Virginia News & Current Events | Public News Service

According to a 2022 report from Generation 180, about 8,400 schools in the United States use solar power. They generate more than 1,600 megawatts of electricity. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Proposed Bill Helps Schools Become Climate Friendly

Proposed legislation would help schools throughout Virginia adopt renewable energy. The bill would direct the Virginia Department of Energy and the …

So far, calculations show that C3 members have stopped emitting the equivalent of 4,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which translates to removing about 1,000 cars from roadways for a year. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, January 30, 2023

Climate Collaborative Helps Local Businesses Reduce Energy Costs

By Elizabeth McGowan for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Virginia News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism N…

Eviction Lab, 838 evictions were filed in Virginia during the first week of 2023. (Adobe Stock)">

Grant Funding Aims to Alleviate Virginia Eviction Crisis

About $3-million has been awarded to Virginia groups helping people facing evictions. The Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot Program is designed to …

The top five states for green building in 2022 were Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, California and Maryland. Each state had more than 2 million square feet of green building space become LEED certified. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Ranks Among Top 10 States for Green Building

Virginia ranked eighth on a list of the top 10 states for green building. The report by the U.S. Green Building Council finds Virginia had 95 …

While the 2022 State of the Bay ranks at a 32 or a D+, it's the highest score since the report's inception. When the report first came about in 1998, the bay's health was at a 27. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Chesapeake Bay Needs Further Cleanup

A biennial report found the health of Chesapeake Bay is in poor condition. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 2022 State of the Bay report gives the …

One recommendation made to improve the Virginia Parole Board is to have parole officers take a more active role in discharge procedures. (Adobe Stock)

New Report Reviews VA Parole Board Duties, Issues

The Virginia Parole Board has issued a report that outlines its past problems and the steps it could take to rebuild public trust. The work began in 2…

According to Mental Health America's 2023 state rankings, Virginia ranks 34th for access to care and 38th overall. For adult mental health care the state ranked 14th, but youth mental health was ranked 48th. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed Plan Better Funds VA Mental-Health Programs

A recently proposed plan has been devised to better fund Virginia's mental-health programs. The new Right Help, Right Now plan calls for $230 …

Currently, six states have prescription drug affordability boards, while states like Massachusetts and New York have similar arrangements. Other states, including Connecticut, are considering legislation. (Adobe Stock)

Nursing Homes, Prescription Prices Top Concerns for AARP Virginia

Nursing home staff shortages and rising prescription drug prices are two of the big legislative priorities this year for AARP Virginia. The group …

Virginia law says all state agencies and institutions need to take

VA Bill Would Ban Withholding Student Transcripts for Debt Collection

As the Virginia General Assembly begins its new legislative session, one bill will be returning - with the goal of alleviating some student-debt …

At the United Nations, the United States was one of several nations to vote against a recent global moratorium on using the death penalty. The vote had 125 nations in favor, 37 opposed and 22 abstaining. (Adobe Stock)

Death Penalty Opponents Seek End to Federal Executions

Virginia is the only Southern state to have abolished the death penalty, and there's a new push in the new year to end it nationally as well…

According to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, there were 255,037 workers in the solar industry across the U.S. in 2021, which represents a 9.2% increase from 2020. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Nonprofit Offers Training for Solar Jobs

By Elizabeth McGowan for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for Virginia News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism …

According to an annual report from United Healthcare, Virginia's strengths included low economic hardship index scores, low percentage of household food insecurity and high adult flu vaccination rate. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Ranks High in Annual Health Report

Virginia ranked 14th in United Healthcare's annual America's Health Rankings report. The state saw a 14% decline in the number of uninsured adults …

As part of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, Dominion Energy must generate all electricity from carbon free sources by 2045. (Adobe Stock)

Sierra Club VA Chapter: Lots More Work to Do in 2023

The Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter said it has spent the past year working toward climate solutions to benefit everyone in the state, and the work is …

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, manure-based anaerobic digestion generated the equivalent of 1.76 million megawatt hours of electricity in 2021. During the same year, it also helped avoid 6.09 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents in greenhouse gases. (Adobe Stock)

New Product Turns Food Waste Into Renewable Energy

By Larin Brink for Royal Examiner.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for Virginia News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

According to the Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy, the expanded child tax credit helped reduce child poverty, reduce food insufficiency, and help families afford basic necessities. (Adobe Stock)

VA Group Calling for Child Tax Credit Revival

Family and child advocates are hoping to see a revival of the expanded Child Tax Credit approved by Congress by the end of this year. According to …

riders attached to federal budgets have provided incentives for woody biomass. But, as the nation moves to a more climate-friendly future, woody biomass is being re-evaluated for its climate friendliness. (Adobe Stock)">

Woody Biomass Under Fire in VA

While Virginia is leading southern states in climate-smart programs, it still has a problem with woody biomass. Woody biomass has come under …

Tribes from Alaska, Montana, and British Columbia have been adamantly opposed to pollutants flowing into a transboundary waterway between the U.S. and Canada. (Adobe Stock)

U.S. Tribal Leaders Bring Canadian Mine Waste Concerns to D.C.

