Virginia

In Northern Virginia, a closely watched House of Delegates race is centered on how candidates plan to rein in the state’s booming data center industry and meet its soaring energy demands.

John Reid, Republican candidate for Governor, visited the Roanoke valley last week, and did what few other candidates would do.

The Stakes of this Election If the race for Virginia’s next attorney general hasn’t already been decided, what more must a candidate do to disqualify...

More than a decade ago, residents of Loudoun County, Virginia, banded together to buy up treasured open space before it became a strip mall and housing development, donating the land to the Piedmont Environmental Council instead. The nonprofit has maintained it as a unique blend of cattle pasture, a nature preserve, and a community farm that donates its yield to a local food pantry.

Democrat Lawmakers in at least 16 states this year introduced bills to regulate the use of automated license plate readers responsible for collecting large amounts of data on drivers across the country.

Gubernatorial hopefuls Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears and Abigail Spanberger, former Congresswoman, appeared on stage in person for the first time and probably only time during this election. They answered questions for one hour that ranged from the hated car tax to Jay Jones text messages to the Trump Administration and the ongoing shutdown of the federal government.

Just two years after House District 97 flipped from Republican to Democrat, the Virginia Beach district is being closely watched as a key race that could determine if Democrats will maintain their majority in the House, a hold they gained in 2023.

The number of students registering for dual enrollment and career and technical education continues to grow in the commonwealth, but simultaneously, student enrollment at Virginia’s community colleges has declined by 7% over nearly a 10-year period, creating a financial strain on the system and negatively impacting smaller colleges, state researchers revealed Monday. 

Three school divisions charged with misusing federal funds intended for students with disabilities have made nearly $30 million in total repayments, according to the state Department of Education, which will be returned to the federal government. Still, one division is actively disputing the charge.

Tim Greenway, who is running for reelection as a member of the Roanoke School Board this fall, was charged with a misdemeanor related to elections.

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. 

Governor Glenn Youngkin recognized two lab schools yesterday, the Isle Maritime Trades Academy (IMTA) and the Maritime Engineering and Environmental Studies Academy (MEESA), for their work in advancing the Commonwealth’s maritime industry workforce.

Virginia students will soon face tougher academic expectations. Nearly a month after school leaders demanded greater transparency, the State Board of Education voted Thursday to support raising the benchmarks — or cut scores — for math and English, setting off a debate over how the changes will affect classrooms.

Southwest Virginia has been making strides to bring new life to abandoned mine sites. Millions of dollars have been invested in the region to plug the old coal mines, restore the land, and repurpose the space for economic development.

Virginia state Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, launched his campaign Wednesday for the U.S. Senate, setting up a high-stakes 2026 challenge to three-term Democratic Sen. Mark Warner.

Abigail Spanberger was asked a yes or no question: Does she support biological boys playing in girls’ sports and using girls’ bathrooms? Instead, the...

Early voting in Virginia began just last week, but the first wave of ballots already shows Republican-leaning House of Delegates districts pulling ahead of their Democratic counterparts.

On September 27th, 2024, floodwaters from Hurricane Helene that had already devastated North Carolina rushed through the hills and hollers of Southwest Virginia, uprooting timber, agriculture land, homes and businesses. The impact on the region’s natural resources can still be seen today.

Early voting begins Friday in Virginia’s high-stakes general election, opening a six-week window for voters to cast their ballots in races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, all 100 seats of the House of Delegates and some local offices. This year’s early voting period arrives with several notable changes to state election law, including a shorter registration deadline and new reporting requirements for provisional ballots.

Spanberger's Radical Energy Agenda On many occasions Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger has talked about her support for the Biden Administration’s environmental policies and the...

Pulaski county seems to be thriving in an age when talent is seen as the key to success and the labor pool is shrinking.

After four years presiding over the state Senate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is attempting to make the leap to the governor’s mansion this fall. She is running on a platform of conservative values and her campaign largely mirrors the themes that brought Gov. Glenn Youngkin victory in 2021 — parents’ rights, fiscal responsibility and defending personal freedoms. 

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. — The Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association (VBPBA) announced its endorsement of Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, along with the entire...

Hitachi Energy plans to invest $457m and create 825 new jobs on its South Boston Campus in Halifax County. The company will be building more power grid components as the demand for electricity is increasing rapidly.

Whether you’re a parent who objects to sexually explicit books being shown in your kids’ classrooms, an opponent of discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, or a rank-and-file Virginian, your state’s Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor thinks you’re a bigot.

The Virginia Department of Education is facing calls for greater transparency regarding plans to raise academic benchmarks for students. 

The city council of Danville will discuss three budget amendments at its regular meeting on Tuesday at 7 pm. These amendments are to be used to fund projects and programs at the Danville Regional Airport.

Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) residential users could see their utility bills increase by an average of over $8 monthly, if state regulators accept the company’s current proposal to make an interim rake hike permanent. 

Bren Pointe residents in Fairfax County are closer to seeing steel transmission towers rise just outside their townhomes after Virginia’s regulators approved a new electricity line to serve a single planned commercial data center.

Virginia is advancing toward banning transgenders from competing on women’s sports teams, even as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to take up two cases that could set a national precedent. 

The Virginia Clean Economy Act was passed into law by the Governor of Virginia. Its supporters celebrated this bold step towards a future free...

As the demand to pump power to energy-thirsty data centers concentrated in Northern Virginia swells, a debate about where to put  towering high-powered transmission lines in populated areas has put one Loudoun County community on the defensive.

Some Virginia classrooms are embracing top-tier teaching tools — but others are barely touching them. A new statewide survey finds wide disparities in how English and math teachers use high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), underscoring the challenge of lifting student performance.

RICHMOND, VA — In what is becoming an alarming pattern, Abigail Spanberger refuses to condemn radical antisemitism in the Democrat Party. This time,...

Protesters hold signs outside Richmond City Hall on Monday during a rally against recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions, calling for the city...

Members of the Chesterfield community gather before a DEQ meeting about the proposed Dominion Energy gas plant. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)“Enough is enough,”...

The Fredericksburg Health Care Center in Virginia, which is operated by the VA. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs)In a sweeping policy...

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to 770 attendees at SC GOP’s annual Silver Elephant fundraiser gala in Columbia Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by...

Developer Greg May was pulling out of the parking lot of a barbecue lunch he throws every year in Dickenson County when he heard...

It was clear from the start of Roanoke’s tumultuous budget season this year that improving employee compensation for the city’s 1,643 full-time employees was...

Montgomery County supervisors will take action to put various school system funding into the new county budget when they meet Monday. The county board...

Here are some of the top headlines from other news outlets around Virginia. Some content may be behind a metered paywall: Politics: Amtrak Virginia ridership increased...

High school football kicks off Aug. 28. Here’s the schedule for every Virginia High School League team in the state. All schedules are subject...

The Virginia Department of Health warns that rabid animals have been found in Campbell County and Franklin County. This follows a previous announcement that...

Fairfax County Planning Commission , at its meeting on July 9,, approved Dominion Energy’s request for two new substations that will support future data centres in the Dulles region.

An Amtrak passenger train crosses the James River in Richmond. (Photo by Taber Bain/Flickr/Creative Commons License 2.0)Amtrak Virginia’s ridership numbers continue to show increases,...

Traffic on the Capital Beltway near the American Legion Bridge. (Photo by Dave Dildine/WTOP News)Maryland commuters don’t want to be exploited by toll-road profiteers,...

As a proud Virginian I feel compelled to voice my concerns about John McAuliff’s candidacy for the Virginia House of Delegates. At a time...

Dominion Energy Virginia contributed an additional $1 million to Virginia state level politicians as large, late donations for the pre-primary elections.

Jay Jones, the Virginia Democrat candidate for Attorney General, took a stand in public against protecting children who are vulnerable. Jones, as a Virginia Delegate for 2020, voted against some mandatory reporting laws pertaining to sex crimes committed against minors. Jones voted for House bill 257, which removed the requirement that school principals report misdemeanor crime to law enforcement.

