The Cardinal: News of Virginia

This week on The Cardinal: News of Virginia, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with politics and policy reporter Elizabeth Beyer and founding editor and columnist Dwayne Yancey to talk about how covering political campaigns has changed, especially in the age of social media. With voters scrolling instead of rallying, and candidates now building their own digital megaphones, journalists face a new kind...

Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Martinsville/Henry County reporter Dean-Paul Stephens to unpack the housing shortage hitting Martinsville and the surrounding area. While many cities across the U.S. are grappling with housing shortages, smaller communities face unique challenges. This shortage is driving up housing costs and creating roadblocks for workforce development programs trying to find homes...

In this episode, host Lisa Rowan sits down with reporter Tad Dickens to trace the unlikely journey of Roanoke’s biomedical transformation. What began 15 years ago with a single researcher and a question (“What if?”) has now ballooned into Fralin Biomedical Research Institute — a cornerstone of a region reborn as a hub for healthcare, life sciences and innovation.

Electricity demand in Virginia is climbing fast — fueled by data centers, AI, and a surge of everyday energy needs. But can the state’s grid keep up? Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Cardinal News business reporter Matt Busse to unpack how policymakers, utilities, and communities are grappling with rising demand for power. From new bills in Richmond to debates over data center growth, they break dow...

Four years ago, a small team of journalists set out to change how news was covered in Southwest and Southside Virginia. Today, Cardinal News has grown into a trusted, independent newsroom that is paywall free, nonprofit, and committed to covering communities that are too often overlooked. In this special anniversary episode, Lisa Rowan sits down with Executive Director and founder Luanne Rife to r...

In this episode, host Lisa Rowan sits down with reporter Grace Mamon to tell a story that’s rarely told — Haitian immigrants in Danville who fled violence and instability at home, drawn by the promise of work and safety, now find themselves in limbo as federal policy changes strip away their legal protections. Together they explore: What it means to earn humanitarian parole status and why it matte...

In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee chats with founding editor Dwayne Yancey about Virginia’s latest population projections from the Weldon Cooper Center at UVA. They break down 10 key takeaways that reveal where people are moving, where communities are shrinking, and what these trends mean for the state over the next 25 years. From Lynchburg adding more residen...

This week on The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with education reporter Lisa Rowan to explore a groundbreaking new high school opening in Northwest Roanoke, one that’s not for teens, but for adults looking for a fresh start. They discuss how the Excel Center, operated by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, is giving adults who never finished high school a second chance...

Catastrophic flooding has hit communities across the U.S. in recent years — including Buchanan County, Virginia, which has suffered three major floods in just four years. Now, Buchanan and nearby Botetourt County are piloting new flood warning systems that combine sensors, rain gauges, predictive modeling, and real-time alerts to give local officials crucial minutes of preparation. In this episode...

When a February flood tore through Richlands, Virginia, it left more than 150 homes damaged and dozens of families displaced. But unlike their neighbors just across the border in West Virginia and Kentucky—who got federal money to rebuild—many Virginians were told they didn’t qualify for FEMA’s individual assistance. The reason? A formula that counts the wealth of Northern Virginia’s million-dolla...

Virginia is confronting two entirely different—and urgent—health stories. Syphilis infections are climbing, and congenital cases surged 66% in 2024, exposing more newborns to devastating, preventable outcomes. Meanwhile, new residential recovery centers in Southwest Virginia are opening doors for pregnant and parenting moms to stay with their children while getting treatment, thanks to opioid sett...

“A Creek Reborn: What Lynchburg Lost and Gained by Removing College Lake Dam” This week, host Dutchie Jessee welcomes Lynchburg reporter Emma Malinak to the show to talk about her in-depth reporting on the decades-long effort to restore Blackwater Creek. For nearly a century, the College Lake Dam held back this tributary to the James River — until public safety concerns, climate pressure, and a vi...

Wait, wait — don’t skip the legal notices! In this episode, Dutchie and Luanne make the case for why these often-overlooked announcements are actually essential reading. From government bids to name changes and property transfers, public notices ensure that government remains transparent. Learn how Cardinal News is bringing this centuries-old practice into the digital future — and why you should c...

