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.

With state officials reviewing Medicaid rolls for the first time since the pandemic began, some doulas are concerned about their patients’ coverage; The pedestrian bridge to Texas Beach will be closed this summer due to structural issues; Ahead of the Diamond District redevelopment, the city of Richmond will pay $25 million dollars to replace the Sports Backers Stadium; and other local news stories.

The Richmond Police Department held a Vigil for Peace at George Wythe High School this week in response to a recent shooting outside the school; Richmond’s toll prices will likely increase later this year to offset revenue that was lost during the COVID-19 pandemic; The Richmond planning commission pushed forward the $2.4 billion dollar Diamond District redevelopment project Monday; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Education Association is alleging that lab school planning grant money sent from the state to private colleges violates the law; RVA is celebrating Bike Month with several events; Richmond International Airport logged its highest traveler total for the month of March; and other local news stories.

Millions of dollars meant for keeping sewage out of the James River is held up in state budget negotiations. VPM News reporter Jahd Khalil explored how all that money could be used.

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.