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Yancey: Roanoke named ‘welcoming city’ for immigrants, 100 years after U.S. tried to shut the doors to many

By DWAYNE YANCEY, Cardinal News

Roanoke, a seven-time winner of the All-America City designation, recently won another title. The Star City was named a “Certified Welcoming” city by Welcoming America, a nonprofit dedicated to welcoming immigrants. Roanoke is the first locality in Virginia to earn this distinction and one of just 24 across the country. It’s also the fifth smallest community on that list, which is otherwise dominated by major metros. Given the tenor of the national conversation about immigration, you would not expect to find a small city on the edge of Appalachia to be an officially “welcoming” city for immigrants, yet there Roanoke is. This is just one of many data points about Roanoke that show how it’s different.

VaNews April 26, 2024


Virginia Board of Education approves $25.4M for six new lab schools

By ANNA BRYSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The Virginia Board of Education approved $25.4 million for six new lab schools Thursday as state officials find ways to accelerate the approval process to use the existing lab school funding before the current budget cycle ends. Some education officials worry that the expedited approval process might affect the quality of lab school plans, but proponents say officials thoroughly vet the applications.

VaNews April 26, 2024


Port of Virginia still expects traffic despite Baltimore port partially reopening after bridge collapse

By ERIKA CRAVEN, WTKR-TV

Roughly one month after a container ship hit and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the first vessels passed through the Baltimore port after a temporary deep channel opened. The collapse had a ripple effect in Hampton Roads as ports, including the Port of Virginia, absorbed the Baltimore traffic. Even with Baltimore’s port partially reopened, Virginia will still see additional traffic. Our port is expected to get 18,000 to 20,000 containers of cargo from Baltimore this month.

VaNews April 26, 2024


Portsmouth submitting jail relocation plans to state with aim to move in by January

By NATALIE ANDERSON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

City leaders are submitting plans to the state to acquire the Hampton Roads Regional Jail for use as the new Portsmouth city jail and aim to make the transition no later than the start of 2025. The Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority, which comprises city managers and other representatives from the five participating jurisdictions, voted unanimously last week to allow Portsmouth to purchase the facility. The move means the facility could serve as Portsmouth’s new city jail, allowing the city to convert the current aging waterfront jail facility into a tax-generating property — a goal the city has been working toward for years. It could also provide a safe place to accommodate juvenile detention services.

VaNews April 26, 2024


With casino vendor choice made, Petersburg focuses on preparing for the referendum

By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

With Wednesday’s approval of The Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprises as Petersburg’s casino vendor of choice, city officials say the next step in the process is getting the Virginia Lottery Board and a Circuit Court judge on its side in approving the November referendum that ultimately decides the future of legalized gambling here. In an email Thursday afternoon, city spokesperson Joanne Williams said Petersburg and Cordish/BSE will draw up the paperwork to submit to the lottery board, the state agency that governs Virginia’s casino operations.

VaNews April 26, 2024


Loudoun County Public Schools officials criticize new state-mandated training

By EVAN GOODENOW, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Training mandated by the Virginia Literacy Act, passed by the General Assembly in 2022, will keep Loudoun County Public Schools teachers busy over the next year. Jeff Rounsley, the LCPS director of teaching and learning, outlined the professional development requirements from the Virginia Department of Education to the School Board at its April 23 meeting. … For reading specialists for kindergarten through third grade, that means 27 to 54 hours of new training, Rounsley said. All elementary school teachers and all middle school English teachers must complete 18 to 27 hours. And other middle school teachers will be required to have nine to 18 hours of training in math, science and social studies.

VaNews April 26, 2024


Patel: I voted for Youngkin. Now he has turned his back on my business.

By DHARMENDRA PATEL, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

As one of the leaders of the Asian American Business Owners Association (AABOA), I know firsthand how skill games have not only benefited Virginia small businesses but also helped them survive the onslaught of COVID, skyrocketing inflation, and higher-than-expected wages. AABOA represents more than 300 convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants in Southwest Virginia. The survival of many of our locations depended on supplemental income from skill games before they were abruptly banned in October.

Patel lives in Salem.

VaNews April 26, 2024


Madison County School Board approves changing ‘winter break’ to ‘Christmas break’

By GRACIE HART BROOKS, Madison Eagle

Despite numerous resident objections, the Madison County School Board has approved changing “winter break” to “Christmas break” in the 2024-25 school calendar. In March, Madison County resident Mike Sharman made a comment suggesting the change of “winter break” to “Christmas break.” The board then suggested making that change in the 2024-25 draft school calendar. “Christmas is a cultural thing in our community,” board member Christopher Wingate said. “I support the idea.”

VaNews April 26, 2024


Hashmi and Sickles: Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, health care is becoming more accessible

By GHAZALA HASHMI AND MARK SICKLES, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

This March, we celebrated the 14th anniversary of one of the most landmark health care laws passed in our lifetimes, the Affordable Care Act. As the chairs of our respective health committees in the General Assembly, we are tasked with considering every bill impacting health policy in Virginia. This year, our Democratic majorities passed bills that build on the progress of the ACA by lowering health care costs, including for prescription drugs (although a bill to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board was unfortunately vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin).

Sen. Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, chairs the Senate Education and Health Committee. Del. Sickles, D-Fairfax, chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee.

VaNews April 26, 2024


States, Including Virginia, Take On China in the Name of National Security

By JAMES T. AREDDY, Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

States have a new adversary: China. From Florida to Indiana and Montana, an expanding array of local proposals, bills, laws and regulations aim to block Chinese individuals and companies from acquiring land, winning contracts, working on research, setting up factories and otherwise participating in the U.S. economy. State officials, overriding traditional local interests such as drawing investment and creating jobs, say they are acting where Congress hasn’t to address grassroots American distrust of the Chinese Communist Party. … “There is a real responsibility on behalf of governors and state legislatures to look out for the safety and protection of our citizens,” said Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ...

VaNews April 26, 2024