It was fifty years ago that residents of nine counties in Virginia put their money and their minds together in an attempt to prevent suburban sprawl from destroying great scenery and rich farmland. This weekend, the Piedmont Environmental Council will celebrate, and the public is invited.

Nominations for the 5th, 8th and 10th districts will be up for grabs on Saturday.

A new state law gives Virginia prisoners more credit for good behavior behind bars, so about 4,500 of them will be getting out this summer. But returning to communities, finding work and housing, can be tough. That’s where a non-profit called the Fountain Fund comes in. Since it began work five years ago, the Charlottesville group has given over a million dollars in low-interest loans to help former inmates start their new lives.

Inspired by the daring escape of James Lindsey Smith, a group of men retrace his route from the Northern Neck back to their home in Connecticut.

As the baby formula shortage grips the country, members of Congress are trying to find solutions.One member from Virginia has a plan to help parents in need.

There’s new intrigue in the tobacco business, and it connects back to Virginia.Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright have more on this merger news.

Three Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices live in Fairfax County, leading to security concerns now that abortion-rights protesters are showing up at their houses.

Efforts to unionize at Starbucks and Amazon have gotten national attention, but there are also signs of a labor revival at smaller companies. Employees at one of Charlottesville’s favorite fast food places may soon vote on whether to join a union.

A federal judge in Richmond is giving preliminary approval to a class-action settlement providing almost $500 million in relief to victims of an online predatory lending scam.

A growing elk population is creating some challenges in Southwestern Virginia. And students at Virginia Tech are using hip-hop to promote learning.Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project's Va. News link.