New Behavioral Health Office will focus on “Right Help, Right Now” resources for students and help schools address students’ post-pandemic behavioral health challenges, according to Lisa Coons, Virginia's Superintendent of Public Instruction.

From now unti;Jan. 1, 2024, 145 Virginia law enforcement agencies will participate in the holiday wave of Virginia’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Law enforcement officers will conduct 646 individual saturation patrols and 71 sobriety checkpoints across the Commonwealth.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Nutrient Management Program will offer a two-part agriculture nutrient management training school in January--for anyone interested in learning about the development of agricultural nutrient management plans or how to become a certified plan writer.

Northrop Grumman Corporation, a global aerospace and defense technology company, will invest $200 million+ to establish a new advanced electronics manufacturing and testing facility in the City of Waynesboro. And some 300 jobs will be created during the next five years as the state-of-the-art facility is fully established.

More nurseries wanted to participate in growing native Virginia trees discount program. “Last year’s successful pilot resulted in getting more than 1,500 trees in the ground that will provide shade, reduce temperatures and offer more ecosystem benefits, especially for essential pollinators,” VDOF said.

Two fires—the Quaker Run Fire in Madison County and the Tuggles Gap fire in Patrick County—broke containment lines over the weekend. The State of Emergency declaration allows dditional resources to be employed to contain these fires and to respond to additional fires as necessary.

League of Women Voters of VA (LWV-VA) has called for an independent investigation of the purging of at least 3,400 returning citizens from the voting rolls across the state.

Governor Glenn Youngkin and the First Lady have presented the fifth Spirit of Virginia Award of 2023 to The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia (WFV), a nonprofit is dedicated to preserving land, providing public access and outdoor recreation opportunities to state residents, and ensuring a future for outdoor enthusiasts.