RICHMOND The Senate and House of Delegates agreed Thursday on major changes to Virginia's public-employee retirement system that will mean less-generous benefits for state, local and school employees hired after July 1. Current employees will not be affected by the changes.

VIRGINIA BEACH A jury has recommended an 83-year sentence in the case of a break-in at Level Green from 2008 that ended in a shooting. Christopher Lee Joyner was convicted today of aggravated malicious wounding, armed burglary, abduction with the intent to extort money, robbery and related firearms charges…

By Dena Potter RICHMOND Gov. Bob McDonnell has declined to stop next week's execution of a man who killed his teen friend in 1999 then bragged about it to prosecutors once he thought he couldn't face the death penalty. McDonnell said Friday he reviewed Paul Warner Powell's case and found no reason to…

By Ben Smith The rise of a new conservative grass-roots fueled by a secular revulsion at government spending is stirring fears among leaders of the old conservative grass-roots, the evangelical Christian right.

A case that began with a stepfather's anguished 911 call on April 10, 2008, in Portsmouth ended Feb. 18 when Robert Lee Barnes was sentenced for sexually assaulting and stabbing to death his 16-year-old friend. Coming Sunday in The Virginian-Pilot and Sunday and Monday on PilotOnline.com, detectives…

VIRGINIA BEACH Police Officer Dolly Deans has 215 large-view peepholes and shersquo;s racing to install them in doors all over the city. Her goal as senior coordinator for the police departmentrsquo;s Crime Prevention Unit is to make the cityrsquo;s seniors safer.

By Craig Moeller It was another rainy start to the day with skies expected to benbsp;mostly cloudy. Isolated to scattered showers will be possible at any time today, but the better chances for showers will come later this evening and overnight. Highs today will climb into the mid-60s. Low temperatures…