The State Water Commission heard updates on public efforts to detect and remove PFAS (PEA-foss) from drinking water systems this week; There’s no evidence the E-G-5 Covid variant spreads more easily or causes more dire illness. That's according to the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts; The Hanover County School Board amended its library policy this week.

Virginia Housing denied the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s application for about $15 million dollars in federal tax credits to build the second phase of new housing in Creighton Court; The Henrico Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to approve a new solar panel site on the roof of the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center along North Laburnum Avenue; National environmental activist and author Bill McKibben joined a virtual press conference on Wednesday to oppose a planned natural gas plant in Chesterfield County; and other local news stories.

The city of Richmond is holding a gun buyback event between 7 and 11 A-M Saturday; A commission studying how to change the structure of city government recently submitted its report to Richmond city council; Attorney General Jason Miyares is calling for the end of legacy admissions at all colleges and universities in the commonwealth.

In separate cases, the three men won immigration cases that granted them protection from deportation.

A New Orleans native is tackling food waste and expanding access to healthy food in Richmond.

Sauer Properties is looking to effectively build a new neighborhood from scratch in the next leg of its Sauer Center development in the city; After years of preparation, the needle is set to drop on a new winery on the Southside; and Sugar & Twine is planning to invite its patrons back inside after several years of serving them on the sidewalk.

The City of Richmond’s Bike Share program shut down in May; The Virginia State Police are investigating the July death of a patient at Central State Hospital; A new refrigerator, filled with free fruit and vegetables is going up in Southside.

The new planned facility will be located in Sandston, according to a statement from Mayor Levar Stoney.

VPM News requested data from the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts on differences in health outcomes.

Petersburg City Council has voted to issue $34 million dollars in bonds to pay for the expansion of the city’s downtown courthouse; Each year since 2006, Virginia has waived sales tax for certain back-to-school-supplies during the first weekend in August; The Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing might not retain its monopoly on transplants after a vote last week by the U.S. Congress.

A Lynchburg-area coalition is aiming to secure up to $75 million dollars of federal aid to help develop the region’s nuclear industry; Richmond City officials are pushing back against the local Electoral Board’s decision to eliminate two early voting sites; Two Richmond City Councilors made recommendations Friday on how to serve residents experiencing homelessness; and other local news stories.

Richmond’s biggest bank is buying its way into new territory; It appears that Richmond voters in November will be asked a second time whether the city should host a multimillion-dollar casino and resort; and the Richmond region’s first dedicated cornhole lounge is a toss or two away from opening in Short Pump.

To battle the extreme heat expected in Virginia during the next few days, cooling stations are being opened to help residents stay safe; The Supreme Court lifted a stay on construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Thursday, New plans for two historic cemeteries emerged this week.

Dominion Energy customers will once again pay for carbon allowances through a surcharge on their monthly bills; A multi-million-dollar project to convert methane captured at a Roanoke County landfill into renewable natural gas is expected to be up and running by 2025; The “Richmond Shakespeare” theater company has updated a play from 1594 with a contemporary twist.

An unidentified Central State Hospital patient died this weekend; The housing crunch has home values and rents going up. Jahd Khalil from VPM News reports city council is looking in backyards for one solution; The 19-year-old driver who killed one cyclist and injured another last year in Henrico County pleaded guilty earlier this week to three felony charges, according to NBC12.

New incentives for green development may soon be on the way to Richmond; A new low-nicotine cigarette is being produced that could hit Virginia markets by the end of 2023; Eighteen people in Virginia have pleaded guilty to unemployment compensation fraud; and other local news stories.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is urging veterans and survivors to file for benefits under the PACT Act as an August deadline looms.

The long-time owner of the Swannanoa Palace on the Afton Mountain property has died; Acting Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said yesterday that job applications to the department increased 74 percent during the first six months of 2023, compared to the same period last year; State coffers ended fiscal year 2023 with about $3 billion dollars more than predicted based on early data.

The city of Richmond has chosen acting Chief of Police Rick Edwards as its new chief; A number of organizations and individuals have voiced opinions, following Tuesday’s release of guidelines around trans students in public schools from the Virginia Department of Education; Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have announced $44 million dollars for the state’s 10 airports.

The Virginia Department of Education has issued new model policies for transgender students; The Virginia Department of Education has paused a grant program that helped people of color obtain full teaching credentials; The Virginia NAACP expressed concern Tuesday over the Youngkin Administration’s approach to restoring the voting rights of people who have been convicted of a felony.

Attorneys representing the organization behind the Mountain Valley Pipeline are asking the U-S Supreme Court to review two orders to halt the project’s construction; A judge has thrown out most of a lawsuit filed to stop a Black cultural center from melting down a Robert E. Lee statue that once stood in a Charlottesville city park; An independent government agency announced changes late last week in criteria for choosing where a new FBI headquarters will be located.

Norfolk is moving forward on a massive, multi-billion-dollar project to protect the city from major storms.

Scott's Addition sees another new housing development and sees a long time bank depart; Lidl in Short Pump sets to scoot out; And a former bike shop owner changes gears to audio.

The city has provided money for the newly founded Richmond Outdoor and Prosperity Fund; During Virginia’s humid months, some folks might want to grab a refreshing local beer; The Hanover Tomato Festival kicks off today at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville.

Dominion Energy is set to sell its share of a Maryland natural gas plant to Berkshire Hathaway Energy for 3.3 billion dollars; The seven-member Hanover County School Board elected a new leadership Tuesday, following the recent departure of two long-time members; The Henrico Board of Supervisors approved a $12 million contract to build a new fire station Tuesday.