The spotted lanternfly has descended upon grape vines, fruit orchards, and maple trees in more than half of Virginia's counties, including the entire Shenandoah Valley. One local vineyard is arming their patrons to help swat out the invasive insects. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

In 1997, journalist David Poole launched a one-employee nonprofit to shine light on a blind spot in Virginia’s lax campaign finance system. Over the next quarter century, the Virginia Public Access Project assumed an increasingly larger role in state politics.

Makayla Venable is the Democratic candidate running to represent the 36th District in Virginia House of Delegates. The District – which includes Staunton, Waynesboro, and parts of Augusta County – is currently represented by incumbent Republican candidate Ellen Campbell. Venable is a first-time candidate but has a background working in healthcare which, as she told me, influenced her to run for office.

A former Augusta County businessman who pled guilty to federal tax evasion will remain in custody until his sentencing. Listeners are advised that this story contains discussion of attempted suicide. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

The Blue Ridge Abortion Fund provides resources to Virginians and people traveling into Virginia for abortions. They've seen an increase in out-of-state clients in the last three years. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi spoke with their executive director and filed this report.

In early March, WMRA submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We received the results at the end of September. The data they released reveals the number of people arrested by ICE in our broadcast region in the first months of President Donald Trump's second presidency, as well as trends within those arrests. WMRA's Bob Leweke sat down with Randi B. Hagi to discuss these records.

The Super Gr8 Film Festival returns to Harrisonburg this weekend after a several-year hiatus. It’s chance for aspiring filmmakers to shoot a short movie with a Super 8 camcorder and a single roll of film, with the final product shown for the first time to participants and audiences alike. WMRA’s Calvin Pynn spoke with Paul Somers, one of Super Gr8’s founders, who detailed the festival’s return.

The Augusta County Commonwealth's Attorney says that a man who died in the custody of the sheriff's office in May died of a drug overdose, and no charges would be filed in the case. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

Shenandoah National Park remains open during the federal government shutdown, but advocates warn that limited staffing will impact visitor safety during the park's busiest season. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

Cathy Rec is the democratic candidate running for Virginia’s House of Delegates representing the 33rd district, which includes Shenandoah and Page Counties.