The Cardinal: News of Virginia

A massive Google data center is coming to Botetourt County, and it’s already sparking intense debate across the Roanoke region. In this episode, Dutchie Jessee sits down with Roanoke Valley reporter Samantha Verrelli to break down what’s known about the project and why so many residents are raising concerns. From millions of gallons of daily water use drawn from Carvin’s Cove to questions about no...

Ten hospitals in Virginia have been labeled “at risk” of closure. But what does that actually mean, and how close are they to shutting their doors? In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee talks with healthcare reporter Emily Schabacker to break down the data behind the headlines. Drawing from her reporting at Cardinal News, Emily explains why “at risk” is not the sa...

What happens when a billion-dollar casino lands in the middle of a small city? This week on The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Danville reporter Grace Mamon to unpack the real impact of Caesars Virginia — beyond the flashing lights and headline numbers. Since opening its full resort in late 2024, the casino has brought jobs, visitors, and tax revenue to Danville, b...

Virginia Redistricting Showdown: What the April 21 Referendum Means for Your Vote A major decision is coming in Virginia, and it could reshape how political power is drawn for years to come. In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Cardinal News founding editor and columnist Dwayne Yancey to break down the upcoming April 21 special election and the con...

This week on The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with founding editor and columnist Dwayne Yancey to break down a high-stakes stretch in Virginia politics. With a critical April 13 deadline looming, the governor must decide the fate of dozens of bills, choosing to sign, veto, or send them back to the General Assembly. Expect fewer headline-grabbing vetoes and more behind...

A $330 million casino proposal in the heart of Roanoke is sparking one of the most heated local debates in years—and it could completely reshape the future of the Berglund Center . This week on The Cardinal Podcast , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Roanoke Valley reporter Samantha Verrelli to break down what’s really at stake. City leaders say an entertainment district with a casino, hotel, and...

How transparent are Virginia’s local governments when citizens ask for public records? In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Cardinal News executive editor Jeff Schwaner to break down the newsroom’s ambitious Sunshine Week “public audit” project —a real-world test of how local governments respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests . To co...

Why are HIV support services disappearing across parts of Virginia? In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee talks with Cardinal News health care reporter Emily Schabacker about how funding cuts and a billing error within the Virginia Department of Health slashed support for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The changes have forced office closures and reduced case man...

For more than a century, Virginia Baptist Hospital has been a Lynchburg landmark — a place where generations were born, trained as nurses and built careers in health care. Now, Centra’s modernization plan will phase services out of the Rivermont campus by 2028, leaving the historic 30-acre property empty and the community asking: What comes next? Host Dutchie Jessee talks with Lynchburg reporter E...

Virginia voters approved redistricting reform in 2020 to end partisan gerrymandering and take map-drawing power away from the General Assembly. But when the bipartisan commission deadlocked, the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in to create the current congressional and legislative districts. In this episode, host Dutchie Jessee talks with Politics and Policy reporter Elizabeth Beyer and Founding Ed...

Cardinal News is expanding into the New River Valley in a big way — and this is just the beginning. In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia, host Lisa Rowan talks with Audience Engagement and Retention Manager Laura Kebede-Twumasi about the launch of Cardinal’s first location-specific weekly newsletter dedicated to the New River Valley, now the newsroom’s second-largest readership region...

Lynchburg is getting its highest level of soccer yet — and it’s not just about goals and game days. Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Cardinal News reporter Emma Malinak to unpack the arrival of Hill City FC , a new USL 2 team bringing elite competition, community investment and real sports momentum to central Virginia. From hometown co-founder Anthony Catalano’s full-circle journey back to Lynchburg...

Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Cardinal News reporter Grace Mamon to explore Echo Valley, a new micro resort coming to Pittsylvania County that’s bringing glamping — glamorous camping — to southern Virginia. The resort will feature dome-style units, walking trails, spa amenities, yoga retreats, and farm-to-table meals, all tucked into a wooded property that’s been in the same family for over a cen...

Roanoke just got a major new player in its live music scene — and it’s housed inside a century-old bank vault. In this episode of the Cardinal News of Virginia podcast, host Lisa Rowan sits down with technology reporter Tad Dickens to explore the Exchange Music Hall, a brand-new 1,200-capacity venue in downtown Roanoke. Built inside the former First National Exchange Bank, the space is part of a m...

What happens when the cost of caring for a pet rises faster than families can afford, and animal shelters are left to absorb the impact? In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Lisa Rowan speaks with Cardinal News reporters Emma Malinak and Grace Mamon about two deeply connected animal welfare stories unfolding in Central and Southside Virginia. As veterinary costs continue to cli...

Host Lisa Rowan and Cardinal News Executive Editor Jeff Schwaner look back at the stories that mattered most in 2025. From accountability reporting to investigative work, they discuss how Cardinal News covers power, policy, and people across the region. The conversation also turns forward, with a look at what the newsroom is watching and planning for 2026.

Virginia landfills millions of tons of waste each year — much of it food. In this episode, host Lisa Rowan talks with Cardinal News reporter Samantha Verrelli about what really happens to food scraps, why composting struggles to gain traction, and how small operators are pushing back against a system designed to bury waste, not reuse it.

Virginia has made a big bet on cybersecurity—and it’s paying off in some surprising places. In this episode of the Cardinal News podcast, host Lisa Rowan talks with technology reporter Tad Dickens about his deep dive into the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, a statewide effort connecting colleges, universities, and businesses to strengthen digital security. From a virtual water treatment plant at VM...

Virginia politics is heading into winter with a historic shift — and things are about to get busy in Richmond. Host Lisa Rowan sits down with political reporter Elizabeth Beyer, Cardinal News’ one-woman bureau in the capital, to break down what’s coming before lawmakers gavel in on January 14. With Democrats now holding the House, Senate, and the governor’s office — a trifecta not seen in roughly...

Rural maternity care in Virginia is shrinking — and fast. In this week’s episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Lisa Rowan sits down with health care reporter Emily Schabacker to unpack the closure of the obstetrics and gynecology department at Centra Southside Community Hospital in Farmville. It’s the latest in a troubling trend: since 2018, five rural labor and delivery units have shut...

This week’s episode dives headfirst into one of the most gripping stories Virginia has seen in years — the case of the missing baby giraffes from the Natural Bridge Zoo. What began as a routine state inquiry has spiraled into a full-blown criminal investigation, court orders, public outrage, and even a celebrity-backed reward. With the zoo’s manager choosing jail time over revealing the animals’ w...

Host Lisa Rowan talks with reporter Grace Mamon about Halifax County’s ambitious proposal for a recovery campus that would provide housing, transportation, and other essential services for people in recovery from substance use disorder. They explore what’s driving the project, the challenges it faces, and how it could reshape recovery efforts in rural Virginia.

In this episode, Lisa Rowan and Samantha Verrelli explore how a breakdown in communication and enforcement allowed a major Roanoke property to operate without fire protection for more than a year. They unpack the policies that failed to prevent disaster, the timeline city leaders must now answer for, and how journalists bring transparency to local oversight systems that often go unseen.

Virginia’s abortion debate has gone hyper-local. Reporter Emma Malinak joins Lisa Rowan to break down Lynchburg’s proposed zoning changes, the arguments on both sides and what these local battles say about the future of reproductive policy in the Commonwealth.

It’s been one year since Hurricane Helene tore through Southwest Virginia, leaving behind collapsed bridges, vanished homes, and entire communities forced to start over. In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Lisa Rowan sits down with Southwest Virginia reporter Susan Cameron to revisit the towns hit hardest by the storm — and to hear how people are rebuilding not just their home...