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Proposed data center project could bring billions in investment to Pittsylvania County
Billions of investment dollars could be coming to Pittsylvania County with the development of a data center that was unanimously recommended by the planning commission at its Tuesday meeting. The project could represent up to $5 billion in investment, according to the Pittsylvania County Industrial Development Authority. It could also contribute up to $120 million in tax revenue over a 10- to 15-year period, though it’s too early to say for sure, said Matt Rowe, the economic development director for the county. The data center, which would be the first of its kind in Pittsylvania, could also create up to 500 jobs.
Youngkin pulls Virginia out of California electric vehicle mandate
Virginia will stop following a California mandate for electric vehicles as of the end of this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. That’s when California’s current mandate is superseded by new California Air Resources Board targets. The new California mandates step up the pace to require that all new car, truck and SUV sales be zero emission vehicles by 2035, with 35% of new sales being electric vehicles in model year 2026.
VCU officials reviewing $56M payment to Richmond for failed development project, JLARC suggestions
Officials from Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health System told lawmakers on Wednesday they are reviewing an agreement to pay the city of Richmond approximately $2.5 million annually in lieu of taxes for a development that was never built, after the school paid the city, investors and developers nearly $80 million to exit the failed building project.
VCU, Rao should further separate from health system, state watchdog says
Virginia Commonwealth University and its health system should further separate from one another, the state legislature’s investigative body said Wednesday. In response to the health system’s failed deal to redevelop the Public Safety Building in downtown Richmond, the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission, or JLARC, determined VCU and its president, Michael Rao, have too much influence over the health system. The review suggested changing Rao’s role with the health system, hiring new staffers focused on real estate and reimagining the board of directors that governs the health system.
Roanoke Council Candidate Drops Out Before Primary Amid Review of ‘Questionable’ Voter Signatures
Roanoke City Council candidate Jamaal Jackson said Monday he is dropping out of the race — effectively making obsolete the outcome of a Democratic primary in which voters have already cast ballots. Jackson made the announcement about a week after city officials received an email alleging that Jackson’s campaign improperly copied voter signatures obtained during his unsuccessful 2022 bid for Council onto 2024 paperwork for the June 18 Democratic primary, according to a copy of the email obtained by The Rambler.
Schapiro: Ahead of D-Day anniversary, pols plan strategic retreat
Eighty years to the day that American soldiers stormed the shores of Nazi-held France — among the feats of arms ensuring free college tuition for the families of Virginians killed or disabled in combat — the state’s Republican governor and Democratic legislature, ordinarily locked in political battle, are poised for a strategic retreat to quell outrage over a threatened reduction in those increasingly pricey education benefits. Fancying themselves friends of the military — how could they not be in a state that’s ranked No. 1 in defense spending and has the third-largest veterans population in the country? — Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly are vowing to reverse a provision both sides supported in the soon-to-take-effect budget ...
Virginia legislators express concern over medical school’s treatment of baboons
A group of three state legislators sent leadership at Eastern Virginia Medical School a letter expressing concerns over the treatment of pregnant olive baboons used for experiments. “We are especially troubled by the school’s history of repeated noncompliance with federal animal welfare regulations,” the lawmakers wrote. The letter comes after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a complaint with the city of Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi, calling for a criminal probe on May 14. PETA obtained extensive records showing that school researchers subjected mother baboons to traumatic, invasive procedures without legally required adequate care.
Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board Can Request Police Reports Again—But Issues Remain
After eight months of being essentially non-functioning, the Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board got some of its teeth back — it can now request access to police records it needs for proper misconduct oversight. But the long awaited resolution has some issues. On Friday, May 31, Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders signed new standard operating procedures providing detailed guidance on information sharing, ending a prolonged period during which the Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) was unable to access any police records or investigate potential cases of police misconduct.
Youngkin says Virginia won’t follow California’s clean car standards anymore
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday that the state will no longer follow car emissions standards set by California, despite his party’s failure to repeal or roll back a 2021 Democratic law that tied Virginia to those regulations. The move tees up what could be another legal fight over Republican leaders’ efforts to undo climate change-related measures Democrats passed when they had full control of state government a few years ago. The governor has already drawn a lawsuit over his decision to end Virginia’s participation in a regional program meant to curb carbon emissions from power plants, arguing the initiative was too burdensome for regular Virginians who had to absorb the cost through higher electricity bills.
State air board adopts federal particulate matter standards
The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board voted to adopt federal standards for fine particulate matter found in wildfire smoke on Tuesday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM 2.5 — particles smaller than 2.5 microns. … Karen Sabasteanski, a Department of Environmental Quality policy analyst, told members of the air board that Virginia localities are already in compliance with the standards, meaning new emissions controls won’t be needed when the rules take effect this summer. “Compared to the rest of the country, we’re in good shape,” Sabasteanski said.