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Wood: Protect Virginia’s vulnerable coast from offshore drilling
Virginia banned offshore drilling in our state waters nearly four years ago, but we are still at risk from oil and gas extraction today. Oil and gas development is still allowed in most federal waters further off our coast, and its impacts can forever damage coastal communities, economies and businesses. Oil spills don’t respect state or federal boundaries, yet much of the Atlantic Coast is still open for drilling. President Joe Biden has an opportunity now to do something about this once and for all.
By setting aside partisan bickering, Virginia officials reached a compromise budget
It’s rare in our deeply divided, hyperpartisan political environment to see elected officials pass anything remotely resembling a genuine compromise, but the two-year state budget approved this week is a notable, and laudable, exception. Democratic lawmakers who lead the General Assembly and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin each made substantial concessions from their priority wish list in order to reach agreement on a deal that, by and large, advances the commonwealth’s interests. Both sides deserve credit for choosing engagement rather than extremism in order to see this through.
Roanoke police settle ACLU lawsuit with new department policy
The Roanoke Police Department and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia reached a settlement agreement this month in a lawsuit related to an immigrant’s visa situation. The lawsuit, which the ACLU-VA says is the first of its kind, was filed in Roanoke Circuit Court in March. The civil rights group sued the police department on behalf of an immigrant survivor of domestic violence, whose request for a visa certification was denied by the department “despite clear state law,” according to an ACLU-VA press release published Friday.
Burned by the British in 1781, lost barracks are found in Williamsburg
Years after the Williamsburg barracks were burned, former Continental Army soldier Spencer Davis, of Virginia, recalled seeing the glow from the blaze in the distance. A British force had pounced on the Americans at night, killing two, causing the others to flee, and setting the fire, Davis recalled. It happened in 1781, near the close of the Revolutionary War. The barracks, built in 1776 after the Declaration of Independence, had been a proud symbol for the new country.
Segregationist history? In RVA, the past is our present
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” — William Faulkner For a city that has spent 150 years attempting to erase its most painful chapters — the most recent effort spurred by conservative backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement and nationwide protests after the brutal police killing of George Floyd — Faulkner’s famous observation in “Requiem for a Nun” is proving more prescient than ever. Friday marked the anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled legal segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Seventy years later, metro Richmond’s schools remain more segregated than ever.
Kaine listens to appeals regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine was at St. Thomas Episcopal Church Friday, where he met with members of the Appalachian Peace Education Center and heard their concerns regarding the ongoing violence in Gaza. Kaine heard from several speakers, who presented him with a call to action. “When we see the epidemic of violence, the genocide in Palestine, we don’t know all the solutions. But we do know that sending more bombs and more rockets is not the answer,” Buckey Boone, APEC chairman, said. “We want you to speak out against the mass killing and forced migration of people, the starvation of children, the total destruction of the medical system.
Oakes family, VCU to host state’s first ever anti-hazing summit
The family of Adam Oakes will host a statewide hazing prevention summit at Virginia Commonwealth University next month, a first-of-its-kind event that brings together educators and anti-hazing foundations aimed at stopping the dangerous behavior. The event will be June 4 at the VCU Student Commons. About 30 groups have signed up so far, including 19 colleges, one K-12 school district, fraternity representatives and foundations, said Courtney White, Oakes' cousin.
‘We can win’: Democratic candidates for 5th District address voters at Amherst forum
Three candidates running for the Democratic nomination to represent Virginia’s 5th Congressional district addressed issues affecting voters in Amherst on Thursday with laughter and cordial exchanges in stark contrast to the highly contentious battle playing out on the Republican side of the race. Gloria Witt, of Amherst County; Crozet resident Paul Riley and Gary Terry of Danville spoke for an hour during a question-and-answer forum that drew more than people 50 to Second Stage Amherst. They are each looking to come out on top of a June 18 primary and achieve a feat no Democrat has done since former Congressman Tom Perriello left office in January 2011 — turning the district blue.
Coyner and Aird: Riverside Regional Jail needs competent leadership — now
There has been a crisis of leadership at Riverside Regional Jail. With the departure of the superintendent, there is an opportunity to chart a new course, to invest in quality leadership — and we are calling on the Riverside Jail Authority Board, made up of the city managers and county administrators of all the participating localities, to hire the most qualified candidate with successful experience running a jail. In 2022 alone, Riverside Regional Jail witnessed the heartbreaking loss of four lives, adding to the seven deaths recorded in the preceding year and another seven in 2020.
UVa graduates walk out on President Jim Ryan’s opening commencement address
The University of Virginia’s Final Exercises were barely underway Saturday morning when a couple dozen graduates walked out in protest. Their exit was triggered by the entrance of UVa President Jim Ryan, who took the stage in front of Old Cabell Hall to welcome the crowd of thousands to Grounds and congratulate the class of 2024. ... With many students and parents still getting situated by the time Ryan stepped up to the podium, it was difficult to make out which graduates were participating in the walkout and which were taking their seats.