Chances are you’re not running for statewide office. But the odds are probably more likely this spring than in the past.

Jahd Khalil spoke with a political analyst about why so many politicians think this is their year. 

For many children, COVID has meant educational setbacks as they struggled to absorb lessons online. 

But for others the pandemic has underscored the value of learning outside.  

Sandy Hausman reports on a school near Charlottesville where students spent 90-pecent of their time in fields, forests and tents.

The COVID crisis led many universities to move classes online, but at one state school in Virginia the choice was to move outside. 

Sandy Hausman reports on why one journalism professor is now pledging to keep his students away from the classroom even after the pandemic has passed.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced Wednesday bald eagle populations have quadrupled in the lower 48 states since 2009.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Governor Ralph Northam has signed legislation ending the death penalty in Virginia.

As Michael Pope reports, that makes the commonwealth the first southern state to end capital punishment.

This was the year when state lawmakers approved some major changes including legalization of marijuana and ending the death penalty.  In other areas, however, reformers were disappointed.

The General Assembly rejected several bills designed to reform utility regulation, refused to remove special legal protections for police and retained the state’s right-to-work law. 

They also failed to approve campaign finance reform as Sandy Hausman reports.

During the last campaign cycle, corporations, political action committees, non-profits and individuals donated more than 124-million dollars to candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate.

Critics contend that warped the way lawmakers voted in 2021, but efforts to reform campaign finance in Richmond have repeatedly failed. 

In part two of her series, Sandy Hausman looks at why politicians are reluctant to limit donations and whether that might change next year.

Come April 1, there will be more space for you at entertainment venues.

Governor Ralph Northam announced he will ease restrictions at sporting events and entertainment venues.

Jahd Khalil has more on what that means. 

With all the talk of respiratory disease for the last year, one bright spot was the flu.

There hasn’t been a single outbreak in Virginia during this flu season.

Jahd Khalil tells us why. 

When the economy crashed last year, Virginia lost a significant number of jobs.

And as Michael Pope reports, the job market still hasn’t recovered.

COVID-19 has changed the way people interact with local government. The result is more participation… And students at James Madison University are having their food orders delivered in whole new way.

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.

The pandemic has brought about many new trends, some of which may end up becoming permanent parts of the landscape.

Michael Pope reports on the future of the takeout cocktails.

In September, the department of education asked a group of educators how they would fix racial inequities in Virginia’s education system. This week they delivered their recommendations.

Jahd Khalil has this report on the African American Superintendent’s Advisory Council.

Lawmakers considered a bill that would have given local governments more authority to require that developers preserve or replace tree canopy.

As Michael Pope reports, they rejected the idea for now. But they also set the stage for potential action next year.

Five public universities in Virginia can trace their roots to before the civil war– a period when slavery permeated American life and built wealth for white Americans.

And it also helped build those schools.

Jahd Khalil reports on efforts to repair a small amount of that damage.

This election cycle will include a strange quirk that most voters have never seen: A ballot that includes the same name for two different races.

Michael Pope explains why.

When voters head to the polls in June for the statewide Democratic primary, will the order of the candidates have any influence?

Michael Pope reports.

Is Virginia getting all the tax dollars coming to it?

Michael Pope reports on an effort to crack down on tax avoiding corporations. 

In February, Governor Ralph Northam said all 132 school divisions should be offering in-person learning by March 15. So where are students learning?

Jahd Khalil breaks down the numbers.  

This week, the House of Representatives will take up legislation introduced by a Virginia congressman aimed at tackling the opioid crisis.

Michael Pope reports.

Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg this spring will see something they may not be expecting. And students at VCU have paid for thousands of meals this year that went uneaten.

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.

The spring campaign season is ramping up, and Democrats have a bumper crop of candidates hoping to be lieutenant governor.

Michael Pope reports.

The governor is now considering hundreds of bills lawmakers put on his desk.

Michael Pope has this report on one that would shed light on racial disparities.

With more vaccine in the pipeline, experts predict more of us will be inoculated against COVID in the next few months. 

At some Virginia schools, nursing students are stepping up to help.

They’re already on the job at VCU and Radford.  Now Sandy Hausman reports dozens are in training at UVA.

The House of Representatives isn’t dealing with just COVID-relief.

As Michael Pope reports, members also voted on a labor law introduced by a senior member of the Virginia delegation.

A simmering controversy over the Virginia Parole Board got a response from the Northam Administration Tuesday.

The Governor’s Chief of Staff defended the administration and said the case was becoming politicized.

Jahd Khalil has more.  

A Northern Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney is the first local prosecutor in the state to set up a dedicated unit to review possible wrongful convictions. And the U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment on its aerial battle against the Gypsy Moth.

These 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.

One of the big disappointments for many criminal justice advocates in this year’s General Assembly session was a failure to ditch mandatory minimums.

Michael Pope explains why.

What do you think the chances are that something was wrong with how ballots were counted?

A Risk Limiting Audit found that the chances the Virginia Department of Elections missed a faulty ballot tabulation was less than one in 100,000.

The department announced the results Tuesday. Jahd Khalil explains how they did it. 

Governor Northam has said he wants kids back in school by mid-March.

But as more schools gear up to re-open or increase their in-classroom days, mental health experts warn that the return to in-person education may be stressful for students.

Christine Kueter has that story.

The General Assembly will formally adjourn today Monday, but it finished most of its business on Saturday.

Jahd Khalil sums up what the lawmakers did on their last day of legislating. 

Thanks to the work of some elementary school students a Virginia civil rights pioneer now has a long overdue historical marker… And a Navy Corpsman has accomplished one his life goals and a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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.

Lawmakers are ending the General Assembly session with a major compromise on expungement.

Michael Pope reports.

As the General Assembly session winds down, Michael Pope talked to Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Jeff Shapiro about what happened and what didn’t happen.

The General Assembly session is scheduled to end on Saturday.

On Thursday negotiators from the House and Senate agreed on a budget proposal.

Jahd Khalil tells us how one compromise led to a five percent raise for teachers. 

Lawmakers are rejecting an effort to create new rules for how lawmakers are able to spend campaign cash.

Michael Pope explains.

More than half a million Virginians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and many more could have been infected without developing symptoms.  The state also reports vaccinating more than one-million people.

So are we getting close to what’s known as herd immunity? 

Sandy Hausman put that question to one expert at the University of Virginia.

School districts in southwest Virginia are getting together to plan what they see as the next step for online learning…and a Northern Virginia high school may soon take on the name of a former staff member who was fired for taking a stand against segregation.

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.

Virginia won millions of dollars from pharmaceutical consultants for the damage done by the opioid epidemic. It’s probably getting much more from the drug makers themselves.

But will Virginia be able to learn from its past mistakes?

Jahd Khalil reports that public health experts are thinking about the future and another major settlement. 

Members of the General Assembly are considering legislation that would prohibit people from evading gun-control laws by constructing a gun at home.

Michael Pope explains. 

Virginia lawmakers rejected a bill aimed at cracking down on cyber flashing.

Michael Pope reports.

Democrats are taking a number of steps to make voting more accessible.

As Michael Pope reports, that includes a bill to allow voting on Sundays.

The pandemic has played havoc with many things this year including college admissions. 

As Sandy Hausman reports, applications at some schools were up dramatically, while other institutions appear to be falling short. 

Senators rejected a House bill that would prevent employers from retaliating against their employees.

Michael Pope explains why.

Minority owned businesses in the upper Shenandoah Valley will soon have a new source of capital. And Virginia lawmakers are looking to change the way absentee ballots are counted.

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.

Lawmakers are debating a bill aimed at preventing discrimination by adoption agencies.

But, as Michael Pope reports, the House and the Senate are divided over how to do it.

Last year’s passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act meant electric utilities needed to come up with more than 3,000 megawatts of energy storage capacity. One place was in the batteries of electric school buses.

But as Jahd Khalil reports, some Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups weren’t on the same. 

Lawmakers are debating a number of bills about what happens inside Virginia classrooms.

And as Michael Pope reports, they’re also considering a bill that aimed at improving school buildings across Virginia.

In Virginia, utility companies are allowed a certain rate of return. If they make more money than that, they typically have to give it back.

But Virginia also has a law which, unlike in other states, allows companies to take over-earnings and invest them in infrastructure projects.

As Jahd Khalil reports, the House of Delegates is taking a closer look at that.

Remnants of southwestern Virginia’s economic past may be among the keys to its economic future. And researchers are looking for ways to make the Chesapeake Bay safer for humpback whales.

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.

Last summer’s demonstrations over racial justice and Confederate monuments are causing lawmakers to rethink the definition of a hate crime and who can be prosecuted for one.

Michael Pope reports.

In Virginia, hundreds of thousands of acres of land are protected through conservation easements.

Landowners typically donate an easement to a conservation organization, and those organizations are hoping to strengthen easements’ legal standing through a bill this legislative session.

Jahd Khalil has more.