VPM Daily Newscast

 Today’s top audio stories include pieces on familiar leadership on the Henrico County School Board and Unite the Right sentence.    PLUS: The week before a college semester begins is typically a busy one for in-person advising appointments, class changes, registration and more.    But schools like J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College had to make a few changes to the schedule due to the dayslong...

Whole Foods is coming to Chesterfield; Local Party City stores plan to remain open despite nationwide closures; Thalhimer Realty Partners continues to move forward with plans in the region; and other local business stories.

Plus: The boil water advisory for Hanover and Henrico counties are on track to be lifted on Saturday; How did Greater Richmond-area colleges respond to this week’s snow and water outage?

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula says January’s water bill is going to account for the water outage; small businessowners and workers impacted by the lack of water speak out; and more Central Virginia news.    Keep up with the latest information on Greater Richmond's outages at vpm.org/richmond.  Do you have questions or updates? Get in touch with us at tips@vpm.org, @vpm.org on Bluesky or u/vpmnews on...

Today's top audio stories are mostly about the continuing water outages and boil advisories in Central Virginia. Keep up with the latest information on Greater Richmond's outages at vpm.org/richmond. Do you have questions or updates? Get in touch with us at tips@vpm.org, @vpm.org on Bluesky or u/vpmnews on Reddit.

Our top audio stories today include an update on the ongoing water situation in the City of Richmond, an update on the ongoing water situation in Henrico County and an update on the ongoing water situation’s effects in Chesterfield County. We'll be updating our primary post in English and Spanish throughout the week; keep checking back. For the latest water news, visit vpm.org/richmond.

Cold temps could complicate taking care of power outages; the state crime lab is set to move from Richmond to Hanover; proposal aims to speed up local solar and energy storage siting; state’s standard deduction rate could be sunset.    Today’s top audio stories include rough weather, the state crime lab is set to move from Richmond to Hanover and Virginia’s standard deduction rate could be sunset....

Plus: How a program for students at a Virginia community college wants to help people who’ve been in foster care graduate college...and how it has shown promising results so far; the Richmond City Council’s first meeting of 2025; and other stories.

The 2025 BizSense Crystal Ball; A new mayor and city council; Plans for City Center and the Diamond District; and a lot of Dominion land up for grabs.

Happy New Year! In our last special episode of the 2024 holidays (or first special episode of 2025), Richmond Reporter Keyris Manzanares examines what it takes to prepare students for a bilingual and biliterate future. We'll be back with a regular VPM Daily Newscast on Monday.

In today’s special episode... it's a Curious Commonwealth! Editor Whittney Evans explores a question the team received that happened to be about the new headquarters VPM is building in Richmond's historic Monroe Ward neighborhood. We’ll be back with another special newscast on Friday, Jan. 3. A note: VPM Media Corporation does hold the FCC license for VPM News. This Curious Commonwealth went throu...

Today’s special episode is three new entries in a yearlong series we've been calling Brown v. Board 70. Within are the stories of two Black Virginians who lived through school segregation, Massive Resistance and eventual school integration. Check out the full series on VPM.org: Yemaja Jubilee: ‘Because my skin was not the right color’ Florence Stith-Jackson: 'I was clearing the path for somebody e...

In today’s special VPM Daily Newscast episode, Editor Dave Cantor speaks with the minds behind Master Plan — it's a a shorthand phrase for how David Sirota sees wealthy businessowners working to relax campaign finance laws.  In the series, a number of Richmond connections come up, including a former U.S. Supreme Court justice and a former Virginia governor.  You can listen to Master Plan wherever...

Richmond’s search for its preferred development team for the seemingly stagnant City Center redevelopment project is said to be down to one team and in final negotiations as the slow-moving process enters a third year; VCU Athletics’ new hub near The Diamond took a step closer to becoming reality last week; and a startup that was spun out of MIT is planning to build what it hopes will be the world...

Plus: the state Department of Corrections is investigating Red Onion State Prison; the City of Richmond is negotiating with a City Center developer and potentially record-breaking travel numbers. 

During his budget presentation Wednesday, the Republican governor unveiled a series of amendment proposals that would finance three years of tax rebates. Also: Charlottesville City Schools is adding two mental wellness days to its calendar, Virginia’s population is getting older, faster – and more Central Virginia news. 

The commonwealth’s electors met Tuesday to cast their votes for president. In other news: Hanover County is considering its options for the former Henry Clay ES site, Richmond is looking at multiple land sales – and more Central Virginia news.

Plus: a Republican candidate has been nominated to fill Del.-Elect John McGuire’s state senate seat; legislation to legalize retail marijuana to return for next General Assembly session; and other stories. 

Plus: Two Central Virginia school districts announce new cell phone policies, Richmond city officials ask state officials for help reducing overflow from the city’s combined sewer overflow system.

Next year is shaping up to be a notable one for the Springline at District 60 development in Chesterfield; The VMFA’s largest expansion project in its nearly 90-year history has hit a snag; Richmond’s top administrator for the past four years will not continue in the role under the next mayor and City Council; and Breakwater Cos. spent nearly $6 million for sites in and around Scott’s Addition in...

Plus: a Richmond gun buyback event, Youngkin aims for increased schools funding and the commonwealth’s 2025 minimum wage.

Plus: A town in Virginia has dissolved its charter; the latest on an Augusta County wildfire; A group of Virginia lawmakers are calling for increased state funding to eliminate a waitlist for subsidized child care; and other stories. 

Congressman-elect John McGuire, a Republican, told VPM News last month, “We are working through timing and will be resigned before being sworn into Congress, as required.” Virginia’s legislative session starts Jan. 8, days after Congress convenes on Jan. 3.    Henrico County is short ~200 public school teachers, and the Albertsons–Kroger merger has been blocked by the feds. Poet Nikki Giovanni die...

Plus: Richmond Registrar Keith Balmer’s city-issued procurement card was reinstated while he was under investigation; VCU Health is open to working with a mediator with the city; and other stories. 

Richmond City Council set to redo a vote on waste management; Richmond’s public housing authority plans to spend $18M to update seniors’ facilities; a Brown v. Board scholarship committee discusses expanding the program; Albemarle will build its first new elementary school in 20 years.