A collection of WHRO feature news including WHRO stories, interviews and in-depth reporting from Southeastern Virginia.
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Scope, Chrysler Hall would get massive facelifts under proposed city budget
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Norfolk's city manager wants to spend a combined $150 million to fully renovate the facilities, which were built in the early '70s.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Norfolk plans to create housing trust fund to tackle affordability woes
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Cities all over the U.S. have used city-funded trusts to invest in and incentivize the development of affordable housing.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project will take an extra 18 months to finish
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The new tunnels were supposed to be available by the end of 2025. Now, the project is expected to take until mid-2027.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Carnival reroutes Baltimore-bound cruises to Norfolk through April
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Carnival announced late Tuesday it would move its operations from Baltimore to Norfolk as crews continue cleanup efforts of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Energy demand is rising. Hampton Roads officials say doing nothing 'is not an option'
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The Hampton Roads Alliance is pushing local leaders to address the issue by considering more energy infrastructure.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Citizen science project aims to spot otters in the Elizabeth River
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The Elizabeth River Project wants people to report river otter sightings to collect data on their comeback.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Laskin Road widening project delayed again; VDOT still figuring out for how long, how much it'll cost
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For the second time since the project broke ground in 2019, contractors have told VDOT that unexpected field conditions mean it'll take longer to get done - until at least sometime in 2025.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Stricter federal air pollution standards likely won’t help Norfolk, Newport News communities plagued by coal dust
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For half a century, residents of Lambert’s Point and Southeast Newport News have complained about coal dust from nearby terminals. They say they can't keep waiting for officials to collect more data to show there's a problem.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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The Williamsburg-James City County school board approved a $199 million budget increasing staff salaries by an average of 4.5%.Superintendent Olwen Herron proposed a 3% salary increase for all employees, but some board members and district staff said it didn’t go far enough.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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A federal judge ordered Sentara executives to answer more questions about an ongoing case in which the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Sentara Health Plans — formerly Optima Health — unfairly increased premiums and pocketed an extra $665 million in 2018 and 2019.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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The raises follow several years of tuition freezes at public colleges supported by state funding.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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New federal lawsuit seeks to halt Dominion's offshore wind farm in Virginia
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The suit, filed by a coalition of conservative groups, argues that the offshore wind industry threatens endangered whales. Scientists say there's no evidence of that.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Virginia Beach considers dorm-style residences for student workers
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City Council will decide this week if an Oceanfront business can convert it's second story into hostel-like accommodations for international workers.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Part of Suffolk’s improvement plan for the congested Godwin Boulevard route includes redesigning where the four-lane road crosses the Suffolk Bypass just south of Sentara Obici Hospital. But just what is a diverging diamond interchange?WHRO asked Old Dominion engineering professor Mecit Cetin how they work.…
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Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Hampton will expand to 24-hour, 7-days-a-week operation after a unanimous vote Wednesday night by Hampton City Council.Colonial Downs Group, the company that operates Rosie’s, applied to extend the gambling parlor’s hours after Rivers Casino in Portsmouth opened last year. That casino already runs 24/7.…
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Virginia's "clean cars" standards now in effect
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Three years after Virginia lawmakers voted to adopt the standards, the state is rolling them out. Here's what that does -- and doesn't -- mean.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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NIMBYs, flooding and a fading middle class: Norfolk’s housing study reveals city’s challenges
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A new housing study highlights the need for affordable housing for lower incomes and the disappearance of the city's middle-income residents.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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In state SOLs, James City County students outperformed Williamsburg students in math, science and reading
If Williamsburg and James City County decide to split their school district, Williamsburg test scores may drop. James City County students outperformed Williamsburg students in math, science and reading SOL tests according to the city's feasibility report, released this week.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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The City of Williamsburg says a plan to split its school division from James City County wouldn’t happen until August 2028 at the earliest and cost $18.9 million in the first year. The report, released Monday, said accounting for staffing costs, utilities, materials and other services, there would still be a $2.4 million operating deficit during ye…
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Big changes coming to trash in Hampton Roads
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With Portsmouth's waste-to-energy plant closing soon, a lot more trash is headed to the Regional Landfill in Suffolk. Long-term, that could change too.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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New state budget proposal would give Newport News a loan for major Navy housing project
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The $40 million in state funding originally passed by the House of Delegates has become a loan to the city of Newport News in the latest budget compromise.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Virginia has lost thousands of small, family-owned farms in the last few years
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Many smaller farms in places like Chesapeake are being absorbed into larger farming operations or bought up for development.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Lawmakers say the new legislation will simplify the process for officials to get abandoned and derelict vessels out of the water.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Suffolk’s Assistant Fire Chief David Harrell said the city responds to any locality that requests mutual aid where no formal agreement exists. In 2023 alone, the department sent or received mutual aid 462 times. The city formalized that process with other Hampton Roads by approving an ordinance this week at City Council that adds the last few local…
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It's the third dead whale found in the region in as many days.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Why humpback whales are here this time of year
