Some drivers in the Richmond area have been traveling over recycled plastic since last fall but most would never know. And the pandemic has brought much more work for the staff of a state sponsored helpline.

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 and Edie Gross.

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There’s a polling place in Dickenson County with no restrooms, no wheelchair access and not enough for space for people to vote without turning sideways. It appears the precinct’s voters won’t see improvements anytime soon. And Richmond is considering a plan that would reimburse homeowners for setting up security cameras.

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.

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Two Virginia communities have lost their weekly newspapers, and hackers have attacked a Virginia high school’s computer network.

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.

Click here for Va. News from the Virginia Public Access Project.

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The City of Hampton has an idea for reviving one of its tourist areas, and it’s already hard for Northern Virginia commuters to get to work in D.C. For some it may soon get worse.

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

Click here for Va. News from the Virginia Public Access Project.

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Henrico County has a plan to secure its water needs for a half-century at what it considers bargain prices, and new technology will be brought in to add capacity to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with it will come a new problem.

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.

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An elementary school principal in Rockbridge County has apologized for a survey given to students without parental permission, and local governments in Virginia are still trying to find ways to shut down internet gaming parlors.

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

More now from Fred Echols.

Click here for the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News Link.

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Stafford County supervisors were left puzzled when apparent opposition to a plan for a new veterans’ medical clinic seemed to evaporate overnight. And, Amherst County Republicans were barred their usual meeting place in the basement of the Sheriff’s office over a controversial speaker.

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.

Click here for the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News Link.

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Two Virginia counties are currently trying to resolve questions about state law. Westmoreland County is wondering whether it can ban fracking and Middlesex is trying to figure out when it’s illegal to appear nude in public.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week a the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link. More now from Fred Echols.

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Some residents of King George County are angry about the quality of their drinking water and they’re using social media to make their point and the push to loosen marijuana laws may be winning more converts in the Virginia. 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.

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Voters in Richmond know they will soon have a new City Treasurer, but they have no idea what the treasurer’s duties will be once in office. Meanwhile, in Dilwyn the entire town council missed the filing deadline to run for re-election. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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One the first colleges for women founded in Virginia now has now opened its campus to men. And, it seems more drivers in the state are buckling up these days. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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A court ruling in Virginia has reaffirmed the right of sheriffs to fire deputies for political reasons. And, the question of tolls to finance improvements on Interstate 81 in western Virginia is back. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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Fredericksburg is the latest city facing a decision about what to do with a relic from the era of slavery, but this time it’s not a statue. And, questions are being asked about Roanoke City Schools’ retesting on some SOL exams. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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Virginia’s first direct digital connection to Europe is now open. And, local government leaders in Southwest Virginia are hopeful that passenger trains will soon return to the area. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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Interest in hunting appears to be on the decline in Virginia. And, when local government offices decide to stop processing passport applications things get less convenient for people planning to travel. Virginia’s Augusta County is a recent example. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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Residents of a Norfolk neighborhood were taken by surprise when the city cut down a stand of 200-year-old oak trees. And, Virginia’s tourism industry convinced the state to change the law decades ago so theme parks and hotels would have enough teenage workers to stay open every day through Labor Day, but this year one of those parks shut down for part of the final week of August. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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A new federal grant is on the way to help in the ongoing battle against erosion and pollution on Virginia’s Atlantic shore. And, new parents concerned about their babies sleeping safely will be able to try an idea that’s getting a lot of attention in Europe. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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A contest in which children chase pigs at a Virginia county fair has generated a pair of petitions and worldwide attention. And, one of the people who made Northern Virginia what it is today is being remembered as a true visionary. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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A new law has opened the way for Virginia ABC stores to sell the strongest alcoholic beverage ever made available in state liquor outlets. But it won’t be on the shelves at every location. And, residents of a disappearing Virginia island in the Chesapeake Bay are looking to a project in Maryland as a way to save their home. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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DuPont has agreed to pay the largest environmental damage award ever in Virginia. The money will go toward restoring ecosystems damaged by a mercury discharge from a DuPont plant in Waynesboro. And, senior class rankings and valedictorians may soon become relics of the past in Virginia Beach. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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A Virginia county is looking to avoid legal complications while it decides what to do about a religious message discovered in a historic courtroom. And, it may surprise many people to hear that coal ash was once used in the Chesapeake Bay to support oysters. Fred Echols has details.

