WMRA Daily

Sentencing is delayed for a man convicted of killing two women in Harrisonburg… Virginia officials debate the fees paid by incarcerated people to make phone and video calls… We explore an unusual collection of historic clothing at UVa….

Workers at one Harrisonburg Starbucks vote overwhelmingly to unionize… A juvenile barn owl that fell from a grain silo in Augusta County is rescued by a farmer, with help from the Wildlife Center… Harrisonburg City Council member Laura Dent shares her experience at COP-30 in Brazil….

UVa goes in-house for its new president… Staunton is the latest city to end its experiment with Flock Safety cameras… Now that Republicans will be out of statewide office in Virginia, is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative back in vogue?

Harrisonburg's 27-year-old Court Square Theater will close at the end of the year… After a recount, incumbent Jackie Lohr is confirmed the winner of Rockingham County school board's District 1 seat… Jeff Schapiro reviews Governor Youngkin's final budget, and recaps the week in state government and politics….

Testimony concludes in the trial over Shenandoah County Confederate school names, but the parties will have to wait until next year for a verdict… Charlottesville removes the city's Flock safety cameras after ending a one-year pilot program… Governor Younkin proposes his final budget….

Two school board members take the stand in the fourth day of the trial over school names in Shenandoah County… Workers at one Starbucks in Harrisonburg are unionizing, following a national trend… Two non-profit organizations in Charlottesville work together to prevent conflict in the city….

The trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County resumes, as plaintiffs focus on the negative health impacts of racism… Today, a new statue of Virginia civil rights hero Barbara Rose Johns is unveiled in the U.S. Capitol… Republican Delegate Tony Wilt speaks out against a new VDOT plan to open up a Shenandoah corridor to possible future rail service, rather than preserving it as just a recreational trail….

The second day of the trial involving Confederate school names in Shenandoah County is filled with emotional testimony and historical context… When you want to borrow a book, you go to a public library, but when you want to borrow a tool in Charlottesville, there's a library for that too… We meet Gabrielle Cerberville, otherwise known as “The Chaotic Forager,” our Books & Brews guest for December….

The trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County gets underway… Virginia will restrict residents on food assistance from using their benefits to buy soda… Analyst Jeff Schapiro takes a look at the governor-elect's nascent cabinet….

The governor-elect talks about how to work with President Trump, and names more choices for her administration… The fee-free schedule is changing at national parks… What do invasive species taste like?

A new Fishersville facility will provide immediate treatment for people experiencing a behavioral health crisis… We tour a state-regulated cannabis dispensary to find out how those products are made… Charlottesville-area Democrat Tom Periello says he wants his old 5th congressional district seat back….

A group of Mary Baldwin alumni send a statement of no confidence in the current president… We have an update on a Staunton man detained by immigration enforcement, and denied the right to stay in the U.S… The November election for the House of Delegates shows record-breaking numbers for campaign finance….

The November election of a school board member in Shenandoah County is being challenged by his opponent… After a Supreme Court ruling, Democrats say redistricting in Virginia is full speed ahead… Will the next General Assembly get rid of Virginia's Right-to-Work law?

Rockingham County officials say they want to terminate their participation in the emergency communications center with Harrisonburg City… Senator Mark Warner leads calls for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign… As the governor-elect's cabinet begins to take shape, Jeff Schapiro reviews the week in Virginia politics….

UVa says it's going ahead with a search for a new president, even though the governor-elect requested a pause… The next General Assembly will have paid family and medical leave on its agenda… Use of humidifiers increases in cold weather, but if not used properly they can spew toxic minerals….

Senator Mark Warner makes it official, and announces he's running for reelection… Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger announces her first Cabinet secretary pick… The end of Glenn Youngkin's term paves the way for the creation of a legal marijuana market….

The parties in a student lawsuit against the Shenandoah County School Board over school names argue over what evidence can be used… UVa's interim president answers questions before a state senate subcommittee in a tense hearing… Scientists are seeing an uptick in mange in Virginia's bear population….

A woman arrested in October by ICE agents in Rockingham County is formally charged with resisting arrest in federal court… The leaders of UVa and VMI appear before a state Senate subcommittee to answer questions about the leadership and finances of their institutions… A new poll shows that Virginians plan to dial back holiday spending this year….

