Sandy Hausman

News about the environment and the animals that share our planet can be discouraging, but there’s one creature that seems to be doing quite well in spite of climate change and pollution. Sandy Hausman has that story.

Orange County is known for scenery and history. It’s home to the James Madison Museum, Montpelier and the Wilderness Battlefield, but it may soon be known for another fight – this one over the public’s right to information about planned development. Sandy Hausman has that story:

Virginia’s governor spoke, today, at a meeting of university administrators convened by the state's secretary of education. The topic: free speech and intellectual diversity.

Students have returned to Charlottesville High School after a month of what the local newspaper described as violence, intruders and chaos. Sandy Hausman reports that some students have been roaming the halls during classes, some have engaged in large scale brawls and on one occasion a non-student was allowed into the building before trouble began.

A recent report found 68% of adults in this state were obese or overweight, putting them at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer. The problem is especially bad in rural areas, prompting an offer of help from the University of Virginia.

Every three years the state’s largest utility – Dominion – submits possible plans for meeting Virginia’s energy needs to state regulators. This so-called Integrated Resource Plan tells regulators and customers how the company will generate electricity for the next 15 years. That report is out, and environmentalists are none too happy.

It might not be possible for one person to solve a big environmental problem, but collective action can make a difference. Here in Virginia, one man is proving the point – year after year, and he’s inspiring the next generation.

Now that Democrats have regained control of Virginia’s legislature, lawmakers are planning their next steps. One of the most challenging issues is energy, with a growing number of data centers in this state putting enormous pressure on the grid. With more demand, prices for power could go up for everyone. Sandy Hausman explains why that’s happening, and what can be done to ensure other customers have access to clean and affordable electricity.

As Americans make plans for Thanksgiving, some are gearing up for arguments at the dinner table. At the University of Virginia, an international debate champion was invited by the Karsh Institute of Democracy to advise on how to have what he calls “good arguments.”

The University of Virginia observed the first anniversary of a shooting that killed three student athletes and wounded two other people. Sandy Hausman reports on how the school remembered D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler.