The economic slump may have pushed more teens into part-time jobs, but a researcher at the University of Virginia is warning that too many hours of employment can spell trouble at school.  Virginia Public Radio’s Sandy Hausman has that story:

Valentine’s Day means chocolate and roses for some people – but in the gay community, it’s an opportunity to protest.  Gay marriage is illegal in 45 states – including Virginia, and federal programs like Social Security don’t recognize it.  Filmmaker Drew Emery, who began his career in the Commonwealth, plans to mark the day by giving away copies of his first movie to 400 churches nationwide.   Virginia Public Radio’s Sandy Hausman has that story.

The Tucson shootings highlighted the need to improve mental health services nationwide. Western State has long been Virginia’s “last resort” for the severely mentally ill, but thanks to new drugs therapies and recovery-focused treatment plans, today’s hospital bears little resemblance to the place once known as Western Lunatic Asylum.   Virginia Public Radio’s Martha Woodroof offers an update.

Archaeologists at the Jamestown fort have uncovered the church where Pocahontas was married more than four centuries ago– and now the find has been named as one of the top 10 discoveries of the last year.  Virginia Public Radio’s Thomas Pierce reports.

Roads are crumbling, congestion is increasing, while the state budget is shrinking.  Governor Bob McDonnell has requested permission from the federal government to toll I95 at the Virginia border to help pay for road repairs. At a recent National Transportation Planning Board meeting, tolls on Interstates 95, 295, 395 and Route 66 were suggested as part of a long-range plan.  Across the Commonwealth, tollbooths are being considered as the way to fix and improve our roads.  Virginia Public Radio’s Sondra Woodward reports on the demise of the free ride.

It was 101 years ago this week that pioneering jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt was born to a family of Romani gypsies. He would go on to invent a jazz guitar technique that is now a living musical tradition. In fact, in Virginia, devoted fans of Reinhardt are actually calling this month ‘Djangoary.’  Virginia Public Radio’s Connie Stevens has more.

Note: There are Djangoary events scheduled for January 22 at Ashland Coffee & Tea outside of Richmond, and January 29 at Kirk Avenue Music Hall in downtown Roanoke.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife reports a 20% decrease in hunting license sales in Virginia over the last decade. Those license fees support many of the state’s conservation lands.  And that means less money is available to maintain them.  Grayson Chesser is a duck decoy carver and hunting guide on Virginia’s Eastern Shore who is concerned about Virginia’s hunting heritage.  Jesse Dukes has more.

Uranium mining is potentially big business in Virginia. There’s so much uranium underneath the state’s Piedmont region that 30 years ago mining leases were granted in four counties –Orange, Madison, Culpeper and Fauquier  –  and exploration was underway all along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge. That got enough people upset that the General Assembly was persuaded to put a moratorium on uranium mining in 1982, a ban that’s never been lifted. A company called Virginia Uranium wants to change that so it can recover billions of dollars worth of the mineral in Pittsylvania County. As Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols reports, that’s something environmentalists say would open the door to mining operations across the commonwealth.

Late last year, Governor Bob McDonnell announced the formation of a new committee to help state and local law enforcement get a grip on street gangs.  McDonnell warned that gangs now threaten the safety of Virginians everywhere, but no one knows how many gang members are at large in the Commonwealth or how dangerous they really are, and Sandy Hausman reports that tough anti-gang laws may be doing more harm than good.

As services through central and western portions of the state scrambled to deal with snow, high winds, and other weather-related challenges, there’s a warning that Virginia is way behind in planning for future climate changes. Sandy Hausman has the story.

More specially-equipped Virginia police cars are using technology to read and record every license plate they pass. Officers say it’s an efficient way to find wanted vehicles. But civil liberty advocates say it’s a dangerous step toward becoming a surveillance state.  Evan Jones has more.

Governor McDonnell is offering details on the reforms he’s introducing to help Virginia maintain its retirement system…and pay back the $620-million borrowed from the VRS last year. It is a combination of the state employers increasing their contributions, as well as state employees. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from Richmond.

These are hard times for non-profit organizations, but one Richmond group is getting some help from a surprising source– a mysterious Chinese woman with ties to royalty. Sandy Hausman has that story.

This time of year gets many people thinking about family traditions like roasting a turkey, making holiday cookies, putting up a Christmas tree or shopping at one of the many great department stores that did business in cities around the nation.  WVTF’s Sandy Hausman reports on one of Richmond’s historic retail centers. It’s now the subject of a book.