Harrisonburg housing officials want to turn an iconic business that's closing down into more affordable housing… State regulators approve Dominion's request for higher rates… Virginia college campuses are working harder to provide for food insecure students, especially after disruptions to the SNAP program earlier this month….

A nationwide cyber attack affects some emergency alert customers in our area… Governor Youngkin meets with advisors to set financial expectations for his final budget… We tour Hayfields, Virginia's brand new state park in Highland County….

The man who killed three University of Virginia classmates in a 2022 shooting gets the maximum penalty of five life sentences… Virginia scientists release the state's first Climate Assessment… Democrats who will soon be in control of all three branches of Virginia's government brace for stark cuts and a slowed economy….

Charlottesville police find a “person of interest” in the case of a teen missing since 2012... State lawmakers and UVa faculty raise alarm bells about the lack of transparency surrounding the resignation of former President Jim Ryan... As the governor-elect dives into her transition to office, Jeff Schapiro surveys the week in Virginia politics....

Dramatic testimony in the trial of the man who murdered three UVa football players... The Commerce Department approves plans to complete broadband expansion in Virginia... Gambling interests hope to strike it rich in the next General Assembly session....

Both sides in the lawsuit over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County try to limit each others' expert witness testimony... Actress Alicia Silverstone joins in the fight to find two baby giraffes missing from Natural Bridge Zoo... Democrats who control Virginia's Senate roll out their list of priorities for the next session....

A judge in Charlottesville hears testimony in the sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty to killing three members of the UVa football team... A wildfire near Waynesboro is contained, but portions of Shenandoah National Park are still closed, and severe drought remains for much of our area... Housing affordability was a top campaign issue for Governor-elect Spanberger, and legislators have some ideas to address the issue....

A familiar face announces a campaign to represent Virginia's sixth district... Mary Baldwin University cuts programs... U-V-A's former president breaks his silence after being ousted this past summer... and Democrats will outnumber Republicans in Virginia's House of Delegates committees...

Richard Moore, the former executive vice president of the legally embattled company Nexus, has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison ... Open enrollment is underway for Virginia's health insurance marketplace. However, with federal tax subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, per the federal spending bill that was signed this week, Virginians could see much higher monthly premiums ... A nonprofit group has purchased the estate of James Monroe, America's fifth president, in western Loudoun County with hopes of turning it into a state park

Much of our part of Virginia is under severe drought... Bestselling author Beth Macy says she will challenge Rep. Ben Cline in the 6th district as a Democrat in 2026... A local physician talks about the effects of climate change on our health....

Local farmers, and farmer's markets, step into the gap left by interrupted SNAP benefits... Virginia Republicans try to regroup after resounding losses in the election... A caregiver's conference encourages participants to share their stories, struggles and triumphs....

Augusta County's sheriff dismisses hundreds of traffic citations due to improper conduct by a deputy... Senator Kaine defends his vote with Republicans to end the federal shutdown... At UVa's teaching kitchen, students learn how to turn food from SNAP benefits into tasty and nutritious meals....

Starting in December, expectant parents in the Farmville area will have to travel to Lynchburg for the nearest prenatal care... A jury awards $10 million to a former Newport News teacher and JMU graduate shot by a 6-year-old student... Our November Books & Brews guest, veteran journalist Miranda Spivack, tells the story of five people who questioned their local officials and the secret deals they uncovered....

One Rockingham County school board race is still too close to call... Following tradition, the governor-elect has lunch and a tour of the Executive Mansion with the outgoing governor... Stray and feral cats are abundant in our area, but shelters and volunteers are trying to stem the feline tide….

Fire crews respond to multiple wildfires in West Virginia areas bordering Virginia… Democrats pick up 13 House of Delegates seats in Tuesday's election, for a supermajority in the chamber… That's partly reflected by the prospect that next year, there will be no Republican delegates from northern Virginia….

A big day for Virginia Democrats, who sweep statewide races and expand their majority in the House of Delegates… Jeff Schapiro has thoughts about the results… Governor Youngkin reinstates the Presidential Fitness Test in Virginia's public schools….

