WMRA News

Residents in Rockingham and Augusta Counties whose water comes from a well, spring, or cistern can learn more about the quality of their water through several upcoming Virginia Cooperative Extension Drinking Water Clinics.  WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

Harrisonburg’s Cesar Lara Rios was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, on May 10, and last week ICE denied him another stay of removal. Now he is poised to be deported to Mexico, but his attorney has one remaining hope for enabling him to stay here, as WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

How can the environmental community unite to make a difference at the grassroots level?  Answering that question was the goal of the Annual Choose Clean Water Coalition Conference, which convened Wednesday and Thursday in Charlottesville.  And as WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini reports, participants regarded past successes as a guide for the future of environmental activism.

A long awaited report looking into Rockbridge area Department of Social Services was released this month. In it, a special grand jury uncovered “highly disturbing” practices may have played a role in the deaths and abuse of local children. But the report concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to establish probable cause to bring criminal charges. Some residents – including at least one DSS board member -- are left wondering, how? WMRA’s Jessie Knadler reports.

Who visits almost every home, no matter how rich or poor, and is tapped into communities on a ground level? WMRA’s Jordy Yager takes a look at how postal workers are helping to fight hunger.

On Monday more than 75 people in Harrisonburg rallied outside the Department of Homeland Security office on Neff Avenue against a pending deportation. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

Charlottesville City Council on Monday moved a step closer to renaming two downtown parks currently named for Robert E. Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson.  WMRA's Jordy Yager reports.

Three people were arrested Sunday night after a mostly peaceful protest in downtown Charlottesville turned momentarily violent, spilling out into the streets.  WMRA's Jordy Yager reports.

After serving two decades in prison for complicity to murder, Gregory Winship was granted parole, in 2010. Just a few days ago, in Harrisonburg, he became the first to receive a master’s degree in restorative justice from Eastern Mennonite University. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

Patients waiting for hours, doctors delayed, missing patient files ... These are common health care scenarios that could be improved with a better communication system. WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini talked to three business students at UVa about their new app, Tandem Medical, designed to solve these problems.

We’ve known for a long time that the Human Papilloma Virus can cause cervical cancer in women. But increasingly, HPV is causing cancers further up the body, in the throats of people infected with the virus. And the largest group of patients? Middle aged men. Emily Richardson-Lorente has the story of one Virginia man dealing with the consequences.

HPV infections are leading to an increasing number of cancers in both men and women. There’s a vaccine that can address that, but most people in Virginia aren’t getting it. In fact, compliance rates for HPV vaccination are so low here and throughout the U.S., that the National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers call it “a serious public health threat.” WMRA’s Emily Richardson-Lorente has the story.

A Church in Staunton was the site of the 7th Annual Virginia Liars Contest‑--yes, a liars’ contest at a church – over the weekend, where weavers of whoppers had eight minutes to spin fantastical fibs for a crowd. The best whopper won $100, a golden shovel and a bag of manure. WMRA's Jessie Knadler was there to take in the tall tales and learn more about the fine art of storytelling.

Two brothers from Venezuela bring a staple food item from their native country, arepas, to rural Virginians from the window of their beat-up food truck. WMRA’s Jessie Knadler caught up with the brothers to find out what it’s like being immigrants hustling for the American dream in the age of Trump.

Charlottesville City Council voted 3-2 on Monday to sell to the highest bidder the Robert E. Lee statue that has been the subject of so much controversy.  In February, Council had voted by the same margin to remove the monument from Lee Park – a controversial vote that spurred a lawsuit against the City Council, limiting its action for now.  WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini reports.

It’s billed as a week of innovation and art, with Charlottesville itself as the canvas.  The sixth annual Tom Tom Founders Festival is happening this week in Charlottesville. WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini has the story.

NPR reported last week that President Trump’s travel ban is having a “chilling effect” on international student enrollment at universities across the country. In Harrisonburg, that’s also true when it comes to potential participants in peacebuilding coursework. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

Staunton is known for its eclectic art scene and nowhere is that captured better than at the two day Shenandoah Fringe Festival that kicks off this weekend in the Queen City.  So-called “Fringeketeers” showcase their work in a demonstration of the town’s artistic muscle.  WMRA’s Jessie Knadler caught up with the festival’s “Grand High Poobah” Carmel Clavin for a preview.

Remember that 2012 Anna Kendrick movie, Pitch Perfect, about a capella singing groups facing off? This weekend in Harrisonburg, you can listen and watch in real life as 10 local community and university groups sing to win -- all for a good cause. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

It’s not so much a statement about the health care system, or a model for how it should be fixed. Instead, it’s more like a doctor just arrived at his own approach, sidestepping convention and filling a niche. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz visited the clinic of one general practitioner working outside the health insurance system.