While the Newtown, Connecticut shooting has gotten the most media attention of late, last night at the State of the Union address two Virginia lawmakers honored the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting.

Peter Read of Annandale, Virginia lost his daughter Mary in the Virginia Tech shooting. He says he was honored to be the guest of Congressman Gerry Connolly at the State of the Union address.

“It’s hugely meaningful to me and obviously for my daughter Mary and for the other Hokie families.”
More than twenty lawmakers invited victims of gun violence or their family members to attend the president’s annual address. Virginia

Congressman Bobby Scott gave his extra ticket to Lori Haas of Richmond. Her daughter Emily was shot twice but survived the Virginia Tech massacre. Haas says it was important for so many people impacted by gun violence to be present in the House chamber as the president called for new gun-control measures.  “It is incumbent upon all of us to raise our voices and to speak to this issue and to call on Congress to act. The President has put forth a big package, a nice set of proposals and that combined if we pass all those proposals, come into legislation and become law, we will save lives and that’s our job.”

And Peter Read says the details don’t matter as much to him as getting action.  “The art of the politically possible is for the politicians to figure out but I will work with anybody who will work with me to get the right things done.”

Before the address the guests were taken to a private event at the White House and many have been lobbying lawmakers for action while at the Capitol.

–Matt Laslo

Democrats in the region like the jobs plan President Obama laid out last evening in his State of the Union address. But Matt Laslo reports that Republicans are wary of its price tag.

Virginia is one of the first states to feel the impact of a decade-long round of  budget cuts scheduled to begin hitting  the federal government next month. Matt Laslo reports on what the Virginia congressional delegation is doing to avert those cuts from potentially crippling the state’s economy and defense industry.

The Southern Environmental Law Center is out with its list of top ten endangered places in this region, and according to the report, three parts of Virginia are threatened.   Sandy Hausman reports on why environmentalists are concerned.

In recent weeks, there has been an abundance of scientific reports documenting state and federal efforts to clean up pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Pamela D’Angelo asked watermen for their assessment.

Like their students, Virginia’s public schools could be getting letter grades of A through F — based on how well they appear to be educating students.  The House of Delegates approved the idea Monday, and Governor Bob McDonnell, who proposed it, said he hoped the Senate would also sign on.   McDonnell has also proposed a small increase in school funding, but Sandy Hausman reports that local districts have some serious catching up to do.

The young man who made news last week for taking a loaded rifle into a supermarket in Charlottesville has apparently come forward.  He spoke with a radio talk show host on Sunday morning, explaining his motivation and expressing disappointment in those who misunderstood.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

A city in Central Virginia could become the first in the nation to ask for regulation of drones — unmanned aircraft used overseas to spy on and attack our enemies.  Sandy Hausman reports on why some feel the need to limit domestic drone use.

Virginia elects a governor in about ten months.  Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is expected to top his party’s ticket, and he’ll soon be out with a new book.  The Washington Post offered a preview, and Democrats in Richmond were quick to attack as Sandy Hausman reports.

Increased fuel efficiency has cut into Virginia’s gasoline tax revenue, so there’s less money around to build and maintain roads. The governor wants to ditch the gas tax in favor of a higher sales tax, but he idea has proven controversial, and today opponents tried to drive their points home as Sandy Hausman reports.

Today we may sometimes take for granted our rights of self-determination, equality and public consent to the laws of our land.  But those legal tenets are relatively new and still somewhat rare throughout the world.  A kind of movement has begun here in Virginia to remind people about the origins and scope of those rights and freedoms we now see as self evident, and inalienable.  Robbie Harris prepared this report.

Virginia is growing faster than the national average, and a new study shows it’s growing in some surprising places. as Sandy Hausman.

We’re now a state of 8.2 million, up 2.3 percent from the last census, and you’ll never guess the fastest growing city in the Commonwealth.

“Covington tops the list as the fastest growing locality.”

Chen Cai is with the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia.  She says it might be due to a record-keeping error, or the city of

Covington may be going through a baby boom, with 120 births recorded last year, compared with 60 in a typical year.  More people moved to cities than suburbs, and as usual, they go where the jobs are.

“More than 50% of the growth occurred in Northern Virginia, and almost all the growth occurred in the metropolitan areas.”
The arrival of people from other states and countries helped to offset a net loss in 64 communities where there were more deaths than births.  That’s a reflection of an aging population and couples having smaller families.  On average, the state is adding 100,000 people a year.

“Virginia’s still attracting people from other parts of the country, other parts of the world, and on average every year we add about 50,000 more due to natural increase – so about 100,000 births every year, and 50,000 deaths.”

Richmond is growing, along with Hampton Roads, Winchester, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Staunton.

— Sandy Hausman

Virginia families caring for loved ones with disabilities may now be eligible for some reimbursement, when they have to hire respite care. As we hear from Connie Stevens, the funds through the one-time voucher program are quite limited—but may make a big difference in reducing strain on full-time caregivers.

Experts say there are a million Virginians who lack health insurance, and under the Affordable Care Act, 400,000 of them could get coverage – but only if the state agrees to expand its Medicaid program.  The federal government promised to pay the full cost of expansion, but the McDonnell administration refused. Now, Sandy Hausman reports that the situation could change if Washington is willing to play Let’s Make a Deal.  

The Transportation Security Administration says it will remove most  full-body scanners from U.S. airports by June – good news for a Charlottesville man who has been fighting them for the last two years.  Aaron Tobey took the federal government to court, alleging the machines violated his constitutional rights.  Sandy Hausman has more on his story.

Charlottesville is still talking about a bizarre event that took place over the weekend.  A man walked into a grocery store with a loaded, semi-automatic rifle.  Police were called but made no arrest, since Virginia law does not prohibit carrying guns in plain sight.  Sandy Hausman has more on that story.

Photo: Bocuse d’Or Team USA
Richard Rosendale and Corey Siegel

The most prestigious cooking competition in the world takes place in France this week. It’s the Bocuse d’Or,  the Olympics of the culinary world, named for legendary French chef Paul Bocuse.  And for the first time this year, America has a very real chance of taking top honors—all because of a chef right here in our neck of the woods.  Connie Stevens introduces us to Chef Richard Rosendale of West Virginia’s  Greenbrier Resort—head of Team USA at the Bocuse d’Or.

 You can watch Team USA compete live, January 30 at 3:20 a.m. at: www.bocusedorusa.org.

The House passed bill to extend the debt ceiling still leaves in place steep budget cuts that could hurt the economy in Virginia. Matt Laslo reports on the next budget battle looming before Congress.

Photo: Virginia Tech

Plans are in the works to harness electricity from wind off the coast of Virginia.
Large scale wind power has become common place in recent years.  Now a team at Virginia Tech is looking to exploit another niche for windpower.  Robbie Harris has this report on a team designing small-scale wind turbines for rooftops around the world.
Robbie Harris has more.

Parents who home school their kids are again Asking Richmond to let their students take part in after-school activities, including sports.  Sandy Hausman reports on why some say that should not be allowed.

Democrats in the region are praising the ambitious agenda laid out by President Obama in his second inaugural address. Matt Laslo reports that the president will now be judged by the agenda he laid out.

The Virginia Department of Education spends thousands of dollars each year to develop resources for teachers, but a recent survey showed many of them didn’t know what was available.  This week, Sandy Hausman reports that the state is launching a new service to keep teachers are in the loop.

Students at the University of Virginia have jumped into the debate over whether Rector Helen Dragas should be confirmed for another term on the board of visitors.  Sandy Hausman reports on why they’re weighing in and what they had to say.