Virginia Focus

If you pay insurance premiums‚ you’re already a victim of insurance fraud. The FBI says because of the number of people committing Insurance Fraud, the result is it costs the average U.S. family hundreds, if not thousands per year in the form of increased premiums. The Virginia State Police believe that together, through education and accountability, we can reduce the number of insurance fraud cases and lower premiums in the commonwealth. VSP. SGT Peter Lazear discusses the issue.

Today on the show we’re talking about environmental policies in Virginia. In June of 1988, climate change became front page news and since then technology has created renewable energy options that have come to the forefront of the global energy transition with nearly every country adopting a renewable energy target. Today we’re going to discuss policies in Virginia surrounding renewable energy, the anti-capitalist business model of Virginia’s largest public electric utility, and what you can do to get involved in the conversation. We’ll be talking to Mr. Jenkins, the President of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Virgina. Then we’ll talk to Mustafa Santiago Ali with the National Wildlife Federation about the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act in America.

One large American automaker is expanding its efforts to educate public safety, fire and emergency service providers by sharing the best practices on how to most effectively support emergency situations involving electric vehicles. General Motor’s latest EV First Responder Training program, being held throughout the United States and Canada, was recently offered at Virginia’s Dominion Raceway where hundreds of first responders were divided into both live presentations and other training formats, including combinations of expert presentations, videos, animations and virtual demonstrations. Let’s learn more from Joe McLaine, GM global product safety and systems engineer.

The United States federal government was ordered to pay over $230,000 to victims of one of the largest mass shootings in the country where 26 people died and 22 more suffered injuries. This case was tried in federal court through the Federal Tort Claims Act and found the U.S. Government 60% liable for failing to provide the shooter’s prior domestic violence convictions to the FBI. The case is similar to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech and others except the feds settled those cases and admitted their wrongdoing. The results of this case could have long-lasting effects on all states, including Virginia. On Virginia Focus, we’re talking to a lead attorney in the Sutherland Springs Mass Shooting Case, Jamal Alsaffar.

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about your local literacy volunteer organization, think again. At one time, adult education referred to being taught remedial and basic reading and writing skills. Adults who attended these classes often felt shame for their lack of knowledge. However, today's programs encompass a wider focus to include not only basic reading and writing, but broader, higher-level skills that include GED prep classes, becoming computer literate , and more. Let’s talk to Andy Gail, the Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers Winchester.

Special Agent Tony Royall discusses the Virginia State Police’s Insurance Fraud program and Special Agent Shannon Pinto talks about their HEAT program to curb auto theft.

Patsy Cline was one of the most iconic and influential singers of the 20th century but her life was tragically cut short in a 1963 plane crash that also claimed the lives of grand ole Opry stars Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas as well as her manager Randy Hughes. Born in Winchester , September 8, 1932 would be her 90th birthday. Her daughter, Julie Fudge, and Angela Daeger, Director of the Patsy Cine Museum in Nashville, celebrate her life.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were still more than 1,008 fatalities in the construction industry during 2020 – the largest number out of all private industries – with 165,300 nonfatal injuries. Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry Occupational Safety and Health Program, also called VOSH, joined forces with the Associated General Contractors of Virginia. The strategic partnership resulted in a program named “Virginia BEST” to improve best practices, compliance efforts and accident prevention on construction worksites through recognizing the outstanding efforts of exemplary construction employers.

Today’s show is about the 144-year-old Luray Caverns over in the Shenandoah Valley - the largest group of caverns in the eastern United States. Located here in Virginia, the caverns boast a unique Hollywood story that includes ties to the release of the original Star Wars movie. Also, once you know you want to get out and get moving, we’ll get some travel tips and tricks from an award-winning travel writer and editor and a Google Tech Expert on how to travel on a budget.

This week on Virginia Focus we’re talking politics… some might even call it taboo politics. A recent CNN poll shows voters are continuing to search for something new when it comes to who occupies the oval office after the next election amid high inflation, global turmoil, a gloomy economic outlook and a desire for new leadership. What’s new with the Republicans and Democrats? The talking point seem to be the same old, same old. We’re going to learn something new, politically speaking, by talking to Holly Ward with the Libertarian Party of Virginia.