There are more than 2,000 voting locations across Virginia. And each one is staffed by a handful of dedicated poll workers.

These folks don’t work in elections year round but choose each year to spend a day helping make democracy run.

Mallory Noe-Payne spoke with one man in Roanoke who’s been doing it for almost 30 years. 

When a Canadian company started looking for gold in Buckingham County, area residents were alarmed. 

They knew that activity could threaten their water supply, and they asked the state legislature to step in. 

Lawmakers asked the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to do a report on the possible impacts of gold mining here. 

Today, the report is out, and Sandy Hausman spoke with one of its authors.

The Federal Reserve seems headed toward another big interest rate hike this week.  But inflation has remained stubbornly high and the economy keeps creating new jobs.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright talk about the tightrope regulators have been walking.

One of Virginia’s high profile Congressional races may be getting closer.  And another can’t get any tighter.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap a busy week in state politics and the General Assembly.

The area around Charlottesville has grown dramatically in the last decade, and so has the traffic. 

Now, with a $2 million grant from Washington, local leaders are planning one way to take cars off the road and put people on bikes. 

The Three Notched Trail will stretch 25 miles from the city to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Last week, the Nansemond Indian Nation was given back 504 acres of their ancestral lands in Suffolk County.

For the seven federally recognized Tribes in Virginia, getting back ancestral lands for conservation is key to their sovereignty.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

A new federal student loan forgiveness program is up and running.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright talk through some of the financial and policy implications.

If you missed the voter registration deadline in Virginia you still have a chance to cast a ballot.  And grassland birds are disappearing from the Commonwealth but there’s a new effort underway to help them.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

Several Virginia cities are about to receive new funding to crack down on gang violence.

Michael Pope explains the project.

Virginia saw a small decrease in overdose deaths during the first quarter of this year, but the opioid epidemic is still taking a heavy toll. 

Last year, more than 2,600 people died – most from an overdose of fentanyl. 

And now doctors warn there’s an even more potent form of the drug being sold.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Debates… and lack of debates… are among the political headlines over the past week.

Jeff Schapiro, of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope discuss the week in politics and state government.

In less than a month voters head to the polls for the Congressional midterms and municipal elections.

Talk to local officials running those elections and they’ll tell you their job has become busier in the past few years and complicated by the fight against misinformation. 

Mallory Noe-Payne has this look at how local registrars are turning to communication pros to help wage that battle. 

Members of the General Assembly are starting to consider what kind of bills they’ll consider next year.

And as Michael Pope reports, many people are calling on them to find a way to increase affordable housing.

Virginia’s income tax hasn’t been updated since 1990.

As Michael Pope reports, that means low-income people shoulder a disproportionate burden.

Virginia is still tracking cases of COVID-19, but other viruses are popping up earlier than usual. 

Sandy Hausman reports on one which puts about 58,000 children and three times as many elderly patients in the hospital each year.

It’s college football season, with all its pageantry and prognostications.  But there’s even more at play.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and host Craig Wright talk about the big business of college football.

Virginia may be about to roll the dice on casino gambling. But who will benefit the most?

Michael Pope has more on a new state report.

Early votes are already being cast for this year’s Congressional election.  And Election Day is less than a month away.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope bring us up to speed on developments in some of Virginia’s most contested races.

Autumn Olive, an Asian plant originally prized for its ability to control erosion and thrive in harsh environments, is quickly choking out native East Coast species.

While it’s likely too late to eradicate it, there are ways to help manage it— one small bite at a time.

Christine Kueter reports.

Campaigns in Virginia and beyond made headlines over the past few days.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope have more on the week in politics and state government.

Can a Virginia-based company re-ignite the e-cigarette market?

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright have more on the business ramifications for Altria Group.

Candidates for Congress in Virginia are debating everything from abortion and the economy to transgender students and gun violence.

Michael Pope reports that they’re also being asked about threats to democracy.

Election season has begun, and voters can either mail in their ballots or deposit them in a drop box.

Michael Pope explains some of the steps taken to ensure security.

Over the past two years several thousand Virginians have received non-binary driver’s licenses. And the City of Winchester has seen parts of its gun ordinance suspended by a judge pending a lawsuit.

Those have been among the most read stories during the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

A recent study found that negligent landlords are a significant predictor of violence in Richmond neighborhoods.

Caitlin Pierce has more on the research and how it might be used in other areas struggling to reverse trends of increasing violence.