Neighbors have marched in protest and a congressman has gotten involved after federal officials euthanized more than 100 geese in Virginia Beach…and an accidental injury to a pet turtle has given Virginia researchers a chance to accomplish something never done before. Fred Echols reports.

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The Henrico County Fire Department says it was purely accidental when it recently achieved a first in employment diversity and Virginia’s famous Natural Bridge is also a working highway bridge, one that’s causing some safety concerns. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s VA News link. Fred Echols reports.

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As the sea continues to encroach on Norfolk, two churches have come to different conclusions about what they need to do. And, a Southwest Virginia sheriff has just made it easier for people in his county to get a concealed weapons permits. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. Fred Echols has details.

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Shenandoah County has fired five school employees who had felony convictions prior to being hired. The superintendent says he had no choice although all five had good work records and positive evaluations. And, the town of Altavista has easing regulations bow-hunters for the coming deer season. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. Fred Echols has more.

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The question of how much authority county supervisors should have over education spending is in the news again, this time in Chesterfield County. And, a man hailed as one of the creators of the Northern Virginia economy has died. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. Fred Echols reports.

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Gloucester County will soon be making audio recordings of conversations between county staff and members of the public. And Norfolk is facing the possibility of a lawsuit that could cost the city more than it could pay. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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When Richmond City Council wasn’t sure what to expect when it decided to try healthier products in public vending machines but the early results have been a surprise. And, a judge has cleared the way for Southwest Virginia landowners to sue over royalties from natural gas recovery in former coal mines. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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Richmond officials are questioning a state law that’s costing the city nearly a half-million dollars in interest on a business tax overpayment. And, the Sheriff of Montgomery County says he will remove a Biblical quote from his department’s patrol cars. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. Fred Echols has more.

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High-speed internet has been slow to arrive for rural residents in most states and Virginia is no exception. And, gun sales were off sharply in the first three months of 2017. The change of administrations in Washington could be one reason for that. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. Fred Echols reports.

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A town mayor in Virginia coalfields caused a flap when he appeared to suggest people from nearby Kentucky were being targeted for traffic citations. And, a few dozen families in Virginia Beach are trying to hold on as their historically black neighborhood is slowly disappearing. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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The internet is playing a part in bringing back the Bay Scallop, a shellfish that had disappeared from Virginia while another preservation effort is restoring wild oysters in the inland waters of the Hampton Roads area. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. Fred Echols has details.

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The community of Pound in the Virginia coalfields wants an old-fashioned covered bridge downtown to attract more tourists, but the Virginia Department of Transportation is taking a dim view of that idea. And, one of the few remaining crab harvesters in Virginia says after some lean years there are now plenty of crabs to be caught in the Chesapeake Bay but there may not be enough people to harvest them. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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There are new questions about how money was raised and spent by federal ATF agents operating a smuggling investigation out of Southwest Virginia. And, ten years after mass murder at Virginia Tech, the archive of condolences from around the world has been re-opened. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org. More now from Fred Echols.

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School officials in Richmond are trying to improve a surprisingly-low vaccination rate among sixth graders. And, Virginia’s new objective approach to funding transportation projects is causing some confusion among planners in Fredericksburg. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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The largest ship ever to call on the U-S east coast is due at Hampton Roads in a few weeks. And, Colonial Williamsburg is looking to increase its revenues but getting some resistance to its latest idea. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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Tolls, late charges and administrative fees for using the Elizabeth River tunnels in Hampton Roads are adding up to bills that some people in Portsmouth and Norfolk say they will never be able to pay. This story has been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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Threatened historic structures owned by local governments can be tough sells when it comes to persuading private developers to buy and preserve them, as the City of Roanoke is learning. And, the Chesapeake Bay is among the places where whales are most at risk of being struck by ships. The Navy has been leading the effort to document that danger. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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The company that provides airline service between the Shenandoah Valley and Charlotte is at risk of losing its federal subsidy because of performance issues. And, some members of Bristol City Council are upset about people who criticize them anonymously on the internet. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.

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A northern Virginia county plans to stop residents from adding lions, monkeys and other exotic animals to their households. And, a judge in Norfolk has called several hundred people to account for failure to show up for jury duty. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week on the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va News link at vpap.org.