Elementary students in Chesterfield County are about to become the latest in Virginia to experience year-round schools…. and in Salem the consequences of not paying the meals taxes just got a little more serious.

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

Fred Echols has more.

(Credit: Rog Cogswell/Creative Commons)

Republicans in Washington are locked in a debate over what Congress should, or even can do, about immigration reform this election year.

Washington correspondent Matt Laslo reports most Virginia Republicans are sticking to party leader’s script.

Chief Robert Gray stands on the pier in front of the tribe’s now defunct shad fish hatchery. There are no longer enough shad to continue the hatchery that once helped boost the population. (Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)

Three years ago the Pamunkey Indian Tribe gained federal recognition.

Now the tribe is considering opening a casino as a step toward financial independence.

But the idea is not without controversy as Pamela D’Angelo reports.

***Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the historic document read by Chief Gray to his tribe. In fact, it was from a speech by  the leader of the Onondaga tribe, who spoke on behalf of six nations at the 1744 treaty of Lancaster in Pennsylvania. The Pamunkey were not signatories nor attended this treaty negotiation.

Democrats now have a slate of candidates heading into the fall election that may not be as progressive as some would like.

But Michael Pope reports that might end up helping them in the fall.

Corey Stewart celebrates his nomination Tuesday night. (Credit: Michael Pope)

Corey Stewart beat back two challengers to emerge as his party’s nominee to take on Senator Tim Kaine.

Michael Pope has the story.

About 300 union workers took part in a protest across from the company’s regional offices in Roanoke. The dispute is over the possible loss of 74 jobs at a store in Hampton Roads. (Credit: Joe Staniunas)

A dispute over 74 jobs at a Kroger supermarket in Tidewater prompted a protest in Roanoke by hundreds of union workers this/Tuesday afternoon.

Joe Staniunas reports.

Republicans will head to the polls tomorrow to select a candidate to run against incumbent Senator Tim Kaine.

So how many voters will show up and vote?

Michael Pope gets some predictions.

(Credit: Joe Hall/flickr.com)

Recent years have seen tremendous growth of absentee balloting in Virginia.

Parties and candidates use that data to get out the vote.

But, as Michael Pope reports, the new trend is also making election returns less informative.

Tuesday is Primary Day in Virginia. Voters will be selecting candidates for November’s Congressional midterms.

And as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, officials have been prepping to make sure voting systems are secured against cyber attacks.

America is running short on people who have the skills to fix things. And if you have an E-Z Pass in Virginia you should know that if you don’t use it you could lose it.

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.

Rep. Rob Wittman (Credit: congress.gov)

This week the Senate leader announced he plans to cancel part of their August recess, and a Virginia Congressman thinks the House should stay in session too.

Matt Laslo has the story from Washington.

Governor Ralph Northam speaks at Thursday’s budget signing ceremony. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)

A sense of celebration Thursday at the Capitol in Richmond, as the Governor signed a new two-year budget that includes Medicaid Expansion.

Mallory Noe-Payne has more.

Rep. Scott Taylor speaking at a “State of the Water” forum held by the Virginia Eastern Shorekeeper at the Eastern Shore Community College on May 31. (Credit Pamela D’Angelo)

The fight over offshore drilling is heating up.

Tuesday, Richmond-area Congressman Donald McEachin introduced legislation that would prevent exploration and drilling off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and Delaware.

Virginia Beach Congressman Scott Taylor has also publicly opposed a White House proposal to allow offshore drilling.

At a recent forum on the state of Virginia’s waters, the Republican had even more to say.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Medical marijuana processing may soon bring some much needed jobs to Virginia’s most economically depressed region. And there’s an effort underway in Charlottesville to help mentally ill offenders get community support instead of jail time.

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.

Cape Coast Castle (Credit: Jordy Yager)

A group of more than 50 people traveled from Charlottesville to Ghana earlier this month to learn about the origins of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and how it can be better taught back here in the U.S.

