New legislation will protect digital menstrual health data, something advocates say is but one protection needed with abortion access left in states’ hands. The amended legislation prohibits the search and seizure of menstrual health data from any digital device, including by subpoena or court order. Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, sponsored Senate Bill 16 and Del. Vivian Watts, D-Fairfax, introduced its companion House Bill 78.  Favola introduced the same bill last year, which passed the Senate with bipartisan support but died once it hit the Republican-backed House. This year, the measures narrowly cleared both chambers. Technology such as phone apps are often used by women to...Article Link

Support the show

An abnormally large crowd assembled at the Henrico School Board meeting Feb. 22, after Henrico Schools removed a Deep Run High School teacher from her classroom. Social studies teacher Catherine Massalha was recorded by one of her students in her ninth grade world history class making comments in December on the conflict in Gaza, stating that Israel committed war crimes against Palestinians and calling Hamas a group of “resistance fighters.” The student’s father sent the 12-minute recording of Massalha’s remarks to the conservative-leaning Defense of Freedom Institute and spoke to the Washington Examiner, which published audio of the recording on...Article Link

Support the show

Dear Editor: Hello, my name is Harper. I am a Boy Scout here in Henrico and for my Communications Merit Badge, I am reaching out to you to share some of my thoughts about the importance of reading. Reading is so incredibly important in so many ways. It allows people to learn, escape to new worlds, and experience new perspectives. It is the basic building block in everyone's education and life. Without books and the ability to read, you would become stuck. It can become a stress reliever and can boost brain gain. Keeping this topic in mind, as I...Article Link

Support the show

A host of home improvement and lifestyle experts will be in attendance at the 2024 Richmond Home + Garden Show March 1-3 at Richmond Raceway Complex to share their projects and their latest home design ideas. Among those scheduled to appear are Jeff Devlin, a carpenter and host of the HGTV show "Stone House Revival;" Virginia Chamlee, a vintage collector and author of the bestseller "Big Thrift Energy: The Art and Thrill of Finding Vintage Treasures – Plus Tips for Making Old Feel New;" and representatives from Woodfin, the Richmond Home + Garden Show's presenting sponsor. More than 250 exhibitors,...Article Link

Support the show

Eight newly trained volunteers will soon be working to help children in need in Henrico County, after having been appointed by the Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to be Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA volunteers serve as mentors for children who have experienced trauma and help them navigate the court process. They also help report observations, progress, and recommendations directly to the judge who is hearing the case. The appointment of these eight new volunteers will allow CASA to continue its work to help the 188 children it has already been appointed to serve this year, in addition...Article Link

Support the show

After a decade hiatus, the outdoor concert series Groovin’ in the Garden will be returning to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Lakeside this summer. The initial event will be headlined by Carbon Leaf, a Richmond band that plays alt-country, Celtic, and folk-infused indie rock. That concert, on May 30, will mark the first time since 2013 that the outdoor series will have taken place at the venue. Last year, the garden held one "Groovin'" show, headlined by Gregory Alan Isakov and Lucius, which sold out and confirmed the Garden’s plans to bring back the Groovin’ series. “The decision is especially...Article Link

Support the show

Henrico County Public Schools officials will be part of a team of educators who will design summer workshops for K-12 teachers to produce artificial intelligence resources for classrooms. HCPS and Goochland County Public Schools will join with Virginia Commonwealth University to design those workshops and build curricular pathways between K-12 and higher education involving work-based learning experiences for students. The projects are part of a state grant awarded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to three public universities in the state. VCU, George Mason University and Old Dominion University each will receive ,000 to complete AI-related projects....Article Link

Support the show

Richmond Shakespeare will present Stephen Sondheim's “Into the Woods” at The Steward School’s Cramer Center for the Arts March 7 through March 24 (at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays). “Into the Woods” follows the story of a baker and his wife; Cinderella, who wants to attend the king's festival; and Jack, a boy who wants his cow to give milk. When the baker and his wife learn they cannot have a child because of a witch's curse, they set off on a journey to break the curse. “Into the Woods” features a cast of Richmond...Article Link

Support the show

For the first time ever, Virginia's two high school representatives in the national "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution" competition are both Henrico County schools. Freeman High School, which won its third state championship in the civics-based competition, and Glen Allen High School, which was the state runner-up for the second time, will advance to the national competition, which is hosted by the Center for Civic Education. The event challenges students to answer questions about key constitutional principles and deliver speeches about the topics they are given. The teams are broken up into six units, and each one...Article Link

Support the show

The House and Senate are both considering bills to criminalize an animal drug that has been increasingly detected in fentanyl-related deaths. These bills would classify manufacturing, distributing and selling xylazine, the drug known as “tranq,” as a Class 5 felony, as well as possession with intent to do any of those things. Possessing xylazine with the intent to use it would become a Class 1 misdemeanor. While it is commonly used in veterinary medicine, xylazine, a livestock sedative, is not approved for human use in any cases. HB1187, originally introduced by Del. M. Keith Hodges (R- Gloucester), was reported (9-0) from...Article Link

Support the show