Grants
- What victims and prosecutors told the Parole Board before August's grants
Minutes of the Virginia Parole Board's Aug. 27 meeting record victim statements, prosecutor positions and each member's reasons in the 14 cases it granted.
- Man convicted of four counts of forcible sodomy in Hopewell granted parole after 30 years
Waverly Otis Robinson, 63, was granted parole in September after serving decades on four counts of forcible sodomy convictions, according to Virginia Parole Board records.
- Fairfax County man convicted in 1998 stabbing death granted parole over family's opposition
Troy Demar, 53, was granted parole in September after serving decades on second-degree murder convictions, according to Virginia Parole Board records.
- What victims, prosecutors and the record told the Parole Board before September's grants
The minutes of the Sept. 10 meeting show victim input ranged from strong opposition to no response, and that prosecutors supported release in two cases.
- Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections
An aerial view shows a data center situated near single-family homes in Northern Virginia.
- Virginia Beach man with long burglary record granted geriatric release after nearly 35 years
Michael McCoy Duncan, 62, was granted parole in September after serving decades on dozens of burglary and larceny counts convictions, according to Virginia Parole Board records.
- Norfolk man, 71, with 1992 rape convictions and 2023 child-rape conviction granted parole
Clarence Eugene Billups, 71, was granted parole in September after serving decades on rape, including the 2023 rape of a child under 13 convictions, according to Virginia Parole Board records.
- Staunton man convicted of 1990 rape and robbery granted parole after 32 years
John Michael Moran Jr., 56, was granted parole in September after serving decades on rape and robbery convictions, according to Virginia Parole Board records.
- Richmond man serving life for 1989 first-degree murder granted parole; prosecutor supported release
Calvin Darnell Johnson, 61, was granted parole in September after serving decades on first-degree murder convictions, according to Virginia Parole Board records.
- Governor Spanberger Announces $615,000 in Virginia Main Street Grants to Revitalize Historic Commercial Districts Across 22 Communities
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced $615,000 in grant awards to support 22 community revitalization projects across Virginia downtowns through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Virginia Main Street program.
- EPA to give $90M for clean water and restoration projects in Chesapeake Bay watershed, 28 in Va.
A living shoreline project on the James River.
- Virginia Advances Bill to Market Invasive Blue Catfish and Protect Bay Seafood
A legislative proposal would create a dedicated marketing position to expand commercial demand for blue catfish and ease pressure on native Chesapeake Bay species.
- Two US navy aviators eject while landing on carrier off Virginia
The state Capitol.
- Governor Spanberger Celebrates $16.5 Million to Improve Infrastructure in Hampton Roads
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today celebrated $16.5 million in federal grants through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) to improve and support infrastructure in the City of Portsmouth, York County, and across Hampton Roads.
- Attorney General Jay Jones Asks Regulators to Reset Clock on Dominion-NextEra Merger
Jones says September 14 supplemental commitments — longer bill credits, five-year job protections, and a Richmond tower pitch — put a different deal on the table after intervention deadlines closed.
- Divorce becomes next battleground as Virginia, other states debate family values
Former Virginia Lt.
- Digging into the past: Faculty and student researchers investigate Greek site
The Naxos Quarry Project is an international archaeological project focused on the ancient marble quarries of the Greek island of Naxos, which is famous for its white marble used in architecture and sculpture.
- Virginia Outdoors Foundation protected 11,000 new acres and awarded nearly $6 million in grants
From family farms and public parks to expanding the Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, VOF's work in 2025 added to its portfolio of protected open space for future generations.
- Virginia localities weigh 1% sales tax for school construction as voters decide on expansion
A view from the front entrance of the renovated Gloucester County High School, which opened in September 2025.
- 41,085 Declined ICE Detainers Nationwide — Arlington Held Up as Democrat Sanctuary Case Study
House Judiciary: sanctuary jurisdictions declined at least 41,085 ICE detainers Oct. 2022–early 2026 and 17,864 in Trump’s first 12 months back; Arlington’s Democrat Trust Policy is the Virginia deep dive.
