One of Virginia’s high profile Congressional races may be getting closer.  And another can’t get any tighter.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap a busy week in state politics and the General Assembly.

The area around Charlottesville has grown dramatically in the last decade, and so has the traffic. 

Now, with a $2 million grant from Washington, local leaders are planning one way to take cars off the road and put people on bikes. 

The Three Notched Trail will stretch 25 miles from the city to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Last week, the Nansemond Indian Nation was given back 504 acres of their ancestral lands in Suffolk County.

For the seven federally recognized Tribes in Virginia, getting back ancestral lands for conservation is key to their sovereignty.

Pamela D’Angelo reports.

A new federal student loan forgiveness program is up and running.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright talk through some of the financial and policy implications.

If you missed the voter registration deadline in Virginia you still have a chance to cast a ballot.  And grassland birds are disappearing from the Commonwealth but there’s a new effort underway to help them.

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

Several Virginia cities are about to receive new funding to crack down on gang violence.

Michael Pope explains the project.

Virginia saw a small decrease in overdose deaths during the first quarter of this year, but the opioid epidemic is still taking a heavy toll. 

Last year, more than 2,600 people died – most from an overdose of fentanyl. 

And now doctors warn there’s an even more potent form of the drug being sold.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Debates… and lack of debates… are among the political headlines over the past week.

Jeff Schapiro, of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope discuss the week in politics and state government.

In less than a month voters head to the polls for the Congressional midterms and municipal elections.

Talk to local officials running those elections and they’ll tell you their job has become busier in the past few years and complicated by the fight against misinformation. 

Mallory Noe-Payne has this look at how local registrars are turning to communication pros to help wage that battle. 

Members of the General Assembly are starting to consider what kind of bills they’ll consider next year.

And as Michael Pope reports, many people are calling on them to find a way to increase affordable housing.

Virginia’s income tax hasn’t been updated since 1990.

As Michael Pope reports, that means low-income people shoulder a disproportionate burden.

Virginia is still tracking cases of COVID-19, but other viruses are popping up earlier than usual. 

Sandy Hausman reports on one which puts about 58,000 children and three times as many elderly patients in the hospital each year.

It’s college football season, with all its pageantry and prognostications.  But there’s even more at play.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and host Craig Wright talk about the big business of college football.

Virginia may be about to roll the dice on casino gambling. But who will benefit the most?

Michael Pope has more on a new state report.

Early votes are already being cast for this year’s Congressional election.  And Election Day is less than a month away.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope bring us up to speed on developments in some of Virginia’s most contested races.

Autumn Olive, an Asian plant originally prized for its ability to control erosion and thrive in harsh environments, is quickly choking out native East Coast species.

While it’s likely too late to eradicate it, there are ways to help manage it— one small bite at a time.

Christine Kueter reports.

Campaigns in Virginia and beyond made headlines over the past few days.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope have more on the week in politics and state government.

Can a Virginia-based company re-ignite the e-cigarette market?

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright have more on the business ramifications for Altria Group.

Candidates for Congress in Virginia are debating everything from abortion and the economy to transgender students and gun violence.

Michael Pope reports that they’re also being asked about threats to democracy.

Election season has begun, and voters can either mail in their ballots or deposit them in a drop box.

Michael Pope explains some of the steps taken to ensure security.

Over the past two years several thousand Virginians have received non-binary driver’s licenses. And the City of Winchester has seen parts of its gun ordinance suspended by a judge pending a lawsuit.

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

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.