Tribal leaders from the Northwestern U.S. have been in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss how waste from mines in British Columbia is threatening …

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some of the largest recent price increases in farm real estate have been in Oklahoma and Texas, where prices grew by 11.4% and 11.3%, respectively. (Adobe Stock)

Rising Land Prices Pose Challenges for VA Farmers

Farmers are facing record-high land prices due to a bevy of factors. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, Virginia farm real estate …

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 41,500 <a href=

farms operate on more than 7 million acres in Virginia. (Adobe Stock)">

Farmers Educating Kids About Agriculture to Understand Food System

Farmers in and around Virginia are working to educate children about agriculture and provide a deeper understanding of their work. These programs …

According to AIDSvu's 2020 data, 24,046 people were living with HIV in Virginia, and 628 people were newly diagnosed with the disease. (Adobe Stock)

World AIDS Day Reminds Experts of Progress in Fighting HIV/AIDS

On World AIDS Day, experts are reminding people to take precautions regarding HIV/AIDS. According to an annual report from the Virginia Department …

surveyed by Pew Research view climate-change policies as good for the environment. However, Americans are split on whether those policies help or harm the U.S. economy. (Adobe Stock)">

VA Environmental Group Utilizes Elder Activists' Strengths

This story is based on original reporting by Elizabeth McGowan for Energy News Network, and is part of the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News …

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, 31% of all middle- and high-school students surveyed said they used a tobacco product in the last 30 days. (Adobe Stock)

More Than 3 Million Youths Use Tobacco Products Across U.S.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration finds a little more than 3 million kids nationwide use …

According to the American Heart Association, a little more than half, 51.9%, of hypertension deaths are women. Black women have a higher percentage of hypertension, 57.6%, than other races or ethnicities. (Adobe Stock)

AHA Red Chair Series Explores Women's Heart Health

The American Heart Association has developed a series of videos to educate women about heart disease. The Red Chair Series is a four-episode series …

In draft legislation for a Chesapeake National Recreation Area, the National Park Service would be able to acquire land through voluntary donation, purchases from willing sellers, and exchanges or transfers from another agency in consultation with a CNRA Advisory Commission. (Adobe Stock)

Draft Legislation Would Create Chesapeake National Recreation Area

Newly drafted legislation would combine swaths of land in Virginia and Maryland to create the Chesapeake National Recreation Area. Although it's …

According to a report by One Earth, since the beginning of agriculture. 133 gigatons of carbon have been lost from soils. Regenerative agriculture is designed to keep that carbon in the soil. (Adobe Stock)

Regenerative Agriculture Makes for Sustainable Farming

Virginia farmers looking for a sustainable way to tend to their crops can look at regenerative agriculture. The idea is to focus on soil health and …

According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, about $5.6 billion is needed during the next 20 years for rural America to preserve more than 470,000 rental homes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's portfolio for current and future residents. (Adobe Stock)

VA Forum Discusses Rural Housing Issues

A forum in Virginia today will address accessible and affordable housing options in Appalachia. The forum is a collaboration between AARP chapters …

According to the opioid cost calculator, the Virginia counties with some of the highest financial burdens are Fairfax County at $251,803,959, Richmond at $216,315,353, and the city of Virginia Beach at $199,838,514. (Jim Gimpel/Adobe Stock)

New Tool Examines Financial Cost of Opioid Crisis in VA

A new tool is calculating the financial impact of the opioid crisis in Virginia. The opioid cost calculator opioid cost calculator developed by the …

A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates permanently expanding the child tax credit would cost $97 billion per year. But, it would generate social benefits with net present value of $982 billion per year. (Adobe Stock)

VA Families Urge Revival of Child Tax Credit

It's been about a year since Virginia families last received funds from the U.S. Child Tax Credit, and they want it to be reinstated. According to …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youths who bully others are at increased with for substance abuse, academic issues, and experiencing violence in adolescence and as an adult. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Bullying Prevention Awareness Month Ends, Prevention Efforts Continue

As National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month comes to a close, experts are reminding Virginians to be aware of the patterns within bullying…

According to a 2022 report from the American Heart Association, there are more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the United States each year, 90% of which are fatal. (Adobe Stock)<br />

CPR Education Helps VA Student Save Family Member’s Life

A Virginia high school student has found that the CPR training required for graduation is more helpful than she realized. Anjalia Bryant, a junior …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the states with the highest percentage of adults that have long COVID symptoms are Kentucky at 12.7%, Alabama at 12.1% and Tennessee and South Dakota, both at 11.6%. (Adobe Stock)

New Study Unravels Some Mysteries of Long COVID

A new study regarding long COVID sampling Virginia patients has found some of the most common symptoms of the illness. The study, done by Kaiser …

Numerous energy sources will be under consideration to move the state of Virginia toward a more carbon-neutral future. Offshore wind will be one such energy source as The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is set to be completed by February 2027. (Adobe Stock)

Experts Ambivalent Over New VA Energy Plan

Virginia's new energy plan takes an "all of the above" approach, although it is not as all-encompassing as it seems. Much of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's …

According to a 2021 study by the American Heart Association, people who take at least 7,000 steps a day have a 50% to 70% lower risk of dying than those who take fewer daily steps. (Adobe Stock)

Walking: A Simple Way to Boost Heart Health

Even for Virginians who think they're too busy to exercise, experts say there's one surefire way to squeeze in a modest workout: walking. Although …

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, net farm income is expected to increase by $7.3 billion. This comes when farmers are faced with a bevy of changes in their business.

