Cybersecurity projects at colleges and universities go from the lab to the people
Multiple colleges and universities in Southwest Virginia are connected to the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, which funds cybersecurity research and projects.
Politics
Republicans protested the number of tax bills introduced during the 2026 legislative session. Few passed the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.
Democrats hold a trifecta of power but axed most of the bills that could raise taxes or establish new taxes as they seek to alleviate the impact of the nationwide affordability crisis on Virginians.
Local
Danville business owners say they’re still waiting for traffic boost from casino
Part of Danville’s goal in bringing in Caesars Virginia was to capitalize on increased visitation by sending out-of-towners to other parts of the city. Some business owners have seen this happen, and others are still waiting.
Culture
Parkway foundation sees bright future for dark sky tourism
The nonprofit Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, headquartered in Winston-Salem, is partnering with universities to conduct a comprehensive light pollution survey from the parkway’s northern gate at Rockfish Gap to its southern terminus near Cherokee, N.C.
education
Roanoke City School Board approves preliminary budget in preparation of cuts
The school board’s budget is not final and does not yet detail cuts to programs or personnel that will need to be made in the upcoming fiscal year, but it did include 2% raises for RCPS employees.
eCONOMY
Tech briefs: House approves study for low earth orbit satellite broadband in Appalachia
The GAO would study the Appalachian Regional Commission’s capability to incorporate low-orbit satellites in broadband projects. Also: Details on a new program to track data center energy usage.
OPinion
Virginia’s largest county becomes a verb as ‘Don’t Fairfax Me’ signs pop up in rural areas
The “no” side in redistricting is invoking the specter of consolidating power in Northern Virginia as a way to motivate conservative rural voters.
news briefs
Headlines from across the state: Amazon’s HQ2 hiring stalled in 2025; more …
From elsewhere: Lawsuit against state trooper in Salem hospital incident moves forward. Budget woes complicate residents’ push for new dog park in Franklin County. Speed cameras around three Virginia Beach school zones begin issuing fines.
Sports
‘Martinsville Missile’ sets a new land speed record for a stock car
With a Henry County driver behind the wheel, the car designed and built in Martinsville broke the record of 244.9 mph with a top speed of 253 mph.
WEATHER
Some foolish (but totally true) regional weather facts on April 1
Every day is April Fools’ Day on the internet. However, some real but weird statistics can show how dry, warm and snowy (or not) it’s been in our region recently.
Cardinal 250
Freedom was paved with confiscation
Virginia eventually seized and sold off an estimated 53,000 acres, plus personal property, which in some cases included enslaved Africans.
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