Latest Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Former Employee at W. Virginia Nonprofit Charged with Stealing $4.7M
Apr 13 2021 // A former employee of a West Virginia nonprofit organization has been accused of embezzling more than $4.7 million in federal funds, according to court documents. Ruth Marie Phillips, 68, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was charged...
Virginia Becomes First Southern State to Legalize Marijuana
Apr 9 2021 // Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana Wednesday, as lawmakers voted to approve Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a bill that will allow adults to possess and cultivate small...
Virginia Health Workers With COVID Get Workers’ Comp Unless They Refuse Vaccine
Apr 5 2021 // Virginia has passed a law making it easier for some healthcare workers who become ill with COVID-19 to collect medical expenses or lost wages. But there’s a catch: the law excludes healthcare workers who are offered...
Report: Drug Addiction Cost West Virginia an Estimated $11B in 2019
Apr 5 2021 // Treating and addressing drug addiction cost West Virginia an estimated $11.3 billion in one year, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy. The report, written by economist Jill Kriesky, says the...
W. Virginia Enacts COVID Liability Protections for Employers, Health Care Providers
Mar 25 2021 // West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has signed a bill that protects employers, health care providers and others from being sued due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bill offers protection from COVID-19 lawsuits even if public...
Environmental Officials Investigate Mine Discharge into W. Virginia Waterways
Mar 9 2021 // West Virginia environmental authorities said Friday that they are investigating the cause of highly acidic water flowing from a former mine complex to waterways in northern Preston County. Sediment and discharge 10 times...
West Virginia Loosens Virus Restrictions on Bars, Most Businesses
Mar 8 2021 // West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice ordered to loosen pandemic restrictions on Friday at restaurants, bars and most businesses to allow full capacity at those establishments where social distancing is possible. The...
Damage to West Virginia Power Grids from Winter Storm Delays Power Restoration
Feb 26 2021 // Some West Virginia residents are waiting longer than anticipated for their power to come back on after utility crews found new damage from ice storms earlier this month. Drone and helicopter surveillance found the new...
Family of West Virginia Gov to Pay $270K in Suit Over Mine Discharges
Feb 26 2021 // A coal company controlled by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice must pay $270,000 to a nonprofit land protection group and comply with selenium discharge limits under a settlement approved by a federal...
Virginia Lawmakers Advance Consumer Data Protection Act
Feb 26 2021 // The Virginia General Assembly is advancing legislation that allows Virginia consumers more protection with their online data, though opponents say the measure does not include the ability for people to file private...
Appeal Over Dictionary Use Denied in University of Virginia Lacrosse Slaying
Feb 25 2021 // A federal judge has rejected an appeal from a former University of Virginia lacrosse player that his 2012 murder conviction should be tossed out because of a claim the jury improperly consulted a dictionary. George Huguely...
Bills That Help First Responders Hit by COVID-19 Advance in Virginia
Feb 22 2021 // Virginia lawmakers have passed bills that allow certain first responders to file workers’ compensation benefits for being disabled from COVID-19, but still need to reach agreement on some differences. The measures...
Mother of Virginia Police Informant Seeks $13M in Lawsuit
Feb 10 2021 // The mother of a dead Virginia police informant is alleging in a pair of lawsuits that authorities are responsible for her son’s fatal overdose on opiates that he was coerced to purchase while undercover. Donna...
Three Injured in Gas Line Explosion in Northern Virginia
Feb 5 2021 // Three people were injured in a gas line explosion on Wednesday which also set three vehicles on fire and caused damage to a house in a northern Virginia city. News outlets report Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said on its...
After 4-Year Wait, W. Virginia Rolls Out Medical Cannabis Registration System
Feb 5 2021 // Nearly four years after West Virginia lawmakers allowed a regulatory system to be established for medical cannabis products, eligible residents can start registering to eventually receive them. Residents with serious...
Veteran Awarded $1M in Kansas VA Hospital Abuse Case
Jan 19 2021 // A federal judge has awarded more than $1 million in damages to another veteran who says he was sexually abused by a former physician assistant at a Veterans Administration hospital in Kansas. It’s the third time...
2 W. Virginia Bus Drivers Who Attended Trump Rally Sue Over Suspension
Jan 15 2021 // Two West Virginia school bus drivers who were suspended for attending a rally for President Donald Trump in the nation’s capital have been cleared of wrongdoing following hearings, an attorney said...
Navarro Sworn in as 37th Commissioner of the Virginia State Corporation Commission
Jan 8 2021 // Angela L. Navarro was sworn in January 5, 2021, as the 37th commissioner of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). Navarro was appointed by Governor Ralph S. Northam to complete the unexpired term of Mark C....
Licensing, Other Changes for Insurance Agents in Virginia to Take Effect Jan. 1
Dec 21 2020 // Changes in licensing, fees and continuing education due dates for insurance agents in Virginia will take effect January 1, 2021. These changes, as provided by Virginia law, have been in the works for more than two years...
Virginia City Plants Trees to Slow Flooding Woes
Dec 16 2020 // In Ocean Lakes, 100 more trees will soon be popping up in yards throughout the flood-prone neighborhood in southern Virginia Beach, each gifted at no cost from a local environmental group. And in nearby parks and other...
