New laws could transform Virginia's Developmental Disability Waiver system; Chesterfield archaeologists looking for descendants of remains found in an unmarked cemetery; a conversation with the Preservation Virginia CEO; and other storiesAv VPM

State Senator John McGuire has won the GOP contest in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, but a recount is expected; the first Richmond mayoral forum took place earlier this week; Hanover County Schools looking at a potential cell phone ban; and other storiesAv VPM

Also: Six adults were injured in a Glen Allen shooting; Ashley Judd was in Richmond to campaign for Biden–Harris 2024 and more local news.Av VPM

VPM News’ Henry Brannan looks at one maternity care desert in the Shenandoah Valley and the impact that lack of access has on pregnant people there.Av VPM

CarMax is shifting into expansion mode locally with plans for a new facility in New Kent County; A Chesterfield warehouse that has changed ownership several times in recent years is now in the hands of a Swiss company that plans to convert the building into a manufacturing center; and things are looking up for many of the CEOs at some of the Richmo…

Richmond has been under a heat dome this week, with indexes into the 90s every day — and it’s only getting hotter this weekend. Also: June is Alzheimer’s and brain awareness month. It is estimated that nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's dementia.Av VPM

Virginia’s congressional primaries happened! Also: We’re taking Juneteenth off! Hear you again this Friday.Av VPM

Natural gas starts flowing in Mountain Valley Pipeline; a new UVA Athletics scholarship fund established; and primary Election Day preparationsAv VPM

The state budget approved by Virginia lawmakers in May included some controversial revisions to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program — which have sparked an outcry from the community, particularly from veteran families. Now, the General Assembly is set to reassess those changes days ahead of the new fiscal year.…

Virginia Credit Union recently prevailed in its legal bid to put a receivership in place and gain control of five south Richmond properties tied to Michael Hild; A lawsuit challenging Richmond’s new approach to financing the Diamond District project was dismissed in court; and Chesterfield Towne Center is getting a permanent pop-up location.…

Virginia Senate to revisit recent changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; Henrico, Richmond officials celebrate new affordable housing community; Virginia's 43rd state park was dedicated on June 8; and other storiesAv VPM

Feds greenlit MVP’s natural gas operations on Tuesday. Also: Free breakfast and lunch being offered to Richmond students and families; and other local stories.Av VPM

State lawmakers will meet on June 28 to discuss changes to state-provided military education benefits. Also: Fairfax County educators unionize; Richmond Parks & Rec will now operate Calhoun community center; and more local news.Av VPM

The 303-mile-long pipeline could begin pumping natural gas as soon as this week. Also: Some Virginia Community Health Workers made it into the 2-year budget; UVA baseball heads to College World Series; and more local news stories.Av VPM

The City of Richmond has acquired three historic Black cemeteries; VPM News ran two stories late last week about the primary races in Virginia's 7th and 10th Congressional Districts.Av VPM

A year after a Richmond BizSense report revealed that backing out of an ill-fated downtown development cost VCU Health $80 million and counting, a state review is calling for significant changes to the health system’s leadership structure.Av VPM

Lawmakers will be called back to Richmond to address recent cuts to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; Northern Virginia voters are deciding who to nominate for this fall’s general election.Six Republicans and Seven Democrats are seeking their parties’ nominations in the 7th Congressional District.…

The Virginia General Assembly in 2021 approved a plan for the state’s air board to adopt the standards, which required all new passenger vehicles sold in the commonwealth to be electric by 2035 — though 20% of those could be plug-in hybrids. Also: Virginia's air board adopts federal particulate matter standards; and other stories…

Henrico County's Arrive Alive campaign aims to improve road safety; Trial begins for man who carried a torch in Charlottesville in 2017; and other storiesAv VPM

The families of three University of Virginia football players killed in a 2022 shooting have reached a financial settlement with U-V-A and the commonwealth; PlanR-V-A is seeking survey responses and holding public meetings for its Comprehensive Climate Action Plan; A Chesapeake Bay blue crab density survey found that populations declined slightly o…

A new podcast produced by VPM is focusing on Richmond-area local government and community issues. Rich Meagher, a professor of political science at Randolph-Macon College, hosts RVA’s Got Issues — a biweekly show that drops Wednesdays.Av VPM

‘Policy Matters’ is your window into Virginia politics with VPAP. It's our monthly roundup of the top political headlines from across Virginia, powered by VPAP’s daily e-newsletter, VaNews. This month, we discuss the Governor and the General Assembly finalizing a state budget, highlights in key primary contests across the state, and information on …

Waukeshaw Development is working on a slate of new projects that’ll bring nearly 400 apartments and new commercial space to Petersburg’s Olde Towne area; the effort to line up funding for the long-planned Powhite Parkway extension in western Chesterfield County took another step forward this month; Southside's Coqui Cyclery is reopening as Cornerst…

Virginia budget provides $4.9M to tackle invasive species; Charges have been downgraded for the three remaining defendants accused of killing Irvo Otieno; City of Richmond receives $50 million from Virginia DEQ for combined sewer overflow project; and other storiesAv VPM

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will be receiving almost $350-thousand dollars thanks to a federal grant, to help construct an expansion; Are you ready to get hooked…on fishing? ; The Ashland Theatre is hosting a community meeting to discuss the approval of a possible data center split between Hanover County and Ashland.…