Google just bought land in Botetourt County, Virginia — and the tech world is buzzing. Is a data center really coming to this rural corner of the state? Or is it just a maybe? In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee is joined by business reporter Matt Busse and founding editor Dwayne Yancey to dig into the details of Google’s recent land acquisition. Together, they...

In June 1963, civil rights protestors flooded the streets of Danville, Virginia — demanding justice, equality, and a voice. But in the city’s daily newspaper? The story was barely there. In this episode of "The Cardinal: News of Virginia", host Dutchie Jessee sits down with reporter Grace Mamon to explore her Redbird series investigating how Danville’s civil rights movement was covered — or delibe...

In this episode, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Dwayne Yancey , founding editor of Cardinal News, to explore 25 eye‑opening destinations across Southwest and Southside Virginia—places where gubernatorial candidates Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle‑Sears could learn critical policy lessons firsthand. They journey from the congested lanes of Interstate 81 (a traffic and infrastructure flashp...

Host Dutchie Jessee is joined by Cardinal News reporter Tad Dickens to explore a surprising story growing in Southwest Virginia — vertical farming . In this episode, they dig into how controlled environment agriculture is taking root in rural towns, repurposing old tobacco warehouses and bringing tech-powered farming to unexpected places. Can this high-tech approach help revive Virginia’s agricult...

In this episode, Dutchie Jessee and Lisa Rowan dig into Virginia’s HEAT (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) fund — a 30‑year‑old program quietly financed by a 0.25% fee on comprehensive auto insurance. Learn how over $1 million per year is now funneled into license‑plate reader (LPR) surveillance tech from companies like Flock, widely deployed across rural and urban areas. We explore the controversial ris...

Join Dutchie Jessee on this revealing episode of "The Cardinal: News of Virginia," as she sits down with executive editor Jeff Schwaner and reporters Samantha Verrelli and Dean‑Paul Stephens to unpack Cardinal News’s latest investigation into the expansive use of license plate reader (LPR) cameras across Southwest and Southside Virginia. Discover how local law enforcement agencies are deploying LP...

In this illuminating episode, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Cardinal News reporters Matt Busse and Lisa Rowan to explore the transformative impact of solar apprenticeships in Southwest Virginia. As the region transitions from its coal-centric past to a renewable energy future, these programs are not just about installing panels — they're about installing hope and opportunity. Discover how loc...

Scott County, Virginia is small, quiet, and close-knit — the kind of place where everyone knows everyone. But lately, a string of rare pediatric cancer cases has left the community shaken and asking: "Is this just a heartbreaking coincidence… or something more?" In this episode of "The Cardinal: News of Virginia", host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Cardinal News healthcare reporter Emily Schabacke...

Early voting in Virginia's primaries has officially begun, and there's a lot to unpack. In this episode, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Dwayne Yancey , executive editor of Cardinal News , to delve into the intricacies of the upcoming elections. Drawing from his recent article, " Early voting in the primaries starts today. Here are 10 things to know ," Dwayne provides a comprehensive overview o...

In this episode of "The Cardinal: News of Virginia", host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Southwest Virginia reporter Susan Cameron to revisit one of the most devastating events to hit the region in decades: the catastrophic flooding brought by Hurricane Helene in fall 2024 and the relentless storms that followed in February 2025. Entire neighborhoods were wiped off the map, families displaced, and...

In this eye-opening episode, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with reporter Dean-Paul Stephens to delve into his recent article, "Welcome guests: Churches hosted KKK recruitment a hundred years ago," published on CardinalNews.org. Together, they explore the unsettling history of how, in November 1924, the Ku Klux Klan held recruitment events in churches across Martinsville, Virginia, during a period...

This week on The Cardinal: News of Virginia , host Dutchie Jessee sits down with education reporter Lisa Rowan for a deep dive into how Trump administration policies are reshaping higher education across the Commonwealth. From research funding shifts at major institutions like Virginia Tech, to new hurdles for international students, to growing concerns over DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)...