As the stock market continues to slide and high inflation seems to hang on, a lot of investors are wondering where to turn.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright have more on the concerns and the outlook for the future.

At the Chickahominy Tribe’s 70^th Annual Fall Festival and Pow-Wow, the President of William & Mary announced a new tuition initiative to help students most of whom have families earning less than $60,000 a year.

But for Indigenous communities that once inhabited university lands here, is it enough?

Pamela D’Angelo has more.

Many Virginians look forward to fall – a time when the air is cool and trees change color. 

One student at the University of Virginia is a special fan of the season. 

He started a non-profit to plant more trees and has won a national award for his work as Sandy Hausman reports.

Research is underway to make sure planned wind turbines will be safe for birds…and Virginia lawmakers will have to wait a bit longer for new offices and meeting space in Richmond.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

New school guidelines and new oversight of elections top the political headlines this week.

Jeff Schapiro, of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope discuss the week in politics and the General Assembly.

For a second year, Virginia’s seven federally-recognized Tribes came together as sovereign nations.

This year the focus was Indigenous-led conservation and reacquiring lands.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

If you’ve been considering buying a house in the last few months, you know the impact of inflation and rising interest rates.

Roben Farzad, host the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright talk about the increasing cost of a mortgage.

As the November election draws closer, abortion is becoming a bigger issue in some key Congressional races.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

Biotech is big business.  And Virginia is trying to strengthen its position and bring more research and manufacturing back onshore.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright have more on how that plan is coming together.

A plan by Norfolk police to use drones as first as responders is drawing some objections. And elk are thriving again in Virginia.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

The General Assembly was supposed to deal with vacancies when it met Wednesday.  But some big ones remain.

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Michael Pope discuss the week in politics and state government.

Nikki Giovanni is known around the world for her writing and activism. Her writing touches on social issues, like race and gender.

She recently retired from teaching at Virginia Tech after 35 years.

Giovanni sat down with reporter Roxy Todd, who asked about her advice to students.

Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing underwater robots, to be able to map the ocean and study the impacts of microplastics in the water.

They recently tested one beneath the surface of Claytor Lake, in the New River Valley.

Roxy Todd joined them and filed this story.

The fall campaign season is about to kick into high gear, here in Virginia and in other states.

Jeff Schapiro, of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope talk about that that means for the candidates and the governor.

The Afghan Girls’ Robotics Team has been internationally recognized. They’ve won numerous awards for their skills in engineering and robotics.

Now, a year has passed since the Taliban took over the country. And because most education for girls has stopped, so has the robotics team.

Many of the former team members have dispersed to other countries to pursue their education, including one incoming freshman at Virginia Tech. Roxy Todd has her story.

It’s never been easy to be successful in the restaurant business.  But it’s been even harder during the last few years.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright talk about the challenges.

Virginia’s juvenile justice system is about to get a makeover.

Michael Pope explains.

The names Lewis and Clark are famous in U. S. history. But only a few people have heard the name of one of their most important companions.  And invasive plant species are serious problems in Virginia, especially where they’re being locally sold.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

Virginia is flush with cash, which means you might be getting a check in the mail.

Michael Pope explains why. 

Abortion is becoming a prime topic in two Virginia Congressional races.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope discuss the week in politics and state government.

Across Virginia, schools are struggling to find enough teachers for the upcoming fall semester.

Michael Pope explains why.

Student performance on Virginia Standards of Learning tests rebounded in the last school year.

But it’s still well-behind the performance logged before the pandemic.

David Seidel has a snapshot of the result.

When the Virginia Department of Transportation started work on the Hampton Bridge and Tunnel Project, construction equipment displaced sea birds that had been nesting there for years. 

The situation alarmed bird lovers who lobbied the state to create a new place for terns and gulls. Experts identified a piece of land nearby and turned it into suitable habitat – removing trees and adding sand. 

The birds returned from their winter homes and happily settled in, but there’s a problem with the new arrangement as Sandy Hausman reports.

After covering the nation’s opioid crisis in the book and streaming series ‘Dopesick,’ Roanoke journalist and author Beth Macy has checked in with a second book on the issue. 

‘Raising Lazarus’ updates efforts to treat people struggling with addiction rather than send them to jail, and seek justice against drug manufacturers.

Macy talked with Jeff Bossert.

We’ve all felt the sting of high inflation over the past few months.  So can federal legislation slow the climb of consumer prices?

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright have more on one recent effort.