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Facilities run by Virginia’s behavioral health agency don’t comply with parts of disability rights law, audit finds
Unannounced inspections of the 12 facilities run by Virginia’s behavioral health agency last July found many Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues, per a new audit, including that most had inaccessible restrooms and paths from parking areas. The office of Virginia’s inspector general looked into whether the state-operated facilities overseen by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) complied with some requirements of the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on disability.
Williams: Irvo Otieno’s family needs the Justice Department, without delay
When Ann Cabell Baskervill announced she was resigning as Dinwiddie County commonwealth’s attorney to attend graduate school in France, it wasn’t hard to foresee her dream becoming an American nightmare for Kenyan immigrant Caroline Ouko. Ouko is the mother of Irvo Otieno, 28, who died of asphyxiation on March 6, 2023, after he was pinned on the floor while shackled and handcuffed for about 11 minutes by Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and hospital personnel during his intake at Central State Hospital.
After Spanberger: 7th District Dems run local race in national spotlight
National Republicans are taking a keen interest in the Democratic primary in Northern Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, but their primary focus has been on one candidate — Eugene Vindman. He is a political newcomer with a familiar face because of the public role that he and his twin brother, Alexander, played in the first impeachment of then-President Donald Trump.
Port of Virginia details major expansion projects, including becoming deepest port on East Coast
The Port of Virginia plans to complete a number of massive infrastructure projects by mid-2027, including becoming the East Coast’s deepest port by August 2025, said Stephen Edwards, the Virginia Port Authority’s CEO and executive director. Speaking Thursday at the State of the Port event in Virginia Beach, Edwards said the $1.4 billion in infrastructure projects come as port officials look to do more business with regions such as the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. “The Port of Virginia is ready to capitalize on this opportunity that favors East Coast ports over West Coast ports,” Edwards said.
State again cites Mountain Valley Pipeline for environmental violations
State regulators on Friday cited the Mountain Valley Pipeline for violations of environmental rules and ordered the developers of the $7.85 billion natural gas project to pay a $31,500 fine. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality outlined more than a dozen offenses mostly related to erosion and sediment control, including sediment impacting wetlands and fill material accumulating in the Blackwater River and the Maggodee Creek in Franklin County.
$3 billion data center project proposed for Powhatan
A California developer wants to bring Virginia’s data center boom to new territory: Powhatan County, on an undeveloped 119.9-acre tract abutting the Chesterfield County line north of U.S. Route 60. Ultimately, the project would mean a $1.5 billion investment in buildings and other improvements as well as about $1.5 billion in equipment, said Roxanne Salerno, Powhatan’s economic development manager.
Virginia Beach marsh terrace project in Back Bay will be the first on East Coast
The marshes of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge provide crucial habitat for local wildlife and help slow down waves that contribute to chronic flooding issues. But over the years, rising waters have started to swamp the marsh. Water pushing in from North Carolina overtakes the wetlands, and sea level rise makes it worse. “It’s just eroding away the existing marshes,” said Kristina Searles, a stormwater engineer with the city of Virginia Beach. … Over the past century, more than 2,000 acres of marsh has been lost to open water at Back Bay, according to Virginia Beach, as well as about 70% of underwater plants. Searles is now managing a massive new city effort to restore about 47 acres of habitat above and below water.
Forced to Change: What’s Affecting Va. Seafood, Fishing?
Captain Matt Mason looked across Curtis Merritt Harbor and reflected: “Fishing is something I’ve done my whole life.” Mason, a charter fishing guide, has worked the sea for more than four decades, much of that guiding trips for summer flounder operating his business, Marshland Charters. Summer flounder is a species of fish native to the mid-Atlantic. Historically, their biomass was centered off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts. A study done by Virginia Tech researchers has found that biomass is shifting north because of warming ocean temperatures.
Denver firm spends $32.7 million on Hanover tract for data center park
A Denver-based developer has purchased a 1,211-acre stretch of rural land east of Ashland for $32.7 million for a planned data center park. The development firm Tract bought the properties after winning the approval of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors for the project in March. ... The company plans a development of as many as 46 buildings and 862 employees.
A Week After Mountain Valley Pipeline Burst, Builder Says Testing Works
A week after a section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline ruptured during testing, its builder says the failure shows the testing is working as designed and intended. Part of the pipe burst on May 1 at Bent Mountain in Roanoke County, Virginia, releasing an unknown quantity of municipal water used to pressure test the line. Initially, the only way the public knew about the incident was because a landowner reported the sediment-laden water had inundated her property to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality.