Virginia Tech
- Survey Finds Majority of Virginia Families With Children Face Food Insecurity
State-commissioned poll fills gap left by ended USDA hunger survey; food banks report rising demand and thinner donations.
- 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.
- House Bill 436 Sparks Concerns Over University Project Financing
A higher education representative outlines potential challenges House Bill 436 could create for existing debt commitments on campus facilities while supporting ongoing affordability talks.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Montgomery County court to decide if Spanberger’s removal of Virginia Tech board member was lawful
A Southwest Virginia circuit court will consider whether a sitting governor’s decision to remove a college governing board member was legal, a rare type of case in the commonwealth. In June, John Rocovich, one of the longest-serving governing board members in Virginia Tech’s history, filed a civil lawsuit in Montgomery County Circuit Court challenging Gov. […]
- Does extreme heat cause train derailments? A Virginia railroad expert weighs in.
After a freight train derailed in Richmond earlier this month, questions have emerged about what caused the crash and whether the extreme heat played a role. Excluding the July train accident in Richmond, Virginia has recorded four derailments, all at speeds under 9 mph, since January, Federal Railroad Administration data shows. The incidents reflect the […]
- How Virginia became the world’s data center capital and how it’s going
Demand for internet access and electronic storage has grown alongside digital technology itself. At the center of that growth are the energy infrastructure and data centers that governments and companies began developing in Northern Virginia in the late 20th century. Today, the region houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers, making Virginia the nation’s […]
- Spanberger names 32 new appointees to Virginia college boards
Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed 32 new members to governing boards at Virginia’s colleges and universities, continuing her effort to reshape higher education leadership across the commonwealth. On Friday evening, Spanberger announced 52 appointments, including 20 reappointments. The move furthers her efforts to remake university leadership amid concerns about the politicization of public col
- Virginia Tech rector refuses to resign after Spanberger’s dismissal
Virginia Tech governing board member John Rocovich has refused to resign after Gov. Abigail Spanberger removed him last week after 16 years. Rocovich stated in a four-page letter addressed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth that he will not resign before his term ends on June 30, 2027. There was no sign of him at […]
- Governor Abigail Spanberger fires Virginia Tech Rector Rocovich, appoints Dominion Energy’s Edward Baine as replacement
Gov. Abigail Spanberger has removed Rector John Rocovich from Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors, citing misconduct in a letter sent Wednesday. On Thursday, she announced that Edward Baine, executive vice president of utility operations and president of Dominion Energy Virginia, would replace Rocovich on the board for the remainder of his term, which ends in […]
- Over 80% of Virginia experiencing severe drought conditions
A farm in King William County in April 2020. (Photo by Sarah Vogelsong /Virginia Mercury) The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows the entirety of Virginia is experiencing some level of drought conditions right now. The majority of the state is classified as “severe drought” with the greatest deficits in the counties along the North […]
- Wet spring keeps Virginia crops growing despite early summer’s blazing heat
This week Virginia has set new heat records and come close to beating old ones for this time of year. The Richmond airport recorded a temperature of 99 degrees at the hottest part of the day on Tuesday, Roanoke reached 99, and Alexandria reached 98. Those high temperatures come at a crucial time for many […]
- Boeing Announcing HQ Relocation
Boeing became the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus’ first foundational partner in 2021 to broaden its technology focus across Aerospace & Defense applications, bolstering Virginia as a global innovation hub.