As populations shift from rural to urban areas and political maps are reexamined, agricultural advocates hope farmers and rural Virginians can maintain a cohesive voice.

RICHMOND — The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in an effort to expand broadband internet access to low-income students across the commonwealth.

RICHMOND — Virginia will become the 23rd state to abolish the death penalty after two bills passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly on Monday.

Adelle Settle learned in 2017 that school lunches were being taken out of children’s hands when they couldn’t pay for the meal. Instead, children were given a cheese sandwich or a snack. 

RICHMOND — For a second year in a row, a bill that prohibits food vendors from using plastic foam containers is up in the air as the General Assembly hashes out a Senate amendment.

RICHMOND — Virginia has made headlines in recent months for criminal justice reform measures but advocates say more needs to be done. They are disappointed lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly recently killed proposals to reduce qualified immunity protections for police officers.

The Virginia Department of Health on Tuesday launched a new, centralized website that allows Virginians to easily pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine: Vaccinate.Virginia.gov.

RICHMOND — Virginia lawmakers hoped to advance a bill that would eliminate felony drug possession charges and shift a focus to treatment, not punishment, of substance abuse. The measure had bipartisan support and backing from many commonwealth attorneys’ and lawyers around the state, but it …

RICHMOND — On the first day of Black History Month, legislators advanced a bill to help ensure voter protection for Virginia citizens.

Farmers adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for a second round of payments through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Virginia was well represented in the 2021 American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers competitions, which were held Jan. 10-13 during the AFBF Virtual Convention.

Beginning Saturday, Virginians may apply for a driver privilege card at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Applications will be accepted by appointment only; appointments can be made at dmvNOW.com/appt.

Everyone wants to say goodbye to 2020, but racing to get there may increase your chances of not reaching the finish line.

Special to The Gazette

RICHMOND — Virginia’s commercial marijuana market could yield between $30 million to $60 million in tax revenue in the first year, according to a new report by the state’s legislative watchdog agency.

A new Virginia law banning the use of cellphones while driving goes into effect Jan. 1, and Drive Smart Virginia is reminding motorists of the consequences of distracted driving.

Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday signed House Bill 5005, Virginia’s revised biennial budget.

Danville voters have approved casino gaming by a margin of more than two-to-one, with 13,022 ballots cast in favor of a gaming establishment and 5,941 ballots cast against it, according to unofficial results Tuesday night.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday that Ison Furniture Manufacturing Inc., will establish a new manufacturing operation in Pittsylvania County.

RICHMOND — Del. Elizabeth Guzmán, D-Woodbridge, said she is no stranger to the struggles of low-paying jobs. Guzmán said she immigrated to the United States from Peru as a single mother and worked multiple minimum wage jobs just to be able to pay rent and care for her daughter.

RICHMOND — Young Republicans say this is a crucial time in the country’s history amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the country facing a reckoning in its relationship with racial justice and an open Supreme Court seat.

RICHMOND — A closely contested congressional race has spent almost $1.7 million more on political advertisements in Virginia than the presidential campaign.

RICHMOND — The deadline to register to vote in Virginia is Tuesday, and organizations and government officials continue to remind people to register by the deadline.

Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension want to quantify the impacts of COVID-19 on farms and agribusinesses in the state.

RICHMOND — A recent poll finds Virginia voters strongly support police reform and nearly half of respondents say Joe Biden would handle the pandemic better than President Donald Trump.

RICHMOND — A bill to charge law enforcement officers with a Class 6 felony if they engage in sexual relations with a detainee has unanimously passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) began releasing additional Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits to eligible households Wednesday as part of a second distribution approved by the United States Department of Agriculture through the Families First Coronavirus …

Students, schools and youth groups across Virginia are kicking off a statewide campaign this week to increase seat belt usage rates among teens and youth.

Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday announced the expansion of the Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP), which first launched at the end of June with $50 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to assist households facing eviction or foreclosure du…

Farm safety negligence was considered an unpatriotic act during wartime.

RICHMOND — An effort to require Virginia school districts to provide in-person classes to students with poor internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic is most likely dead.