When lawmakers meet next Wednesday for a one day session, they’ll consider legislation to legalize marijuana this summer.

Michael Pope has this preview of what to expect.

Governor Ralph Northam is amending a bill on marijuana legalization.

As Michael Pope reports, the governor’s amendment will make marijuana fully legal sooner than anticipated.

Rural communities have struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their health care districts are underfunded and understaffed. Limited broadband and cell phone communication caused missed vaccine notifications.

And, it’s been especially hard on those enrolled in substance abuse treatment.

Pamela D’Angelo attended a recent Drug Treatment Court.

The spring election season is here, and candidates are trying to think of new and creative ways of getting their message out during a pandemic.

Michael Pope reports.

A sketch in a simple frame at a Virginia thrift store turned out to be more significant – and more valuable – than it appeared to be. And Governor Ralph Northam has issued an order he hopes will reduce plastic pollution.

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.

Governor Ralph Northam is expected to announce his amendments to the marijuana bill on Monday.

And as Michael Pope reports he’s expected to move for legalization this year as opposed to waiting until 2024.

Hundreds of students at Washington and Lee University in Lexington walked out of classes earlier this week. 

They wanted to show their support for dropping Lee from the college’s name.

Randi Hagi reports.

Stimulus money from the government is helping a lot of people stay afloat in a troubled economy.

But, Michael Pope reports, in Virginia, it doesn’t have to help creditors.

Chances are you’re not running for statewide office. But the odds are probably more likely this spring than in the past.

Jahd Khalil spoke with a political analyst about why so many politicians think this is their year. 

For many children, COVID has meant educational setbacks as they struggled to absorb lessons online. 

But for others the pandemic has underscored the value of learning outside.  

Sandy Hausman reports on a school near Charlottesville where students spent 90-pecent of their time in fields, forests and tents.

The COVID crisis led many universities to move classes online, but at one state school in Virginia the choice was to move outside. 

Sandy Hausman reports on why one journalism professor is now pledging to keep his students away from the classroom even after the pandemic has passed.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced Wednesday bald eagle populations have quadrupled in the lower 48 states since 2009.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Governor Ralph Northam has signed legislation ending the death penalty in Virginia.

As Michael Pope reports, that makes the commonwealth the first southern state to end capital punishment.

This was the year when state lawmakers approved some major changes including legalization of marijuana and ending the death penalty.  In other areas, however, reformers were disappointed.

The General Assembly rejected several bills designed to reform utility regulation, refused to remove special legal protections for police and retained the state’s right-to-work law. 

They also failed to approve campaign finance reform as Sandy Hausman reports.

During the last campaign cycle, corporations, political action committees, non-profits and individuals donated more than 124-million dollars to candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate.

Critics contend that warped the way lawmakers voted in 2021, but efforts to reform campaign finance in Richmond have repeatedly failed. 

In part two of her series, Sandy Hausman looks at why politicians are reluctant to limit donations and whether that might change next year.

Come April 1, there will be more space for you at entertainment venues.

Governor Ralph Northam announced he will ease restrictions at sporting events and entertainment venues.

Jahd Khalil has more on what that means. 

With all the talk of respiratory disease for the last year, one bright spot was the flu.

There hasn’t been a single outbreak in Virginia during this flu season.

Jahd Khalil tells us why. 

When the economy crashed last year, Virginia lost a significant number of jobs.

And as Michael Pope reports, the job market still hasn’t recovered.

COVID-19 has changed the way people interact with local government. The result is more participation… And students at James Madison University are having their food orders delivered in whole new way.

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.

The pandemic has brought about many new trends, some of which may end up becoming permanent parts of the landscape.

Michael Pope reports on the future of the takeout cocktails.

In September, the department of education asked a group of educators how they would fix racial inequities in Virginia’s education system. This week they delivered their recommendations.

Jahd Khalil has this report on the African American Superintendent’s Advisory Council.

Lawmakers considered a bill that would have given local governments more authority to require that developers preserve or replace tree canopy.

As Michael Pope reports, they rejected the idea for now. But they also set the stage for potential action next year.

Five public universities in Virginia can trace their roots to before the civil war– a period when slavery permeated American life and built wealth for white Americans.

And it also helped build those schools.

Jahd Khalil reports on efforts to repair a small amount of that damage.

This election cycle will include a strange quirk that most voters have never seen: A ballot that includes the same name for two different races.

Michael Pope explains why.

When voters head to the polls in June for the statewide Democratic primary, will the order of the candidates have any influence?

Michael Pope reports.

Is Virginia getting all the tax dollars coming to it?

Michael Pope reports on an effort to crack down on tax avoiding corporations. 

In February, Governor Ralph Northam said all 132 school divisions should be offering in-person learning by March 15. So where are students learning?

Jahd Khalil breaks down the numbers.  

This week, the House of Representatives will take up legislation introduced by a Virginia congressman aimed at tackling the opioid crisis.

Michael Pope reports.

Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg this spring will see something they may not be expecting. And students at VCU have paid for thousands of meals this year that went uneaten.

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.

The spring campaign season is ramping up, and Democrats have a bumper crop of candidates hoping to be lieutenant governor.

Michael Pope reports.

The governor is now considering hundreds of bills lawmakers put on his desk.

Michael Pope has this report on one that would shed light on racial disparities.

With more vaccine in the pipeline, experts predict more of us will be inoculated against COVID in the next few months. 

At some Virginia schools, nursing students are stepping up to help.

They’re already on the job at VCU and Radford.  Now Sandy Hausman reports dozens are in training at UVA.

The House of Representatives isn’t dealing with just COVID-relief.

As Michael Pope reports, members also voted on a labor law introduced by a senior member of the Virginia delegation.

A simmering controversy over the Virginia Parole Board got a response from the Northam Administration Tuesday.

The Governor’s Chief of Staff defended the administration and said the case was becoming politicized.

Jahd Khalil has more.  

A Northern Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney is the first local prosecutor in the state to set up a dedicated unit to review possible wrongful convictions. And the U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment on its aerial battle against the Gypsy Moth.

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.

One of the big disappointments for many criminal justice advocates in this year’s General Assembly session was a failure to ditch mandatory minimums.

Michael Pope explains why.

What do you think the chances are that something was wrong with how ballots were counted?

A Risk Limiting Audit found that the chances the Virginia Department of Elections missed a faulty ballot tabulation was less than one in 100,000.

The department announced the results Tuesday. Jahd Khalil explains how they did it. 

Governor Northam has said he wants kids back in school by mid-March.

But as more schools gear up to re-open or increase their in-classroom days, mental health experts warn that the return to in-person education may be stressful for students.

Christine Kueter has that story.