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VPM Daily Newscast: Red Onion death, Title IX lawsuit and boil advisories

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VPM Daily Newscast

The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.

Listeners can subscribe through NPR One, Apple Podcasts, Megaphone, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Jan. 13, 2025:

Man incarcerated at Red Onion prison died in December
Reported by VPM News’ Dean Mirshahi

A man incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison died last month, a Virginia Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed to VPM News.

The man died Dec. 19 of natural causes, according to the VADOC official, citing confirmation by its Office of Law Enforcement Services and the state medical examiner’s preliminary findings.

After a recent visit to the prison, Del. Michael Jones (D–Richmond) called for changes there, as well as an investigation into Red Onion’s practices and conditions.

Jones hinted at the death in a press release following his stop at Red Onion.

He said he was told about the incident while there, but wasn’t made aware of the circumstances. The state legislator said Red Onion staff asked him to hold off on sharing details about the death until VADOC sent a press release — which hasn’t been issued.

“The VADOC does not routinely send out press releases in reference to natural caused deaths,” a spokes person told VPM News in an email.


Federal judge strikes down Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students
Reported by VPM News’ Whittney Evans

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares signed onto a joint lawsuit in May against the Department of Education over new rules expanding the list of those protected from sex discrimination in public education to include gay and transgender people.

After a court approved rolling back those protections, Miyares issued a press statement late last week: “I’m proud to have successfully defended Title IX from the federal government’s power grab that threatened to upend half a century of landmark protections for women and punish States for following their own laws.”

The press release added that the rules “removed biological distinctions in educational settings” and “compelled states to adopt radical gender ideology.”


Boil advisory lifted across Central Va.
Reported by VPM News’ Patrick Larsen

After shifting timelines, the city of Richmond announced its water boil advisory was lifted before noon Saturday. Advisories for Goochland, Hanover and Henrico counties were all lifted as well.

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula told reporters and city staff gathered at the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library that a second round of water quality tests were returned negative for contaminants like bacteria.

“We’ve all been through a lot this week, so I am really pleased to announce today that the boil water advisory has been lifted,” Avula said.

The mayor took a drink from a glass of water, which he said was fresh from the tap. He said water from taps still might be cloudy, but should clear up soon after pouring from the faucet; pipes still have air trapped in them, potentially causing bubbles.


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VPM News is the staff byline for articles and podcasts written and produced by multiple reporters and editors.