The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of April 19, 2023:
Richmond Public Schools fire safety in 'trouble' mode
Reported by VPM News’ Connor Scribner and Megan Pauly
A VPM News investigation reveals a history of spotty inspection recordkeeping and long-standing fire code violations.
Following the William F. Fox Elementary School fire in February 2022, VPM News obtained and analyzed all available fire inspection records for Richmond’s public schools from 2015–2022. Unchecked: Inside RPS fire inspections is the result.
State delay hampers Richmond’s budget process
Reported by VPM News’s Jahd Khalil
Delays in passing the state budget are affecting the city of Richmond’s spending plan for the coming year. Several city budget items are in the balance, including public defender pay.
Virginia Senate Democrats and House Republicans are negotiating the state budget. But media reports indicate they might not finish until June. That’s when economic numbers come out and legislators finish primary elections.
That’s a problem for the city of Richmond, which needs to adopt a budget by May 31.
In other news:
- Mapped: Where Virginia is growing (Axios Richmond)
- Neighbors shaken and temporarily displaced after building wall collapses in Jackson Ward (WRIC)
- Fairfax grand jury declines to indict officer who killed man near Tysons (The Washington Post)
In case you missed it:
- Va. Colleges will raise tuition unless state leaders intervene (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
- Fort Lee will change 27 names in transition to Fort Gregg-Adams later this month (The Progress-Index)
- Virginia’s registered voter list ‘inadvertently’ shared, state agency says (WRIC)