Sandy Hausman

WVTF/RADIO IQ Charlottesville Bureau Chief




Kaiser Health News

Year after year, we discover new things about human behavior, the ways we learn, think and behave, but how accurate are those studies?  A team in Virginia set out to answer that question -to see if the study were done again, would findings be the same.  What they found has shaken the world of social science.

Sandy Hausman

Wind farms are now common in some western and Midwestern states, and that form of energy is actually cheaper than power produced with coal. Virginia could see its first wind farm on a ridge near Roanoke, but area residents and environmentalists are raising red flags over plans to install 25 turbines.

Many electric companies are replacing conventional home meters with smart devices that can be read, as well as turned on and off from a remote location.  These devices can also tell customers how much power they’re using at different times of day, and since some companies charge higher rates during periods of peak demand, consumers can adjust their power use to save money.  Dominion Virginia Power has a pilot program that charges customers less for power during times when demand is low.  The firm e-mails prices the night before, but one consumer says Dominion needs to do more if it’s seriou

Creative Commons

Electric companies across the state have been rolling out  new technology, installing home meters that monitor consumer use and send that information, automatically, to the company.  Smart meters also allow utilities to turn power on and off from a remote location.  Utilities say these hi-tech meters will help consumers reduce their electric bills, but one elected official is skeptical, and she’s leading a crusade against the devices.

The city of Charlottesville has a problem - a nine-story structure in the middle of its historic downtown mall.  It was supposed to be a luxury hotel, but the original owner went bankrupt, and construction stopped.  Now, a local artist has come up with one possible solution for what many consider an eyesore.