WHRO Public Media

General Assembly adds district voting system to Virginia Beach’s city charter Provisions recommended by Gov. Abigail Spanberger mean the changes go into effect immediately.

Virginia Beach’s 10-district voting system is now officially part of the city charter following the passage of legislation in the House of Delegates this week.

The Story Exchange - Suffolk 4/30 WHRO brings The Story Exchange back for its second year, stopping in downtown Suffolk for an evening of meaningful, community-driven storytelling at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. This “Moth Ho...

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Photo dump from our most recent Story Exchange event in Williamsburg! 📸

Our next Story Exchange is on April 30 in Suffolk! ✍🏽

(Photos captured by WHRO News reporter Nick McNamara on film)

Chesapeake Public Schools offers free virtual therapy to students — and their families Students in Chesapeake Public Schools will soon be able to meet with mental health counselors online through a new telehealth program.

Chesapeake Public Schools is launching a free virtual mental health counseling program for its 40,000 students and their families, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

New William & Mary report shows scope of China’s global maritime footprint — including in Hampton Roads. Coal and technology link China to the region, the report’s lead author says.

A new report from AidData at William & Mary reveals that China has built a "vast maritime empire," investing $24 billion in 168 ports across 90 countries over the last 25 years.

The Naro in Norfolk will screen documentary on the U.S. military’s global environmental impact “Earth's Greatest Enemy” is being shown Wednesday at 7 pm.

Producer Mike Prysner is an Iraq War veteran turned peace activist. His latest film, “Earth's Greatest Enemy,” highlights the environmental consequences of war, as well as the legacy of living with a military with a budget that reached $1 trillion.

WHRO News is looking into how rising energy costs are impacting local families. If you’ve noticed a major jump in your bill, we want to hear from you. ⚡

Send us a DM or connect with WHRO News business and growth reporter Toby Cox to chat!

✉️: toby.cox@whro.org
📞 (757) 748-1282

Richmond's Branch Museum of Design has a fashion exhibition that's 'Undeniable' The Branch Museum of Design partnered with VCUarts to create the fashion and art design show, "Undeniable: The Designs of Christian Siriano + Ashley Longshore."

The Branch Museum of Design partnered with VCUarts to create the fashion and art design show, "Undeniable: The Designs of Christian Siriano + Ashley Longshore."

Suffolk lost about 500 acres of farmland in 2025 “That acreage represents not only land, but long-term production capacity, economic opportunity and environmental stewardship,” Agricultural Specialist Julia Hillegass said.

Suffolk continues to grapple with the steady loss of its agricultural landscape, losing approximately 500 acres in 2025 primarily to housing developments and warehouses.

Virginia bill would limit medical insurers’ control over lab referrals A measure awaiting Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature would prevent health insurers from directing where doctors send biopsy samples within an insurance network.

A bill now awaiting Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature aims to prohibit insurance companies from forcing biopsy samples to be sent to distant laboratories.

State regulators approve natural gas compressor station in Chesapeake despite community concerns The project is expected to increase the average household’s monthly gas bill by about $2.

The State Corporation Commission has approved Virginia Natural Gas’s $90 million compressor station in Chesapeake.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from environmental organizers and residents of surrounding majority-Black neighborhoods.

Shining the light on oft-overlooked abstract expressionist women artists The Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary features a collection from Christian Levett that reshapes the public’s understanding of mid-20th-century abstract expressionism.

Nearly 50 paintings by 32 women from the renowned Christian Levett Collection and The Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins in France comprise “Abstract Expressionists: The Women,” the traveling exhibition at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in WIlliamsburg.

ODU, Virginia Beach police partner to train counselors working with first responders First responders face some of the highest rates of stress and burnout among public service professions. Yet, mental health providers often lack an understanding of their work.

Old Dominion University and the Virginia Beach Police Department are launching an effort to train student mental health counselors by embedding them directly inside police departments and other first responder agencies.

