Winter will be here soon, and that means peak wedding season is almost over. But wedding planners say theyre already planning for another busy year in 2024, so it got us thinking, why do we wear wedding rings? "If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it." We all know the words of Beyonc. But where did this tradition come from? Contrary to what your newly engaged friend might want you to think, they did not invent the wedding ring. Like a lot of old traditions, the exact history of wedding rings is murky. But one belief dates back to ancient Egypt. Egyptian pharaohs believ ..read more

In the span of four years, El Salvador has gone from being the murder capital of the world to the safest country in the western hemisphere. The result: El Salvador has imprisoned 70,000 people it says are associated with gangs within two years. But with so many arrests, how can the country ensure that everyone they catch is a criminal? Everything has its good and its bad," says Pedro Rojas, a community organizer. Pedro has seen first-hand the transformation of his neighborhood, Las Caas, from a sharply divided gang warzone to a bustling hub of local business and soccer matches. But t ..read more

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will temporarily halt operations at the Lukeville, Arizona border crossing on Monday, amid an increased levels of migrant encounters. According to border officials, the move is to address a surge in migrant encounters at the border "fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals," and to redirect personnel to help border patrol take migrants into custody. Travelers can expect up to a four-hour detour, whether thats going into Mexico or coming into the United States and will have to use the Nogales or San Luis ports of entry. The ..read more

TAPPAHANNOCK, Va. Essex stayed undefeated as the team welcomed Altavista to Tappanhannock on Saturday for the VHSL Class 1 State Semifinal. In the second quarter there was no score, but the Trojans quarterback Zay Bundy lobbed it to Kyran Howard for the touchdown. The team would add a two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead into the halftime break. In the third quarter, Essex showed off their special teams Zion Darby leaped for the block. It was recovered by Altavista, but they did not get the first down and turned it over to the Trojans. Ensuing Essex possession, the Trojans with a little mi ..read more

Jordan King's 29 points helped Richmond defeat William & Mary 88-69 on Saturday night. King added six rebounds for the Spiders (5-3). Jason Roche scored 14 points that included four 3-pointers and Dji Bailey had 12 points. Charlie Williams led the Tribe (3-6) in scoring, finishing with 21 points. Chase Lowe added 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for William & Mary. Caleb Dorsey also had 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks ..read more

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Isaac McKneely scored 22 points, Reece Beekman added 13 points with eight assists, and hot-shooting Virginia defeated Syracuse 84-62 in an ACC opener on Saturday. McKneely was 8-for-11 shooting, making 6-of-8 3-pointers, and grabbed five rebounds. Andrew Rohde added 10 points, four assists and three rebounds. Virginia shot 54.5% for the game and made 12 of 21 3-pointers (57.1%). The Cavaliers (7-1) hit eight 3-pointers in the first 12 1/2 minutes of the second half, pushing a 13-point halftime lead to 33 points, 75-42. The Orange struggled from 3-point distance in the seco ..read more

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Highland Springs hosted Lake Braddock in the VHSL Class 6 State Semifinal Saturday. Early in the first quarter, there was no score. Then Springers running back Eric Byrd showed off with 54 yards for the score. Highland Springs had a 7-0 lead. Next Lake Braddock took possession and Michael Suris had his pass intercepted by Kasim Drumgole to bring it back into Bruins territory. That would lead to Cole Varner, who would not be denied as he fought his way in for another Springer touchdown from nine yards. Highland Springs was up 14-0 after the break. In the third quarter the ..read more

As the U.S. undergoes a transition to clean energy, yellow school buses are coming along for the ride. The problem is that there's half a million of them on the roads, and they pollute the air our children breathe. A 2001 study by the National Resources Defense Council determined children were exposed to as much as four times the level of exhaust compared to someone in a car. 25 million children ride the school bus every day. "This might be their biggest exposure to pollution from diesel engines," said Rebecca Leber, a reporter with Vox. "which produce a lot of different emissions th ..read more

In late November, a federal appeals court ruled against a key component of the Voting Rights Act. Passed in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was one of the biggest achievements of the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. It directly attacked discriminatory Jim Crow laws and prohibited gerrymandering voting districts along racial lines. Now, though, the federal appeals court has ruled that only the government can bring lawsuits under the Voting Rights Act. Over the years, the majority of challenges against discriminatory voting have come from individuals, private organizations, and voting rights a ..read more

RICHMOND, Va. -- Fifteen children received a new adaptive bike Sunday thanks to the kindness and generosity of an area group. U.S. Army veteran James Howard started Richmond Empowering Abilities for Children with Cycles or REACHcycles after numerous combat injuries and a stateside swimming accident left him paralyzed. "We can all remember when we received our first bikes how special that was and a lot of these children have been told they may never ride a bike again, Howard said. "So we make it possible and give them that independence and freedom to move forward with their disabilities" Recip ..read more