Credit: Paul Sableman / Flickr

Lawmakers were in Richmond Thursday to try to fix district maps for the state legislature.

The maps have been deemed unconstitutional by a federal court.

But as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, they managed to get little done.

Source: Virginia High School League

Some varsity football programs are struggling across Virginia because students aren’t showing up to play the game.

Michael Pope takes a look at the issue with high school football.

As lawmakers in Richmond battle over district lines, a heavy-hitting bipartisan group of former lawmakers want to change the way the entire process works.

The group includes Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Ward Armstrong. Along with legal experts, they plan to write and propose a new way to redistrict.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

Del. Greg Habeeb (Credit: Friends of Greg Habeeb / Creative Commons)

Lawmakers are back in Richmond this week for a special session on redistricting.

And, for one lawmaker, it’s the last hurrah.

Michael Pope has the story.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Virginia is adding jobs, and wages are going up.

But, as Michael Pope reports, that’s not true all over the Commonwealth.

Claude Vann, III, co-chair of the 2019 Commemorative Commission, and William Foley Jones, a descendant of William Tucker, raise the Tucker banner as Verrandall Tucker, another descendent directs. (Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)

Virginia is preparing to mark a painful anniversary—the first Africans brought to English America as slaves.

Last week in Hampton, Governor Ralph Northam gathered with the descendants of William Tucker, the first African to be born in what would become the United States.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Credit onnola/flickr.com/CC

President Trump’s new proposal to replace the Obama-era Clean Power Plan has sparked a debate in the Commonwealth about the state’s energy future.

Matt Laslo has the story from Washington.

State lawmakers will head back to Richmond August 30th for yet another special session.

But, as Michael Pope reports, don’t expect anything groundbreaking to happen anytime soon.

A couple of hundred people attended the candidate forum inside Squires Student Center. (Credit: David Seidel

The race for one of Virginia’s seats in the U. S. Senate made stop at Virginia Tech Friday.

David Seidel was there as Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart took questions from an audience of hundreds.

Protesters in Buckingham County hope to stop construction of a massive compressor station there. (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

Virginia’s Water Control Board will meet Tuesday to consider the question of whether the state should be inspecting every point on a river or stream where pipeline builders propose to cross.

The Department of Environmental Quality had concluded it was enough to let the Army Corps of Engineers do that, but more than 9,000 people wrote to DEQ to protest that decision.

Sandy Hausman has more on where things stand with the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines.

Credit: Jeff Bossert

State transportation officials expect to have plans by late this year on how to free up congestion on Interstate 81.  

Jeff Bossert reports there’s a chance for public input over the next few days.

Click here for a list of upcoming meetings

  As buyers of recycled materials raise standards, waste managers are encouraging people to be careful about how they recycle. (Credit kennysarmy / Flickr CC)

Much of recycled cardboard in the U.S. used to head straight to China.

But in March, the government there decided to raise standards for importing recycled material.

And as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, that’s had an impact right here in Virginia.

(Credit: Virginia Tech)

Our electronic devices have made communicating quick and easy.

But social scientists say there’s a downside to our ‘always on’ work culture that is hurting employees, and their families.

Robbie Harris reports.

A Virginia civil rights leader will be honored with a long overdue monument…and counterfeiting isn’t just for money. It can happen with crab cakes too.

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.

More than 400 people are expected for the C’ville Sing Out at IX Park or — in the event of rain — at the Zion First African Baptist Church Sunday at 4 p.m. (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

Whatever happens this weekend in Charlottesville, some people are determined to make the best of it.

A group of more than 400 music lovers will gather at IX Park at 4 p.m. Sunday for the C’ville Sing Out!

Sandy Hausman has that story.

Charlottesville looks the same, but much has changed since the Alt-Right invaded on August 12 of 2017. (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

If white supremacists return to Charlottesville this weekend, they will find a very different city.

There are new rules in place, new leaders in charge, and an even larger group of vocal opponents.

Those changes would make for a different experience this year as Sandy Hausman reports.

Credit Mallory Noe-Payne / RADIOIQ

CodeRVA, central Virginia’s newest regional magnet school, is heading into its second year, with almost double the students and more than triple the employees.

