Hampton Roads
- Virginia’s romance with data centers has cooled, but nobody benefits if there’s a full breakup
Data centers. Can’t live with them. Can’t live without them. But we could do with data centers slowing their jackrabbit pace of reproduction in congested suburbs and, instead, building where they could fill a need and do more economic good. Our romance with data centers has cooled in Virginia, home to the world’s greatest concentration […]
- Another year, another Virginia retail marijuana market veto leaves businesses, the public with few options
By Yiqing Wang and Toby Cox/WHRO Throughout her bid for governor, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she would support a bill to set up a legal, adult-use cannabis market — which is why her veto on May 19 caught many rooting for such a market by surprise. “I thought it was a joke, honestly,” said Julian […]
- Mother Claims Retaliation in Franklin City School Board Plea Over Special Needs Child’s Removal
During the session, announced by the district on its website and social media, the mother approached the podium with supporting documents and described the sequence of events leading to her child’s placement elsewhere. She characterized the removal as an abuse of authority, questioning whether it represented the treatment parents receive for raising concerns. ‘This is […]
- ‘It’s outrageous’: Spanberger navigates budget fight, Democratic unrest six months into governorship
Back in January, Gov. Abigail Spanberger arrived in office promising pragmatism, affordability and a less combative style of politics. Fast forward a few months, and Virginia’s first woman governor finds herself navigating one of the rockiest starts to a Democratic administration in years, with budget negotiations intensifying weeks before a shutdown deadline, frustration simmering inside […]
- Kratom product sales to be regulated in Virginia
Del. Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg, never expected social media posts about a recreational drug would inspire a new consumer protection law, which he sponsored and was approved by Gov. Abigail Spanberger last month. Spanberger ceremonially signed Cole’s House Bill 360 on Tuesday, which creates new safeguards for the sale of kratom, a legal substance often used […]
- Virginia faces mental health provider shortages as Hampton Roads residents struggle to navigate care
By Yiqing Wang/WHRO A new national report found Virginia is facing “catastrophic” shortages in community mental health. Providers in Norfolk say many patients still struggle to know where to turn during a mental health crisis. The report from mental health policy group Inseparable found Virginians go out of network for mental health care six and a half […]
- Virginia eyes toll revenue for transit as express lane debate grows
Virginia is pushing to reinvest express lane and toll revenue into public transit instead of road projects, even as public concerns persist about using priced roadways. The focus on reinvesting express lane revenue is reflected in the estimated $46.5 million the commonwealth expects to generate from its express lanes, which are designed to mitigate congestion […]
- Virginia revenue forecast jumps by $1.5 billion as budget talks continue
Virginia’s revenue outlook has improved by $1.5 billion over the next three fiscal years, giving lawmakers more breathing room as negotiations over a stalled state budget are set to continue in Richmond later this month. Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Monday afternoon released the updated revenue forecast she ordered last month, telling top legislative budget writers […]
- Virginia Legislature Advances Offshore Wind Workforce Training Initiative
The Virginia General Assembly has approved a new law intended to equip the state’s workforce with the skills necessary for the offshore wind industry. House Bill 67, which became law as Chapter 362, was signed by the governor and will take effect on July 1, 2026. The legislation focuses exclusively on developing training programs and […]
- FBI Executes Multiple Raids on Virginia Senate Leader Louise Lucas’s Office and Related Sites in Major Corruption Probe
Portsmouth, Virginia – Federal agents with the FBI carried out search warrants Wednesday at the Portsmouth office of Virginia State Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas and at least 10 other locations across the state as part of an ongoing public corruption investigation. According to footage broadcast by Fox News and accounts from individuals […]
- Hampton Roads mayors want Virginia localities to keep control over collective bargaining
In a show of regional unity, mayors from the seven core cities of Hampton Roads united to oppose a bill that would allow public workers to collectively bargain over wages, benefits, and working conditions without local governments’ approval.
- Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces $6.2 Million in Growth and Opportunity Virginia Grants
Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced $6.2 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grants for 10 projects that advance Virginia’s economic competitiveness through innovation, workforce development, and strategic industry growth. The awarded projects will leverage an additional $4 million in investment.
- Virginia’s future higher education chapter should be collaborative and not competitive, says a university official
Virginia will face a workforce shortage in 2026 that cannot be resolved by doing business as usual. The region’s hospitals are facing some of the most high nursing vacancy rates. teacher shortages continue to strain classrooms, accelerating burnout and affecting school divisions from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia.
- ‘We’re toast’: Virginia GOP erupts in finger-pointing after sweeping Democratic wins
Rick Buchanan didn’t expect to walk out before the first session even ended.
- Watershed mapping project shows rapid loss of forests, offers new view of Va.’s changing landscapes
Approximately 60% of Virginia is located inside the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and those communities now have access to an updated map that shows precisely how their landscapes are changing over time.
- Migration patterns have changed. In Virginia, most rural counties are seeing a large influx of young adults.
Pulaski county seems to be thriving in an age when talent is seen as the key to success and the labor pool is shrinking.
- International Mining Equipment Manufacturer to Expand in Virginia
Liebherr Mining Equipment investing $72.3 million to increase global mining truck production in the City of Newport News and the City of