The federal government’s new bipartisan debt agreement could pave the way for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to be completed; A VCU School of Pharmacy professor is encouraging eligible people to get a COVID-19 booster following the ending of the Public Health Emergency earlier in May; The Commonwealth Transportation Board recently approved dozens of regional projects, but there’s one more step in the process before work can begin.

Governor Glenn Youngkin is sending the Virginia National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border; Richmond is evaluating four teams for the mixed-use City Center project; The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is donating almost 600 items to The Historic American Building Survey; and other local news stories.

More than 100,000 people rode Amtrak in the commonwealth during April, setting a record in a year-over-year comparison; Environmentalists say they’re surprised to see approval for permits enabling the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline included in the debt ceiling agreement; Virginia’s new political boundaries have made for some unusually competitive General Assembly primaries; and other local news stories.

Henrico officials say construction on the Cobbs Creek Reservoir is nearing completion; Virginia State University is still assessing the damage after a person reportedly stole a bulldozer and drove it into several campus fixtures over the weekend; Several Virginia newspapers will soon move to publishing only three times each week; and other local news stories.

Chesterfield County’s transportation department is moving ahead with applications for federal funding on several pedestrian-focused projects; When a high school student dies before graduation, it can be difficult for a family to obtain a posthumous diploma.

Richmond’s version of Red Rocks is ready to rock on; VCU’s real estate division remains in deal-making mode with a new acquisition around its Monroe Park campus; A double play of sorts for Henrico recreation and sports tourism played out over the course of four hours Tuesday; and a restaurant building in Short Pump is set to be revived with a new-to-market tenant.

Transfers to an immigrant detention center in Farmville have been paused after three people detained there tested positive for COVID-19; Members of Richmond City Council received an update on the city’s Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Policy earlier this week; A Henrico County plan to improve traffic congestion issues on Interstate 64 has been approved by The Virginia Department of Transportation and forwarded to the Federal Highway Administration; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Department of Motor vehicles has created a new license plate to honor The Richmond Planet; Workplace safety in Amazon warehouses recently has caught the attention of Congress and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; A Charlottesville judge won’t let a private foundation sign on to a lawsuit to stop a Robert E. Lee monument from being melted down; and other local news stories.

The Buckingham County Electoral Board is in turmoil after a judge postponed a hearing on nominations to the panel; Richmond officials are moving to place a new casino referendum on the ballot this November; Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the resignation of Robert Mosier as Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security on Monday; and other local news stories.

A panel examining the city charter is asking Richmonders for feedback; A self-described whistleblower at the Virginia Department of Corrections was fired last week; The average wait time for admission to Virginia’s nine state-run psychiatric hospitals is almost two days; and other local news stories.

Seabirds that were displaced by the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion have been living on Fort Wool. WHRO’s Katherine Hafner reports on how that’s going and what comes next.

As momentum builds for a long-sought slavery museum and commemorative campus in Shockoe Bottom, a yearslong effort to create a guiding blueprint for the neighborhood’s growth has culminated with the release of a draft area plan; A clearer picture has emerged of what healthcare giant HCA has in mind for its proposed Hanover hospital, as the project approaches a planning commission hearing this summer; After more than a decade out of the game, Emilio Peiro is getting back into the Richmond restaurant scene; and other local business stories.

The Chickahominy Tribe of Virginia will receive a $500,000-dollar federal grant to expand its high-speed internet; Democratic Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are co-sponsoring a bill to increase funding for childhood cancer research; An animal rights group says a Virginia farm that raised chickens for Tyson Foods mistreated its animals; and other local news stories.

Richmond Public Schools has received four construction grants from the state, including $5.6 million dollars to help rebuild William Fox Elementary School; The Food and Drug Administration has asked a Virginia district court for more time to respond to a lawsuit filed by abortion providers; The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has posted operating losses for 14 consecutive months; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has removed Democratic State Senator Mamie Locke from a nonpartisan education advisory board; One lane on the main route through Chesapeake toward the Outer Banks will be closed until further notice; Richmond City Police officers selected a union to represent them in the collective bargaining process ; and other local news stories.

State election officials are working on a new system to replace Eric; U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education visits CodeRVA; Basic City Beer Wins Gold; and other local news stories.

Savanna Baber has been named Virginia’s new Coordinator for Virginia Indian Programs for the state humanities council. She’ll be responsible for helping to tell the stories of tribal nations throughout the commonwealth. Baber recently spoke to VPM News Morning Edition host Phil Liles about her new position.

VCU Health System’s about-face on a downtown development project that relied on its lease as the master tenant cost the health system nearly $73 million; Former governor Doug Wilder called for the firing of VCU President Michael Rao and a state investigation in light of that payment; and final terms for what’s being touted as the biggest economic development project in Richmond’s history were approved this week.

Henrico is partnering with Richmond-area nonprofit Capital Trees, to expand green space throughout the county; A judge has ruled that seven Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and three Central State Hospital employees cannot be tried together in Irvo Otieno’s death; Virginia Commonwealth University might be looking at a budget shortfall next year of up to $25 million dollars; and other local news stories.

Richmond residents will see an increase in utility bills now that the city has passed its yearly budget; VCU’s new arts building will cost $72 million dollars more than previously expected; Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are reintroducing legislation that could help upgrade aging school buildings; and other local news stories.

Former Governor Doug Wilder is calling for Governor Glenn Youngkin to oust his Chief Diversity officer over recent comments; Abortion providers in three states, including Virginia, filed a lawsuit Monday aimed at preserving access to the abortion pill mifepristone; Richmond City Council approved next year’s budget Monday; and other local news stories.

Former Hewlitt-Packard CEO and Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina will serve as honorary chairperson for the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission; Dominion Energy earned 99 cents a share in the first quarter of 2023; VCU Health paid $73 million dollars to get out of its lease tied to a redevelopment of the old Public Safety Building in downtown Richmond, and other local news stories.

The new historical novel “The House is on Fire” by local writer Rachel Beanland, is about a tragedy in Richmond in 1811 that destroyed a theater and killed more than 70 people. The event and its aftermath unfold through the eyes of four real-life characters, who through their actions tell a bigger story about life in early America. Beanland will be speaking about her book Thursday at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Ian Stewart from VPM News recently sat down with the author.

The new owners of a Scott’s Addition cidery are preparing to replant their venture in Henrico County; A new fast-casual restaurant is en route to Manchester; VCU held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for a new STEM building; and other local business stories.

Richmond is looking for a location in Shockoe Bottom to build a museum that tells the history of the city’s slave trade; Organizers are planning a series of town hall meetings to discuss how Virginia’s mental health system could better protect people who are in crisis; The Virginia Department of Elections has planned 10 sessions for groups interested in holding voter registration drives; and other local news stories.