Fairfax County Public Schools and other Northern Virginia school districts are being pressured by the U.S. Department of Education to reverse their policies that support transgender children.

Amid recent political rhetoric about rising crime and violence in American cities, a new analysis shows that violent crime has continued to decline this...

As Virginia weighs whether or not to enshrine abortion, the act of killing babies in its constitution, the issue is playing a significant role in the upcoming elections for governor and motivating voters across party lines — including some who say it’s reshaping how they plan to vote this fall. 

As Virginia lawmakers heard from state health officials Wednesday about potential effects of federal healthcare funding changes approved by Congress earlier this month, it became clear to Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News: “we at this time do not have a true sense of what we’re up against.” 

AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical giant with a growing presence in Virginia's life sciences industry, announced plans to build the largest drug-manufacturing facility in the entire...

Toll Road Investors Partnership II (TRIP II), which operates the private 14-mile Dulles Greenway toll road, is seeking to overturn a Virginia Supreme Court’s decision last week to reject the company’s request to hike the roadway’s toll rate.

As Virginia wrestles with high energy demands and deadlines to switch to zero-carbon emission energy production, Gov. Glenn Youngkin last week announced funding to take the first steps towards building an advanced nuclear reactor in the southwest region of the state.

Across the country, public school enrollment has failed to rebound to pre-pandemic levels — and data suggests the decline is far from over. According to...

Herndon has officially filed a lawsuit against Comstock Companies, after the developer abandoned its long-stalled Downtown Redevelopment Project last year. The town filed a suit...

After being caught during an sting operation in Arlington, a man from Philly will spend 15 years in prison.

The race to replace Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw on the Board of Supervisors began quietly. With the odds stacked in favour of him moving to Congress the race has begun to take place.

After tragic flooding in Texas claimed dozens of lives and wreaked havoc in several communities, Virginia weather and emergency officials are pitching in to...

After a contentious primary the Republican nominees for Virginia’s next Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General took to the stage in Vienna last night (Tuesday), trying to present a united image.

A company in the information technology sector that had received offers from Texas, Florida and West Virginia but chose to remain in Tysons despite receiving competing bids.

Fairfax City Council, four years after a vote to prohibit firearms from public property and to ban them in the city, is now considering whether or not to extend these restrictions.

Next week, the three Republicans who are running for statewide offices in November will gather together in Vienna.

This week Virginia has set new heat records and come close to beating old ones for this time of year. The Richmond airport recorded...

Local Democrats who are seeking to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly yesterday (Wednesday) sought to differentiate themselves from a crowded race by outlining their plans to represent Virginia's eleventh Congressional District if they were elected.

Evan Omar Larsen, 23, appeared before the Loudoun County Circuit Court for sentencing for his convictions of one count of Abduction, one count of Unlawful Wounding, and one count of Strangulation.

Your food and drink orders in Virginia may start to look a little different.

Virginia is home to over a third of the data centers worldwide. These energy hungry facilities have brought business to the commonwealth, but communities are seeing the impact of the electricity and water usage hit their utility bills. Now, many localities are debating how to balance the opportunities and challenges data centers present, and grappling with how to regulate them.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Stone Ledge Cider will construct a new craft cider production facility and tasting room on the grounds of their 20-acre agritourism farm in Augusta County.

I have spent my entire professional and private life at the intersection of politics and policies. Reid: My entire professional and personal life has been at the cross-section of politics and policy.

In an extensive interview conducted at his Richmond office earlier this week by Miyares - the son of Cuban refugees and the first Hispanic Virginian to be elected statewide - he insisted that the current situation in California was the result of poor leadership.

LCSO, ICE, and Keeping You Safe – Fact versus Fiction  Loudoun County, VA (June 12, 2025): The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is recognized as a national leader in keeping our residents safe.

Former CIA analyst to spend three years in federal jail after pleading guilty for improperly sharing top-secret national defense information Asif William Rahman...

