In Virginia, underage sex trafficking is real. That’s why the Commonwealth has created new and stronger laws and methods of saving the children being victimized. With these efforts comes the bitter-sweet challenge of the rescue of child and then the recovery. Tab O’Neal reports.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

This month marks the 90^th year the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s Saltwater Cowboys run their annual pony swim. The wild ponies, whose Spanish lineage dates back centuries, are moved from Assateague and Chincoteague Islands, to the fire company’s carnival grounds where a selection of foals are auctioned off. But unless there’s a fire, rounding up cowboys is sometimes more difficult than ponies. Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Governor McAuliffe has convened a large panel to examine the abolition of parole in Virginia and related state guidelines. But as Tommie McNeil reports, some believe that the Governor’s Commission on Parole Review will undo the progress that the Commonwealth has made in reducing its rates of violent crimes.

As state lawmakers decide whether to mandate abuse-deterrent formulations for opioid medications in health insurance plans, an expert makes one thing clear: Americans have a huge problem with pain and don’t manage it well. As a result, billions are being spent on pain-relief drugs that often lead to addiction. Some are urging lawmakers to do something to mitigate those costs.

The permit that allows the Radford Army Ammunitions Plant to burn hazardous waste from firearms outdoors is up for renewal. Community activists see an opportunity to address environmental and health concerns about the open burning – and state regulators see a chance to explore new technology to solve an old problem.

A little-known state program that assists lower-income students with college scholarships is ending its five-year pilot and is poised for permanent expansion. SOAR Virginia is an early commitment scholarship program created by the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan. Its goal is to inspire high school students and help them pursue higher education.

Image: Creative Commons

We often think of music as entertainment and/or art… but for people with certain language or cognitive difficulties, it can be far more than that. It can actually be a tool that rewires the brain… helping treat such conditions as Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, traumatic brain injuries, and strokes.  Rebecca Sheir takes us to Norfolk, to one of the only facilities in the country dedicated to bringing music and medicine together.

http://www.jameswebb.com

It’s been about two weeks, since former Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb announced on his website that he’s running for president. He’s not your everyday politician, and as Matt Laslo explains from Washington, he’s also not running a traditional campaign for the nation’s top job.

Screenshot from the Weather Channel documentary, Boom: America’s Explosive Oil-by-Rail Problem

It’s been two years since several petroleum tank cars derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, claiming 47 lives and almost destroying the small Canadian town in eastern Quebec. Activists in Richmond are using the anniversary to not only commemorate the victims, but also draw attention to rail safety and reform. Kelsea Pieters has the story.

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The Northern Neck of Virginia is known for the plantation homes of the Washingtons and Lees. But just up the road in Warsaw, their close friend and fellow patriot John Tayloe II was a successful businessman whose Mount Airy Plantation has been the private home of the Tayloe family for more 250 years. Now, it’s latest generation of owners, John Tayloe Emery and his wife Catherine are opening it’s doors to the public in some unusual ways. Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Local government leaders across Virginia are keeping an eye on a disagreement between the City of Buena Vista and ACA Financial Guaranty of New York. A letter the company sent to Buena Vista this week threatens imminent foreclosure on city hall and police headquarters because the city has stopped paying premiums on an insurance policy.  Fred Echols reports.

There’s a little known bank run by the federal government that just expired. It supports billions of dollars in economic activity across the commonwealth. Matt Laslo reports from Washington on where our delegation stands on the Export Import Bank and the potential impact its lapse will have on the state’s role in the global economy.

Bristol – a city straddling the Virginia/Tennessee border – is known as the birthplace of Country Music..in fact, it was designated as such by Congress in 1998. It’s a title that comes with one of the most important events in music history. Known as the “Big Bang of Country Music,” several modern popular artists are paying tribute to the Bristol Sessions through a new collaborative project.

Photo Credit: Virginia Tech

Neighbors of turbine farms often complain about the noise they make.  Now a Virginia Tech team of researchers has come up with a way they say will dampen that sound.  Beverly Amsler has the story.

Among the new state public safety laws that have taken effect are those that get tougher on sexual violence and other sex crimes – as well as laws that pertain to DNA collection, alcohol and drug abuse, and licensed day care centers.

A number of new driving and traffic safety laws take effect in Virginia on Wednesday that could provide some relief to plenty of motorists.  But if drivers aren’t careful, they also could be relieved of some hard-earned cash for new infractions.