Virginia Public Radio

Anyone working or living around Richmond can attest to the sizable impact of the UCI World Cycling Championships. But, beyond the road closures and massive crowds, some believe the race’s presence could leave a lasting impression on the region.

Children subjected to repeated trauma are significantly more likely to have high levels of chronic disease. That’s according to research findings presented to the Joint Commission on Health Care yesterday, which also looked at the effects of trauma on the young brain. The findings could result in a paradigm shift toward early diagnosis and treatment.

For the most part, the public knows the positions of each side in the battle over Medicaid expansion in Virginia—but what about the stakeholder organizations that provide services? They say they’re caught in the middle and would like to see some legislative movement before key services—and even hospitals themselves—become casualties in the battle over how to fund healthcare.

Although two federal cases have been on the front burner, the nonprofit organization, OneVirginia2021, has filed a lawsuit in STATE court that challenges 11 House of Delegates and state Senate districts as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.  Since the boundaries were drawn by the Democrat-led Senate and the GOP-dominated House, the group says both parties need to go back to the drawing board.

Some Virginia localities already use police body cameras at their own discretion. But as more consider utilizing the tool, the state’s Secure Commonwealth Panel is drafting recommendations to establish specific guidelines. However, the state ACLU has a little bit of a problem with how they’re going about it.

More than 500 people in Southside Virginia and northern North Carolina will be losing their jobs next September when MillerCoors Brewing shuts down beer production in Eden, North Carolina. In an announcement the company blamed loss of sales to craft brewers among other factors. Fred Echols reports. 

Over the past several years, Virginia has seen its share of mass shootings, targeted killings, high-profile suicides, and a growing number of crimes all associated with both mental health and criminal justice.

To address what some have labeled an epidemic, the state has created a new Center for Behavioral Health and Justice.  And as Tommie McNeil reports, it’s a means to streamline and coordinate resources and services.

Lawmakers were away from Washington all of August, but there was little reason for them to take that extended vacation. Matt Laslo reports they only have until the end of September to fund the government or else the government will shut down. 

A group of local candidates and the Commonwealth are battling it out in federal court over whether a Virginia election law violates the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.  At issue is a statute that requires the political party affiliations of federal and state candidates to be listed next to their names on election ballots—while omitting the same for candidates who run for local offices. The candidates are asking the court to temporarily block November’s ballots from being printed until the law’s constitutionality is decided.

Taking a page from the McDonnell-Bolling book of party unification, Attorney General Mark Herring now says–midway into his term–that he is backing Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam for Governor, while Herring will run for a second term.

Ever have a problem with the federal government? Like the IRS is hounding you for money that you don’t owe, or say a missing Social Security check? You should go directly to Virginia’s representatives Washington for assistance.

A state task force of local general registrars has crunched the numbers and discovered what they already suspected: Their workload has grown significantly over the past two decades.  The trend has occurred, in part, due to a substantially greater number of voters, elections, and even new laws in the Commonwealth.

Virginia needs to take stronger, proactive steps to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, bolster the Commonwealth’s resilience, and reduce the state’s carbon footprint. That’s the conclusion of an expert panel established by Governor McAuliffe to formulate recommendations that could be quickly enacted.  The strategies begin with concerted efforts to educate both citizens and public officials — and raise the capital that’s needed to fund improvements.

Virginia’s State Fair is less than a month away, and organizers are gearing up to host nearly a quarter of a million people at the Meadow Event Park near Richmond.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Noting a remarkable turnaround since he spoke to them last year, Governor McAuliffe has told the General Assembly’s money committees that the Commonwealth’s financial situation is great-and how he would like to move forward.  During his remarks to lawmakers Thursday, he emphasized his focus on economic development and acquiring military contracts, but much of his speech was devoted to investing in education.

Two Virginia Republican in Congress are members of a new group called the Freedom Caucus. Matt Laslo explains the conservative hardliners are proving to be thorns in the sides of Republican Party leaders in Washington.

The General Assembly’s impasse over whether or not the Special Session on Redistricting is LEGALLY over shows no signs of abating.  The Senate adjourned last week thanks to a ruling by Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam and the votes of the chamber’s Democrats and one Republican—but the House of Delegates has still not adjourned. The bone of contention is how to interpret Article 4, section 6 of the Virginia Constitution.