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WHRO recently joined one of the Virginia Aquarium's annual whale tours to learn more about the creatures' passage through the area.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Aquarium whale tour spots humpback breaching off Virginia Beach
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Last week, WHRO joined one of the Virginia Aquarium's annual whale tours -- and it was a quite successful one.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Weeks after a controversial Alabama court case ruling prompted clinics in the state to stop providing treatment, fertility providers and their patients are concerned about what’s next.U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s Access to Family Building Act is currently making its way to committee in the Senate. If passed, it would guarantee patients the right to seek t…
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2 humpback whales found dead in Virginia Beach
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A dead humpback whale washed onto the beach at the Oceanfront Sunday, while another washed up at False Cape State Park on Monday. Boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the most common causes of whale deaths.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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WHRO's Laura Philion spoke with former prosecutor and legal scholar Laura Killinger of William & Mary Law School about the history of “no body” murder cases in Virginia.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Nansemond Indian Nation plants hundreds of trees in Suffolk
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The tribe is working to restore more than 70 acres of an ancestral village site called Mattanock Town.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Health roundup: College happiness study; Nansemond clinic opens; OBX launches doctor training program and more
This month in Hampton Roads and Virginia health news: A college happiness study at Old Dominion, the Nansemond Nation opens its health clinic in Portsmouth, Sentara joins a nationwide cancer screening study and much more.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Navy is considering a housing project that could cost up to $400 million in downtown Newport News, officials say
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The project would aim to improve living conditions for sailors assigned to ships undergoing maintenance at Newport News Shipbuilding, which the Navy has been trying to address after a rash of suicides.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Former Lambert's Point Golf Course to remain public
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City officials confirmed this week that the public will retain access to the 15 acres that remain in city ownership. But it's unclear what that will look like.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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A study at Old Dominion University is looking at how to mitigate student stress on campus using meditation.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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New bayfront senior housing in Virginia Beach is only “scratching” what the city needs
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The number of residents over 65 is expected to grow dramatically in Virginia Beach, exacerbating an already serious need for affordable senior housing.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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What’s taking so long with the construction on Suffolk’s Route 58? WHRO asked.
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A reader wrote in asking how much longer the construction would take. Officials say it's right on schedule.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Virginia Tech researching how climate change could impact seawalls
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While many coastal cities like Norfolk plan seawall projects to protect against flooding, a team at Virginia Tech -- and a university in Scotland -- are studying how higher temperatures and sea level rise affect the walls long-term.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Dominion selling half its interest in Virginia Beach offshore wind farm
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A New York investment firm will pay Dominion about $3 billion for a 50% non-controlling interest in the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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The local Planning District Commission has been working on a plan to submit to the EPA. It is a look at local greenhouse gas emissions and how to cut them.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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The clinic officially opened its 1,000-square-foot dental care expansion this week, adding two new dental exam chairs to its facility. It also added a new behavioral health room where telehealth services will be available to patients.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Statewide climate plan targets emissions at ports, airports
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The new plan could accelerate ongoing efforts at the Port of Virginia to electrify equipment like forklifts and straddle carriers.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Virginia releases sweeping new Climate Action Plan
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The plan, due to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by March 1, outlines a vision for how to cut climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions across the state's various sectors.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Virginia Beach curbside recycling fee will likely double this year
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The city's current recycling contract ends in June. No matter which new one the city pursues, costs will “rise sharply."By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Virginia Beach Del. Barry Knight lost his seat on the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee last week without explanation. He's a longtime state budget negotiator and the most senior Hampton Roads state delegate.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Lawmakers consider funding for travel guide to Hampton Roads’ African American heritage
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Hampton Roads boasts notable Black neighborhoods, historically Black universities, Green Book locations and even the site where the first Africans set foot on U.S. soil in 1619. What it doesn't have is a way to help visitors find them all - but that may change soon with a little help from the General Assembly.…
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Fort Monroe may get $80 million to start long-needed utilities work to entice private development
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Since Virginia took ownership the former U.S. Army base in 2011, its struggled with drawing private investment - in part because of issues with the Army-installed utilities.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Oysters key to fighting climate change in Chesapeake Bay, report says
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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is calling on state officials to invest in more oyster restoration for economic, resilience and ecological benefits.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Norfolk International is getting $6 million to replace its aging customs facility, the latest in a stream of federally funded improvements announced at the airport. The total cost of the customs facility is around $33 million, Airport Authority president Mark Perryman said.By 89.5 WHRV-FM, Norfolk, VA
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Manteo residents like being miles from the mainland, but it does have downsides, like making it difficult to keep health care providers in the immediate area.A partnership between the town’s health care task force and the North Carolina Medical Society may offer a solution. They’re launching a preceptor, or training program, based in the Outer Bank…
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