PEN America
According to PEN America, 4,349 books were banned from schools between July and December 2023, more than the entire previous school year. More than 3,000 of those bans were in Florida.
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WMRA Local News
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Pollinator enthusiasts got together in Winchester on Sunday to plant wildflowers at a city park. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
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The nonprofit foundation that operates James Madison's Montpelier estate casts doubt on initial reports that a fire did no damage to artifacts… The General Assembly reconvenes this week to consider the governor’s amendments and vetoes… Pollinator enthusiasts gather at a city park in Winchester to plant wildflowers….
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For a third time, Shenandoah County Schools are debating controversial name changes for two county schools. WMRA’s Bridget Manley reports. -
A statewide tax program incentivizes property owners to keep land in farming and other undeveloped uses – but signing up and staying enrolled can be a complex process. And one couple got ensnared in the bureaucracy in Albemarle County. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Valley farmers gathered in Rockingham County on Friday for a demonstration of agricultural practices that build soil health and improve water quality. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Housing hosted a talk last week about the role of a housing approach called Permanent Supportive Housing in ending chronic homelessness in the southern Shenandoah Valley. -
Wildfires in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond have burned more than 6,500 acres in the past few days. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
One of the bills that failed to pass the General Assembly this year would have provided benefits to private police officers who are killed or disabled in the line of duty. Advocates say they'll bring it back to the table for the third time next year. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Highland County’s sheriff, a retired corporate lawyer, a teacher-turned-president of the local Chamber of Commerce and five dozen other volunteers spent the past two weekends in a trailer making the Mill Gap Ruritan Club’s famous maple doughnuts. -
The Blue Ridge Free Clinic has been providing free healthcare services to Rockingham County residents since 2020, after the Harrisonburg Rockingham Free Clinic closed last year. An upcoming benefit for the clinic will take place on Saturday. -
The Staunton school teaches everything from job skills to independent living. -
The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen exists to foster understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains – including the native plants that populate the forest. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Virginia author Skip Halpern brings a unique set of perspectives and experiences to the subject of meaning and motivation in work including from philosophers, scientists, artists, and professional athletes. -
A museum documenting the history of the Harrisonburg Fire Department is now equipped with a video tour led by the agency's long standing leader. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
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