Farmers Adapting to Industry Changes

Farmers are adapting to numerous shifts in their industry, ranging from price hikes to the effects of climate change. A big change for agribusiness …

In the early days of the pandemic, people repurposed rags and other household materials to make masks. (Adobe Stock)

Grassroots Mask-Making Showcases Appalachia's Radical Resourcefulness

At the onset of the pandemic, medical professionals struggled with cracks in communication which caused confusion and worry. Amid the misinformation…

According to the Richmond Eviction Lab, several parts of the city's Southside neighborhood saw 67 percent of eviction filings during the first quarter of 2022. (Jon Anders Wilken/Adobe Stock)

Evictions in VA Continue to Grow

Evictions are on the rise in Virginia after numerous protections provided by federal and state rental assistance programs ended. According to the …

According to the Recovery Ecosystem Index Mapping Tool, 61.8% of drug-related deaths between 2015 and 2019 in the state of Virginia were white people with at least a high school education, ages 15 to 64. (Waseem Ali Khan/Adobe Stock)

New Tool Maps Substance-Use Recovery Hotspots

As part of National Recovery Month, a new tool identifies different areas in the U.S. in need of a stronger recovery system for people dealing with …

Studies show women of color who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest often have a poor prognosis, due in part to longstanding racist policies and poor access to health care. (9norg/Adobe Stock)

Lack of Training, Hesitancy to Perform CPR Put Latino Women at Risk

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation can save lives after a heart attack, but in some communities, too few people know how, or are hesitant to, perform the …

The American Library Association estimates between 82 and 97 percent of book challenges go unreported. (Adobe Stock)

Censorship in VA Highlighted During Banned Books Week

Controversial books are nothing new, but the incidence of book challenges and bans has increased substantially in recent years. This week marks the …

Pickleball, one of the events at this weekend's Virginia Senior Games, has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, according to Forbes magazine. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

Hundreds to Compete at Virginia Senior Games This Weekend

Experts say part of the secret to living a long and healthy life is to keep moving, which is one of the goals at this week's Virginia Senior Games in …

In 2017, the United States had around 48,000 farmers who identified as Black according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. (Adobe Stock)<br />

More Black Farmers Use Farm Service Agency Programs

Some farmers of color have been hesitant to interact with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency after a history of discrimination…

It's estimated that during World War II, some 20 million Americans planted

Can Municipal Canneries Make a Comeback?

It's that time of year when kitchens are bubbling over as home gardeners preserve their bounty. But there was a time when homegrown produce could be …

Experts say the gap between Social Security benefits and the cost of living leaves many older Americans struggling to pay the bills. (Andrii Iemelianenko/Adobe Stock)

Many Older VA Residents Struggle, Even as Government Benefits Go Unused

Many older, low-income adults in Virginia struggle to pay for medicine, food, and rent, and they may be unaware of the many programs available to …

A 2021 study by the nonprofit Mental Health America found only 60% of youths experiencing depression received any type of mental health treatment. (Adobe Stock)

VA Kids' Mental Health Still Strained from Pandemic

With a new school year beginning, Virginia parents are being urged to keep an eye on their children's mental health. According to Mental Health …

Approximately one-third of Americans age 65 to 74 have hearing loss, and that goes up to nearly half for those older than 75. (Edwardolive/Adobestock)

Advocates Applaud New Rules Allowing Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Good news for people who need hearing aids but can't afford to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for a pair: The Food and Drug Administration has just cleared the …

An estimated one in five families skipped preventive checkups during the pandemic, so health experts encourage families to get back on track. (Adobe Stock)

Health Advocates Call for Back-to-School Checkups for Kids

As summer draws to a close, experts are reminding parents not to overlook health screenings for kids. Back-to-school time brings a lot of additions …

Media consolidation hit rural America harder during the pandemic, as there are now fewer news outlets to cover big stories like the COVID-19 pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Media Coverage of COVID Underserves Rural Communities

COVID has been in and out of the news cycle for over two years now, but that news cycle is driven by the experience in major cities. Coverage of the …

NOAA seeks to make it easier for groups and agencies to work towards restoring habitats. (Adobe Stock)

NOAA Brings Focus to Middle Peninsula

Virginia has some of the fastest-eroding coastline in the U.S, so an effort at one federal agency is bringing new focus to the region. Inside the …

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