Search
VPAP Visual New Voter Registrations: April 2024
New registrations are off to a slow start in the first four months of 2024. Virginia has had 84,411 new registrations so far this year, the lowest number of the past five presidential election years for January through April.
Richmond’s first Black-owned hospital now on list of endangered historic sites
The aged red brick and boarded up windows of Richmond Community Hospital have been at the center of debate in North Side, where residents have been rallying to save the historic building. A freshly achieved historic designation could aid in the preservation of that historic building. The hospital, now closed since the 1980s and covered in Ivy, was once the first Black-owned hospital in the city. It was the only place where Black physicians could practice, and Black patients could receive medical care.
Appalachian Power makes another move toward renewable energy
Appalachian Power Co. is in the market for three wind, solar and battery energy systems as it takes another step toward establishing an all-renewable power portfolio. The company’s request for proposals from energy companies is the latest in a series of planned acquisitions to comply with the Clean Economy Act, a state law that requires Appalachian to deliver totally carbon-free power to its Virginia customers by 2050.
Loudoun Groups Oppose School Safety Panel’s Recommendations, Call for New Panel
After the release of 11 recommendations from a Blue Ribbon Panel that looked into safety and security in Loudoun County Public Schools, several groups in the county are calling on school leaders to reject the panel’s findings and reconvene a new review group with more diverse community voices. ... The panel was charged with assessing safety processes and protocols in schools and came up with 11 recommendations to enhance security. ... The statement pointed to a heavy law enforcement presence on the panel ...
Wexton, Briskman, EPA reps celebrate excavation of Hidden Lane Landfill
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Leesburg) and Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Juli Briskman (D-Algonkian) gathered with Environmental Protection Agency representatives at the Hidden Lane Landfill Superfund site May 14, celebrating progress made on the decades-long effort to clean up the site. The EPA began excavation work in February on the 25-acre site located between the Broad Run Farms and Countryside subdivisions in northeastern Loudoun County.
It’s official: Madison School Board declares Christmas a holiday
Madison County School Board Vice-Chair Chris Wingate acknowledged at the start of Monday night’s meeting the discussion about the Christmas Holiday has “caused some controversy,” so he just wants to have a policy so that “we don’t argue about it every year.” “We’re going to be really neutral, not hostile to religion in our public life,” Wingate added.
622-acre data center project greenlit by Henrico Board of Supervisors
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors has approved a request for over 600 acres of land in the eastern part of the county to be used for the development of data centers. In a scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 14, the board voted unanimously to allow a total of just over 622 acres of land be used for manufacturing and production by developer Hourigan. Specifically, the request describes both data center and “advanced manufacturing” facilities.
Va. ABC ousts CIO responsible for modernizing systems
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority has lost its fourth executive officer in nearly 10 months in the latest sign of instability within the authority’s leadership. Paul Williams is out as ABC’s Chief Information Officer after serving in the role since 2016. Williams told the Virginia Mercury he was “separated from employment at ABC” by CEO Dave Farino with no notice May 8 without severance or compensation for his time at the authority. Williams said the reason Farino gave is he, “doesn’t want me on his executive team; doesn’t trust me to be his leader of a section of the ABC business.”
New N. Va. data center firm sees big opportunities — outside N. Va.
Two regional real estate pros have launched a new company specializing in tapping data center demand outside Northern Virginia, citing local officials' cooling interest in the area's continuing to be home to the data center industry’s explosive growth. “Data center development is being choked off in Northern Virginia,” Ross Litkenhous, who recently co-founded Oasis Digital Properties LLC with Nick Over ... The new firm currently has eight deals in the works in King George and Wise counties, as well as other undisclosed places in southwestern Virginia.
Virginia Tech student helps lead push for women’s health legislation
At 20 years old, Aarushi Khanna played a central role in getting new legislation passed in Virginia. The Virginia Tech student is an ambassador for the Pad Project, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to menstrual products in places where supplies are limited, and to increasing education on women’s menstrual health. Khanna was one of several activists who pushed for the passage of House Bill 1221, which would allow for all schools in Virginia to provide menstrual education as part as overall health instruction for students middle school-age and up.