Jordy Yager joined the group and has this report.

Erosion at Fones Cliffs (Credit: Chesapeake Conservancy)

Developers who illegally cleared over 13 wooded acres for their golf course resort atop the historic Fones Cliffs are in trouble again after heavy rains this month sent trees and soil toward the Rappahannock River.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Educators in Norfolk have a plan to introduce economic diversity into pre-school. And a Northern Virginia town is hoping to use excitement about the Washington Capitals hockey team to give itself an economic boost.

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

More now from Fred Echols.

A derelict crab pot washed up on one of Virginia’s miles of shoreline on Chesapeake Bay. Many lost traps lie on the bottom of the bay and its tributaries, according to VIMS. (Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)

Last year, a scientific report put some astounding numbers to crab pots lost by watermen and the subsequent economic loss when they become death traps for crabs that wander in and can’t escape.

Now, a committee of federal and state crab scientists say those numbers were overestimated.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

This still image taken from the Richmond police body camera shows Richmond Police officer holding a stun gun at Marcus-David Peters approaches him on May 14.

Police in Richmond today released the video of an officer involved shooting that happened 11 days ago.

The video shows an officer killing an unarmed man who appears to be having a mental breakdown.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

Credit James Willamore/flickr.com

There has been increased national scrutiny of the cash bail system, which critics say creates a debtor’s prison for those who can’t afford to fork over money to a bail bondsman.

Now that debate has erupted in Virginia.

Michael Pope has the story.

Credit: Creative Commons / Flickr

The Virginia Senate reconvened for a brief budget session Tuesday, just long enough to kick the can down the road for another week.

Mallory Noe-Payne has the latest from the capitol.

  A community meeting in Blackwell, organized by New Virginia Majority, brought policing to the forefront of residents’ minds.
(Credit  New Virginia Majority)

Last week, police in Richmond shot and killed an unarmed man who was charging at an officer. The incident has renewed calls for more transparency around policing.

Earlier this year, Richmond agreed to release monthly data on complaints against officers, as well as use of force by officers.

But as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, some community advocates are asking for more.

The City of Martinsville wants to keep information about a failed attempt to build a medical school secret… and Richmond is now allowing people with mobile phones into its courthouse.

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

More from Fred Echols.

  Credit Bill Lapp / Flickr CC

A coalition of housing advocates is working together to reduce evictions across Virginia.

According to a recent report, five of the top ten large US cities with high eviction rates are in the Commonwealth.

Mallory Noe-Payne has more.

The Campaign to Reduce Evictions will hold its kick off meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the First Baptist Church, 2709 Monument Avenue.

Rex Tillerson addresses VMI graduates.
(Credit: David Seidel/Radio IQ)

Rex Tillerson has been largely out of the public eye since he was ousted as Secretary of State earlier this year.

But today/Wednesday at Virginia Military Institute, Tillerson told graduates about a crisis of ethics.

David Seidel has more from Lexington.

The Stonewall Jackson House in Lexington is undergoing a $700,000 renovation and expansion. Part of the work will provide deeper understanding of the six people the Jacksons owned as slaves.
(Credit Stonewall Jackson House)

Numerous books have been written about the Confederate general Stonewall Jackson.

But almost nothing was known about the slaves he and his family owned.

Jessie Knadler reports on new research at Jackson’s home in Lexington that now sheds light on the lives of these six individuals.

Activists in favor of expanding Medicaid stage a “die-in” in Richmond.  They say they’ll continue to lobby state senators. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne/RadioIQ)

As the June 30th deadline approaches, Virginia lawmakers are back in Richmond to finalize the state budget.

A month ago, The House of Delegates passed a budget that includes Medicaid expansion. Now the Senate is taking its turn.

And as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, it’s unclear if their opposition to Medicaid expansion has waned.

