal law; The Richmond Fire Department has recovered the body of a woman in the James River who they believe went missing on Memorial Day; and other local news stories.

A federal judge issued a restraining order last month against the dog breeding facility Envigo in Cumberland County for repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and the deaths of hundreds of beagle puppies.

COVID-19 cases are rising in Virginia, with Richmond and surrounding counties at a high community spread level; Richmond Parents and guardians of infants can soon apply for emergency funding from the city to help pay for the cost of baby formula; Students at Petersburg City Public Schools will be taught what to do if they encounter an unattended gun; and other local news stories.

Virginia’s two-year budget deal includes a new penalty for marijuana possession; Democrats in Virginia’s House of Delegates have chosen a new leader; Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has formed a new working group to combat organized retail crime; and other local news stories.

Virginia lawmakers reconvene today to approve a state budget; Governor Glenn Youngkin says his team is still combing through the state budget agreement released on Sunday; The Supreme Court of Virginia will hear arguments from Hanover residents against a planned Wegmans distribution center; and other local news stories.

A ceremony to honor members of the armed forces who died while serving in the United States’ military was held yesterday at the Virginia War Memorial near downtown Richmond; Democratic and Republican lawmakers have come to an agreement on the state budget following over two months of delays; Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears addressed an annual meeting of the National Rifle Association on Friday, three days after a shooter killed 21 people at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; and other local news stories.

City Employees from the Virginia Beach Municipal Center create a memorial to honor gun victims from a shooting three years ago.

First monkeypox case identified in Virginia; Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the NRA’s annual conference; Free bus rides on G-R-T-C will continue into next year; and other local news stories.

New efforts to tackle gun violence in limbo as Virginia lawmakers negotiate state budget; Parents, teachers concerned about increased police at Richmond schools; Medical examiner, police take stand in first day of Etute trial; and other local news stories.

Law banning 'gay panic' defense tested as former Tech football player goes to trial in slaying; Charlottesville Library considers name change; Equitable transportation guidelines adopted by Richmond City Council; and other local news stories

Lawmakers are heading back to Richmond next week. The clerk of the state Senate told VPM News that they’re set to take up a new two-year budget on June 1st.; Several Democratic lawmakers from the Richmond area want Gov. Youngkin to hold off on implementing his new telework policy until after Labor Day; Employees at a Newport News Starbucks say they’ve become the first unionized location in Hampton Roads; and other local news stories

The issue of abortion wasn’t always as politically polarizing as it is today. VPM News reporter Megan Pauly spoke with University of West Georgia professor Daniel Williams about what the abortion debate has historically looked like in Virginia. Williams is the author of two books: God’s Own Party: The Making of the Christian Right – and Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade.

A new report from Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office is filled with statistics that state education officials say paint a “sobering picture” about public education in Virginia; Attorney General Jason Miyares is asking the Virginia Supreme Court for access to sealed records related to the suspension of a controversial judge and former parole board chair; Local pediatricians are warning parents and guardians not to take drastic measures as a national shortage of baby formula worsens; and other local news stories.

As infections continue to rise in Virginia, local health officials say they’re preparing for a likely surge in COVID-19 cases; Kids and teens will have to be home an hour earlier under new curfew rules in Petersburg; In the last year, 10 sailors on the carrier U.S.S. George Washington have died, at least 5 by suicide; and other local news stories.

The issue of abortion today is politically polarized. But it wasn’t always that way, including in Virginia; State officials say more than 4,500 people housed in Virginia prisons are scheduled to be released early this summer; State regulators are reviewing Dominion Energy’s proposal for its long-touted Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project; and other local news stories.

Next month, taxes on personal property are due in Virginia. That includes used cars, a tax that normally decreases as a vehicle ages. That’s not the case this year; Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is calling on Governor Glenn Youngkin to declare a state of emergency in the commonwealth to help families struggling to access baby formula; Governor Youngkin is creating a new task force to fight violent crime in Virginia; and other local news stories.

VPM’s Morning Edition Host Phil Liles spoke with entomologist and host of “What’s Buggin’ You?,” Dr. Art Evans, to find out what pollinators are native to Virginia – and what we can do to attract them in our gardens.

Experts say recent events in Virginia show the commonwealth still struggles to address hate crimes against Muslims; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration is adding religious concepts to its mandatory diversity training for state employees; Virginians will have a difficult time challenging any new state laws that would restrict abortion, if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn Roe v. Wade; and other local news stories.

