Virginia Public Radio

The Health Flexible Spending Account records of 13,000 Virginia state employees were erroneously sent last month to the wrong human resources or payroll officials … who should have received information only for their own locations.  An insurance subcontractor electronically distributed the confidential health records, which included the employees’ names and Social Security numbers.  As Anne Marie Morgan reports, the exposure of private information was not due to a hacker—but was instead caused by human error.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation has taken a small investment and not only won a national award, but turned it into what could potentially be a huge boost to the state—especially the most economically distressed communities.
As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Best Advertising Mercury Award from U.S. Travel was given for the Commonwealth’s unique “Old School Virginia” campaign.

A Confederate history organization says it still has plans to erect its battle flag along I-95 next month despite criticism from plenty of Virginians, including the state NAACP.  But a spokesman for “Virginia Flaggers” says the group is not doing anything wrong. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports,  members insist that all they’re doing is promoting a piece of their heritage that’s been gradually etched out of American history.

Governor McDonnell has announced a 585-million-dollar surplus for the state fiscal year that ended in June.  The General Assembly’s money committees greeted him with warm applause before he outlined the condition of the Commonwealth’s budget outlook.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the good fiscal news couldn’t quite obscure the other news that’s haunting him.

While voter turnout for the last three Virginia gubernatorial elections was dismal, it’s possible that negative campaigning and scandals could discourage even more voters from going to the polls in November. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil discusses the possibility with a political analyst—who believes the implications of the negative campaigns are greater than even low voter turnout.

Virginians who undervote or overvote but leave before the machine accepts their final ballots will be able to get some extra assistance from local election officials.  That’s due to a new regulation adopted this week by the State Board of Elections.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the extra step may not make much of a difference in lopsided elections, but it will help every vote get counted in the close ones.

If voters can wade through the scandals facing Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe and his GOP rival, Ken Cuccinelli, they’ll find substantive events where both candidates present ideas for the Commonwealth’s future.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, each contender made big announcements Tuesday that they hoped would help put the issues marring their campaigns behind them.

One in five Virginia children suffer from mental disorders—and in about half of those cases, it’s so severe that it’s disruptive to the home and school life. And while incidents like Sandy Hook and the Virginia Tech shootings have brought more attention to the issue, parents of children with these disorders say it should NOT take another tragedy for government officials to finally respond to their calls for additional help.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil talked with one of those parents, who tells her story.

Virginia inventors, entrepreneurs, and university researchers could get additional state protection for their trade secrets under proposals being discussed by a General Assembly panel.  The plan would need to mesh with federal policies on patents, which take precedence over state law. But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, lawmakers not only hope to make the Commonwealth an innovation-friendly state …but want to protect inventors against frivolous litigators called “patent trolls.”

State Republicans are responding to a call by one of their own for a special session on ethics reform in light of the scandals now plaguing both the Governor’s office and the gubernatorial campaign.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more details from the State Capitol.

College students and others who plan to register more than two dozen new voters for the November election will need to go through special training before they can.  That’s because of a change this year in state law, which also requires those who conduct voter registration drives to sign up with the State Board of Elections or local election offices.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the new training also must be state-certified.

With excited, overflow crowds in attendance, the Washington Redskins start week 3 of working out at their new training camp in Richmond.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil spoke with ‘Skins General Manager Bruce Allen about how things are going in the new venue. 

Governor McDonnell speaking on Washington radio station WTOP now says that not only is he paying back all loans received from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, he is also returning all gifts. As VPR’s Tommie McNeil reports, as the Governor continues to do damage control, he is shifting the focus on a broken state gifting and disclosure system, NOT improprieties on his part.

Officials in Virginia  are  looking at  just how sequestration cuts are impacting military operations in the Commonwealth.
As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, it can be difficult to guage how families are adjusting to their first reduced paychecks as a result of sequestration furloughs.

Before the Virginia General Assembly adjourned this year, it took up the issue of child sexual abuse and whether Virginia laws effectively deter the crime or prosecute the offender. Months later, members of the State Crime Commission are faced with the daunting task of reviewing the laws, and making recommendations, without weakening current law. Tommie McNeil reports.

Several national publications rank Virginia within the top five for raising a child or providing a decent education but when it comes to finding an orphaned child a permanent home before they turn 18, the organization Voices for Virginia’s Children ranks the Commonwealth 49th. As VPR’s Tommie McNeil reports, it’s why the McDonnell administration is kicking off a series of events throughout the state to help promote adoption.

Virginia’s DMV is facilitating a unique relationship between the military and the transportation industry. While there is a shortage of commercially licensed drivers and fewer jobs for veterans, the DMV is making it easier for servicemen and women who have specialized driving experience to obtain their Commercial Drivers License when returning home.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the program is part of a statewide effort to translate the skills learned in the military into the certifications needed for civilian jobs. 

Despite the sources and their political leanings, pollsters are finding that the Star Scientific scandal is taking a toll on Governor McDonnell’s approval ratings.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, a new Quinnipiac poll also finds that overall, most Virginians still like their governor. 

The General Assembly’s watchdog agency says many of the factors driving up the cost of university tuition and fees are NOT directly related to instruction.  The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission has been examining higher education costs to determine the operational efficiency of the Commonwealth’s 15 four-year institutions—and whether ways can be found to reduce expenses.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, JLARC found that the soaring tuition increases have exceeded inflation.