The Virginia Crime Commission recommended passage of a bill to expand expungement eligibility; IKEA donates $2 million to Virginia for eviction relief; School funding remains uncertain amid the COVID-19 pandemic; and other local news stories.

A new bill introduced by Delegate Sam Rasoul seeks to change how body cam footage is dealt with after shooting incidents; the state Senate is seeking to extend a moratorium on evictions; Dozens of inmates at Richmond City Jail are being monitored after testing positive for COVID-19; The Virginia Supreme Court clears the way for the removal of Richmond's last standing Confederate monument; and other local news stories.

The Valentine Museum is in talks to acquire the Jefferson Davis monument toppled by protestors earlier this year; a federal appeals court once again rules in favor of Gavin Grimm, a transgender man who sued his high school for the right to use the boys restroom; Chesterfield County is looking to add two satellite voting locations; and other local news stories.

Judge W. Reilly Marchant dismissed two plaintiffs for lack of standing in a lawsuit preventing the removal of the Robert E. Lee monument, but the case will still go to trial in October with the remaining plaintiffs; Attorney General Herring has defended state restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in fifteen legal cases so far, even as one state senator tests positive for the virus; Requests for absentee ballots are skyrocketing according to the Virginia Department of Elections; Chesterfield is discussing how to spend $50 million in Federal Cares Act Funding; Woodland Cemetery is undergoing changes after changing ownership; and other local news stories.

Henrico County has hired its first African American police chief after a summer of national protests; President Trump trails Joe Biden by double digits among Virginia voters; Over 70 cases of COVID-19 have been reported at VCU; J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College tests a new way to teach math; and other local news stories.

RRHA is preparing it's annual plan, although the files disappeared from the public this week; Dominion Energy overcharged customers by $500 million from 2017 to 2019; Former Governor Terry McAuliffe filed paperwork to raise money for a gubernatorial bid; the Virginia Senate approves civilian review boards; and other local news stories.

Former Governor Terry McAuliffe says he'll wait until after the election to decide if he'll run for Governor again; Nursing and medical care headlined the special session on Tuesday; Mayoral candidate Kim Gray is calling for an investigation into the contractor in charge of removing Confederate statues in Richmond; and other local news stories.

The special session of the General Assembly began with a focus on the state budget, the COVID-19 pandemic, and police reform; Governor Ralph Northam weighs in on state spending; Ballot dropboxes may come to Virginia; Protestors gather for the special session; and other local news stories.

The special session of the General Assembly focused on police reform and COVID-19 response; A Richmond judge will rule on the current lawsuit blocking the removal of the Robert E. Lee monument; Richmond will get a Black Live Matter mural near the capitol; Mayor Levar Stoney announced that Richmond's 2020 budget will end with a $4.5 million surplus; and other local news stories.

Virginia Democrats have laid out their priorities ahead of next week's special session of the General Assembly; Northern Virginia will conduct a pediatric COVID-19 study; Private schools must submit their reopening plans to the Virginia Council for Private Education; VSU is giving students a $500 stipend towards computer purchases; Two Italian-American organizations are offering to take a toppled statue of Christopher Columbus; and the chief curator for VCU's Institute for Contemporary Art is stepping down.

As schools prepare to start virtually, a new study finds one in five Virginia students has no access to a computer or the internet; Chesterfield County introduced a new color-coded system to gauge reopening conditions; Four people were arrested for rioting in Richmond after vandalizing buildings Tuesday night; RRHA prepares to submit its annual plan to HUD; 2nd St. Festival goes virtual; and concerns over mail-in voting.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has proposed a ban on firearms at all public events in the city; Richmond's public safety task force held its first meeting; Stoney calls for the legalization of marijuana; The General Assembly prepares to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic at next week's special session; CDC personnel arrive in Farmville amid a coronavirus outbreak at the immigration detention center there; and over 25% of live events employees were unemployed in mid-June.

Housing organizations in Virginia will no have access to nearly $9 million in federal funding; Small businesses in Richmond damaged during protests will have access to cith grants for repairs; and other local news stories.

Richmond Police purchased over 1,000 units of chemical agents during recent protests according to a request for information by VPM; Virginia Senate Democrats unveiled their proposals for police reform ahead of a special session this month; Republicans call for the resignation of the entire Virginia Parole Board following an investigation into allegations of impropriety; and other local news stories.

