VPM's daily newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before so you can wake up prepared.
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 Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
The General Assembly meets this week to consider Gov. Ralph Northam’s request to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana starting this summer. If the legislature approves the proposal, it’s unclear what it will mean for driving with marijuana.
Northam’s push to legalize marijuana this summer is finding support in Richmond City Hall. City Council approved a resolution last night expressing “vigorous support” for legalization and ending disproportionate enforcement against Black Richmonders. The General Assembly passed a bill earlier this year that would end marijuana prohibition and set up a legal market in 2024. Tomorrow, they’ll take up Northam’s proposed amendments to legalize it sooner.
The non-profit Homeward has been running the region’s severe weather shelter from a Richmond motel since the pandemic hit. With the shelter closing on April 14, advocates are concerned people will be back on the streets.
The faculty senate at the University of Richmond unanimously voted to censure the rector of the Board of Trustees, Paul Queally, late last week. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the vote followed a meeting where Queally made inappropriate comments, after a discussion about the ongoing controversy over the names of two campus buildings. During that meeting, he allegedly singled out a Black faculty member, and referred to white students on campus as “regular students.” The faculty senate has also called for a vote of no-confidence against Queally to be held by Friday.
- There will be a public hearing tonight on Powhatan County’s long-range comprehensive plan. The plan serves as a guide for officials and residents about future land use, including where to put new housing developments and how to improve traffic. One goal included in the proposal is to make the mostly agricultural county a destination for eco-tourism. The meeting starts at 6 tonight. Residents can attend in person at the Powhatan Village Building Auditorium or view the hearing on the county’s website.
