Health
- Mice may drive Lyme disease more than deer
Several ticks rest on top of a plant.
- Federal proposal to alter Head Start could dismantle program in Virginia, parents and advocates say
Amanda Daugherty, a mother from Nottoway County, valued the Head Start program in Virginia because it closely reflected her values and experience before she was hired by the program in October 2021.
- Legislators didn’t allow local bans of gas-powered leaf blowers. Va. localities are doing it anyway.
A landscaper blows leaves off a lawn in preparation for annual “leaf pickups” by Fairfax County public services, October 31, 2023.
- Loudoun County Introduces Virginia’s First Adult Behavioral Health Docket
Loudoun County has become the first in Virginia to implement an adult behavioral health docket.
- Three of September's seven parole grants involved sexual-offense convictions
The Virginia Parole Board granted parole in September to three men convicted of sexual offenses, including one with a 2023 conviction for rape of a child under 13.
- Virginia Budget Empowers Local Schools with $400.4 Million Flexible Supplement
The Virginia state budget for fiscal year 2027 includes a significant conservative victory for education funding through a one-time $400.4 million flexible supplement.
- Data Center Growth Raises Noise and Air Quality Concerns Near Loudoun Schools and Homes
Loudoun County has experienced significant data center development in recent years that has brought both economic benefits and challenges for nearby residents.
- Warner wins fourth term , Luria ousts Kiggans in VA-02 as 2 U.S. House races remain undecided
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner speaks to Virginians at his re-election celebration in Alexandria on Nov. 3, 2026.
- Virginia Beach wastewater facility to turn biogas into power for thousands of homes
A rendering of the biogas collection facility that will be built on alongside a Hampton Roads Sanitation District wastewater treatment plant.
- Researchers find plastic fibers can worsen viral disease in fish
Interdisciplinary study reveals how the shape and timing of microplastic exposure can influence disease severity in rainbow trout.
- Chesapeake Bay gets a C+ in overall health, Va. and Md. leaders say work to protect it must continue
Heath Kelsey with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences presents the 2026 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Report Card in Woodbridge, Virginia.
- Chesapeake Regional may avoid criminal trial, but former OB-GYN Perwaiz’s patients are still suing
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center on Battlefield Boulevard.
- Study provides a remedy for coal dust in Newport News. Good luck getting terminal operators to pay.
This coal transfer terminal in Newport News sits close to many homes in the majority Black East End neighborhood.
- Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections
An aerial view shows a data center situated near single-family homes in Northern Virginia.
- Virginia considers calls for mandatory school nurses as healthcare gaps persist
A school nurse listens to a young student.
- Governor Spanberger Announces $52 Million to Support Hurricane Helene Recovery & Rural Localities
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced more than $52 million to support projects across Southwest and Western Virginia through Good Neighbor Agreements signed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS).
- Fairfax has Two bond questions on the ballot with $16 Billion Dollars in Debt: What they would fund
Early voting is underway for the Nov. 3 general election , and Fairfax County voters are deciding two bond questions.
- Here’s where doctors diverge on Va.’s pending reproductive rights constitutional amendment
Medical professionals and medical students in opposition of abortion hold signs at the 2026 Virginia March For Life in Richmond, Va. on April 22, 2026.
- NEW: Governor Spanberger Stands Up to Trump Administration Effort to Strip Protections from 400,000 Acres of National Forests in Virginia
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today urged the Trump Administration to abandon its proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule — known as the Roadless Rule — that would jeopardize nearly 400,000 acres of National Forests in Virginia.
- The amendment that could permanently protect killing babies in Virginia
- Governor Spanberger Announces Nearly $1.3 Million in Scholarships & Incentives for Nursing Students
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Spanberger today announced that the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center (VNWC) has awarded nearly $1.3 million in scholarships and incentives to nearly 350 prospective students across the Commonwealth.
- Governor Spanberger gives away $67 Million for Home Energy Efficiency Projects to receive only $15 Million in work
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced the release of more than $67 million in available Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds that were previously withheld by the Youngkin Administration.
- Virginia Releases 2026 School Performance Data Showing Broad Improvements
The Virginia Department of Education issued the Fall 2026 statewide results under the School Performance and Support Framework for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Spanberger announces $1.3 million in scholarships and incentives for nursing students
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaks during a roundtable with healthcare organizations on July 7, 2026.
- Governor Spanberger Announces School Accountability Results, More Than $26 Million in New Investments for Schools
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced the 2026 School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) results, providing
- Chesapeake Bay underwater grasses increase 7%, buoyed by gains in salty waters
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most important indicators of ecosystem health, increased by 7% to an estimated 89,395 acres in 2025.
- Eating more pulses linked to lower prevalence of cardiometabolic disease
Eating seeds from the legume family, like chickpeas and dry peas, could lead to a lower chance of heart disease, stroke or diabetes, according to new research from two William & Mary students.