Senator Joe Morrissey could be the deciding vote on any new proposals to restrict abortion access in the state; A sailor at Fort Story in Virginia Beach has died after a helicopter experienced a “hard landing” during training exercises last week; The housing market in Hampton Roads is breaking records as prices continue to surge; and other local news stories.

Virginia Capitol Police is increasing patrols around the capitol complex, after a bullet pierced the window of the Attorney General’s office in Richmond Monday night; Electric bills are rising across the country, including here in Virginia; The search begins again for a new head of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles after reports that the incoming commissioner was accused of inappropriate behavior at his previous job; and other local news stories.

Democrat Danica Roem is aiming for a new post in Virginia’s closely divided Senate next year; Over the past two years, 23 Virginia public school districts have taken at least one book off their shelves due to content reasons; The City of Norfolk is looking to get rid of library late fees; and other local news stories.

Richmond City Council is reviewing two proposals that would give city employees the right to collectively bargain; Fox Elementary teachers moved their things into Clark Springs Elementary school last week, where students will finish out the academic year; It’s unclear when the Virginia Appeals Court will decide whether a man convicted of murdering a Waverly Police officer nearly 25 years ago will be exonerated; and other local news stories.

Today, the Virginia Court of Appeals will consider exonerating a Virginia man convicted of murdering a Waverly police officer nearly 25 years ago; Arlington will now be home to Boeing’s global headquarters; The Jamestown settlement is becoming more and more threatened by climate change; and other local news stories.

The long-awaited Office of the Children’s Ombudsman is now up and running; Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says a U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would threaten longstanding law on privacy and equal protection; Two pieces of land in King William County have been put into a trust to benefit the Upper Mattaponi Tribe; and other local news stories.

A leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe versus Wade has supercharged a debate over abortion access in Virginia, which will likely have an effect on the mid-term elections; As the struggle to complete the state budget continues, negotiators say there are no plans to hold public meetings for the foreseeable future; Completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline has been delayed again to the second half of 2023, and the estimated price tag for the project has risen to about 6-point-6 billion dollars; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s top education official says state schools are not producing good outcomes; V-DOT is hosting the first of two meetings tonight to gather community input on the Fall Line Trail; Some employees at a Newport News Starbucks announced they will try to unionize; and other local news stories.

This week starts an awareness week for children’s mental health. To share insights on ways adults can help children who are struggling -- VPM News Morning Edition anchor Phil Liles spoke with Dr. Karen Kochel, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Richmond.

Environmental advocates are concerned that Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney's budget proposal isn't keeping up with previous commitments to make the city more resilient to climate change; Richmond public safety officials report more coyote sightings in the area this spring; Petersburg leaders are looking for ways to respond to a recent increase in gun violence; and other local news stories.

Fairfax Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn was voted out of a leadership role by her Democratic colleagues in the House of Delegates yesterday; A Virginia Senate panel has rejected Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to temporarily suspend the gas tax; The Richmond and Henrico health districts have set up an email alert system to let community members know when there are spikes in opioid overdoses in their neighborhoods; and other local news stories.

Democrats in Virginia’s Senate are threatening to reject changes Governor Glenn Youngkin wants to make to cannabis laws; Lawmakers are heading back to the state Capitol today to consider Governor Glenn Youngkin’s vetoes and changes to legislation; The visitor’s center at the Virginia Capitol will be closing next week due to construction; and other local news stories.

A group of Hanover County students spent last Friday in silence as part of a national day of LGBTQ advocacy; Sen. Bernie Sanders came to Richmond this weekend to celebrate the recent unionization of seven Starbucks locations in Virginia; The top Democrat in Virginia’s House of Delegates is facing a challenge from within her own ranks; and other local news stories.

For almost 70 years, Virginia has been waging a crusade against litter through campaigns, roadway signs, and fines; The Scott Road Bridge in Henrico may soon be replaced with one that won’t allow cars; Next month, the Virginia Rent Relief Program will no longer accept new applications from community members in need of financial assistance; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Department of Education voluntarily handed over a file on Tuesday that it previously blocked from public release; A Charlottesville-based medical company has received emergency use authorization for a new rapid test for COVID-19; City officials released a draft plan this week on the methods Richmond wants to use to tackle climate change; and other local news stories.

