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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.
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U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team march to their posts near the U.S Capitol building Jan. 17, 2021, in Washington, D.C. At least 25,000 National Guard men and women conduct security, communication and logistical missions leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Lucretia Cunningham)
The Founders argued over the state’s authority to control armed forces. It remains a flashpoint.
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A rendering of East Point Energy's proposed Mill Stone Energy Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. The company hopes to build an energy storage project that will connect to an existing transmission line near the Fentress Substation. Photo Courtesy East Point Energy
A proposed battery storage plant in Chesapeake meets the city’s requirements. Neighbors don’t see it that way.
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The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO compiled salary data for 170,000 state employees in 2025.
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Tony Elliott displays the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl trophy after UVA’s 13-7 win over Missouri on Dec. 27 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The victory capped the Cavaliers’ 2025 season with an 11-3 record, the most victories ever for a UVA football team. Photo Couresty // Grace Landini/Virginia Athletics
A comprehensive analysis by VCIJ at WHRO of Virginia’s public salaries data shows who earns the most – and who lags behind.
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Voters fill out their ballots at the early voting location at the Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center on October 21, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia., DC. Photo bySamuel Corum/Sipa USA
The Founders deadlocked over how a President should be elected. Virginia’s leaders feared a popular vote.
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Virginia’s new Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond delivers the keynote address at a Coalition for Community Solar Access on May 29 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. Photos by Elizabeth McGowan // VCIJ
Environmental lawyer Josephus Allmond takes on a new cabinet position created by Gov. Spanberger. His task? Manage energy policy amidst rising consumer costs and growing demand
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Tony Smith, CEO of Secure Solar Futures at his office in Staunton, Monday, June 8, 2026. Photo by Christopher Tyree // VCIJ
Advocates for consumers and clean energy see opportunities – and risks – to remake energy policy and practice in Virginia
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Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced an expansion of DroneUp's headquarters on Newtown Road in Virginia Beach in 2022. It was expected to create more than 500 jobs. Photo by John-Henry Doucette // VCIJ
DroneUp, started by a Navy veteran, launched with high praise – and up to $6 million in incentives – from state and local leaders. But the commercial drone company has failed to rise to expectations.
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Marshall, Michigan - The Cereal City Solar project, a 100 MW solar farm. It is a project of NextEra Energy Resources, a major developer of renewable energy
The planned acquisition of Dominion Energy by NextEra Energy brings together two multi-billion-dollar utilities. Here’s how they compare, and what consumers might see ahead.
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U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders during an indoor inauguration parade at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Pool/Sipa USA
A strong executive worried the nation’s Founders. Centuries later, the debate continues.
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Photo illustration by Kunle Falayi // VCIJ
A VCIJ at WHRO analysis of Flock Safety data shows a startling variety of reasons – mandated by a new state law – for vehicle surveillance. Critics say the automatic license plate reader law has made use of the technology even less transparent.
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First responders block access to Old Dominion University's campus following an on-campus shooting on March 12, 2026. Photo by Yiqing Wang // WHRO
Weapon law violations at Virginia's colleges and universities have climbed since 2020, driven by cases at Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University, according to Virginia State Police data.
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Republican Sen. Richard Stuart sits in the Senate chamber in Richmond, January 16, 2026. Stuart is trying install a solar farm on property he owns that is under a conservation easement. Photo by Christopher Tyree // VCIJ
Republican Sen. Richard Stuart wants to develop a large solar farm on his property. Green energy advocates say it would set a dangerous precedent.
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At a time of major political divisions, Abigail Spanberger speaks about her vision for a unified and economically sound Commonwealth during her inaugural address on January 17, 2026.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger becomes Virginia’s first female governor, acknowledging generations who fought for a political voice.
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In February 2025, Goodyear announced that 850 workers would be laid off from their Danville, Virginia, plant. The layoffs here were part of a larger trend across the state as manufacturing took a down turn. Photo by Christopher Tyree//VCIJ
In most years, the Commonwealth has gained federal civilian workers. The Trump administration’s cuts took away more than 20,000 government jobs last year.
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Alex De Paula, former program director of Safer Together, speaks about the anti-violence initiative in April 2024, at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia. The three-year, $2 million program was cancelled this year after the Trump administration stopped funding its federal grant. (handout photo)
A Portsmouth nonprofit built a program to aid victims of gun violence in Hampton Roads. It was one of several anti-crime projects in Virginia to lose its funding to the Trump administration’s cuts this year.
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Tanna Price helped governments around the world build their economies and root out corruption. News of USAID cuts reached her in Sri Lanka. Almost a year later, Price and thousands of other professionals like her look toward an uncertain future.
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U.S. tariffs and immigration enforcement have challenged Virginia farmers as the harvest season ends. For one Virginia farmer growing soybeans and tobacco, the next season seems uncertain.
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SNAP beneficiaries will temporarily receive assistance through the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance as government shutdown locks up funding for the federal program. Photo by: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Federal actions hit hardest on needy families in small cities and rural, southwest counties, according to a VCIJ at WHRO analysis.
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