Mallory Noe-Payne has this update.

(Credit: Rog Cogswell/Creative Commons)

While the health insurance system set up under the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called Obamacare, remains in place, premiums are expected to rise again significantly this fall.

That has members of Congress from the commonwealth pointing fingers and also floating ideas for how to protect patients from rising costs.

Washington correspondent Matt Laslo reports it’s not clear any of the ideas have enough support to become law.

Dr. Richard Costanzo (left) and Dr. Daniel Coelho (Credit: Sandy Hausman

It’s not unusual for people to lose some degree of hearing and vision as they age, and it turns out our sense of smell also declines over time.

Accidents and disease might also be to blame when people have trouble detecting odors.

Until now, there have been no good treatments, but scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University say they may have a solution.

Sandy Hausman has that story.

There’s controversy in Northern Virginia after the name of a Revolutionary War figure was removed from a new park and plastic straws are mostly a thing of the past in one Virginia school district.

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.

Participants in the Nature Conservancy’s LEAF program (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

The labor market in this country is tight right now, and the competition for young talent is especially keen at non-profits like the Nature Conservancy.

That’s one reason the organization started a program to interest urban kids in conservation.

Sandy Hausman met up with three city slickers in the Warm Springs Nature Preserve to see how they were adjusting to life in the country.

The city of Danville in southside Virginia has become the epicenter of Virginia politics, as candidates for the United States Senate clash over international trade policy.

Michael Pope reports.

Princess Blanding, the sister of Marcus David Peters, speaks to reporters. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)

The sister of an unarmed man shot by Richmond Police back in May says his toxicology report has come back clean, reaffirming her belief that he was having a mental health crisis when he was killed.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

  Andria McClellan asking a question of Joshua Saks, Virginia Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources.
(Credit Pamela D’Angelo)

Parts of Hampton Roads have been swamped by rain this week.

Regardless of rain or shine, many parts of southeast Virginia have a flooding problem, affecting communities and military readiness.

The College of William & Mary Center for Climate and Security has been using small conferences to bring experts together to tackle the problem.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Rep. Bobby Scott (Credit: House of Representatives)

Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott may not be locked in a tough reelection campaign, but party leaders want him to play a big role in the election outcome this fall through getting behind his plan for debt–free college.

Matt Laslo has the story from Washington.

Thanks to a new state law customers of Dominion Energy received a small rebate this month, and will again in January.

And now state regulators are getting their first look at how the law will affect Virginia’s power grid.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

Lynne and Bill Limpert are fighting to save their farm from destruction by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

Camping is a popular summer activity, and some opponents of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline are hoping to capitalize on that – inviting those who’d like to pitch a tent in a beautiful place to come to Bath County.

Sandy Hausman reports on this novel approach to protest.

Community activist Rosia Parker (in pink) speaks with a reporter outside the courthouse. (Credit: Emily Richardson-Lorente)

The legal fight over a second “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville ended suddenly Tuesday afternoon.

Emily Richardson-Lorente was in the federal courtroom.

(Credit: Joe Hall/flickr.com)

Are the voter rolls in Virginia full of former voters who have moved or died?

Or as some argue, perhaps the problem is that election officials are becoming too aggressive in purging the rolls.

Michael Pope reports.

(Credit: Rog Cogswell/Creative Commons)

Candidates on the ballot for United States Senate met in their first debate over the weekend, previewing the fall campaign season.

Michael Pope has the story.

A Southwestern Virginia county plans to become the first in the state to arm teachers… and it’s proving very difficult to figure out how bridge and tunnel tolls affect business profits in Hampton Roads.

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.

Credit MBandman / Creative Commons

Suicide rates are on the rise in Virginia, especially among women.

And lawmakers are trying to figure out ways to reverse the trend. Michael Pope reports.

THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE

800-273-TALK (8255)

Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond will give more resources to community college students, who transfer to the university studying in STEM fields.

That’s thanks to a new one-million dollar grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Mallory Noe-Payne has details.

Just as the summertime temperatures are rising, so is the heat of the summertime campaign season.

