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Grants available for developing specialty crops in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says it expects to administer nearly $540,000 in federal grants for the development of specialty crops.

The agency said in a news release that groups looking to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state are eligible to submit proposals for grants of up to $60,000 per project.

Agricultural associations, industry and producer groups, community-based organizations, educational institutions and non-profits may submit applications.

Individual producers are not eligible for the grants. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops that are not typically covered by traditional crop insurance.

School bus emergency? Fairfax County students have a plan to handle it

This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage. The wheels on the bus will soon be going round and round again in Fairfax County, Virginia, and some of its young riders are learning what to do if there’s an emergency on the way to school. The annual Safety Patrol Training Camp, hosted by Fairfax County Public Schools' Office of Transportation Services, combined hands-on exercises with classroom lessons to teach students how to keep calm during emergencies on buses. The training can feel remarkably realistic, with overturned school buses on their side or completely upside down in the middle of the county bus depot. Other buses, right side up, fill with smoke that is water-based but mimics the intensity of a bus overheating.
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