Wholesome News Hour: More hippo madness, celebrated teachers, and water crisis recovery.

Photo by Metro Richmond Zoo Newsroom

By Ava Edwards

February 5, 2025

Good news is still 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. Today we’re highlighting three pieces of good news directly from the commonwealth.

Virginia teachers receive awards for excellence

Six teachers throughout the commonwealth were recognized for their work. They received the Presidential Award for Excellence in teaching mathematics and science. This award is given to STEM teachers nationwide, and these six teachers will receive a $10,000 prize from the National Science Foundation.

Here’s a list of the winning educators:

Geraldine Maskelony, Arlington
Marie Peaches, Alexandria
Erich Sneller, Harrisonburg
Emily Burrell, Reston
Raymond Cotter, Roanoke
Sarah Flippen, Ruther Glen

Getting the full Poppy experience

The Metro Richmond Zoo recently announced a new attraction for its patrons: The Poppy Pygmy Hippo Experience!

This new exhibit allows visitors to see Poppy and her family up close for the first time.

Visitors will receive waterproof equipment to enter Poppy’s wading pool and interact with her through the hippo enclosure.

This experience lasts half an hour, during which guests will see the hippo habitat from behind the scenes, learn more about pygmy hippos, and even feed Poppy herself.

Be sure to visit the Metro Richmond Zoo’s website for more information.

“Water Recovery Week” in Richmond

Richmond’s recent water crisis hurt many local businesses; countless restaurants, salons, coffee shops, and more couldn’t function without water.

However, the City of Richmond hopes to aid in the weeks after the crisis by giving affected businesses a boost in revenue.

And so, Water Recovery Week was born! Locals are encouraged to support small businesses now more than ever.

Mayor Danny Avula is dedicated to helping the city recover; along with Water Recovery Week, Avula implemented a grace period on bills for businesses affected by the crisis.

However, the work to bolster these businesses does not stop after Water Recovery Week—so be sure to give your favorite local shops some extra love as they work to recover.

Ava Edwards

Ava is an up-and-coming journalist who recently graduated from William & Mary with a degree in English. She's written for news publications such as her school's newspaper, The Flat Hat, and Hampton Roads' WAVY-TV 10. As a lifelong Virginia resident, she looks forward to informing her community on the latest information and events.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: LOCAL NEWS

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Virginians and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at Dogwood has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Virginia families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.