- Attorney General Jay Jones Asks Regulators to Reset Clock on Dominion-NextEra Merger
Jones says September supplemental filings — including four-year residential bill credits — create a different $67 billion deal requiring a fresh 180-day State Corporation Commission review period.
- Few Va. universities have studied food insecurity among students, though 80% say it’s an issue
Most of Virginia’s public universities and colleges are aware of student food insecurity at their institutions, according to a November survey conducted by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
- Governor Spanberger Announces $23 Million in Grants for Community Development Across the Commonwealth
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced $22.7 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that will fund 17 community projects across Virginia.
- Loudoun County Board to Review Grant Initiative for Broad Run Farms Water Connections
Loudoun County, Virginia, is governed by a nine-member Board of Supervisors consisting of Chair At-Large Phyllis Randall, Vice Chair Michael Turner of the Ashburn District, Juli Briskman of the Algonkian District, Sylvia Glass of the Broad Run District, Caleb Kershner of the Catoctin District, Matthew Letourneau of the Dulles District, Kristen Umstattd of the Leesburg District, Laura TeKrony of the Little River District, and Koran Saines of the Sterling District.
- Seven Rural Virginia Community Colleges Share $5.93 Million to Train Nurses and Behavioral Health Workers
Germanna, Laurel Ridge, Mountain Gateway, Patrick & Henry, Paul D. Camp, Rappahannock, and Virginia Highlands win Rural Health Transformation Fund awards.
- West Piedmont Planning District Commission Awarded Funding Through Virginia Housing Workforce Housing Investment Program
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission learned back in December that it was awarded $1,000,000 in funding through the Virginia Workforce Housing Investment Program.
- We must solve Virginia’s other health care workforce crisis: A lack of educators
America’s health care workforce shortage is a known crisis: Over 85% of health care facilities lack adequate staff.
- Opioid authority awards $12.3 million for prevention, treatment and recovery in Virginia
The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority has awarded more than $12.3 million to support opioid prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across the commonwealth.
- New guidance limits voting disqualifications to murder, manslaughter convictions
Among Virginians who are no longer incarcerated, only those convicted of murder and voluntary or involuntary manslaughter remain disqualified from voting under new guidance from the Virginia Department of Elections.
- States take action against ‘claim sharks,’ who charge veterans for disability assistance
Consultants who charge military veterans to help them file their disability claims at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs make millions of dollars each year.
- More Than a Dozen Southwest and Southside Schools Win State Construction Grants
The Board of Education approved more than $132 million for 34 projects statewide, including 16 in Southwest and Southside.
- Seven Rural Virginia Community Colleges Receive $5.93 Million for Health Care Training
A new state grant will help seven rural Virginia community colleges expand nursing, allied health and other training programs tied to local workforce needs.
- Spanberger declares drought emergency to speed hay deliveries for Virginia livestock
Dairy cows graze in Stanley, Va. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce/Virginia Mercury) Virginia farmers struggling with drought-damaged pastures will be able to receive larger hay deliveries under a state of emergency declared by Gov. Abigail Spanberger Wednesday.
- Trump administration moves to steer homelessness grants toward treatment and enforcement
A campsite is seen in Anchorage, Alaska, last year.
- Opioid Abatement Authority Awards $12.3 Million to 18 State Agencies
Package continues 32 projects and adds 7 new ones spanning health, corrections, courts and public universities.
- PJM Market Monitor Warns FERC: New Data-Center Loads Risk Customer Blackouts — Ghiorzi Backs Complaint
Monitoring Analytics’ November 2025 EL26 complaint says PJM is interconnecting large loads it cannot serve reliably; Loudoun’s Theresa Ghiorzi’s December comments tie the docket to Data Center Alley’s Democrat-built demand surge.