Rosalyn Francis, a Virginia Beach veteran and three-time cancer survivor, knows firsthand how chemotherapy-induced hair loss can deeply affect a woman’s sense of self-worth and beauty.

Read more here: tinyurl.com/4v2nx42e

What began as a personal hobby for Dominion Energy shift manager Robert Lewis has evolved into a cost-saving technological initiative at the Surry Power Station.

Read more here: tinyurl.com/mtt66k3n

Voting starts Friday for the special election to fill the 98th House District seat following the death of longtime Del. Barry Knight.

Read more here: tinyurl.com/yeyu53df

Interim no more: Suffolk appoints Kevin Hughes as city manager Hughes was with Suffolk for two decades before becoming interim city manager last year.

The Suffolk City Council appointed Kevin Hughes as city manager this week following a successful six-month trial period as the city's interim leader.

Hughes originally joined the economic development department in 2005 before rising through the ranks to deputy city manager.

Virginia Beach’s State of the City address today focused on economic fundamentals in a business-friendly room at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

WHRO News reporter John-Henry Doucette has the latest.

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission is asking for community input — and giving people fake money to do it Officials say a survey, which closes March 31, will shape regional priorities.

If you were given $1,000 to spend on regional issues, how would you spend it?

That’s the question the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission hopes residents will answer in a survey available this month.

Virginia Beach holds off on charging for parking at convention and sports centers Changes would have started in April but may be delayed until next year.

Free parking around the Virginia Beach Convention Center and Virginia Beach Sports Center near the Oceanfront will remain in place this year.

The city delayed new fees that were set to begin in April.

For Virginia Beach, early voting nears for two special elections In-person voting starts Friday. The city has a new central Voter Registration & Elections office.

Virginia Beach voters will begin casting ballots this week for two distinct special elections.

Starting Friday, early in-person voting opens for the March 17 race to fill the 98th House District seat and the April 21 statewide referendum regarding a constitutional amendment on redistricting.

Need a ride? Three Hampton Roads cities are offering on-demand ridesharing Microtransit can make public transportation more convenient, officials say.

Chesapeake and Hampton have recently joined Newport News in offering on-demand ridesharing through Hampton Roads Transit's microtransit pilot programs.

Professional drivers operate branded minivans within specific zones, connecting passengers to employment hubs, hospitals and shopping centers.

The tour underpins Spanberger’s goal to improve student outcomes. Virginia students ranked last in math recovery since the pandemic and less than three-quarters met reading assessment benchmarks in 2024-25.

The next stop is Gloucester High School on March 9.

Spanberger signed an executive order on her first day directing the state superintendent, Jenna Conway, and her education secretary, former Hampton Superintendent Jeffery Smith, to conduct the tour.

Spanberger told school and city officials the goal is to “learn from what is working, places where we can improve and to make sure that our state administration is as responsive as possible.”

Spanberger spent the morning with several Bethel High students to learn about their experiences in the division’s career pathway academies before meeting with local leaders. It’s the first of several she and her cabinet will make across the commonwealth.

Governor Abigail Spanberger kicked off her administration’s school listening tour with a visit to Hampton on Wednesday.

(Story and photos by Nick Mcnamara)

Balloon litter is still soaring in coastal Virginia. A new recycling program could help. A decade-long study found balloon fragments are omnipresent on Virginia’s beaches and remote islands.

A decade-long survey revealed that balloons and ribbons are among the most pervasive types of trash found on remote beaches.

To help address the waste, Virginia Waterways is spearheading a recycling initiative that aims to collect 1 million balloons over the next three years.

Hosted by the Hope House Foundation, the event features live music, including The Fighting Jamesons and Tidewater Pipes and Drums. Food, beer and Irish Whiskey vendors will be on site.

The Hope House Foundation supports adults with developmental disabilities living on their own.

Shamrockin’ in Ghent, previously known as the Greening of Ghent, is the popular annual fundraiser in Norfolk’s Ghent. The St. Patrick’s Day Block party takes place on Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.