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Opposition mounts to revived Catlett data center plan in Fauquier
More than 90 people who packed the old rescue squad hall in Catlett [last] week for a meeting about a data center complex proposed for just north of town had a resounding message for developers and county officials: Not here. First pitched in 2020, the project was recently revived with a new application to Fauquier County officials. Developer Headwaters is seeking a rezoning to allow up to four two-story buildings with 1.2 million square feet of floor space at the junction of Catlett Road and Gaskins Lane.
Opinions vary on proposed solar program in Washington County
County officials and residents of Washington County, Virginia, [last] week began discussing the pros and cons of a proposed large-scale solar energy project. Texas-based Catalyst Energy has proposed placing solar panels on as much as 1,800 acres to collect supplemental energy and sell power to the electricity grid. … Catalyst is interested in coming to Washington County because of proximity to Wolf Hills Energy, a natural gas-fired power plant located near the county’s western border with the city of Bristol Virginia, said County Administrator Jason Berry.
VPAP Visual Congressional Primaries by Year
While the overall number of congressional primaries remains steady, this year has the fewest contested Republican primaries since VPAP began tracking them in 2012, with only three districts holding Republican contests this year.
For the first time, all of these nomination contests will be state-run primaries. In past years, many districts used party-run conventions or firehouse primaries to choose their nominees. But a new law effectively requires a state-run primary by mandating that the method of nomination allows all eligible voters to participate, including active-duty service members and students attending out-of-state universities.
UVa student panel: The significance of college counselors and how Virginia falls short
In 1954, ruling on the case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court asserted that “education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments.” While this case dealt with racial segregation in schools, it upheld the notion that all children should have the opportunity to pursue an education “on all equal terms.” Over the past 70 years, the nature of education has changed, with college degrees now required to pursue many careers. Across the nation, and in many of Virginia’s public schools, there is a lack of adequate college counseling and preparatory resources.
Shucet: HRBT tunnel ‘breakthrough’ and a Hidden Figure’s legacy
Bryan Jackson passed the island every day when he lived in Hampton and worked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard as a sandblaster. The island looked small to him. “I always wanted to be on that little island,” he said. On April 17, Jackson gave up a day’s pay, $400, to be on the island — the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel’s north island. … Being on the island that day was a bonus for Jackson. He was invited there to see Mary the Tunnel Boring Machine complete the first leg of her journey. … Decades earlier, another Jackson made a breakthrough not far from this island. Jackson’s grandmother was Mary Jackson, the first Black female engineer at NASA. The tunnel boring machine is named for her.
Grand Contraband Camp in Hampton listed among the state’s most endangered historic sites
The Grand Contraband Camp — a place that provided a sanctuary for thousands of enslaved individuals seeking refuge behind Union lines during the Civil War — is listed this year among the state’s most endangered historic places. … In May 1861, shortly after Virginia seceded from the Union, three enslaved men working on a Confederate fortification in Norfolk — Frank Baker, James Townsend and Sheppard Mallory — appeared at the gates of Fort Monroe and asked for sanctuary. When a Southern officer demanded their return under the Fugitive Slave Act, which declared all citizens must turn in runaway slaves even if they lived in free states, Union Gen. Benjamin Butler refused, calling them “contrabands of war.”
After ‘whites only’ job posting, Va. technology company hit with fine from the Justice Department
A tech company based in Loudoun County, Virginia, has been fined by the Department of Justice after it advertised that it was seeking “white” candidates for an open job posting. The job posting by Ashburn-based Arthur Grand Technologies Inc. was published in March 2023 and said that the company was only looking for “U.S. Born Citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates],” according to a Justice Department news release.
What’s to become of the keepsakes left at Arlington Cemetery?
During one of their winter visits to Arlington National Cemetery, Mark and Nancy Umbrell placed a colorful patchwork quilt beside their son Colby’s grave. It had arrived in the mail years earlier from a sender they did not know after the 26-year-old’s 2007 death in Iraq. They had observed other visitors leaving mementos, a gesture that felt to them like a fitting way to both honor the fallen Army officer and thank the quilt maker whose kindness meant so much in their moment of grief, Nancy Umbrell said.
GOP candidates campaign in Lynchburg ahead of U.S. Senate primary
With the upcoming primary in June, Republican U.S. Senate candidates are hitting the campaign trail. Two of the five running, Chuck Smith and Eddie Garcia, came to a veteran event in Lynchburg. Incumbent Senator Tim Kaine is the only Democratic candidate in the race.
Virginia went all in on solar. Then its powerful utility changed the rules.
Four years ago, Fairfax County announced a landmark clean energy plan to install solar panels on more than 100 buildings including schools, community centers and government facilities. But progress on that goal — which the county estimated would save $60 million in utility costs over 25 years — has stalled after the state’s biggest utility imposed expensive grid connection requirements that solar proponents say make those midsize projects not viable. Fairfax had completed six projects before Dominion Energy changed the requirements for midsize solar in December 2022. Since then, the county has downsized two projects to fall below the requirements’ parameters, while five others — including a police station, stormwater complex and library — are on hold.