Virginia had one of the highest percentages of high schoolers graduating on time in 2022, per a new nationwide analysis.

Why it matters: The impact of COVID-19 on education is still playing out, but the data shows that the state is at least improving from where it was over a decade ago.

How it works: The report from the GRAD Partnership, a group of nine education organizations, is based on Department of Education data and examines the adjusted cohort graduation rate between 2011 and 2022.

• That's the percentage of high school freshmen who graduate within four years, a rate collected since the 2010-11 school year.

By the numbers: Virginia's overall on-time graduation rate was 89.1% in 2022, a 7.1% increase from the roughly 82% rate in 2011 — and 2.5% higher than the nationwide average of 86.6%.

• That rate gives the Commonwealth the 10th highest rate in the U.S.
• The on-time graduation rate was even higher in 2024 (nearly 90%) after a slight dip in 2023 (88.8%), according to Virginia Department of Education data.

The intrigue: The report uses "The Federal Graduation Indicator," which doesn't give leeway for some students with disabilities or English learners who are allowed to take longer than four years to graduate and still be "on time."

• Virginia's on-time graduation rate does, however, giving school districts higher graduation rates than might be shown in federal data.
• By federal standards, only Chesterfield (89.3%) and Hanover (93%) had a higher graduation rate than Virginia overall in 2022 of Richmond area schools.
• By Virginia standards, which puts the graduation rate at around 92.2% in 2022 and 92.9% in 2024, only Hanover passes that threshold for either year.

Full story including RPS' graduation rate increase this year

The owner of a trio of Virginia vape shops is facing up to 160 years in prison after she was convicted of selling drugs at what authorities characterized as an "open drug market" in her Louisa County store, the Daily Progress reports.

Why it matters: The owner's Higher Education chain includes a store in Carytown.

The big picture: Louisa's Commonwealth's Attorney Rusty McGuire announced last week that Higher Ed owner Dawn Marie Morris was found guilty of selling marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms at her Louisa store.

• Morris hosted weekly pop-up markets inside the store at which various vape products, plus psychedelic mushrooms and at least 13 strains of weed, were sold, per the commonwealth's attorney's office.
• Some of those magic mushrooms were purchased by someone from the Louisa County Narcotics Task Force at one of the markets, which triggered an investigation.
• The task force later found more than $300,000 worth of weed and mushrooms, plus nearly $100,000 in cash, at Morris' home and store when executing search warrants.

Of note: The Carytown store remains open.

What's next: Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3.

Go deeper

👀 Richmond's Electoral Board could soon meet again to discuss what to do about other employees mentioned in an inspector general's report that, among many things, noted employees drinking during work hours. (Times-Dispatch)

🛩️ A woman from Texas allegedly tried smuggling over 70 pounds of weed at Dulles Airport the week before Thanksgiving. She must have had a giant suitcase. (WUS9)

🎸 Styx and Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon will play Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront on August 6. Tickets go on sale next Friday. (News release)

After a seven-year, $23 million renovation — Hotel Petersburg finally opened its doors last week.

Why it matters: The opening is the latest development in the ongoing revitalization of the city 20 miles south of Richmond, which nearly went bankrupt nine years ago.

The big picture: More than a century ago, Hotel Petersburg was the crown jewel of downtown Petersburg, until a 1969 fire shuttered it for the remainder of the 20th century.

• The 1917 building was left vacant until local entrepreneur Nat Cuthbert bought it in 2017 with plans to return it its former glory.
• Funding through The Partnership for Petersburg, a state and local initiative spearheaded by Gov. Youngkin, helped fuel the project.

Zoom in: Inside the 64-room boutique hotel is Shirley's (a full-service restaurant and bar), 20 West (a seasonal rooftop bar), and The Boiler Room, a coming-soon speakeasy.

• Rooms start at $140 a night.

What's next: Coming in 2026 just a few miles down the interstate, the first phase of Live! Casino Resort, the $1.4 billion casino Petersburg voters approved in November.

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Richmonders Liz Bowden and Josh Crowley wanted to take cold plunges and hot saunas and make them mobile — so they did. 

Why it matters: You can rent and have them delivered to your home that same day. 

How it works: Sauna Plunge RVA handles the delivery, setup and cleanup after you book online.

• Then you sauna it up for up to 20 minutes, cold plunge for up to three minutes and repeat that three times, per Style Weekly. 
• The process is called "contrast therapy," which involves quickly alternating between hot and cold temperatures for stress relief and muscle recovery.

Keep reading for how much it costs and why Crowley told Axios that it's worth it