Latest Virginia Headlines

All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Virginia Man Charged with Arson After String of Suspicious Fires

Jul 8 2021 // Officials have charged a man with one count of arson after a string of suspicious fires in Norfolk, Virginia.News outlets report that the Norfolk Fire Marshal’s Office announced the arrest of Ryan Elza, 42, on...

Economist Says Huntington, West Virginia Opioid Response Will Cost $2.5 billion

Jul 2 2021 // A 15-year plan to abate the opioid crisis in a West Virginia community will cost local officials $2.5 billion, a forensic economist has testified.George Barrett testified Tuesday that Cabell County and the city of...

Environmentalists To Sue West Virginia Over Pollution At Greensdale Coals Site

Jul 2 2021 // A group of environmentalists said Tuesday it intended to sue West Virginia over evidence of pollutants running into waterways from a coal mine site.In a letter to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection,...

West Virginia Pharmacies Owner Fined In Prescription Probe

Jul 1 2021 // The owner of two West Virginia pharmacies has agreed to pay $300,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations that they filled illegitimate prescriptions in violation of federal law. Federal prosecutors said Beckley...

Father of Man Shot by Police in Virginia Beach Files $50M Wrongful Death Suit

Jun 23 2021 // The father of a Black man who was fatally shot by police in Virginia Beach has filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit.The Virginian-Pilot reported Monday that the federal lawsuit was filed by the father of Donovon...

West Virginia Town Residents Say Coal Dust Is Taking Their Breath Away

Jun 14 2021 // EUNICE, W.Va. — Eunice should have been Becky Rectenwald’s place to settle. The dust settled there instead.Rectenwald, 58, moved to the former Raleigh County mining town from Marmet nearly four years ago for...

Florida, Virginia Among Top Coastal States in Insurance Safety Rating of Building Codes

Jun 4 2021 // Florida has again taken the top spot for strongest building code with Virginia right behind in second place.That’s according to the 2021 edition of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) report...

West Virginia Governor Hit by U.K. Lender Bankruptcy

Jun 3 2021 // West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice confirmed on Tuesday that he is personally liable for $700 million in loans taken by his coal companies from a lender in the United Kingdom that went bankrupt.The Republican governor took...

Ex-Gynecologist in Virginia Gets 59 Years on Fraud Conviction

May 20 2021 // A former gynecologist in Virginia who was convicted on fraud charges for performing unnecessary surgeries and procedures was sentenced Tuesday to 59 years in prison.Dr. Javaid Perwaiz also was ordered to pay $18.5 million...

Environmental Groups Sue Feds Over W. Virginia Mine Reclamation Program

May 20 2021 // Environmental groups are seeking to force the federal government to address an underfunded program in West Virginia whose purpose is to help cover the costs of coal mine reclamation.The lawsuit said the U.S. Office of...

Data Expert: Distributors Increased Drug Potency in West Virginia

May 14 2021 // A data expert testifying at a landmark opioid trial in West Virginia said Tuesday that the potency of prescription drugs sent to local communities increased over time, but the three large drug distributors being sued tried...

Insurer Sues West Virginia Gov.’s Company for Failure to Pay Deductibles

May 10 2021 // An insurance company alleges in a federal lawsuit that a company run by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his adult children owes $166,000 for workers’ compensation and employers’ liability coverage...

West Virginia’s Billion-Dollar Trial Against Opioid Distributors Gets Underway

May 3 2021 // The three largest U.S. drug distributors, who are accused of helping fuel the opioid crisis that has resulted in nearly 500,000 overdose deaths in the United States, will defend themselves in a trial that kicks off on...

W. Virginia Supreme Court Sides with State Police in Civil Suit Alleging Excessive Force

Apr 28 2021 // A circuit judge should have dismissed civil claims against West Virginia State Police by a teenager who alleged excessive force when he was beaten during a traffic stop while handcuffed, the state Supreme Court ruled last...

Report: 2020 A Record Year for Overdose Deaths in West Virginia

Apr 26 2021 // The number of fatal drug overdoses in West Virginia hit a record last year, according to preliminary state data showing at least 1,275 residents died.The increase comes after two years of declining numbers in a state often...

West Virginia Firefighters Claim Retaliation in Pay Dispute

Apr 21 2021 // Firefighters in West Virginia’s Morgantown say the city manager lowered their pay in retaliation for their refusal to accept a settlement in a separate dispute, although the city says it is just making the...

Former Employee at W. Virginia Nonprofit Charged with Stealing $4.7M

Apr 13 2021 // A former employee of a West Virginia nonprofit organization has been accused of embezzling more than $4.7 million in federal funds, according to court documents.Ruth Marie Phillips, 68, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was charged...

Virginia Becomes First Southern State to Legalize Marijuana

Apr 9 2021 // Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana Wednesday, as lawmakers voted to approve Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a bill that will allow adults to possess and cultivate small...

Virginia Health Workers With COVID Get Workers’ Comp Unless They Refuse Vaccine

Apr 5 2021 // Virginia has passed a law making it easier for some healthcare workers who become ill with COVID-19 to collect medical expenses or lost wages.But there’s a catch: the law excludes healthcare workers who are offered a...

Report: Drug Addiction Cost West Virginia an Estimated $11B in 2019

Apr 5 2021 // Treating and addressing drug addiction cost West Virginia an estimated $11.3 billion in one year, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy.The report, written by economist Jill Kriesky, says the state...