500 jobs anticipated with Merck manufacturing facility in Virginia

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Pharmaceutical company Merck will make a $3 billion investment into building a manufacturing facility that’ll bring jobs to Rockingham County, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Merck’s transformational $3...

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger spar over abortion in Virginia

PETERSBURG, Va. — Rae Pickett stepped onto Richell Hines' front stoop wearing a pink T-shirt that foretold the case she hoped to make to Virginia voters as she knocked on doors on a sunny Saturday in early October. “Abortion is on the ballot,” it...

Shutdown leaves gaps in states’ health data, possibly endangering lives

As the federal shutdown continues, states have been forced to fall back on their own resources to spot disease outbreaks — just as respiratory illness season begins. The shutdown has halted dashboards and expert analysis from the federal Centers...

Bird flu found in black vultures

Published 11:35 am Wednesday, October 22, 2025 The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has recently received reports of groups of dead black vultures across the state, including several counties in Southwest Virginia. Preliminary testing...

Merck begins construction of $3 billion manufacturing facility in Virginia

(Reuters) -Merck said on Monday it has begun construction of a $3 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Elkton, Virginia as part of its more than $70 billion investment to expand domestic manufacturing and research and development in...

AWS outage puts Northern Virginia data centers in the spotlight

The Amazon Web Services outage knocked out web services around the world. The epicenter of the outage is Northern Virginia. FAIRFAX, Va. — An Amazon Web Services outage is causing major disruptions around the world. The service provides remote...

Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre review – a devastating exposé of power, corruption and abuse

There is a strand running through Nobody’s Girl – a memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide in April this year – in which the activist and survivor of Jeffrey Epstein grapples with something more insidious than abuse. “I know it is...

Merck breaks ground on $3B manufacturing plant in Virginia

White House Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro told ‘Mornings with Maria’ that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will cut U.S. reliance on China, rebuild supply chains and protect national security through tough trade policy. Merck...

Roanoke health department: Average Roanoke resident’s health worse than state average

On Monday, the Roanoke City Council will receive a presentation from Cynthia Morrow, district health director with the Roanoke City Health Department. The data that Morrow will present suggest that the average Roanoker isn’t as healthy as the...

Now Amazon Package Delays? AWS Still Suffering "Degraded" Service Across US-East

Update (1507ET): Fast forward to late in the U.S. cash session, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is still experiencing "degraded" service in its US-East-1 (Northern Virginia) region, resulting in disruptions across a number of apps and websites...

Southcoast Health welcomes 12 new providers

TIVERTON – Southcoast Health has hired 12 new providers, the health system recently announced. The new providers are: Dr. Rachael Bednarz-Medeiros: She joins Southcoast Health Internal Medicine caring for patients in Fairhaven. She earned her...

Residents question DEQ on landfill

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality held a public briefing on the proposed Green Ridge Landfill Thursday to detail its permitting, monitoring and enforcement programs, along with responding to residents’ questions. The Oct. 16...

Local vineyards combat disease growth due to cooler temps

The below normal temperatures have thrown a wrench in this year's grape harvest. One local vineyard shares its experience. Posted and last updated Temperatures generally have been below normal since the end of summer. Despite a few 80–90-degree...

Virginia man killed in crash on 113 in Lincoln

LINCOLN, Del. - Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal three-vehicle crash in Lincoln on Friday afternoon. Investigators say a Hyundai Sonata was driving north on US 113 at about 2 p.m. on Oct. 17 when the car began slowing down for a...

Brunswick deputy justified in fatal shooting at gas station, DA says

A Brunswick County deputy was justified in the fatal shooting of a Virginia man, the district attorney's office concluded. The incident occurred after deputies responded to a trespassing call and the suspect, Brandon Wayne Taylor, fled on foot....

UPDATED: Virginia Man Dies after Three Vehicle Crash Near Lincoln Friday Afternoon

UPDATED – 10/20/25 – Delaware State Police have identified 68 year old Michael Smith of Portsmouth, Virginia, as the man who died in the fatal crash in Lincoln on Friday. ==========================================================================...

Letters for Oct. 20: AG Jason Miyares not ‘standing up’ for Virginians

Virginia AG race Re “Comparison” (Your Views, Oct. 15): I’m wondering if the letter writer remembers President Donald Trump saying, “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? Let’s see how she feels about it....

Medical Support Departs for Alaska, Mexico Flood Response Efforts

By Tori Gordon Over the past week, Direct Relief has delivered 794 shipments of requested medical aid to 50 U.S. states and territories and 17 countries worldwide. The shipments contained 28.7 million defined daily doses of medication. Medications...

Nancy Jane Niten Plaster

Mrs. Nancy Jane Niten Plaster, age 72 of Stuart, Virginia, passed away peacefully at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. She was born in Henry County, Virginia, to the late Edgar Wesley Niten and Icy Barnard Niten. In...

Health officials issue warning after US patient contracts rare virus: 'It's important for everyone to guard against'

"Remain[s] a potential threat here in Illinois." by Christine DulionOctober 18, 2025 Health experts are warning residents across Illinois to stay alert after a patient contracted a rare tick-borne virus. It's the first time the virus has been...