More than 220 places of worship in Hampton Roads are at risk of serious damage from persistent flooding and sea level rise; The Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled that a man found guilty in 1994 of sexually abusing his children is innocent; Governor Glenn Youngkin is ordering a review of security and safety at Virginia’s state mental health hospitals; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 17 directs state officials to bring new recycling technology to Virginia, but not everyone is convinced the tech is as effective as advertised; Large-scale solar farms in Virginia will soon have stricter water quality standards; Regional transportation officials will soon decide how to spend nearly $280 million dollars on projects over the next four years; and other local news stories.

At Richmond's George Whythe High School a vigil was held for a 17-year-old gun shot victim; Russia issues sanctions against some members of U.S. House or Reps, including some in Va; The number of house fires in Chesterfield County is up compared to last year; and other local news.

Richmond’s two homeless shelters to close this month; Virginians can apply to state program to protect their ash trees; Water bills were recently paid off for Petersburg residents; and other local news stories

04/13/22 Gov. Glenn Youngkin Vetoes Target Sen. Ebbin; Gov. Youngkin signals support for facial recognition technology; Richmond City Council and School Board appear to come to agreement on George Wythe High School, and other local news stories.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs new legislation; Youngkin appoints former former Trump official to be Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Education; Richmond Mayor proposes new ordinance around George Whythe; and other local news stories.

A VPM News public records request shows a Richmond city official attempted to get an independent city auditor to update an audit on school construction costs over a year after it was published; Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a new executive order yesterday recognizing the value of recycling and waste reduction in Virginia; Fairfax County’s top prosecutor has launched a new program that aims to provide people accused of nonviolent crimes with programs and services instead of a criminal record; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has offered a slate of new appointees to fill vacancies on the Virginia Parole Board after Senate Democrats rejected his first picks; A permanent exhibit honoring the lives of the one and a half million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust is opening in Richmond; Three national civil rights organizations have teamed up to launch a new campaign in response to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s tip line to report so-called inherently divisive concepts; and other local news stories.

In Southwest Virginia, there’s a new store that needs no price tags. That’s because everything on the shelves is completely free; To-go cocktails and alcohol deliveries are here to stay in Virginia for two more years; A statewide campaign launched this week to raise awareness about safe driving practices for teens; and other local news stories.

The Virginia General Assembly reconvened yesterday to finish work on the state budget and almost fifty bills; State lawmakers are back to negotiating the thorny politics of seating two new justices to the Virginia Supreme Court; Two out of three judges on a federal appeals panel have agreed to allow a Fairfax County governor’s school to continue with its current admissions process, at least for the next incoming class of students; and other local news stories.

Most parts of Central Virginia were advised to find shelter yesterday afternoon; Some Richmonders say the mayor’s Civilian Review Board proposal threatens to weaken the board’s power and its independence from police; Regulations have yet to take effect that are aimed at “fast-tracking” the review process for new Civil War signage in Virginia; and other local news stories.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin met with stakeholders yesterday to talk about legislation he is deciding whether to sign into law; A federal court dismissed an appeal by Mountain Valley Pipeline in an Air Pollution Control Board case; Students at Atlee High School in Hanover County have been suspended for a school walkout a couple of weeks ago; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Education Association, an advocacy group and union, has announced plans to publish recently rescinded state education equity guidelines on their own website; A group called the Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, has been asked to review the equal opportunities policy for Hanover County Public Schools. But the Southern Poverty Law Center has deemed ADF an anti-LGBTQ hate group; The board who manages the historic Montpelier home of James Madison will no longer share authority with a group of people descended from Africans once enslaved there; and other local news stories.

A proposed natural gas project would double the size of a pipeline that runs through Hampton Roads; Six buildings on the University of Richmond campus will be renamed, including two that were the focus of student and faculty protests last year; It’s now optional to wear face masks in classrooms at the University of Virginia; and other local news stories.

For the first time in over 100 years, Mattaponi women will be able to vote for their next chief; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order making masks in schools voluntary cannot be enforced in some school districts; The contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings this week have highlighted the lack of professional diversity on the nation’s highest court; and other local news stories.

Resources for Richmond families who need housing can’t keep up with pandemic spikes in homelessness; Virginia lawmakers will be called back to Richmond on April 4th to finish work on bills and the state budget; Lashrecse Aird plans to run for the state Senate seat in 2023; and other local news stories.