Credit: Amanda C / Flickr

School boards across Virginia are hunkering down over calendars now, trying to come up with a schedule for next year.

And, as Michael Pope reports, school board members have some new flexibility this year to increase recess time.

For years the island town of Chincoteague has been challenged to find fresh drinking water. Now it’s gotten even harder.

And police scanner enthusiasts in Virginia Beach may soon find themselves out of the loop.

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

Fred Echols reports.

Credit: Rog Cogswell / Creative Commons

Some Virginia Republicans are reviving a dormant Congressional caucus aimed at highlighting constitutional obligations, but Democrats accuse them of hypocrisy for failing to conduct simple oversight on the Trump administration.

Matt Laslo has the story from the Capitol.

How far should a college go to investigate anonymous threats?

That’s the main issue in a lawsuit brought by University of Mary Washington students.

Brad Kutner has more from federal court in Richmond.

Diversity Richmond’s transgender panel (Credit: Brad Kutner)

As state lawmakers consider broadening healthcare access for lower-income people through expansion of the federal Medicaid program, transgender Virginians are sure to be among those who benefit.

But barriers – either from insurance providers or from the federal government are still in place.

Brad Kutner has more.

For students graduating high school this spring, getting into Virginia’s elite schools will be a challenge.

That’s because of financial incentives that has administrators looking outside Virginia.

Michael Pope has the story.

Is May the best time to vote in local elections?

That’s an open question in Virginia, where several local elections happened this week.

Michael Pope has the story.

Credit: Virginia Tech

The risk of serious concussions for football players is well known.

But soccer has one of the highest head injury rates in sports. Several companies make lightweight protective head gear for soccer.

The Virginia Tech Helmet lab just finished testing them and it’s out with ratings today. Robbie Harris has more.

A pile of mining waste that’s been part of the southwestern Virginia landscape for half a century may finally be on its way out.  And a Richmond hotel that helps nearly a dozen people avoid homelessness may be breaking federal law.

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 dhendrix73/Flickr

A state legislative committee on school safety, formed in response to the shooting at a Florida high school, is getting to work.

Members will take a look at school security and mental health issues, but not gun control.

Mallory Noe-Payne was at the first meeting and has this report.

Credit Howard Lake / Creative Commons

Hurricane season begins in about a month, and state leaders are urging Virginia residents to start planning now.

Michael Pope has the story.

Click here for information about flooding and the Virginia Flood Risk Information System

Click here for information on flood insurance options

Creative Commons/flickr

The family of an infant who died two years ago while under watch of Rockbridge County Child Protective Services is suing the county and state Department of Social Services.

Jessie Knadler has more.

Inmates at the Virginia Beach jail can’t have visitors now because old technology has
failed. And a new study shows the state will at some point have reroute the highway that has crosses Natural Bridge.

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

More on that from Fred Echols.

Credit: Creative Commons / Flickr

For elected officials, getting into office is not the only goal on the agenda.

There’s also the issue of getting key committee assignments.

And, as Michael Pope reports, that is likely to influence how much money they’re able to raise.

Diana Parkhouse/flickr (Creative Commons)

Is buying a home always better than renting a home? Experts say it depends on how long you’re staying.

Michael Pope has this look at the numbers.

Students rally in Richmond. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)

Hundreds of young people marched on the capitol in Richmon Friday to protest gun violence.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, it was part of a nationwide event on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Credit: Rog Cogswell / Creative Commons

Three Republicans vying to get the nomination to run for the Senate have drastically different approaches to politics.

This week, Nick Freitas, Corey Stewart and EW Jackson met for a debate at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Michael Pope has the story.

Lee and Art Beltrone share one of about 400 works of graffiti on canvas, left by U.S. servicemen en route to Vietnam. (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

More than 50 years ago a troop ship in Oakland, California sailed for Vietnam, carrying over 3,000 men.

