The City of Richmond has reached final terms with developer RVA Diamond Partners for their $2.4 billion Diamond District project; Richmond City Council followed the lead of other metros across the country in doing away with parking requirements in favor of a more permissive, market-driven approach to providing parking in the city; Chick-fil-A has cut the ribbon on a new location in the city, while also plotting further expansion in the counties; and other local news stories.

The commonwealth’s Chief Diversity, Opportunity & Inclusion Officer spoke last week to faculty and staff during a Virginia Military Institute training on "inclusive excellence"; George Wythe High School was put on lockdown Thursday, after two students were shot near campus; The Newport News School Board is requesting the dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed by the elementary school teacher who was shot in a classroom; and other local news stories.

Richmond City Council approved an agreement to redevelop Creighton Court earlier this week; The Virginia Department of Historic Resources this week approved 5 new historical markers; Hanover County school board chairperson John Axselle will retire at the end June, after serving the school system for more than two decades; and other local news stories.

The city’s fire chief says his department inspected every Richmond public school building this academic year, and cleared them of code violations; The City of Richmond and RVA Diamond Partners have finalized an agreement to build a new baseball stadium for the Flying Squirrels; City Councilmembers eliminated parking requirements for new development in a seven to zero vote on Monday; and other local news stories.

Virginia Democrats are outraising Republicans ahead of the General Assembly election this fall; Virginia’s top elections official attended a February conference sponsored by conservative groups aiming to tighten voting laws; More than 30 locally owned restaurants in the Richmond region are participating in Restaurant Week to raise money for the non-profit Feed More; and other local news stories.

The stage is being set for Feed More’s pending move to Henrico, as the regional food bank recently closed on a seven-figure deal for the site of its future home near St. Joseph’s Villa; Providing a baseline number of dedicated parking spaces could soon no longer be a requisite for doing business or developing real estate in Richmond; and Triple Crossing Beer is teaming up with a group of local real estate agents to develop that uphill land with 20 modern-design, “chalet-style” townhomes.

To address an uptick in car crashes in Richmond, city officials held a “Speed Symposium” this week for residents; GRTC bus drivers will soon see a 40 percent increase in their hourly wages; Arlington Public Schools will allow students to carry their own Narcan; and other local news stories.

VPM News is continuing its new series this week: Unchecked: Inside RPS fire inspections. The investigation reveals long standing fire code violations and spotty record-keeping in Richmond schools; The Chesapeake Walmart where six people were shot and killed in November reopened Wednesday morning; Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears canceled a visit to Maggie Walker Governor’s School yesterday, where students had planned to protest her scheduled appearance; and other local news stories.

Delays in passing the state budget are affecting the city of Richmond’s spending plan for the coming year; At least one of the torch-wielding protesters who participated in the 2017 Unite the Right rally has been charged with felony burning with intent to intimidate, a class 6 felony; The General Assembly abruptly denied early release last summer for hundreds of people incarcerated in Virginia prisons; and other local news stories.

VPM News reporters Megan Pauly and Connor Scribner speak with VPM Editor Whittney Evans about their investigation into the fire at Fox Elementary last year; A Virginia corrections officer accused of choking an incarcerated person was promoted last year; The City of Petersburg is mourning the loss of Richard Stewart; and other local news stories.

Virginia author Kenneth Nixon says America’s mental health system is in crisis – and he should know. Nixon’s mother suffered from severe mental illness. His memoir, Born into Crisis, describes how his family became stuck in an enduring cycle of trauma, but also some strategies and solutions for creating change. Morning Edition Host Phil Liles recently spoke to Nixon.

Richmond’s bustling development scene is facing the most formidable foe it has seen in recent years: rising interest rates.

Richmond City Council introduced legislation during a Wednesday meeting to officially accept state money to help purchase Mayo Island; A proposal to site a new Richmond Fire Department training facility on existing Southside green space has led to disagreements among city leaders and community members; A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked federal regulations in Virginia and 23 other states intended to protect thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways; and other local news stories.

A group attempting to unravel what happened at the Enrichmond Foundation has obtained the nonprofits’ financial records; Hemp retailers will have to take some intoxicating hemp products off their shelves under legislation passed by the General Assembly Wednesday; A class action lawsuit has been filed against the United Network for Organ Sharing; and other local news stories.

Laura K. Drewry is now Richmond’s city attorney, Richmond Public Schools is in the process of renaming four of its buildings; Governor Glenn Youngkin is pushing for parents to have a final say in whether their teenage child can use websites and apps that collect people’s data; and other local news stories.

State considers changes to school accreditation; Norfolk officials consider changes to flood wall project after residents voice concerns; Democratic Senator Tim Kaine other senators requested an investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; and other local news stories.

Betty Migliaccio has been a firefighter for the City of Richmond for 9 years. Like many other first responders, she has a lot of stories to tell. Migliaccio’s experience is the focus of one of four new one-act plays at Firehouse Theatre in Richmond. The show, called First Responses, ends this Sunday. Morning Edition Host Phil Liles recently spoke to Migliaccio.

The area around Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s downtown taproom continues to draw developer interest; The next piece of Westchester Commons is in the works; The clock has expired on a longtime Short Pump restaurant, but a new, mystery addition to the area’s dining scene is in the works within eyeshot; and other local business stories.

Chesterfield County’s Board of Supervisors adopted a $1.94 billion dollar budget Wednesday; Robious Landing Park in Chesterfield has new safety signs warning of its proximity to Bosher’s Dam on the James River; Flood insurance is a complex issue in Hampton Roads. But Norfolk nonprofit RISE Resilience Innovations is investing in some ideas to improve it; and other local news stories.

04/06/2023 The state is investigating the Enrichmond foundation; Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political team say he’s raised nearly $3 million over the first quarter of this year; All 55 seniors in Cristo Rey Richmond's are graduating; and other local news stories.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and CNN Anchor Jim Acosta met earlier this week at James Madison University in Harrisonburg; Glenn Youngkin is set to lead his first international trade mission as governor; The governor's office has decided not to hold special elections to fill the seats of two Democrats in the House of Delegates; and other local news stories.

State medical examiner rules Irvo Otieno’s death a homicide; The teacher allegedly shot by a 6-year-old student files a $40 million dollar lawsuit against the school system; What has Gov. Youngkin's Office of Transformation been up to?; and other local news stories

Norfolk is weighing whether to move forward with a massive federal agreement that includes building a floodwall around much of the city. Katherine Hafner with partner station WHRO breaks down what’s in it, and why some people are concerned.

Local home remodeler abruptly closes, leaving clients and subcontractors in limbo; In ‘call to action,’ city leaders declare housing crisis in Richmond; New Rocketts Landing section welcomes first residents; and other local business stories.