- Tim Kaine and Jennifer McClellan Say Voters Could Move Congress to Revisit House Resolution 1 Healthcare Overhaul
U.S. Sen.
- School Construction Sales Tax Could Raise About 1.27 Billion Over Three Years
State estimates show revenue if all 47 localities with November referendums approve a dedicated 1 percent sales tax.
- Elizabeth Guzman House Bill 417 Expands In-State Tuition for Military Families
The Virginia House of Delegates has taken a decisive step to honor the sacrifices of active-duty service members and veterans by overwhelmingly passing House Bill 417.
- Lynchburg Expands Child Protective Services with Kinship Care and Substance Use Experts
Five new positions in Lynchburg’s human services department aim to keep children out of the foster care system and provide more support to families already in it.
- Jeion Ward Hampton Roads Waste-to-Energy Grant Program Struck Down in House Committee
RICHMOND, Virginia — A proposed grant program aimed at encouraging waste disposal through incineration facilities in the Hampton Roads region met a swift end in the Virginia House of Delegates this session.
- Housing Bills to Boost Supply, Protect Tenants on Way to Abigail Spanberger's Desk
While some of the most progressive housing bills did not survive this year’s legislative session, many housing proposals are on their way to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk — some of which she has already stated she will sign into law.
- What candidates have planned for Virginia’s coast could decide a key congressional race
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. With Virginia’s Aug. 4 primaries in the rearview mirror, the ballot is set in one of the nation’s most competitive congressional districts. In the state’s second congressional district, Republican […]
- More states ban child marriage, including Virginia, though it’s still legal in most of the United States
After authorities rescued 16 children last month who had been confined to a single room in a home in rural Ohio, attention turned to their mother, who had been 15 and pregnant when she married their father. The child endangerment case has recharged a national conversation around child marriage, which is defined by the United […]
- Obamacare enrollment declines in 49 states; Virginia saw 8% drop
In 49 states, the number of people enrolled in Obamacare plans has declined since Congress made coverage more expensive by allowing federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. The lone exception was New Mexico, the only state that has used its own money to fully replace the expired aid, according to a […]
- Lowdown from Loudoun: Mike Turner shares data center tips with Maryland audience
Michael Turner, a county supervisor in Loudoun County, Virginia, estimates that the public perception of hyperscale data centers has shifted considerably in the last six to nine months — and he isn’t sure why. Turner, a government official in the county with one of the world’s highest concentrations of data centers with over 250, said […]
- Fairfax County School Board Receives Public Input on Equity Staffing and Classroom Technology
The Fairfax County School Board convened for a meeting that included public comments on equity staffing and related educational grants. Robert Shaw participated in the community participation portion to present his views on these topics. His remarks centered on the history and current status of specific programs within the district. Shaw described how five positions […]
- Virginia Expands Firefighter Cancer Screening Fund
Virginia is set to significantly expand a critical health initiative for first responders in the upcoming fiscal year, carefully balancing the moral obligation to protect firefighters with the absolute need for fiscal responsibility. The proposed FY2027 budget includes a substantial $2 million allocation from the general fund to officially establish a statewide First Responders Cancer […]
- Virginia Taxpayers Saddled with $137.6 Million Bill as State Absorbs Pandemic-Era Childcare Program
Virginia taxpayers are now facing a permanent financial burden as lawmakers recently approved a massive allocation of state funds to prop up a pandemic-era childcare program. The state budget includes a staggering allocation of $137.6 million for the Child Care Subsidy Program, which is managed jointly by the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia […]
- Loudoun County Approves $4.5 Million in Nonprofit Grants for FY2027
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which includes a significant expansion of financial support for local nonprofit organizations. During the May 19, 2026, meeting, officials allocated more than $4.5 million specifically for the Human Services Nonprofit Grant Process. This substantial funding increase aims to provide community-based health and […]