Virginia Public Radio

  A deer tick (left), one of the species of tick that transmits the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. High resolution fluorescently tagged image of the bacteria B. burgdorferi that causes Lyme disease (right).  (Credit Brandon Jutras)

With temperatures in the U.S. on an upward trend, so is Lyme Disease. The ticks that carry it thrive in warm, wet environments and it’s expected that some 300-thousand people will contract it this year.

As Robbie Harris reports, new research out of Virginia Tech is showing promise for better diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease.  

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is calling for decriminalization of marijuana, adding that the enforcement often unfairly targets African Americans.

Michael Pope has the story.

Credit Matt Wade via flickr.com / CC

Justices on the United States Supreme Court rejected a Republican effort to throw out newly drawn maps of legislative districts.

Michael Pope reports.

Credit: Creative Commons / Flickr

State Democratic leaders are touring Virginia, getting feedback from community members on addressing gun violence.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, it’s in preparation for the July 9th special session.

A Virginia county that’s gotten all too accustomed to bad economic news has just heard some more of it…and after some four centuries of operation a ferry in Hampton Roads is about to observe a first.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link. 

More from Fred Echols.

The gun issue is about to take center stage in Virginia politics as advocates on both sides will try to influence the outcome of a special session next month.

But, as Michael Pope reports, the campaign contributions on the issue may surprise you.

(Credit: ICE)

An outbreak of mumps at an immigration detention center in Virginia is growing.

Authorities say there are now 24 confirmed or suspected cases at the Farmville facility.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, immigrant advocates say it’s part of a larger problem.

Turnout in primary elections is historically low and it will be a couple days before we get a complete picture of turnout in Tuesday’s elections.

But Democrats and Republicans are already battling it out over who has more energy as they head towards November.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports on Democratic Party efforts to keep the “Blue Wave” going:

Michael Pope reports on some of Tuesday’s primary upsets:

Credit: John Brighenti via flickr.com / CC

A growing number of House Democrats have now joined the chorus calling to begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump.

But most Virginia Democrats aren’t singing the same tune, as Matt Laslo reports from the Capitol.

Many people know there was a slave uprising in Virginia in the early 19th Century.

But fewer are aware of how close it came to ending slavery in the state…and when localities try to regulate billboards they sometimes find it’s not quite so easy as they expected.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols.

Vice President Mike Pence delivered the keynote address. (Credit: David Seidel

D-Day and World War Two veterans marked the 75^th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion.

David Seidel reports there were thousands of visitors to the National D-Day Memorial Thursday as well.

  Debra Rodman (left) is running against Veena Lothe (right) for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 12th Senate District.

A lot is at stake for Virginia this November. All 140 state lawmakers are up for election. And Democrats are hoping they can take control of the state legislature for the first time in decades.

But first, they have to choose the right candidates for the job.

Ahead of next week’s primaries, Mallory Noe-Payne has this look at what electability looks like for Democrats.

  Ann Phillips, Rear Admiral, US Navy (Ret.) speaking last year when she was appointed by Gov. Northam. (Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)

Last year, Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Retired Navy Admiral Ann Phillips to spearhead efforts for coastal adaptation to climate change.

After nearly 31 years in the Navy where she implemented climate change adaptation plans, she is traveling the state putting together a coastal master plan.

She hopes it will inform a tight-fisted and, in some cases reluctant, General Assembly to fund statewide climate change adaptation and protection when it reconvenes this winter.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Credit: dcJohn via flickr.com / CC

Hunger is a problem in Virginia schools, and educators say students can’t learn if they are hungry.

But are schools doing everything they can to prevent that from happening? Michael Pope reports.

Virginia Tech’s incoming class has turned out to be a little more than the school bargained for…and a decision to end a federal jobs program in the Virginia coalfields is drawing strong opposition.

These have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols.

Credit Matt Wade via flickr.com / CC

Voters are about to head to the polls across Virginia, even though the United States Supreme Court is still considering a challenge to a dozen districts.

Michael Pope reports.

Taikein Cooper

Prince Edward County in Central Virginia is known for locking a generation of black students out of education by closing down its public schools. That was during the desegregation battles of the 1960’s.

Now, one man is trying to help right that wrong by starting a scholarship and mentorship program, with a thousand dollars of his own money.

Mallory Noe-Payne reports.

Any recent graduate of Prince Edward County High School can apply with a video submission.

  Amrie Grammer is co-founder of AMPEL, a company that combines genetics and big data to discover new medical treatments. (Credit Amrie Grammer)

Getting approval for new drugs takes years and costs companies millions of dollars.  What’s more, clinical trials sometimes fail, leaving firms with nothing to show.

Now, however, a Virginia company is taking a different approach – looking at drugs that already have FDA approval to see what other conditions they might treat.

Sandy Hausman explains.

Governor Ralph Northam signs the legislation. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)

Across the country, one in every 59 children born today will be diagnosed with autism.

Now in Virginia they can no longer be denied coverage by insurance companies.

Mallory Noe-Payne has more.

Credit: dcJohn via flickr.com / CC

Is Virginia headed to a teacher shortage?  Some education leaders in the teaching profession fear so.

Michael Pope reports.

Credit: David Nakayama / Creative Commons

Since Virginia abolished parole in 1995 there’s been just one way for most inmates to win an early release from state prisons – asking for a pardon from the governor.

Sandy Hausman examines the backlog and a new public outreach effort by Virginia officials.

Part 1:

Since Virginia abolished parole in 1995 there’s been just one way for most inmates to win an early release from state prisons – asking for a pardon from the governor.

As a result, Ralph Northam’s team may be overwhelmed by a backlog of cases, and some pleas have languished for years.

Part 2:

Officials have designated this May as “Second Chance Month” for about 37,000 state prisoners.

Those who committed their crimes before 1995 are eligible for parole, and Virginia has been freeing about 12% of them each year, but one high profile prisoner says he hasn’t even gotten a first chance.

Part 3:

Virginia’s Department of Corrections spends over a billion dollars a year to operate 41 prisons where it holds about 30-thousand inmates.  Another seven-thousand are kept in regional jails.

13,000 of them are freed annually after serving their sentence, but nearly one in four will be back after committing new crimes.

Part 4:

This year, Congress approved a series of reforms to the criminal justice system – changes that should reduce the number of people in federal prisons.

In Virginia’s General Assembly, several proposed reforms failed, but Democrats say that could change if they get control of the legislature in November.

Virginia state revenues are looking strong.

But as Mallory Noe-Payne reports, a trade war and heavy debt at the federal level could threaten that.

(Credit: Rog Cogswell via flickr.com / CC)

The Trump administration has sent conflicting messages on its plan for oil and gas drilling off Virginia’s coast.

But it now seems to be moving ahead with plans to explore the reserves sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic.

As correspondent Matt Laslo reports, that’s music to the ears of the state’s four Republicans in Congress.

Many of Virginia’s school buildings are tobacco free – but some aren’t.

New legislation signed by the Governor Tuesday will change that. Mallory Noe-Payne reports.