WHRO Reports
1,202 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingA collection of WHRO feature news including WHRO stories, interviews and in-depth reporting from Southeastern Virginia.
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Episodes
Williamsburg estimates an independent school district would cost $18 million in first year
March 12, 2024 14:31 - 692 KBThe 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 year one.
Big changes coming to trash in Hampton Roads
March 11, 2024 15:51 - 1 minute - 976 KBWith 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.
New state budget proposal would give Newport News a loan for major Navy housing project
March 08, 2024 18:29 - 38 seconds - 900 KBThe $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.
Virginia has lost thousands of small, family-owned farms in the last few years
March 08, 2024 18:25 - 54 seconds - 1.27 MBMany smaller farms in places like Chesapeake are being absorbed into larger farming operations or bought up for development.
Virginia approves bill on abandoned boats
March 08, 2024 14:46 - 40 seconds - 952 KBLawmakers say the new legislation will simplify the process for officials to get abandoned and derelict vessels out of the water.
New localities join Hampton Roads mutual aid agreement for emergency response
March 07, 2024 19:38 - 767 KBSuffolk’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 localities to the official agreement: the city of Poquoson, and counties of Gloucester, Southampton and Surry.
Minke whale washes up dead in Outer Banks
March 06, 2024 16:01 - 30 seconds - 475 KBIt's the third dead whale found in the region in as many days.
Why humpback whales are here this time of year
March 06, 2024 14:48 - 57 seconds - 911 KBWHRO recently joined one of the Virginia Aquarium's annual whale tours to learn more about the creatures' passage through the area.
Aquarium whale tour spots humpback breaching off Virginia Beach
March 06, 2024 14:47 - 57 seconds - 927 KBLast week, WHRO joined one of the Virginia Aquarium's annual whale tours -- and it was a quite successful one.
Amid IVF uncertainty, patients and providers talk to Kaine in Norfolk roundtable
March 05, 2024 19:24 - 704 KBWeeks 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 treatments like IVF — and give doctors the right to provide those services.
2 humpback whales found dead in Virginia Beach
March 04, 2024 20:27 - 55 seconds - 855 KBA 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.
Codi Bigsby murder trial begins: The history of "no body" murder trials in Virginia
March 01, 2024 22:36 - 3.73 MBWHRO'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.
Nansemond Indian Nation plants hundreds of trees in Suffolk
March 01, 2024 21:54 - 1 minute - 961 KBThe tribe is working to restore more than 70 acres of an ancestral village site called Mattanock Town.
Health roundup: College happiness study; Nansemond clinic opens; OBX launches doctor training program and more
February 29, 2024 19:40 - 2.9 MBThis 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.
Navy is considering a housing project that could cost up to $400 million in downtown Newport News, officials say
February 29, 2024 18:41 - 49 seconds - 1.14 MBThe 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.
Former Lambert's Point Golf Course to remain public
February 29, 2024 17:01 - 54 seconds - 850 KBCity 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.
Old Dominion students participate in study on meditation and mental health
February 28, 2024 19:02 - 835 KBA study at Old Dominion University is looking at how to mitigate student stress on campus using meditation.
New bayfront senior housing in Virginia Beach is only “scratching” what the city needs
February 28, 2024 17:44 - 48 seconds - 1.12 MBThe number of residents over 65 is expected to grow dramatically in Virginia Beach, exacerbating an already serious need for affordable senior housing.
What’s taking so long with the construction on Suffolk’s Route 58? WHRO asked.
February 27, 2024 15:34 - 51 seconds - 1.19 MBA reader wrote in asking how much longer the construction would take. Officials say it's right on schedule.
Virginia Tech researching how climate change could impact seawalls
February 27, 2024 14:28 - 1 minute - 1.04 MBWhile 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.
Dominion selling half its interest in Virginia Beach offshore wind farm
February 26, 2024 16:29 - 40 seconds - 636 KBA New York investment firm will pay Dominion about $3 billion for a 50% non-controlling interest in the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.
Hampton Roads wraps up climate action plan
February 23, 2024 17:51 - 54 seconds - 1.26 MBThe 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.
Federal grant could bring new HVACs, solar panels to Newport News low-income housing
February 23, 2024 17:24 - 659 KBThe 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.
Statewide climate plan targets emissions at ports, airports
February 22, 2024 18:36 - 58 seconds - 1.35 MBThe new plan could accelerate ongoing efforts at the Port of Virginia to electrify equipment like forklifts and straddle carriers.
Virginia releases sweeping new Climate Action Plan
February 21, 2024 20:19 - 53 seconds - 1.25 MBThe 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.
Virginia Beach curbside recycling fee will likely double this year
February 21, 2024 17:18 - 49 seconds - 1.14 MBThe city's current recycling contract ends in June. No matter which new one the city pursues, costs will “rise sharply."
Virginia Beach Del. Barry Knight removed from state budget committee
February 21, 2024 15:52 - 1.34 MBVirginia 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.
Lawmakers consider funding for travel guide to Hampton Roads’ African American heritage
February 20, 2024 19:19 - 48 seconds - 1.1 MBHampton 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.
