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A federal judge ruled that Shenandoah County must remove Confederate names from two of its schools after the school board voted in 2024 to reinstate the names it had previously stripped in 2020. 

While most Virginia schools named after Confederate figures have already been renamed, a few remain, including Magruder Elementary in York County.

Legal experts say the ruling offers limited precedent for forcing changes elsewhere, but it could provide a playbook for future civil rights lawsuits.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/education-news/2026-08-18/must-schools-named-after-confederates-change-after-the-shenandoah-schools-ruling

Florida-based energy giant NextEra embraces solar energy with some qualifications – they want to own those sun-powered arrays, and they have fought to discourage residential and small-scale commercial solar.

As Virginia regulators consider NextEra’s proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy, solar developers are worried about what could happen to their industry.

The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO probed NextEra’s history of supporting regulations in Florida that would drive up costs for residential and small-scale commercial solar.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/virginia-center-for-investigative-journalism/2026-08-19/could-a-dominion-nextera-marriage-be-bad-news-for-rooftop-solar

Chesapeake City Council unanimously voted to close a loophole in its zoning code that could have allowed data center development despite an eight-month moratorium adopted last month to craft stronger regulations. 

Meanwhile, Virginia Beach City Council followed suit with a unanimous vote to enact a temporary 12-month ban on new data center permits while officials establish zoning definitions and oversight. 

Both cities are taking a pause amid significant public outcry over large-scale facilities' potential impacts on electricity, water consumption, noise and property values.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/business-growth/2026-08-18/chesapeake-moves-to-restrict-data-center-development-virginia-beach-presses-pause

Fans of action sports can catch the debut of new and high-flying stunts when the Nitro Circus 2.0 Tour rolls into Harbor Park on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The show features freestyle motocross, BMX, skateboarding, scooters and a variety of unconventional vehicles for athletes.

Nitro Circus is co-founded by motorsports athlete Travis Pastrana. The "2.0" branding reflects the show's updated lineup rather than a complete overhaul, said rider Kaden Stone.

The show introduces several new acts, including what organizers say will be a record-breaking stunt by freestyle motocross rider Adam Jones. Jones will attempt a 75-foot backflip through a 35-foot wall of fire.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2026-08-17/the-stunt-filled-nitro-circus-2-0-brings-big-air-and-bad-ideas-to-norfolk

The Department of Justice announced Monday that it’s investigating whether William & Mary used students’ race to award scholarships and other program spots.

Under President Donald Trump’s second term, the DOJ and U.S. Department of Education have broadly interpreted the 2023 Supreme Court ruling banning race-conscious admissions policies to bar schools from awarding scholarships and other program spots to underrepresented students.

The DOJ claims it is investigating whether William & Mary violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded programs.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/education-news/2026-08-17/doj-investigating-william-marys-scholarships-student-benefits-for-race-based-criteria

In Hampton Roads, adults aged 55 and older make up roughly a third of the region's homeless population, as fixed incomes struggle to keep pace with rising costs for rent and groceries. 

To help combat this growing crisis along with a statewide shortage of affordable rental homes, local organizations such as The Planning Council and Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia are exploring a home-sharing model underway in Oregon. 

The project matches older homeowners who have empty bedrooms with seniors needing affordable housing, providing mutual financial relief and companionship.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/business-growth/2026-08-14/housing-costs-are-straining-senior-adults-local-leaders-say-peoples-spare-bedrooms-could-help

Families recently gathered at Hunt Club Farm in Virginia Beach as Miss America, Cassie Donegan, led a special story time featuring the book "Hide-and-Seek Hettie."

Donegan, a Smithfield native and arts education advocate, read to attendees alongside farm animals.

The weekly summer event highlights a different animal and book each session. Donegan's visit featured an appearance by Starlight, a mini highland cow wearing her own crown.

(Story and photos by Ashley White)

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/education-news/2026-08-13/miss-america-2026-visits-home-state-of-virginia-to-share-love-of-arts-with-families

Virginia Beach City Council will consider a 12-month moratorium on new data center permits to give local officials time to establish regulations.

Local planning staff faced challenges setting clear standards because the industry lacks established guidelines on what to allow or avoid.

The city joins Chesapeake and Suffolk in using moratoriums to manage concerns over large-scale facilities and their impact on electricity, water and noise. 

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/news/local-news/2026-08-14/virginia-beach-mulls-data-center-moratorium-until-it-can-devise-regulations

According to researchers at the Thoroughgood House, enslaved people were a key part of the everyday functions of the historic plantation, but there are no first-hand accounts of their experiences.

The information is part of the Thoroughgood House’s recent Focus Tour on the role of enslaved people in the Thoroughgood family’s history.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2026-08-13/we-have-to-talk-about-everybody-thoroughgood-house-summer-series-highlights-lesser-known-histories

After a winter storm shut down a Richmond treatment plant and forced his family to boil water, 16-year-old Henrico County resident Avyay Bharadwaj was inspired to investigate municipal water systems.

Over the past year and a half, the high school senior developed AquaRisk, a free online tool that calculates water contamination risks for addresses covering 83% of Virginia, including Hampton Roads.

