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 Oct. 24, 2023:
How racism in Richmond’s past and present harms Black homeownership
Reported by VPM News’ Connor Scribner
Many of Richmond’s historically Black neighborhoods have seen large increases in home values — and tax assessments — in recent years, as new residents move into a city facing a 35,000-unit housing shortage.
While that may sound like a positive for long-time homeowners, it’s kicked off a wave of displacement, with many residents unable to keep up with rising rents and property tax bills.
But the root of the issue lies deeper. Decades of government and privately enforced segregation spurred disinvestment in majority-Black neighborhoods. And the real estate market continues to devalue them.
Sweet Run State Park opens in Loudoun County
Reported by WAMU/DCist
Sweet Run was only recently dedicated as a state park, but much of the land has been open to the public since 2004, when the private Leggett Foundation opened the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship here. In 2016, the process of transitioning the land into a state park began in earnest, with the foundation handing off 600 acres to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The rest of the land — 280 acres purchased and donated by Loudoun County — was transferred to state management in early 2022, the same year Virginia lawmakers included funding in the state budget to hire the park’s first staff.
In other news:
- Va. is rolling out widespread school tutoring. Here’s how local districts are doing it. (The Washington Post)*
- 7 sites were studied as potential locations for a small modular reactor in Southwest Virginia (Cardinal News)
- Albemarle schools and teachers union return to negotiating table (The Daily Progress)*
In case you missed it:
- Virginia sees more women candidates of color for legislature (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- USS Eisenhower strike group redirected to sail to Middle East (The Virginian-Pilot)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