The Henrico jail reports that all of the COVID-19 cases from the outbreak in July have recovered; COVID-19 cases in Richmond have stabilized; Virginia rolled out a new voluntary app for contact tracing; Republican Congressional candidate Nick Freitas comes under fire for a mask sold by his campaign; Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson is set to head a new program to support male teachers of color; and other local news stories.

Regulators are set to vote today on a plan to manage menhaden populations in Chesapeake Bay; President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act which will being new jobs to Virginia; New changes to absentee voting will allow voters to track their ballots; Schools and businesses continue to address the COVID-19 pandemic; and health districts look for solutions to the disproportionate spread of the coronavirus among the Latinx community.

A Richmond judge dismissed a lawsuit filed to prevent the removal of the Robert E. Lee monument, but one filed by residents of Monument Avenue remains; Richmond City Council votes to permanently remove the monuments already taken down in the city; Petersburg is offering grants to small businesses affected by the pandemic; Virginia Department of Health is rolling out a voluntary contact tracing app for COVID-19; the closure of the John Marshall Courthouse has been extended; Former Speaker of the House Kirk Cox is considering a run for Governor; and vandals deface Maggie Walker's grave in Evergreen Cemetery.

Despite closing down for criminal and traffic cases, evictions continue at Richmond's General District Court; Two people were charged with assaulting RPD officers at the Lee Monument, VCU's SGA criticizes President Michael Rao's response to recent protests; RPD Chief Gerald Smith sayd the department lacks training with non-lethal measures; Chesterfield extends the personal property tax grace period; Richmond will forgive small business relief loans; and part three of a series focused on nursing homes amid the pandemic.

The Virginia House of Delegates looked at police reform options during a committee meeting ahead of the August 18th special session; 7th District Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger introduced a bipartisan bill to study and improve telehealth; Virginia Senator Mark Warner says President Trump can't remove funding from schools that don't physcially reopen; and part two of an investigative series looking at how nursing homes have handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Northam reimposed Phase 2 restrictions for Hampton Roads as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the area; the John Marshall Courthouse is closing for at least a week in response to coronavirus concerns; the family of George Floyd debuted a memorial hologram display in Richmond; a new initiative seeks to memorialize African American history in Shockoe Bottom; Richmond City Council delayed a vote over use of non-lethal deterrents; Chesterfield is conducting an internal audit over potential bullying over school reopening plans; and a look at how Virginia nursing homes are faring amidst the pandemic.

An investigation into the amount and types of arrests happening in schools in Richmond, more than 20 people were arrested during weekend protests; new limits proposed for executive orders; and other local news stories.

After hearing testimony on Thursday, the injunction against removing the monument to Confederate General Robert E. Lee remains in place pending a ruling from Judge W. Reilly Marchant; a Richmond City Council committee approved an ordinance to create a task force that would establish a civilian review board for police conduct; Governor Ralph Northam ceremonially signed the Virginia Values Act to prevent discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community; a new state law adds hairstyles to guidelines against racial discrimination; Chesterfield Superintendent Merv Daugherty outlined plans for reopening Chesterfield schools; and the State Fair has been cancelled for the first time since World War II.

A hearing takes place this afternoon in the ongoing legal battle to remove the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond; Senator Tim Kaine introduced a bill to rename military bases named after Confederate soldiers; the Virginia House of Delegates held its first meeting on criminal justice reform; Richmond announced a small uptick in COVID-19 cases; a remembrance of Oliver Hill, Jr., who passed away this month; and other local news stories.

Richmond has spent $1.8 million to remove Confederate monuments around the city; City Council is considering a name change for Jefferson Davis Highway; Charlottesville limits military gear for police, Virginia Democrats want to downgrade assaulting a police officer from a felony to a misdemeanor; and other local news stories.

Commonwealth's Attorney Collette McEachin has cleared RPD officers of wrongdoing in five complaints during recent protests after an investigation; a judge declined to block COVID-19 restrictions for weddings set by Governor Ralph Northam; Chesterfield votes to open 100% virtually this fall, as Henrico Public Schools prepare to vote later this week; and other local news stories.