Local News

One hundred 95 years ago today, Mary Ann Macham was living her first day as a free woman. Born on a plantation in Virginia, sold for $450 when she was 12, Macham endured 17 years of abuse before prying open a window, hiding on a farm and in woods near the coast and stowing away on a British ship. Now, thanks to the BBC and historians here in Virginia, we’re learning more about her life as Sandy Hausman reports.

The University of Virginia was chartered more than 200 years ago, and today it’s home to many historic collections – 13 million manuscripts, 325,000 rare books, 5,000 maps and 250,000 photographs. But few people know about one of the school’s most colorful collections. Sandy Hausman found it tucked away in a basement – and was anxious to share her discovery.

This is the busiest week for America’s postal service, but officials say they’re ready thanks to about 600 high-tech package sorters installed over the last five years. Sandy Hausman reports on how things are going at one regional sorting center.

A kind-hearted couple recently spotted a kitten lying by a road. On closer inspection, they wondered if this might be something other than a house cat. A phone call and a photo later, it was confirmed. They had found a baby bobcat. Sandy Hausman reports on what happened next.

It feels like we just did this exercise, but it's that time of year to look back at some of the most impactful (and some of my favorite) CommonWx stories from 2025.

The arrival of Christmas signals the end of the calendar year – and the onset of the coldest months of the year. For groups that serve people without housing, it's a crucial time.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s term is set to end in the coming weeks, but a report he’s helping write for President Donald Trump could soon be released — potentially with big changes for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Frank Gupton, CEO of Medicines for All, said he hopes that will lead to production facilities closer to those high need areas like sub-Saharan Africa.

The Trump administration is pausing leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the East Coast due to unspecified national security risks identified by the Pentagon. The pause is effective immediately and will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess the possible ways to mitigate any security risks posed by the projects, the administration said.

Some rural Virginia localities are shifting how they manage residents' trash after problems with bears and with a more unpredictable species: people.