Health

Williamsburg and more than 87% of James City County residents lived in a trauma center desert, according to a 2025 report by GoodRx Research.

Health

Sentara Williamsburg receives provisional Level 3 trauma center designation

Nick McNamara

It provides a new option for critical care between Newport News and Richmond

Members of the 44th Medical Brigade work with a robotic dog manikin during a Tactical Combat Casualty Care exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C., July 14, 2026. The medics are being trained to provide battlefield care for wounded military working dogs.

Military & Veterans

The Army is training medics to treat a different kind of patient: Wounded dogs on the battlefield

Jay Price

The Army is cross-training medics and working to improve its practices for canine casualty care more broadly to meet the new challenges of warfare.

The Chesapeake Correctional Center in August 2026.

Local Government

Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office introduces reentry program for female inmates

Natalia Nelson

The program at Chesapeake Correctional Center is intended to teach inmates about life skills, parenting and substance abuse.

A Special Operations solider at Fort Bragg digs into a Close Combat Assault Ration, the military's newly introduced meal for troops in the field.

Military & Veterans

Food for modern warfare: The military's new field rations are smaller, more nutritious, and tastier

Jay Price

The new Close Combat Assault Ration is designed to meet the nutritional needs of troops on the battlefield, while being easier to carry and eat.

Betsy Sink demonstrates one of the automated external defibrillators that can be flown to the scene of a heart attack in Toano by Air 10, a James City County-owned drone devoted to medical emergencies.

Health

James City County partners with Virginia Commonwealth University to test drone defibrillator delivery

Nick McNamara

“The potential for it to save lives is huge,” said Betsy Sink, battalion chief of EMS operations for the James City County Fire Department.

Michael Marshall started First Opportunity in 2014 to help people getting out of jail or prison adapt to their new life. Marshall, who was incarcerated for the first time at 17, said he often hears of second chances, but not first opport

Local Government

A Portsmouth man was incarcerated at 17. Now, he’s helping other former inmates reenter society.

Natalia Nelson

Portsmouth native Michael Marshall partners with nonprofits to offer counseling and reentry services after his own experience with incarceration.

ODU master's student Willow Baker sets up a 'TickBot' prototype on a neighborhood trail in Chesapeake on July 27, 2026.

Environment & Sea Level Rise

Ticks are taking over in Virginia. Could ODU’s 'tick robot' help?

Katherine Hafner

Virginia has seen a surge in tick-borne illness, such as alpha-gal syndrome.

Kevin Shive of Accomack County started volunteering after a brain injury in 2020. One of his roles was at the Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility, which earned him the nickname "Cat Daddy" for his work with sheltered cats.

Arts & Culture

After brain surgery, an Eastern Shore man turns to volunteering to help recovery

Janet Bernosky

Kevin Shive is known as “Cat Daddy” at the Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility, where volunteering has helped him recover from a brain injury. He’s also a member of Virginia’s Brain Injury Council.

Debbie Fultz Martin (left) and Karen Swindler display photos of their husbands outside the U.S. Capitol on June 4, 2026. Both men died of cancer after serving at Camp Lejeune.

Military & Veterans

Frustration grows as thousands of Camp Lejeune water plaintiffs continue to wait for settlements

Jay Price

Judges handling the thousands of lawsuits from sick veterans and family members have ordered lawyers to hammer out a mass settlement plan by the end of October.

Virginia Beach's Audrey Leishman wrote a book that explains sepsis to children. She was hospitalized with the condition in 2015.

Arts & Culture

In 2015, a Virginia Beach woman survived sepsis. Now, she’s hoping to spread awareness in a children’s book.

Natalia Nelson

Audrey Leishman wrote “Katie Koala’s Biggest Fight” after her own experience with sepsis to inform parents about sepsis symptoms.