Recent News
Some Virginians with past felonies can apply to seal their records, starting next month
Some Virginians with past felonies can apply to seal their records, starting next month By Charlotte Rene Woods Virginia Mercury After years of fine-tuning and preparation, a 2021 law allowing...
The exemption Virginia can’t price and won’t stop
The exemption Virginia can’t price and won’t stop By Tommy Turner Virginia Mercury Virginia gave data centers a $928 million tax break in a single fiscal year, 2023, and the...
Va. superintendent reaffirms to Congress Loudoun’s commitment to student needs, parental cooperation
By Nathaniel Cline Virginia Mercury The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce on Wednesday invited Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence and others to hear how K-12 schools...
No way out: How Virginia law fails vulnerable renters
By Erin O'Hare, Charlottesville Tomorrow Virginia Mercury Floods, roaches, rats, mold — these are just a few of the issues in Charlottesville Tomorrow’s investigation into how Virginia law often fails...
State report finds 13 rural hospitals vulnerable to closure
State report finds 13 rural hospitals vulnerable to closure By Charlotte Rene Woods Virginia Mercury A new report by Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care found 13 of Virginia’s 36...
Wittman seeks to keep 1st District seat, as Democratic challengers face crowded primary
Wittman seeks to keep 1st District seat, as Democratic challengers face crowded primary By Shannon Heckt Virginia Mercury After a grueling redistricting battle that spanned months and cost millions, the...
Spanberger names dozens of new appointees to Virginia college boards
Spanberger names dozens of new appointees to Virginia college boards By Nathaniel Cline Virginia Mercury Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed 32 new members to governing boards at Virginia’s colleges and universities,...
Judge approves settlement over rejected Virginia student voter registrations
Judge approves settlement over rejected Virginia student voter registrations By Markus Schmidt Virginia Mercury A federal judge has approved a consent decree requiring Virginia election officials to accept certain voter...
Kaine introduces legislation to address teacher shortage, equip new educators
Kaine introduces legislation to address teacher shortage, equip new educators By Nathaniel Cline Virginia Mercury One of Virginia’s federal lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill in Congress that would establish...
In light of horrific Virginia deaths, consider others when behind the wheel
In light of horrific Virginia deaths, consider others when behind the wheel By Roger Chesley Virginia Mercury Guadalupe Rivera – landscaping supervisor, family man, helper – suffered a needless, ghastly...
Judge weighs future of Confederate-linked school names in Shenandoah County
Judge weighs future of Confederate-linked school names in Shenandoah County By Nathaniel Cline Virginia Mercury Shenandoah County is awaiting a closely watched court decision over whether the names of Confederate...
High-potency cannabis fuels state debates over psychosis and addiction risks
High-potency cannabis fuels state debates over psychosis and addiction risks By Amanda Watford Virginia Mercury When her son was a teenager, Connecticut mom Amy Wadsworth said, he was the type...
What Virginians’ and Americans’ D-Day sacrifices teach us about our country now
What Virginians’ and Americans’ D-Day sacrifices teach us about our country now By Jim Spencer Virginia Mercury NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY, COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE- Richard Powhatan Hall’s grave sits nine rows into...
FOIA Friday: Richmond city and schools face scrutiny
FOIA Friday: Richmond city and schools face scrutiny By Staff Report Virginia Mercury One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s...
Virginia measles cases surge past 70, concentrated in Central Virginia
Virginia measles cases surge past 70, concentrated in Central Virginia By Charlotte Rene Woods Virginia Mercury Virginia’s measles count has jumped by more than 30 cases in recent weeks, with...
Recent News
Board to discuss solar ordinance at Monday meeting – The Enterprise
By Taylor Boyd The Patrick County Board of Supervisors will consider a draft solar ordinance proposed by the Planning Commission at its Monday, Feb. 9 meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in the third-floor courtroom of the Patrick County Administration Building. The ordinance was sent to the board more than four months ago, on Sept. 16. Kurt Bozenmayer, then chairman of the commission, asked the board to take action on the proposed solar ordinance at the...
Read moreDetailsLocal volunteers go above and beyond for Fincastle shelter animals – Fincastle Herald
By Matt de Simone When a winter storm threatened the League for Animal Protection in late January, the shelter’s safety depended not on equipment, but on people willing to step in at a moment’s notice. As freezing temperatures and icy conditions approached, shelter officials learned that the facility’s backup generator had failed — a discovery that raised immediate concerns for the dogs and cats in their care. “We realized the generator wasn’t working the very day the storm was...
Read moreDetailsSupervisors approve confidential retail deal, elect new leadership at January meeting – Fincastle Herald
By Matt de Simone In a surprise move during its January meeting, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a performance agreement tied to a proposed major retail development, an item added to the agenda as a walk-on without advance public notice. County Administrator Gary Larrowe presented the agreement, describing it as a preliminary step to allow a developer to seek financing for a “confidential” national destination retailer proposed for the Gateway Crossing area near the Interstate 81...
Read moreDetailsBuchanan Theatre to close for long-awaited renovations – Fincastle Herald
The Buchanan Theatre will close following this Saturday’s final screenings as the historic venue begins a long-anticipated renovation project aimed at improving accessibility, comfort and long-term efficiency while preserving the theater’s beloved character. The project is being funded largely through grants from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, awarded two years ago. Theater officials said the timeline was extended as architects, engineers and contractors were secured and detailed plans finalized for the complex renovation of the aging building. Once construction...
Read moreDetailsCommunity invited to shape future of Greenfield Recreation Park – Fincastle Herald
Botetourt County Parks and Recreation has unveiled the first two conceptual designs for the Greenfield Recreation Park Master Plan, marking an important early step in a long-term vision for one of the county’s most beloved outdoor spaces. The concepts, released last week, are the result of community survey feedback gathered over recent months. According to Parks and Recreation officials, resident input played a central role in shaping the preliminary layouts, amenities, and overall direction of the proposed park improvements. “We’ve...
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