Evan Jones
A Botetourt County educator will have something very close to a front row seat tonight when President Obama delivers his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. Lisa Barnett says the invitation caught her by surprise, but she looks forward to her unusual opportunity. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The McAuliffe administration has launched a new program to provide health insurance for thousands of Virginians now without it. These are low-income residents with “serious and persistent” mental health problems. State health officials believe spending the money now on mental health care will save Virginians much more later on. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
As state lawmakers return to Richmond today, the two parties already appear to agree on a couple of key issues that include state spending and SOL changes. But sharp disagreements are likely once again on social issues that include abortion regulations and rewriting state marriage statutes to conform with court rulings declaring the same-sex bans unconstitutional. WFIR’s Evan Jones looks ahead to this year’s session.
It’s been five years since a massive earthquake struck Haiti, killing well over 100,000 people and displacing more than one million others. The head of a Lynchburg-area based relief agency has no trouble remembering the response that followed — and the immediate problems they encountered. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Mark Herring
Attorney General Mark Herring says even if a Rolling Stone article had some discrepancies, it has drawn needed attention to sexual violence on college campuses. Herring leads a governor’s task force already working on the issue. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The City of Roanoke has updated its real estate web site, now allowing anyone to access it it on tablet or smartphone devices. Until now, it was available only on desktop computers, but now, different versions work for devices away from the home or office. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell
(Associated Press photo)
Attorneys for former Governor Bob McDonnell have already filed appeals in hopes of reversing the verdict that led to yesterday’s sentence. But as things now stand, McDonnell must report to prison next month. McDonnell says while he made some mistakes as governor, he never violated his oath of office. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.