This weekend candidates for the United States Senate will meet for their first debate. And Michael Pope has this preview.

This week Roanoke City joined a growing list of localities dropping Confederate-related names from public schools.

A common argument against name changes has been cost.

But as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, localities are finding a way to pay.

Environmental Engineering professor, Marc Edwards leads a band of clean water warriors

Blowing the lid off the Flint Michigan water crisis was a watershed moment in this country.

It began as a crusade, first just to prove there was a problem and ultimately, for public officials to address it.

But its leader, Marc Edwards, an environmental scientist at Virginia Tech, sees a larger public issue bubbling just under the surface and he’s speaking out about it.

Robbie Harris has more.

This week, Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor held a series of community meetings on the eviction crisis.

One underlying problem — a lack of affordable housing.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, some advocates think manufactured homes, also known as mobile homes, could be a part of the solution.

Rep. Rob Wittman (Credit: congress.gov)

Is the United States Navy prepared to accomplish all the tasks the federal government is asking of it?

Michael Pope reports that one Virginia congressman says no, and he’d like to see some changes.

Voters are a few months away from the midterm elections.

But do they feel confident that their votes will count?

Michael Pope has some new poll results.

  The Virginia Mercury Staff from left to right: Ned Oliver, Katie O’Connor, Robert Zullo and Mechelle Hankerson.
(Credit: Robert Zullo)

Virginia’s newest media outlet launches today. The Virginia Mercury is a nonprofit state-wide news website.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports the scrappy start-up comes at a time when other outlets are cutting back.

The Republican Party is sharply divided over its controversial candidate for U.S. Senate.

But the Democrats are also divided.

As Michael Pope reports, some Democrats in the House of Delegates are staging an insurgency.

Virginia is going to court over alleged misuse of its “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan. And the gentrification battle is again being fought, this time in a pair of Richmond neighborhoods.

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.

 Credit Derek Bruff/Flickr CC

The school shooting in Florida earlier this year caused a new round of discussions about gun safety, although Republicans in the General Assembly say they would rather talk about other ways to make schools safer.

As Michael Pope reports, one of those ways is to look at mental health in the classroom.

A frame of video shows Sen. Tim Kaine (D – Virginia) making a point with a bottle of Catoctin Creek whiskey.

A Virginia distillery got some unexpected attention this week/recently when Senator Tim Kaine held up a bottle of its whisky in Congress.

He was making a point about the effects of the Trump administration’s trade war.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

Harvested eel grass with seed pods (Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)

Sea grass world-wide is in trouble. Losses are estimated at an area the size of a football field every half-hour.

Along the Atlantic, near the very tip of the DelMarVa Peninsula, scientists and conservationists have been working for a decade to restore one underwater sea grass that succumbed to disease and the hurricane of 1933.

Pamela D’Angelo asked, why the big effort?

  Abbie Arevalo-Herrera, center, hugs her sister and is embraced by her husband during a press conference at First Unitarian Universalist Church on June 22nd.
(Credit Mallory Noe-Payne / RADIO IQ)

It’s been three weeks since church members in Richmond offered sanctuary to a young mother facing deportation.

She and her daughter came to Virginia from Honduras in 2013, fleeing an abusive relationship and crossing the border illegally.

She’s since married a man here in Virginia and has had another child.

Reporter Mallory Noe-Payne visited her, and has more on how she’s doing.

John Henry James was lynched 120 years ago this week. Now, soil collected from the site of his murder will be delivered to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.
(Credit: Emily Richardson-Lorente)

Two tour buses rolled out of Charlottesville Sunday morning, with about 100 people and one jar of soil aboard.

They’re on a pilgrimage, of sorts, to commemorate John Henry James, a lynching victim who died in Charlottesville 120 years ago this week.

Emily Richardson-Lorente has the story.

MBandman/Creative Commons

Cities across Virginia are taking action against poverty.

Michael Pope has the story.

Some fear that the social safety net in Virginia may be crumbling.

Michael Pope explains why.

MBandman/Creative Commons

Hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia are about to get health insurance as a result of Medicaid expansion.

But as Michael Pope reports, the program has been growing even before the expansion.