The Department of Labor has recently implemented an online program aimed at distributing money that belongs to workers who may, or may not, know they’ve earned it.

Tazewell County in Virginia’s southwest coalfields would rather not be the site of a major wind power project. And a surprise change of address has complicated the life of a woman in Chesapeake.  Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s VaNews link on www.vpap.org. Fred Echols reports.

Shelter is a big problem for many people in Virginia. Up to 40,000 may be homeless for some period of time during any given year, with many cycling through housing and back to the streets. Now, a Central Virginia group is using art and interior design to attack the problem. From Charlottesville, Emily Richardson-Lorente reports.

When eleven professional writers from Smith Mountain Lake decided they wanted to do something out of the ordinary they considered their options and finally settled on trying to produce the worst novel ever written. With the work now complete they believe they may have attained their goal.  Fred Echols reports.

Central Virginia boasts plenty of great places for concerts, but there’s one venue that offers a unique experience for the audience, and the bands that play there. Emily Richardson-Lorente checked it out.

Virginia lawmakers are redoubling their efforts to attain federal recognition for six Virginia Native American tribes. They’re more optimistic now that the Bureau of Indian Affairs granted federal recognition to the Pamunkey Tribe.

The majority of Virginia Republicans in Congress are backing an effort they say will protect religious institutions and businesses from having to abide by the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling. Matt Laslo reports that opponents of the effort say the bill will legalize discrimination.

As kids head back to school, parents, teachers and administrators are gearing up for a fight in Richmond – hoping to win greater state support for public education.  They say it’s time to restore cuts made during the recession  and to raise pay for new teachers as  thousands prepare to retire.  Sandy Hausman has that story. 

Four engineers from Virginia Tech have beat 72 other teams to win a place in the federal government’s Wave Energy competition.  Eric Paterson , George Hagerman, Mike Philen and Heng Xiao  now have the chance to win $2 million to build their design which would turn wave power into electricity. Another Virginia team chose not to enter the contest.  Instead, they’re hoping to leapfrog the competition by installing a successful commercial wave farm in Europe.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

 Sandy Hausman reported from Europe with the support of an Energy and Climate Media Fellowship from the Heinrich Böll (HINE-rick BOWL) Foundation.”

Advocates of stronger cancer prevention policies say Virginia is one of nearly half of the states that fall behind when it comes to legislative solutions to prevent and fight cancer.  As a result, in 2015 alone nearly 14,200 state residents will be diagnosed with some form of cancer, and more than 14,800 will actually die from it.

Virginia businesses are breathing a sigh of relief at the news that the current rate of jobless benefits claims is much lower than the very high number of claims during the recent recession.  As Anne Marie Morgan reports, this means they likely will NOT have to pay the higher amount of business taxes triggered by state law whenever the unemployment trust fund dips too low.

Conditions off the coast of Virginia are ideal for construction of offshore wind turbines, but scientists see a limited role for marine energy – power generated from waves, currents and tides.  That’s because prevailing winds on the planet blow from west to east, creating bigger waves on the west coast of continents.  Still there is some potential here, and experts say turbines can likely be placed off our shores with minimal risk to wildlife.  Sandy Hausman has details.

Sandy Hausman reported from Europe with the support of an Energy and Climate Media Fellowship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Credit: Virginia Commonwealth University

Hungry students will find something new at Virginia Commonwealth University.  They can now pay for their meals with their eyes.  Sandy Hausman reports on new technology at one campus cafeteria.

This week, we’re reporting on marine energy – power generated from waves, currents and tides.  As a state with 112 miles of coastline, Virginia should be a prime candidate for development of this resource, but so far there’s no sign of an industry.  To understand why, reporter Sandy Hausman traveled to Scotland – ground zero for efforts to exploit marine energy in Europe.

Sandy Hausman reported from Europe with the support of an Energy and Climate Media Fellowship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Virginia leaders are applauding this year’s gains in student Standards of Learning tests, especially since the Department of Education made the assessments more rigorous. But, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction would still like to see improvement—particularly for English language-learners.

A two-day teacher institute at the Library of Virginia has provided educators with the opportunity to advance their knowledge about the post-Civil War era-especially how the Commonwealth was transformed by the emancipation of slaves and Reconstruction. As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, one major focus was on the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution-and their significant legacy.