Another Virginia county drops Flock surveillance

October 7, 2026 Kunle Falayi

A car drives past an automatic license plate reader on Route 29 in Charlottesville on June 27, 2025. Photo by Christopher Tyree//VCIJ

One of the largest automatic license plate reader networks in the state is shut down

In Winchester, the truth about a local news website is the city’s best-kept secret

October 5, 2026 Jaysun Silver

The Winchester Gazette launched its website in August 2023. Questions about its owners and journalism have persisted ever since. *Photo illustration*

As the hometown newspaper cut staff and TV stations left one small Virginia town, a website appeared touting a new, trusted source of local news. But the who, what, when, where and why of it have baffled residents.

The mounting costs of the Iran War

September 28, 2026 Kunle Falayi

An Iranian soldier stands amidst the wreckage of a U.S. aircraft that crashed in area near Isfahan, Iran on Monday, April 6, 2026.Iran's Revolutionary Guards said a US aircraft that had been searching for the crew member of a missing US fighter jet had been destroyed, Iranian media reported. US President Donald Trump said earlier that the second crew member from the American fighter jet that crashed inside Iran was "SAFE" following a search and rescue operation. Photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI

The U.S. conflict in the Middle East has sent more than 50,000 service members into combat since February.

The centuries-old question of Rights on Virginia’s ballot

September 24, 2026 Philip A. Shucet

Adam Jennison, 13, of NW DC, middle, and Madeleine Joseph, 13, of Northwest Washington, take their first peek at the actual Bill of Rights document at the National Archives. *File Photo/Alamy*

Two November ballot issues for Virginia voters have deep roots in human rights

Soaring electric bills, energy demand a top concern for Virginians

September 24, 2026 Elizabeth McGowan

As regulators consider a proposed NextEra and Dominion merger, a new poll shows growing anxiety among voters

Amidst cuts, a rural diabetes clinic struggles to provide care

September 21, 2026 Kunle Falayi

Federal cuts and policy changes have pushed more than 113,000 patients out of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program in Virginia. The changes have cut reimbursements that sustain clinics in communities like Franklin, a city in the middle of Virginia's diabetes belt.

A small Virginia town de-Flocks

September 9, 2026 Kunle Falayi

**Two of Bridgewater's Flock cameras show bags on them on Wednesday, September 9, the morning after the town council passed a resolution to cancel its contract with Flock Safety. Photo: David Manson**

A VCIJ at WHRO analysis of Flock Safety logs found that data from Bridgewater’s commuters was searched millions of times by law enforcement across the country. A year later, town leaders voted to dump the AI-powered surveillance network.

Dominion ratepayers on the hook again as give turns into take

September 1, 2026 Elizabeth McGowan

Ice from Winter Storm Fern clings to power lines in Tennessee on January 25, 2026. The storm brought extended subzero temperatures and ice to the Mid-Atlantic for more than a week, causing energy consumption to spike. *Photo by Reuters Connect*

Virginia’s largest utility is asking regulators to OK a long-term plan to recoup costs for high fuel prices. The new charges could wipe out a proposed customer rebate from a NextEra acquisition.

Crops and solar power? Virginia farms are ripe for the combo.

August 31, 2026 Elizabeth McGowan

Onions planted near and under 42 solar panels at Piedmont Environmental Council’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows in Aldie, VA, are ready to harvest. The site is a pilot project by PEC to integrate solar energy and crop farming.

A new Virginia law encourages farmers to mix solar generation with crops and cattle. A rural pilot program shows promise.

Virginia’s endless war - Voting rights

August 31, 2026 Philip A. Shucet

A restoration of rights form that Richard Walker used to check a former convict’s voting rights status during a fish fry in Richmond. *File Photo by Cianna Morales/WHRO*

A constitutional amendment on November’s ballot could enshrine the right to vote for ex-felons. It’s the latest chapter in the Commonwealth’s centuries-old fight over a foundational question.