Virginia Public Radio

Virginia doesn’t have parole in a traditional sense, but it does offer post-release supervision. Changes in the state code have mixed up who has authority over those released when they violate the terms of that supervision. 

Some judges are worried the confusion could violate the constitution.

Brad Kutner had more from Richmond. 

On Monday, June 17, a new federal rule goes into effect that lowers how much silica dust is allowed in mines.

The change is expected to save thousands of lives.

As Roxy Todd reports, stone and gravel quarries may be the most impacted.

We’re just a few days away from Virginia’s primary election.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope run down some of the high-profile races.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized the Mountain Valley Pipeline to begin running gas through its 303 mile pipeline.

Roxy Todd reports.

Virginia veterans gave elected officials and their gubernatorial counterparts an earful Monday.

It was part of the first public meeting of a task force designed to determine the fate of an education program for the families of injured vets.

Brad Kutner has more.

Social Determinants of Health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age. And a study, requested by the state’s Joint Commission on Health Care, into how Virginia can improve social determinants is about at its midpoint. Brad Kutner has an update. 

Abortion may end up being one important issue for voters this year.

But as Michael Pope reports, a new poll shows other issues are eclipsing it.

Two years ago, police and federal agents raided a dog-breeding facility west of Richmond, confiscating more than 4,400 animals – many in urgent need of veterinary care.

Sandy Hausman reports that Envigo pleaded guilty Monday to a violation of the Animal Welfare Act and will pay the largest fine in history for that offense.

As the June primary gets closer, campaigns are increasingly turning to a new way to reach out to voters.

Michael Pope has the story.

Many people were dismayed when – during the last legislative session – state lawmakers failed to approve a system for the sale of recreational cannabis. 

They noted the loss of potential sales tax revenue.  But at one of the state’s three poison control centers, experts say there are even more compelling arguments for taxation and regulation, as Sandy Hausman reports.

Walk outside and you hear a world of sounds, everything from birds to traffic and construction. But have you ever stopped to really listen to what you’re hearing, and what it can tell us?

Two researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring what scientists can learn about the natural world, through soundscapes, as Roxy Todd reports. 

A new poll suggests Virginia might be in play in November’s presidential election, but will Thursday’s verdict have an impact?

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

The solar industry is starting to ramp up in parts of Virginia, and there’s a growing demand for trained workers.

Roxy Todd reports that at least eight colleges throughout the Commonwealth offer training for people wanting to learn how to install solar panels.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are flowing into Virginia to support a new drug manufacturing sector in and around Petersburg.

And Virginia Commonwealth University is hoping to provide a pipeline of new employees in those operations.

Brad Kutner has more. 

We’re moving closer to Virginia’s Congressional primaries.  And there’s new suspicion Glenn Youngkin might be angling for a new job.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

This weekend, the country remembers our fallen servicemen and women. Nearly 1,500 Virginians were killed in the Vietnam War, and some 230,000 served in it.

During the past year, a group of Vietnam veterans, most in their 70’s, shared their stories and photos through an exhibit at the Virginia War Memorial.

As the exhibit ends at the War Memorial in Richmond, there are plans to bring it to more Virginians, as Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Hurricane Season begins June first, and emergency managers will be watching storms as they evolve. 

If forecasters think one will come ashore, officials will likely issue an evacuation order, but how much faith do people have in those orders?  How far in advance should they be issued and by whom? 

Those are questions the University of Virginia hoped to answer by analyzing tracking information from cell phones. 

Sandy Hausman has more on this first-of-a-kind project.