WMRA and WEMC | Public Radio of the Shenandoah Valley and Charlottesville: More News, Less Noise.

Haitian Migrants Have Now Been Cleared From Del Rio Border Camp, U.S. Says

Updated September 24, 2021 at 4:01 PM ET There are no longer any Haitian migrants in the camp under the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Friday. The camp grew to hold 15,000 people at one point, with a total of nearly 30,000 migrants passing through since Sept. 9, Mayorkas said. He called it an "unprecedented" number. The U.S. has been putting Haitians on expulsion flights since Sunday, as the Biden administration enforces a...

Coronavirus FAQ: Is There An App That'll Prove I'm Vaccinated, Or Is Paper The Best?

Booster Shots Are Coming. Here's How To Figure Out If You Need One

Coronavirus Live Updates

A CDC Panel Backs Booster Shots For Older Adults, A Step Toward Making Them Available

By Emma Bowman • Sep 23, 2021

Updated September 23, 2021 at 5:14 PM ET

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended a third dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for people 65 and older as well as others at a high risk of severe illness.

How Some Schools Are Using Weekly Testing To Keep Kids In Class — And COVID Out

By Christine Herman • Sep 23, 2021

On a recent Monday morning, a group of preschoolers filed into the gymnasium at Hillside School in the west Chicago suburbs. These 4- and 5-year-olds were the first of more than 200 students to get tested for the coronavirus that day — and every Monday — for the foreseeable future.

At the front of the line, a girl in a unicorn headband and sparkly pink skirt clutched a plastic zip-top bag with her name on it. She pulled out a plastic tube with a small funnel attached, and Hillside Superintendent Kevin Suchinski then led her to a spot marked off with red tape.

Nurses Are In Short Supply. Employers Worry Vaccine Mandate Could Make It Worse

By Andrea Hsu • Sep 23, 2021

When Pam Goble first heard that President Biden was mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for health care workers, she had one thought: It's about time.

Goble is owner and CEO of Ability HomeCare, a pediatric home health care agency serving 900 children in San Antonio, Texas.

Of her 261 nurses and therapists, 56 have declined to get the vaccine.

See More Stories

'They're Tired, They're Exhausted'

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 23, 2021

In the past four weeks, 23 people have died of COVID-19 at Augusta Health in Fishersville. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

The Importance Of Contact Tracing

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 22, 2021

With COVID cases on the rise, local health officials want to remind those who test positive that working with case investigators to notify their close contacts is both safe and important. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

RMH Feels The Strain From COVID Spike

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 20, 2021

At a press conference Monday morning, Sentara RMH in Harrisonburg reported hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are up, and most of those patients are unvaccinated. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi has more.

Western State Improving After Admissions Shutdown

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 18, 2021

Conditions for staff and patients at Western State, the state-run psychiatric hospital in Staunton, are improving following a partial shutdown of admissions ordered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

Augusta Health Besieged By COVID Surge

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 18, 2021

Augusta County has seen an average of 89 new cases of COVID per day for the past seven days, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Hospital workers there are besieged by the spike. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

First 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial Debate, September 16, 2021

By Matt Bingay • Sep 16, 2021

Appalachian School of Law hosted the first 2021 debate between Virginia gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin on ASL’s campus in Grundy, Virginia. The debate occured September 16, 2021.

Schools Try To Mitigate Spread Of COVID-19

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 16, 2021

Now that most students in our area are back in classrooms, schools are having to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within their buildings. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

UVa - MBU Program For Autism And Developmental Disabilities

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 15, 2021

The University of Virginia and Mary Baldwin University are teaming up to train future healthcare professionals to work with children who have autism and other developmental disabilities. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

The COVID Effect: Longer Waits, Delayed Surgeries

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 14, 2021

As COVID-19 cases spike again, some local hospitals report longer wait times for admittance, and they’re delaying elective surgeries. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

JMU Biologists Patent Device To Uncover Shrews' Clues

By Randi B. Hagi • Sep 13, 2021

Biology faculty at James Madison University have patented a new device that allows them to study the behavior of some of our tiniest local mammals. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

The Latest from NPR

Fresh Air Weekend: 'Office' Star B.J. Novak; Author Colson Whitehead

By editor • 22 minutes ago

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Eligible Americans Can Now Get COVID-19 Booster Shots

By Selena Simmons-Duffin • 2 hours ago

After promising booster shots to all recipients of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, then only some, 20 million Americans are now officially eligible to receive them.

Syrian Government Takes Opposition Town After Weeks Of Siege

By Ruth Sherlock • 2 hours ago

The fall of a Syrian opposition town to the government this week after a siege and threats of air strikes serves as a reminder that the civil war continues.

See More Stories