Virginia Public Radio

Election Day is still a few weeks away, but more than 95,000 voters have already cast their ballots.

Michael Pope has this look at early voting.

Virginia law seems to have no clear answers about how to handle the case of a Portsmouth city councilman. And lawyers for a man accused of murder want his trial moved out of a courtroom where a portrait of Robert E. Lee is prominently displayed.

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.

  Ted Lewis, Executive Director of Side by Side, speaks at a panel for the Virginia Education Association. He’s joined by Zephyr Acosta-Lewis and Mary Jane Frances, two former participants in Side by Side’s youth programming.
(Credit of Side by Side)

According to national studies, lesbian, gay and bisexual kids are three to five times more likely to attempt suicide. And the picture is even more dire for transgender youth — as many as half will attempt suicide before their twentieth birthday.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports one organization in Virginia is trying to keep kids alive, by providing free training to schools across the state.

  Credit Jeff Eaton/Ink Stained Wretches via CC/flickr.com

The last decade has seen a dramatic reduction in local newspapers across Virginia, a decline that’s documented in a new report outlining news deserts.

Michael Pope has the story.

The Trump administration is considering a change to immigration policy that could have a significant impact here in Virginia.

Michael Pope has the story.

A Tidewater river once given up for dead now has a thriving ecosystem. And UVA researchers have found thousands of Virginia residents that the 2020 census might have overlooked.

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: Creative Commons, Flickr

Schools across Virginia are finding themselves in a crunch.

And, as Michael Pope reports, they’re being asked to do more with less according to a new analysis.

U.S. Senate candidate Matt Waters speaks to the Republican Club at Hayfield High School in Fairfax County. (Credit: Michael Pope)

Voters are about to choose a candidate for United States Senate.

But the ballot has a name that you might not have heard before.

Michael Pope has this story about the third-party candidate on your ballot.

Republicans in Richmond are hoping to make Virginia’s Electoral Board less partisan.

A suite of proposed changes comes after a recent legislative report highlighted past complaints about political bias in the Department of Elections.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

Local governments across Virginia have been getting tougher on people who don’t pay their car tax. And a nationwide shortage of school counselors has -not- spared Virginia.

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: ZaldyImg/CC via flickr.com)

It’s been over a year since needle exchange programs became legal for more than 50 localities in Virginia. The hope is to also get people in the door for education, counseling, and testing.

But according to a report released this week, the state has only approved two sites so far: One in Wise County and one in Richmond.

Mallory Noe-Payne has this update.

Across Virginia, local taxpayers are paying for federal immigration enforcement.

Michael Pope takes a closer look at the numbers.

  Every major wireless carrier is participating in Wednesday’s presidential alert, which will happen at 2:18 p.m.
(Credit FEMA)

In recent years, you may have noticed that mobile phones are increasingly giving alerts about missing children or severe weather.

As Michael Pope reports, October 3rd will mark the first-ever national wireless alert.

Republican Corey Stewart and Democrat Tim Kaine met in Richmond Tuesday night for their final debate before Virginia voters choose who to represent them in the Senate.

Mallory Noe-Payne has more.

  Gov. Ralph Northam (left) and Ryan Hall talk to students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Tuesday.
(Credit David Seidel)

The opioid crisis has touched every corner and demographic of Virginia.

Ralph Northam has been using his roles both as governor and as a pediatric neurologist to talk about it.

David Seidel reports.

(Credit: Virginia Educators United)

Education advocates have an ask for parents, community members, and teachers across the state this school year.  And that’s to wear RED for ED.

Mallory Noe-Payne has more.

Women in Virginia do not make as much as their male counterparts.

In fact, they’re falling below the national average.

Michael Pope has this look at the gender gap.

When Norfolk needed to make room for thousands evacuees ahead of Hurricane Florence a city regulation threatened to slow down the process.

And when a Commonwealth’s Attorney wanted to reduce his own salary he also found the law standing in his way.

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: Demographics Research Group and Va. Dept. of Education

Schools in Virginia’s urban areas are bursting at the seams, growing faster than they have the capacity to handle.

But, as Michael Pope reports, some of those students might be heading to the suburbs soon.

Fifty years ago, people began abandoning cities for the suburbs of Virginia.

Then cities made a comeback and became thriving cultural centers.

Now, as Michael Pope reports, the pendulum may be swinging the other way.

The new combined pass rate will credit students who show growth but haven’t passed yet. (Credit Virginia Department of Education)

School accreditation ratings are out in Virginia. But for parents and teachers they may not look so familiar.

That’s because the state has implemented a whole new rating system, shifting the focus away from test scores. Schools will be evaluated on student growth. How often students miss school. And achievement gaps between African-Americans and their white peers.

Reporter Mallory Noe-Payne spoke with Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, James Lane. He describes the new system as moving from a hammer to a flashlight.

P. J. Haynie takes a call from one of his fields.
(Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)

First came torrential rains, then record heat, then more rain.

Add the tariff battle with China and farmers are having a tough year.

Pamela D’Angelo reports Virginia’s Northern Neck is one region taking a hit.

On Capitol Hill, senators are grappling with how to handle allegations of sexual misconduct.

But, as Michael Pope reports, it’s a drama that’s also playing out on the campaign trail.

In the complicated and competitive world of business climate rankings, tax policy plays a big role.

And while Virginia is in the middle of the pack according to a new analysis of Business Tax Climate, the Commonwealth is losing ground in some areas.

Michael Pope reports.

Click here to read the full report from The Tax Foundation

Erosion along Fones Cliffs caused by clear-cutting last year. (Credit: Chesapeake Conservancy)

In July, Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality asked the public to weigh-in on fines and actions against a New York company that violated environmental regulations on pristine cliffs above the Rappahannock River.

Now they’re asking the Attorney General’s office to weigh-in as well.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

(Credit: Jon Collier/CC via flickr.com)

Navigating your commute can be stressful enough, but a new study looked at how stress from your day in the workplace affects how you drive on the way home.   

Robbie Harris reports.

For owners of the Ft. Lewis Lodge, economic development means preserving the land and water around them.(Credit: Sandy Hausman)

Here in Virginia economic development usually means building something and using up resources, but in Bath County a different approach is in play.

As Sandy Hausman reports, one family has found a way to make money by saving the land and water around them.

  Thomas Jones, a program manager with the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, launches a lightweight drone during tests with IPP partner State Farm.
(Credit Virginia Tech Photo)

Virginia Tech is about to launch a series of drones that will take a new and unprecedented role in the recovery from Hurricane Florence.

Michael Pope has the story.

Credit: Rog Cogswell/CC via flickr.com

This week the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill focused on stemming the opioid crisis that’s raging in Virginia and across the nation.

Matt Laslo has the story from the Capitol.  

The 5th Congressional District runs from the North Carolina line to the outermost suburbs of Washington, DC.

Candidates for the competitive 5th Congressional District met in rural Madison County Thursday night for a debate.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, both candidates agree healthcare and the economy are top issues for the area.

  Hosts of Thursday’s Senate forum prepare to introduce the candidates.
(Credit” Liberty University video)

More than a decade ago, Virginia Tech was the scene of a mass shooting. Now the issue of gun violence remains one of the hottest issues in Virginia politics.

And, as Michael Pope reports, candidates for Senate are divided on how to handle the issue.

The race for U.S. Senate in Virginia is contested. But it might not end up being all that competitive.

Michael Pope has a look at the latest poll.