Five years ago, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) lowered academic requirements in response to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law by President...

The Republican tax bill, including its provision to eliminate the $200 tax and registration requirements for firearm silencers, represents a practical approach to reducing government overreach while promoting individual freedoms and economic growth. Contrary to the criticisms from Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, this legislation prioritizes the needs of law-abiding citizens and offers significant benefits for both the economy and public safety.

The Virginia Department of Education is preparing to launch a new Office of Excellence and Best Practices by hiring an executive director who will be responsible for fostering innovation, highlighting high-performing schools, and directing resources toward initiatives with a proven track record of improving student outcomes.

Traffic stops and searches of motorists in Loudoun County have increased dramatically the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, sparking complaints from activists and some residents.

Virginia’s general fund revenues rose sharply in April, bucking signs of a national economic cooldown as the state continues to post steady long-time job growth and rake in more tax dollars than projected.

Arlington's representative in a panel that is studying D.C. Metro financing opposes a regional sales tax for the transit system.

The Virginia Mercury article (May 19, 2025) argues that President Donald Trump’s executive order halting offshore wind project approvals, permits, and funding is detrimental to Virginia’s economy, particularly the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, and criticizes Republican leaders like Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares for not opposing it.

Fairfax County chair makes ‘urgent’ plea to find candidates in 6 districts  As of May 12, some 26 Democrat incumbents in the Virginia House of...

The Trump administration welcomed a small number of white South Africans on Monday as refugees.

The Danish toymaker has announced this week plans to build a warehouse and distribution facility worth $366 million in the Crosspointe Business Centre of Prince George County.

The Loudoun County Public School Board has once again prioritized political posturing over student privacy. Under LCPS Policy 8040, students may use restrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex.

The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors named Brigadier General Dallas Clark acting superintendent Saturday afternoon, but didn’t set a firm date for when a new superintendent will be selected.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto of House Bill HB2277 has been hailed by Virginia Republicans as a critical stand to preserve the integrity of the...

Citing grave concerns for election integrity and efficient governance, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed Virginia House Bill HB2056, a measure sponsored by Loudoun County Delegate...

All of Virginia’s educational divisions, except two, have signed Title VI certifications pledging their commitment to treating all students equally regardless of their race, following a mandate by the state education department that builds on President Donald Trump administration’s campaign to demolish diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in federally-funded agencies. 

A spike in fluoride levels during a pump install at Richmond’s water treatment plant last week went unreported for days and has prompted neighboring counties to repeat calls for a cooperative approach to water service in the region.

The internal drama roiling Virginia Republicans deepened over the weekend as John Reid, the party’s embattled nominee for lieutenant governor, accused Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political action committee of extortion — escalating an already explosive rift just months before November’s elections.

Governor Glenn Youngkin today broke ground on the highly-anticipated New River Valley Rail Project in Christiansburg, Virginia. As part of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s (VPRA) Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative, the New River Valley Project encompasses railroad infrastructure upgrades that will allow VPRA to extend its Amtrak Virginia service from Roanoke to Christiansburg and return passenger rail service to the New River Valley for the first time since 1979. 

The Loudoun County School Board has ignited controversy with its recent decision to rename several schools, a move estimated to cost taxpayers between $1.1...

Two Arlington state representatives received $15,000 from a developer who hopes to bring casino gaming to Northern Virginia.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics American manufacturing jobs have dropped from an all-time high in 1979 of 19.6 million to 12.8...

Certain Virginia bridges and tunnels could be repaired or replaced ahead of schedule, saving citizens years of waiting to use the structures, thanks to a law that will take effect this summer that stems from a bipartisan effort in this year’s General Assembly approved by the governor.

He announced Monday that he was withdrawing from the race for health reasons. Pat Herrity had been considered the frontrunner in the Republican Party's nomination of lieutenant governor.

The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), a federal-state partnership established by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat transnational organized crime, gang violence and immigration violations across Virginia passed 500 arrests this week, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Monday.