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Former vice chair of Smyth County School Board pleads guilty to using minors to produce child pornography
The former vice chair of the Smyth County School Board pleaded guilty Thursday to using at least six male minors to produce child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia. Todd Stewart Williams, 54, of Chilhowie, pleaded guilty to four counts of persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing and attempting to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, in interstate commerce, according to a news release.
VCU students demand changes from officials amid countrywide detentions and deportations
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) students are demanding that university officials make changes amid detention and deportations of student protesters across the country. VCU was one of many universities and colleges across Virginia that made changes to demonstration policies after students and police clashed at pro-Palestinian protests last year. In a press conference, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) claimed the university is infringing on their First Amendment rights.
Pro-Palestinian student protesters renew demands at VCU
It’s been over a year since police officers broke up pro-Palestinian protests on Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richmond campus. But the students involved in those protests are back with renewed demands. Hundreds of protestors on VCU’s campus last April chanted "peaceful protest" as police officers removed an encampment and arrested 13 people. Thursday afternoon, as a group of three spoke a crowd gathered. They cheered and chanted “Free Palestine!” after the organizers spoke with the press.
As Lynchburg company vows to build small nuclear reactor for mass production, critics voice doubts
Last week, Lynchburg celebrated the opening of an innovation center owned by the nuclear energy giant BWX Technologies. They hope to build a small reactor that could be mass produced and shipped almost anywhere. Speeches were inspiring—full of hope and promise—but some energy experts are skeptical when it comes to small, modular nuclear reactors.
Warner, Kaine nominate candidates for U.S. attorney, including Republican leader Gilbert
Virginia’s two U.S. senators have nominated candidates for U.S. attorney in each of the state’s two federal court districts. One of those nominated is state House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County. Also nominated for the Western District of Virginia is Robert Tracci, the former commonwealth’s attorney in Albemarle County and now the senior assistant attorney general and section chief for major crimes and emerging threats in the state attorney general’s office. The power to appoint a new U.S. attorney belongs to President Trump, subject to Senate confirmation. It’s traditional for senators to do the initial vetting of candidates, even if they’re from the opposite party.
Steam locomotive built in Roanoke gets landmark status
A steam locomotive built in Roanoke some 80 years ago is rolling onto state and national historic registries, providing better opportunities to continue preserving the feat of engineering, according to officials at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Virginia Department of Historic Resources announced last week that the Norfolk & Western Class “A” No. 1218 steam locomotive — one of the railroad icons on display at the transportation museum in downtown Roanoke — is now a designated Virginia Historic Landmark and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Earle-Sears says she has raised $3.1M in governor’s race this year
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears raised $3.1 million in the first quarter of 2025 for her gubernatorial bid, according to her campaign, which says she has set a first-quarter fundraising record — excluding self-funding — for any Republican candidate for governor. The campaign would not answer questions about Earle-Sears’ top donor or her cash on hand as of March 31.
Earle-Sears comments on federal layoffs spark outcry from unions, veterans
A newly surfaced recording of Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is drawing sharp criticism from Democrats and federal employee unions, who say her remarks downplaying the impact of recent federal layoffs show a disregard for the thousands of Virginians — many of them veterans — who have lost their jobs under President Donald Trump’s administration’s workforce cuts. In the clip, released last week by the progressive media outlet Meidas Touch, Earle-Sears is heard downplaying concerns from federal workers about job losses tied to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already axed more than 6,000 veterans and is on track to cut at least 80,000 VA employees nationwide, according to the Associated Press.
Still unclear if there will be a GOP primary for governor
The 5 p.m. deadline to submit signatures to make it on the gubernatorial ballot came and went Thursday, and it is still unclear if there will be a Republican primary for the gubernatorial nomination. Former Del. Dave LaRock announced before the 4 p.m. Thursday that he failed to secure the 10,000 signatures required to make the June Republican gubernatorial primary ballot. In his statement, he partly blamed Gov. Glenn Youngkin for endorsing Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears as the reason he could not gain any traction. “The current Governor jumping in early to designate his successor did not make it easy for us to give the Republican voters a real choice in the primary — but we came close,” LaRock wrote.
Chase submits signatures; LaRock fails to qualify for ballot
With 20 minutes to spare, former state Sen Amanda Chase beat the deadline Thursday night to file petitions in an effort to qualify for the June 17 Republican primary for governor. Chase completed the first step to get on the ballot, but former Del. Dave LaRock, R-Loudoun, another would-be challenger to Lt Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, found out two hours before Thursday’s 5 p.m. deadline that he was short of the signatures he needed — 10,000, including 400 from each of the state’s 11 congressional districts.