Virginia electoral board delays vote on removing Charles City County official; Federal judge rejects request to halt Dominion’s Virginia Beach offshore wind farm; and other storiesAv VPM

Hanover County’s board of supervisors recently appointed two new members to the local school board; Senator Tim Kaine announced new legislation to increase access to mental health resources for students in public schools; The Orange County School Board voted to disaffiliate from the Virginia School Boards Association; and other local news stories.…

Tree of Heaven is an especially pervasive weed in Virginia. And in recent years it’s become host to another invasive - the spotted lanternfly.Av VPM

A virtual reality venue is plugging in as the latest entertainment-focused offering to come to Regency; A decade-plus effort to provide new signage for the entrance to Carytown has reached the finish line; A community meeting was held Monday night to field public input on what a new Mayo Bridge could look like; and what started as a way to drum up …

Dominion Energy is considering building a natural gas power plant on the site of a retired coal plant in Chesterfield, after initially planning to locate it on a nearby property; The Mountain Valley Pipeline won’t be ready to begin operations this week, the project’s builder told federal regulators; Earlier this week, Virginia’s nonpartisan oversig…

Charlottesville community comes together to reclaim the former site of a Confederate statue, Virginia Democrats say budget compromise falls short without RGGI and other storiesAv VPM

Also: The Virginia Housing Commission is studying Accessory Dwelling Units; who’s running for the Richmond School Board?Av VPM

HCA Healthcare is attempting to build new facilities in Hanover County for a third time; Virginia legislators are sounding the alarm over the health and safety of people incarcerated at Riverside Regional Jail; A 140-year-old Charlottesville church along Ridge Street will again be a place of worship, after the nonprofit owners sold the building to …

Shockoe Slip and the Branch Building, where The Well Collective will be operating holds the inception of the country's economic development system, including the hurt and harm of the slave trade. Owner Ashley Williams says the building will be reimagined as a place of healing.Av VPM

Less than 24 hours after authorizing a new financing plan for the ballpark-anchored Diamond District development, Richmond City Council and Mayor Levar Stoney have been hit with a lawsuit challenging the action; local developer Duke Dodson is set to turn a former Scott’s Addition bar-arcade space into a sports bar-card shop combo concept; and more …

The 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision that found racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional is Friday. One of the court cases that led to that decision began in Virginia, with calls for newer and better school facilities for Black students. This VPM News series examines the issue of school …

The University of Virginia Health System recently announced the acquisition of Warrenton-based Piedmont Family Practice; The state budget includes a loan for Newport News to help lure a potential $400 million housing project from the U.S. Navy; Henrico County recently announced it’s establishing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund.…

Also: Central Shenandoah Health District has a new director, Preservation Virginia releases its latest Most Endangered Places list, Dominion is developing battery storage tech and more.Av VPM

Richmond City Council votes on city budget and collective bargaining agreements; more than $490,000 in funding headed to Positive Youth Development programs in Richmond; and other storiesAv VPM

Virginia’s budget debate ended Monday after months of ups and downs; The Louisa County Board of Supervisors reversed its decision to withdraw funding from Piedmont Virginia Community College over showing a film called “Israelism"; The Shenandoah County school board voted on Friday to restore the names of Confederate officers to two public schools.…

The nonprofit provides patients receiving medical care in Richmond — and their families — a place to stay if they live more than 30 miles away.Av VPM

City Council voted to approve a new financing plan for the redevelopment of the Diamond District; In a bid to continue growing their fan base, the Tri-City Chili Peppers are turning off the lights; and the winners of this year's RVA Power Women awards have been announced.Av VPM

Youngkin discusses potential protest at VCU graduation; affordable housing in Richmond; Squirrels stadium funding; Henrico business growth; and Dominion data centers.Av VPM

Richmond City Council proposes dozens of budget amendments; the full council will vote next week. Also: Dawn Page isn't running for reelection to the Richmond School Board.Av VPM

Virginia’s special budget session for the next two fiscal years starts Monday, May 13. Also: UVA President Jim Ryan answers lingering questions about last week’s pro-Palestine protest; Richmond City Council; Orange County High School student wins art award; Protesters march to Sen. Tim Kaine’s Richmond office…

Some charges dropped in Otieno death; Rep. Bob Good wants to defund NPR; MVP’s burst pipe; and a new marine science degree at W&M.Av VPM

VPM News’ Henry Brannan caught up with Sen. Tim Kaine after a Senate hearing where he highlighted two bills he’s sponsoring to ease the crisis.Av VPM

Henrico County is looking to use the Arcadia project in Varina as a model for affordable housing; Henricus Historical Park will not be getting funding support from Henrico County in the coming fiscal year; and two new pizza locations are coming to downtown Richmond.Av VPM

Dominion wind project faces lawsuit in D.C. Circuit. Also: a proposal for Hanover's largest solar farm; Roanoke NIMBYs; VCU students discuss recent Gaza protests; statewide eviction help; and rural population growth.Av VPM

More protests held on, near Virginia college campuses Also: An interview with Home Cooked host Olivia Weeks on the history of meth.Av VPM