Wholesome news hour: Uplifting school, climate, and accessibility updates across VA

Good news is great news! Dogwood’s wholesome news hour is a quick refresh from the day’s hard news, celebrating some of the positive things happening throughout Virginia.

8 Virginia schools honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools

Every year, the Department of Education awards schools for high performances in various categories. 

The first award category is “Exemplary High-Performance Schools,” or schools that show consistently high performance on standardized tests. The second category, “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools,” awards schools that demonstrate exponential growth in test scores throughout the year. 

Virginia schools swept these categories this year, and now eight of the state’s schools are National Blue Ribbon Schools.

The Virginia Schools who received awards this year are as follows:

Exemplary High-Performance Schools:

• Green Run Collegiate (Virginia Beach Public Schools)
• Bethel Manor Elementary School (York County Public Schools)
• St. Andrew The Apostle School (Arlington Diocese)
• Spring Hill Elementary School (Fairfax County Public Schools)

Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools:

• Central Academy Middle School (Botetourt County Public Schools)
• Gate City Middle School (Scott County Public Schools)
• T. Clay Wood Elementary School (Prince William County Public Schools)
• Saltville Elementary School (Smyth County Public Schools)

Richmond named most climate-resilient city in the United States

It’s no secret that climate change affects every person in the United States—and here in Virginia, issues like flooding and other natural disasters are especially dangerous. But all hope is not lost; thanks to research from USA TODAY Homefront, FEMA, and NOAA, Richmond is now the most resilient city against climate change.

As a part of this research, FEMA collected data from the most populous cities in America. Researchers analyzed cities for their flood risks, drought risks, frequency of severe weather, and city response to natural disasters.

In Richmond’s case, the city showed high preparedness for natural disasters and generally low amounts of severe weather. Despite the James River that flows through the city, Richmond has little flooding during high precipitation. 

And the good news keeps coming! While Richmond was named the safest city amid climate changes, Arlington was ranked number two on the list! 

Based on these findings, Virginia’s local governments are doing their part to fight against climate change through excellent natural disaster preparedness. 

Virginia State Parks help colorblind visitors enjoy fall with new viewfinders

The first hints of fall are arriving throughout the commonwealth. You’ve probably noticed the slight chill in the air, and the foliage is starting to show its autumn colors. 

But some can’t enjoy the fall foliage like the rest of the population. 

Color vision deficiency, or colorblindness, affects approximately 13 million Americans—and red-green colorblindness is one of the most common forms.

This year, all 43 of Virginia’s state parks made fall foliage more accessible by adding special viewfinders that help those with red-green color blindness. 

The fall foliage in the western part of Virginia is expected to peak in early October, so this initiative will help everyone enjoy the beautiful autumn views this season.