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Lawsuit that could derail Diamond District stadium to get a hearing
A lawsuit that could derail the Diamond District baseball stadium project will proceed, a Richmond judge decided Thursday, which could cost the city $25 million even if the suit fails. Lawyer Paul Goldman has filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing that Richmond should conduct a referendum before it floats $170 million in bonds to build the minor league stadium and the infrastructure around it. Judge W. Reilly Marchant said he will schedule a hearing in a few weeks for Goldman to argue his case.
Stafford wants parents, students dialed in about possible cellphone ban
If members of the Stafford School Board were filming an ad about their plan to ban cellphone usage during the school day, they might say to students and their parents: “Can you hear me now?” Officials want to make sure those enrolled, as well as their families, know about upcoming changes regarding the student code of conduct. On June 11, the School Board will vote on six new policies that affect everything from anti-bullying measures to removing a rowdy student from class. But they’re well aware the plan to not allow cellphone usage from the starting bell to dismissal is going to create the most blowback.
Chesterfield leads Virginia in population growth
Chesterfield County is extending its lead as the largest locality in Greater Richmond after adding more residents the past four years than the rest of the region combined. Between April 2020 and July 2023, the county increased by 18,565 residents, the highest total not only in the region but also every other city and county in Virginia, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The next-highest total increase belongs to Loudoun County in Northern Virginia, which rose by 13,642 people.
Clemons: Seventy years later, the fight for equality begins anew
A common misconception about the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision is that it ended segregation in American classrooms overnight. While the justices’ unanimous 1954 ruling declared the idea of “separate but equal” unconstitutional, hundreds of thousands of students of color remained deeply segregated as Southern states like Virginia took little action to integrate. ... A few years ago, as an assistant professor at Virginia State University, I worked on a team that catalogued and digitized more than 100,000 historical items belonging to the Virginia Interscholastic Association (VIA). African American secondary school officials organized the VIA, one month before Brown v. Board, to oversee athletics, arts and academic competitions for Black students during segregation.
Wilder faults Biden for apparent cancellation of VSU debate
Former Gov. Doug Wilder on Thursday criticized President Joe Biden over his role in the apparent cancellation of the Oct. 1 presidential debate at Virginia State University. On Wednesday, Biden’s campaign notified the Commission on Presidential Debates that he would not participate in its three scheduled fall forums at universities, including the debate at VSU. Instead, Biden and former President Donald Trump quickly agreed to two debates, a June 27 faceoff to be hosted by CNN and a Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC.
Marquez: Who will pay for Amazon’s data center boom? Taxpayers
Silicon Valley may be America’s tech capital on the West Coast, but Northern Virginia holds that title in the east. As the historical backbone of the internet and just a stone’s throw from Washington, D.C., the region has become a favored destination for major tech companies to set up shop. Thanks in large part to generous tax breaks from state lawmakers, the region has become home to the nation’s largest cluster of data centers — some 275 and counting, with Amazon planning $35 billion in data centers across Loudoun and Prince William counties over the next 15 years.
Excavation at University of Richmond does not find graves as expected
When workers found discolored soil in neatly arranged blocks at the University of Richmond, they believed they had found graves. And they had good reason — they were just a few feet from a known grave site. Immediately, the university stopped what the workers were doing and applied for a state permit to excavate graves. After it was approved, excavation began last month. Then, archaeologists made a surprising discovery — the ground they were digging did not contain graves, the university announced this week.
Future Educators Academy will train new teachers while they're still in high school
A new teacher preparation program could soon send Fauquier County students back into the classroom just years after high school graduation, only this time as teachers. The Future Educators Academy is a dual enrollment program that will allow high school juniors and seniors to complete coursework to earn their high school diploma while earning an associate’s degree in education at the same time. If they go straight to a four-year institution and immediately earn a bachelor’s degree, they could be teachers by age 20 or 21.
Charges dropped against several arrested at UVa protest
One by one, the charges lodged against those arrested at an encampment of anti-war protesters at the University of Virginia earlier this month are being dropped. Kristen Finn, a local freelance photographer, was among the 27 people arrested on May 4 when UVa administrators called in Virginia State Police to break up the small encampment that had been quietly protesting Israel's ongoing war in Gaza for four days. ... On Wednesday, Albemarle County dropped the charges against Finn — and five others.
70 years after landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the echoes continue in Prince Edward County
In the 70 years since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case banned racial segregation in U.S. schools, the pursuit of quality and equitable education in Prince Edward County has taken many forms and faced many challenges, and continues strong today in its legacy and impact. As one of the five civil rights cases that were combined in Brown, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County brought together the lion’s share of individual plaintiffs decrying the “separate but equal” doctrine as a farce — about three-quarters of more than 200 people named in Brown.