- The simple affordability fix Virginia just can’t seem to make
Townhomes under construction in Richmond, Va. on May 15, 2026.
- William & Mary launches new bioengineering degree
William & Mary is launching new Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in bioengineering in fall 2027 through the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics.
- Special Prosecutor Clears Franklin County Officials in Freedom of Information Act Probe
One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors.
- Juvenile criteria, age and health: how September's parole cases were decided
The board weighed a new juvenile-offender procedure and geriatric eligibility in September, granting one juvenile case and denying another, and granting seven of 85 cases overall.
- Vindman faces crowded field and economic pressures in Virginia’s 7th District Congressional race
Pictured from left are candidates for the seventh congressional district race in Virginia: U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Woodbridge, Republican Douglas Ollivant and Libertarian Taner Lopez.
- Governor Spanberger Announces First-Ever Director of Outdoor Recreation
DANVILLE, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced Virginia’s first-ever Director of Outdoor Recreation — a position focused on growing the outdoor recreation economy, supporting communities that rely on tourism, and increasing economic development across the Commonwealth.
- Youth advocates warn higher marijuana fine could deepen racial disparities
Virginia lawmakers are weighing how increased penalties for public marijuana consumption could affect young people as the state prepares to launch legal retail sales in July 2027.
- Governor Abigail Spanberger Urges Congress to Set National Artificial Intelligence Guardrails
Letter to House and Senate leaders follows her Sept. 18 Virginia AI task force order; Spanberger warns jobs, privacy, and public resources cannot rely on company self-regulation alone.
- Fairfax Schools Warn Fiscal 2028 Cuts Could Rival 153 Million Dollar Squeeze of 2026
CFO Leigh Burden cites transfer-share erosion and mid-biennium state aid limits; Superintendent Michelle Reid says the three-year labor deal is at risk as class-size and central-office cut options are modeled.
- Virginia receives $7.2 million grant to expand childcare in Southwest, Southside Virginia
A supporter for early childhood and child care access wears a "gotta have child care" pin in Richmond on Jan. 21, 2026.
- Fairfax County Schools Warn Fiscal Year 2028 May Require Cuts Near $154 Million
Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden cites a shrinking county transfer share, health care inflation, and biennium state aid as FCPS prepares reduction options.
- Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger Allows Boys to Play in Girls Sports
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger's administration withdrew a proposed regulation on July 30, 2026, that would have prevented biological males from participating in female-only athletic teams and entering designated female spaces.
- Loudoun Schools Prepare Artificial Intelligence Classroom Pilot as Device Costs Surge Past 70 Percent
Board members split over Gemini Notebook trials at seven middle and high schools while Chromebook and staff laptop prices jump on chip shortages.
- Cumberland county residents split on proposed gas plant, slated to be second largest in the nation
Cumberland County residents meet Aug. 31, 2026 to discuss the proposed Dominion Cumberland Energy Center.
- With six West Nile cases reported statewide, infected mosquitos are on the rise in Virginia Beach
A female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito on the skin of a human host.
- Data shows 94,000 Virginians have dropped their Affordable Care Act insurance since last year
The U.S. House will begin debate in committee this week on a bill that would cut Medicaid spending.
- Number Needed to Treat Explains Medicine Effectiveness Metrics
The Number Needed to Treat statistic plays an essential role in how medical professionals evaluate the impact of treatments.
- Virginia to receive $353 million in landmark Meta child-safety settlement
Facebook parent company Meta has agreed to pay Virginia at least $353 million and adopt new safeguards for young users under a proposed multistate settlement over allegations that its platforms harmed children.
- Doctor Describes Effects of Virginia’s Counseling Requirements on Addiction Treatment
A physician in Virginia has shared observations regarding how state laws requiring counseling alongside medication for addiction treatment lead to interruptions in care for certain patients.
- Loudoun School Board Receives Plea on Power Lines Near Campuses
During a public comment period at the Loudoun County School Board meeting the presentation addressed high-voltage power lines planned near school properties.
- King George school board settles suit, will allow middle school LGBTQ+ student club
(Illustration by mustafahacalaki/Getty Images) King George County Schools will now allow sixth- to eighth-grade students to form non-curricular clubs, including one supporting LGBTQ+ students, after the school board settled with the families of two students who said the school did not allow them to form the LGBTQ+ club previously, according to a Monday announcement.
- Dominion unveils route changes for Valley Link Transmission line
The proposed Valley Link Transmission Line's Route 2 option with variations, which Dominion Energy has shared with nine Virginia counties that the line could cross, if approved.
- Virginia health committee considers mandating licensed nurses in every school
A newly proposed legislative measure would require all school districts in Virginia to employ a licensed nurse in every school.