Fort Monroe may get $80 million to start long-needed utilities work to entice private development
February 20, 2024 19:03 - 55 seconds - 1.29 MBSince 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.
Oysters key to fighting climate change in Chesapeake Bay, report says
February 15, 2024 19:16 - 49 seconds - 1.15 MBThe Chesapeake Bay Foundation is calling on state officials to invest in more oyster restoration for economic, resilience and ecological benefits.
Norfolk International Airport gets more federal dollars to replace customs inspection facility
February 15, 2024 14:13 - 541 KBNorfolk 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.
Health care provider training hub to launch in Outer Banks
February 13, 2024 19:35 - 856 KBManteo 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 Banks. Doctors in the area partner with students pursuing an MD, Physician’s Assistant or Nurse Practitioner degree for mentorship, and help them bui...
Chesapeake report weighs what to do with land along industrial waterfront
February 13, 2024 16:17 - 1 minute - 993 KBThe Planning Commission will vote Wednesday whether to adopt the study into the city's overall comprehensive plan.
Nansemond Indian Nation opens clinic in Portsmouth
February 12, 2024 20:52 - 592 KBThe tribe said the clinic will be a “one-stop shop” for tribal members, Medicaid patients and people without insurance.
Suffolk to add 18 personnel to fire and rescue with FEMA grant
February 09, 2024 20:53 - 581 KBEighteen more first responders will help staff Station 11, still under construction. The new positions, funded by FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, will also help offset upcoming retirements.
Many Virginia Beach workers can’t afford to rent or buy in the city. New study recommends steps to fix that.
February 08, 2024 20:36 - 45 seconds - 1.04 MBThe Virginia Beach City Council has said tackling housing accessibility is one of its top priorities.
Local project aims to make parking lot a model of resilience
February 08, 2024 15:50 - 1 minute - 960 KBThe Hampton Roads Planning District Commission plans to transform its existing lot to incorporate green and sustainable practices.
Virginia's long, politically-fraught fight over menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay
February 07, 2024 16:00 - 4 minutes - 6.7 MBThe menhaden reduction industry in the bay has been controversial for decades -- but the fight's recently gotten more heated. Now, science is at the center of the debate.
Parking lots: the next frontier of resilience in Hampton Roads?
February 07, 2024 14:27 - 55 seconds - 1.28 MBParking lots cover a lot of land in Hampton Roads. Officials are starting to see them as an opportunity for resilience.
Virginia Beach police identify driver in fishing pier crash
February 06, 2024 21:11 - 544 KBThe Virginia Beach Police Department says it has identified the lone driver in last weekend's crash at the Oceanfront -- a 57-year-old man whose family members reported him missing. Recovery efforts took nearly a week because of poor weather conditions.
Norfolk's Andria McClellan won't seek another term on City Council
February 06, 2024 17:14 - 46 seconds - 1.07 MBDespite previous tries at state-level office, the councilwoman says she doesn't expect to run for elected office again.
RGGI lawsuit can move forward, court rules
February 05, 2024 21:57 - 52 seconds - 1.21 MBA Circuit Court ruling Monday says that a group challenging Virginia's removal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has standing to proceed with the case.
Regional economy lags as ODU economists predict national, state economies will keep growing in 2024
January 31, 2024 20:19 - 1 minute - 1.4 MBOld Dominion University’s Annual Economic Forecast includes good news on inflation, but worries persist around the federal budget and conflict in the Middle East.
Hampton Roads victim service organizations plead with state lawmakers as federal funding dries up
January 30, 2024 21:23 - 951 KBHampton Roads victims’ support groups say they’ve been slashing services for years. If they don’t receive state funding this session, there won’t be money to serve survivors.
Army Corps gets $3 million for flood study on the Peninsula
January 30, 2024 17:27 - 56 seconds - 1.3 MBThe study is part of the same federal process Norfolk went through several years ago that ultimately led to its $2.6 billion floodwall project.
Citing lawsuit, state Republicans oppose Virginia Beach’s city charter change for 10-district system
January 30, 2024 16:11 - 1 minute - 1.57 MBDemocratic representatives from Virginia Beach say the change has citywide support and opposition is an effort to “thwart democracy.”
Sentara hires first ever sustainability director
January 29, 2024 23:20 - 3.67 MBLisa Darger has been on the job 6 weeks as Sentara's new director of sustainability. WHRO sat down with her to talk about her plans for the position.
USS Ford’s long-awaited maiden voyage a chance to prove it is worth the $13 billion price tag
January 29, 2024 16:01 - 3 minutes - 4.61 MBBuilt and based in Hampton Roads, the Ford's cost overruns and technical delays have plagued the America's newest and biggest carrier.
How Suffolk is managing traffic with cameras galore
January 26, 2024 19:46 - 661 KBSeven red light cameras will be installed this spring at accident-heavy intersections throughout Suffolk, joining a host of other cameras throughout the city.
New Norfolk 'resilience lab' is built to drown
January 26, 2024 17:19 - 4 minutes - 5.56 MBThe Elizabeth River Project is using a groundbreaking rolling conservation easement to ensure the land around its new headquarters is eventually surrendered to rising waters.