They slept in very tight quarters on canvas hammocks – one just a few inches above the man who slept below.  That canvas was a tempting target for graffiti – lots of it, and a Virginia couple has saved much of it as a tribute to those who fought in Southeast Asia.

Sandy Hausman reports on the Vietnam Graffiti Project, which will visit Blacksburg this month and Charlottesville in June.

Like a labyrinth, a stone pathway spirals in to a small fountain.  Inscribed under the water are the names of many of Virginia’s rivers. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)

Virginia has a new memorial at Capitol Square in Richmond. The spiral stone footpath with a fountain in the center is a tribute to Virginia’s native tribes.

Mallory Noe-Payne was at the dedication ceremony and has this report.

  A sign during a rally at the capitol in Richmond to support Medicaid expansion.
Credit Mallory Noe-Payne / RADIO IQ

State lawmakers are back in Richmond for a special session.

They didn’t finish their work during the regular legislative session because they couldn’t agree on Medicaid expansion and the coverage gap.

Those phrases are used a lot in the news.

Mallory Noe-Payne breaks down what they mean.

Medicaid is expensive. It’s a huge chunk of the state budget, and growing quickly.

Even still, an expansion of the program to about 400,000 poor Virginians is projected to save the state money— if lawmakers make an agreement during a special legislative session.

Mallory Noe-Payne explains that part of the story.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner is the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which recently released its bipartisan findings that Russia did try to interfere in the 2016 elections.

Correspondent Matt Laslo recently sat down with him to discuss everything from the ongoing investigation of potential collusion by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to the Facebook hacks that have garnered international attention. Here’s a slightly edited version of their conversation.

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:

What’s the most important takeaway from the Russia investigation to date?

“Russia massively intervened in our elections. They hacked both political parties. They released information to help Mr. Trump and hurt Clinton. They scanned or hacked into 21 states’ electoral systems, and they found ways to use social media in an unprecedented way in terms of not just political advertising, but more specifically creation of fake accounts that spread misinformation and disinformation.”

What do you think of President Trump’s continued insistence that nothing happened?

“I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but for someone who says there’s no there there, he continually tries to interfere in the Mueller investigation. His failure to acknowledge this threat means we are not as secure as we should be in terms of election security. That’s why the Congress and our Senate Intelligence Community acted in a bipartisan way to say that every vote in 2018 should have a paper ballot or a paper trail.”

Facebook has been under fire for this most recent leak. What role does Congress have in this to protect people’s data?

“I first called out Facebook and some of the social media platforms in December of 2016. For the first six months, the companies just kind of blew off these allegations, but these proved to be true; that Russia used their social media platforms with fake accounts to spread false information, they paid for political advertising on their platforms. Facebook says those tactics are no longer allowed — that they’ve kicked this firm off their site, but I think they’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

What’s next for the Senate Intelligence Committee on the Russia investigation?

“We hope we can keep putting pressure on the Department of Homeland Security to work with state electoral boards so that people have the appropriate security clearances. We also need to now move into the realm of how we grapple with the question around social media and what our recommendations are there. And then, we will still have a lot of questions about what level of collusion or collaboration might have taken place between Russians and individuals connected with the Trump campaign.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorors (from left) Dorothy R. Smith, Maria Crenshaw, Tamara Johnson and Sada’ Hill (Credit: Jason Fuller)

Enclaves are comfortable spaces where people convene, laugh and sometimes even cry. There are enclaves for sports fans, foodies, college alumni. During the early 20th Century, though, it wasn’t easy for African-Americans to build enclaves in the Commonwealth.

Jason Fuller has been exploring the significance black enclaves across Virginia and starts in Alexandria.

Brian Hinkley and his team at Liberty University maintain 40 acres of pristine sports fields. Credit: Sandy Hausman

While many in Virginia have been focused on March Madness, a team at Liberty
University is quietly celebrating its victory.

The school took top national honors for its turf grass.

Sandy Hausman reports on how the Lynchburg campus captured that win.