As federal food assistance is suspended, we visit a food sharing site in Charlottesville... It's election day, but Virginians have already set a new record for early voting... A New Orleans-style funeral march in Charlottesville mourns a loss of civil liberties in America – and celebrates hope for the future....

A woman arrested near Harrisonburg by federal agents is now awaiting trial for allegedly resisting the arrest… Both chambers of the General Assembly vote to pass a constitutional amendment to redraw Virginia's congressional map districts… Will the next General Assembly do more to “tax the rich”?

A woman arrested by federal agents near Harrisonburg is charged with resisting officers... Food pantries brace for increasing demand, just as SNAP benefits end... Jeff Schapiro surveys a busy week in Virginia politics....

A viral video shows a woman being aggressively detained by two federal agents near Harrisonburg... Given a choice between jail and telling authorities what happened to two missing baby giraffes, the manager at Natural Bridge Zoo chooses jail... Legislation pushed by Democrats to allow mid-decade redistricting moves forward in the General Assembly....

Virginia Democrats release language for their proposed constitutional amendment to redraw congressional maps… Although the governor is stepping in to fill the gap in food assistance, local food banks are bracing for more shortages… Local educators react to the decision by Virginia's education board to raise SOL proficiency standards….

A judge rules that the criminal cases against a former leader of Nexus may go ahead... Democrats convene in Richmond to begin redrawing the state's congressional maps, while Republicans complain about the effort... A Valley health center uses local grant funding to treat jaundice in newborn babies....

A man is in custody after an hours-long standoff with Harrisonburg police near EMU... State officials scramble to figure out how to keep the most vulnerable among us fed... What might Virginia Republicans do to slow down the Democrats' efforts to redraw the state's congressional districts?

Governor Youngkin declares a state of emergency in response to the federal shutdown... In a surprise announcement, Democrats reconvene the General Assembly over redistricting... Jeff Schapiro has thoughts about that and more in Virginia politics....

The Justice Department and UVa strike a deal to end federal investigations into the school's admissions practices... Federal food assistance benefits for nearly 800,000 Virginians may start running out in November... Our series of candidate conversations continues with Jena Crisler, the Democratic challenger in the Valley's 35th district....

JMU suspends a fan who heckled the lieutenant governor at last weekend's home football game... We follow up in our reporting on the candidates for the District Three seat on Rockingham County's school board, currently held by Matt Cross... Our candidate conversations series continues with Republican incumbent Delegate Chris Runion, in Virginia's 35th House district....

Merck breaks ground on a $3 billion facility in Elkton expected to create 500 jobs... A Harrisonburg food pantry expands its offerings... Opposition to Rockingham County school board member Matt Cross intensifies....

UVa says it will not agree to demands in a “compact” with the Trump administration…Saturday's “No Kings” rallies across Virginia include a continuation of previous protests in Woodstock…As power bills rise, the politics of energy take center stage in the race for governor….

The candidates for attorney general meet in a much-anticipated debate...An appeals court rules that Nexus owes $811 million in restitution and penalties...The Blue Ridge Free Clinic expands its care to mental health services....

UVa faculty respond to the Trump administration's demand that the school sign a “compact” to get access to federal funding...We explore how the candidates for governor approach 2nd Amendment rights... Meanwhile, Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears is lacking one important endorsement – that of the president....

Court cases get underway involving several bridge protesters in Shenandoah County...Virginia airports refuse to air a controversial, and probably illegal, video featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem...School board candidates in Albemarle County attend a forum, but some board races elsewhere in Virginia don't have any candidates on the ballot....

Local school officials condemn Rockingham County school board member Matt Cross for posting a video of a student fight in a Harrisonburg public school...We visit one Valley vineyard enlisting the help of patrons to fight the spotted lanternfly invasion...The Virginia Department of Health takes the lead from the CDC in its controversial new vaccine advice....

The candidates in Virginia's gubernatorial election clashed in a debate last Thursday night, while nuclear power appears to be a shared interest between Democrats and Republicans in the commonwealth... The federal shutdown has halted flood insurance in Virginia... the state may soon lift restrictions on harvesting blue catfish... journalist David Poole talks about his new book ahead of his appearance for WMRA's Books and Brews...