Author

Sarah Vogelsong

Sarah Vogelsong

Sarah is Editor-in-Chief of the Mercury and previously its environment and energy reporter. She has worked for multiple Virginia and regional publications, including Chesapeake Bay Journal, The Progress-Index and The Caroline Progress. Her reporting has won awards from groups such as the Society of Environmental Journalists and Virginia Press Association, and she is an alumna of the Columbia Energy Journalism Initiative and Metcalf Institute Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists.

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Virginia congresswomen propose federal recognition of Patawomeck Indian Tribe

By: - September 18, 2023

Three Virginia congresswomen are pushing for federal recognition of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe, whose presence in present-day Stafford and King George counties can be traced back to the 1300s and was noted in some of European colonists’ earliest records.  “Our community has always been here, and we have been a strong part of the fabric […]

Youngkin signs Virginia budget offering tax reductions, major new spending

By: - September 14, 2023

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed long-delayed amendments to Virginia’s two-year budget on the steps of the state capitol Thursday, concluding a six-month process that has left many local and state agency initiatives in limbo.  “You waited a long time for this day — too long, candidly,” Youngkin said. “But we came together and got it done.”  […]

After six-month delay, Virginia General Assembly passes budget bill

By: - September 6, 2023

The Virginia General Assembly passed long-delayed amendments to the two-year state budget Wednesday, ending a six-month stalemate and sending the document to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin for his signature.  The budget deal, which many in Richmond had worried would not be reached after negotiations briefly collapsed in July, combines major short-term tax reductions with significant […]

Virginia plan projects universal broadband access by 2028

By: - September 6, 2023

A five-year plan for how Virginia intends to spend almost $1.5 billion in federal broadband funds concludes the state could achieve “functionally universal broadband access” by 2028. “In today’s increasingly digital world, having access to high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury, it is necessary in order to fully participate in daily life,” said Gov. […]

What’s in Virginia’s long-delayed 2023 budget deal

By: - September 5, 2023

Ahead of the General Assembly’s return to Richmond for a special session Wednesday, budget negotiators this weekend released full details of how they believe the state should spend billions in surplus funds over the remainder of the fiscal year.  The long-delayed deal was announced Aug. 25, but lawmakers at the time provided few specifics beyond […]

Virginia General Assembly to return to Richmond next week to resolve budget

By: - August 30, 2023

The Virginia General Assembly will return to Richmond Sept. 6 to complete work on long-delayed amendments to the state budget following a proclamation by Gov. Glenn Youngkin Tuesday evening.  “Today, I am calling Virginia’s lawmakers back to Richmond to reach a resolution on the state budget,” Youngkin said in a release. “Virginians deserve it. To […]

Bon Secours sues Anthem over alleged ‘slow pay and no-pay tactics’ in Virginia

By: - August 29, 2023

The fight between a major health system in the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions and Virginia’s largest health insurer escalated Monday after Bon Secours Mercy Health’s Virginia operations filed a lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. In a complaint filed in Henrico Circuit Court, Bon Secours says Anthem has adopted “slow pay and no-pay […]

Virginia budget negotiators announce deal on tax rebates, new education investments

By: - August 25, 2023

Virginia budget negotiators announced Friday they have reached a deal on amendments to the state’s two-year budget, signaling an end to a months-long process that has delayed numerous state investments. “The deal is one that provides Virginians with additional tax relief and unprecedented investments in education, natural resources, and behavioral health,” said the Aug. 25 […]

Virginia budget negotiators say deal likely by end of week

By: - August 23, 2023

Virginia budget negotiators said Wednesday they hope to reach a deal on long-awaited amendments to the state’s two-year spending plan by the end of the week.  The signs of progress, which have followed months of on-again, off-again talks between budget leaders in the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House of Delegates, came as Gov. Glenn Youngkin […]

‘Slow yet competitive’: In Virginia, housing prices remain high and supply tight 

By: - August 22, 2023

Even as the housing market in Virginia has slowed, prices remain high statewide, researchers told the Virginia Housing Commission Tuesday.  “The theme is slow yet competitive,” said Ryan Price, chief economist for Virginia Realtors. “A lot of things are driving that, primarily the increase in interest rates, which has deterred both buyers and would-be sellers, […]

Virginia begins collecting data on where evictions occur and when 

By: - August 22, 2023

After several years of attention-grabbing reports on high eviction rates in Virginia, the state has begun collecting data on the number and location of evictions that occur over the course of a year.  The effort, which is being carried out by the Virginia courts that issue writs of eviction — the legal documents that authorize […]

Fredericksburg I-95 extension set to open to drivers Thursday

By: - August 17, 2023

Ten more miles of express lanes on Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg, Virginia will open to traffic Thursday night, making the roughly 50-mile stretch between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers the nation’s longest reversible road, according to transportation officials.  “This 10-mile segment is known to be among the most congested in the nation,” said Mike Discenza, […]