Using AI to consolidate public data from the EPA, the Virginia Department of Health and local utilities, the website generates a risk score based on a home's build date, pipe materials and known local contaminants.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-08-13/high-school-student-creates-tool-for-virginians-to-see-whats-in-their-water

A first-of-its-kind study in rural James City County is testing how airborne drones carrying automated external defibrillators can improve heart attack survival rates. 

The program is a collaboration between the county, Virginia Commonwealth University and Duke University. It operates in a 5-mile radius around the Toano fire station. 

When dispatchers identify a cardiac emergency, a dedicated police department drone delivers an AED on a tether, allowing bystanders to administer aid minutes before ground vehicles arrive.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/health/2026-08-13/james-city-county-partners-with-virginia-commonwealth-university-to-test-drone-defibrillator-delivery

Across Virginia, more than 3,000 Flock cameras are estimated to line the highways, roads and parking lots in Virginia.

The AI-powered policing tool has won wide adoption from law enforcement agencies seeking to use high-tech tools to reduce crime. But the rapid growth of 24/7 surveillance has set off waves of protests in Virginia’s small towns and sprawling counties.

One Norfolk woman discovered that Flock cameras recorded her minivan’s trips – capturing her license plate, vehicle features, exact time and location – more than 100 times in just three days in February. She now joins other privacy advocates to regularly lobby city council to cancel its Flock contract.

Reporter Kunle Falayi has documented the spread of Flock Safety systems and other automatic license plate readers throughout Virginia. He’s mapped the locations of ALPR cameras across the commonwealth.

Falayi’s stories have sparked citizen concern and protests. Now, some local elected leaders are paying attention.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/virginia-center-for-investigative-journalism/2026-08-14/flock-surveillance-spreads-virginia-communities-push-back

Curiosity about Virginia's historic landowners and online sleuthing led Chris Diont'e down a fascinating path.

Diont'e, the first artist-in-residence at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, has used the story he discovered for his show at the Newport News gallery. He's also using it in other work to honor his roots.

The exhibition, “Ancestral Soil, 1865: The Foundation of Freeman Virginia,” runs through Saturday and bridges the gap between generations more than 150 years apart.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2026-08-12/history-project-leads-to-digging-deep-into-an-artists-ancestral-soil

A contract dispute between Sentara Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia could disrupt care for nearly 380,000 Anthem members statewide, including 215,000 in Hampton Roads.

Sentara is requesting an average reimbursement increase of roughly 6.2% for 2027 to offset rising labor, drug and supply costs, while Anthem has proposed a 1% rate reduction.

Health experts say these public standoffs are often just negotiating tactics between giant hospital systems and insurance companies.

However, if hospitals get those higher rates, regular consumers usually end up paying for it through bigger premiums and higher deductibles. 

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/health/2026-08-12/sentara-wants-anthem-to-pay-more-anthem-wants-to-pay-less-patients-could-feel-it-either-way

Norfolk City Council meetings have faced growing friction this summer over a procedural rule that empowers the mayor to restrict public comments deemed repetitive or cumulative. 

Council leaders enforced the policy during June and July sessions as large turnouts from the DeFlock Norfolk Coalition sought to speak against the city's use of Flock surveillance cameras. 

Coalition members and local organizers strongly criticized the move, stating that limiting speech shuts down their primary direct channel to elected officials and effectively censors community concerns.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2026-08-12/260812-nfkcouncilcomment-saunders

Are you an older resident in Hampton Roads living with a roommate to split housing costs or rent? WHRO News is looking to talk with locals who are homesharing to navigate rising living costs.

If you’re living in a shared household with roommates, how has the experience been? What made you decide to homeshare?

Send us a DM or connect with WHRO News business and growth reporter Toby Cox at toby.cox@whro.org or (757) 748-1282 to chat!

The projected replacement cost for Williamsburg’s downtown library has risen to at least $30 million, driven by soaring material and labor expenses. It’s a $5 million increase over last year's estimates.

Despite efforts to cut costs by shrinking the building's footprint and using cheaper exterior materials, total expenses will reach $37 million once furniture and technology are included. 

While some residents express concern over growing debt and advocate for renovating the current 50-year-old facility, library director Sandy Towers maintains that a new building is necessary to serve nearly 8,000 weekly visitors.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2026-08-11/cost-for-new-landmark-library-in-williamsburg-increases-by-millions

A federal proposal to lease within 2,700 square miles off the Eastern Shore for seabed mineral mining has sparked strong opposition from Virginia coastal residents, local governments and environmental groups. 

The Trump administration is considering allowing the extraction of valuable minerals, which federal officials say could reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. 

However, watermen and conservationists warn that sifting through vast amounts of sediment could disrupt marine habitats, release buried contaminants and threaten decades of coastal restoration efforts. 

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-08-11/coastal-virginia-communities-push-back-against-proposed-offshore-seabed-mining

City Council greenlit selling the Virginia Beach National Golf Club and nearby public land to a developer who would improve the course and build 659 units of for-sale housing.

The sale might take a year to close.

The 9-2 vote on Tuesday came despite Councilmember Barbara Henley's opposition. The course is in Henley's district, and she had moved for a 90-day deferral with the support of Councilmember Worth Remick. Henley said the public raised concerns the city could answer by delaying.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/news/local-news/2026-08-11/city-council