By NORMAN K. STYER,
Loudoun Now
The county Planning Commission on Tuesday approved an application to construct a 20-megawatt electric battery storage facility along Evergreen Mills Road south of Leesburg. The panel was reviewing the project for its compliance with county planning policies to issue a commission permit required for utilities. However, most of the discussion focused on concerns about the new technology, including the fear of fires, environmental impacts and its proximity to homes and a school. The Evergreen Energy Center by East Point Energy is planned near an existing electric substation and would be used to provide boosts to the power grid during periods of peak demand.
By ALEXIS GUSTIN,
Loudoun Now
Western Loudoun families who raised objections to proposed attendance zone boundary changes can rest easy now after a vote by the School Board late Tuesday night. The board voted unanimously to approve John Beatty’s (Catoctin) motion to indefinity postpone consideration of the division staff’s proposal involving eight attendance zones mostly north of Rt. 7 and along the Rt. 287 corridor, as well as a couple across from Harmony Middle School near Purcellville.
By BEN PETERS,
Inside NOVA
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday allocated funding to advance a proposed multimillion dollar indoor athletics facility.
The facility, which could be the largest of its kind in Northern Virginia, would feature an indoor pool, a hydraulic running track and hard-surface courts. It’s projected to cost more than $100 million at a proposed location of 13505 Telegraph Road in Woodbridge along the Interstate 95 corridor.
By ANYA SCZERZENIE,
Fauquier Times
Fauquier County schools will begin using about $1.6 million in new state funding in January to provide “high-intensity tutoring” to struggling students and to step up efforts to ensure students are not “chronically absent” due to transportation or mental health issues as part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s “ALL In” initiative to combat post-pandemic learning loss.
The tutoring plan will target elementary and middle school students who failed their state “Standards of Learning” tests or are at risk of failing them.
By SEAN JONES,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
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The race for Henrico’s Clerk of the Circuit Court is set to push further into the year as one of the candidates has requested to double check the results. Henrico’s current clerk, Heidi Barshinger, led challenger Gray Montrose toward the end of election night with 51% of the vote and only three of 91 precincts left to report. The final count narrowed to a divide of just 245 votes with more than 106,500 votes cast. Tuesday, Montrose filed for the recount, which has been scheduled for Dec. 11.
By MEGAN PAULY,
WCVE-FM
Stephanie Brewington has been trying to get her teacher licensure for years — but couldn’t afford it.
“It’s very expensive to go and take these classes,” Brewington told VPM News.
She’d take a class here and there over the past several years, paying about $1,000 for each. But she didn’t know the exact process for completing her teacher licensure.
By EM HOLTER,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
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The number of youth homicides in Richmond dropped 75% between October 2022 and last month, a trend that city officials credit to an aggressive community initiative to address firearm violence.
The data was included in a report issued Wednesday that gauges the impact of the city’s Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention plan. The program has brought together community members, various groups and representatives from city departments, Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU Health, among others.
By IAN MUNRO,
Daily Press
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The MacArthur Center in downtown Norfolk is an ideal spot for a small-to-medium convention center that would anchor the rest of a mixed-use development at the site, according to preliminary review by city consultants.
Norfolk is exploring what it wants to do with the MacArthur Center mall and has brought on Gensler, a Washington, D.C.-based architecture consulting firm, to help put together a plan.
By KELSEY KENDALL,
Virginian-Pilot
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The Virginia Beach School Board is changing the order in which people can speak at meetings to ensure all voices are heard. The action came after months of hours-long public comment periods with dozens of students being allowed to go ahead of community members.
The change allows the first 10 speakers to be Virginia Beach City Public School students.
By KELSEY KENDALL,
Virginian-Pilot
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Miles Dillahunt has gone by his chosen name and pronouns in school for about two years. A junior at Kempsville High School, he said all he would have to do is email his teachers at the start of school to let them know that the name in their roster was not what he went by. He rarely ran into any issues.
His mother, Kiana Dillahunt, said she had no problem with Miles using his chosen name in school, even if she herself often struggles to remember to use “he/him” pronouns. When she had to provide written permission for him to go by Miles, she did it.
By NATALIE ANDERSON,
Virginian-Pilot
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City Council is poised to consider a resolution that would close a land use development loophole in an effort to preserve more of its rural, agricultural land. Over the past few months, the city’s planning staff has been meeting with residents in small rural listening sessions to discuss issues related to development, farming and preserving rural and agricultural land. Planning Director James McNamara shared an overview of key takeaways from those sessions with council members Tuesday, along with a few suggestions that could further aid rural preservation.
By JASON ARMESTO,
Daily Progress
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Albemarle County Public Schools says it is close to fixing its bus driver shortage.
There are currently no Albemarle County students who are not receiving any bus service, and every route is now at least partially in service. School spokesman Phil Giaramita called the progress “impressive” considering that the district began the year with a dozen bus driver vacancies, resulting in nearly 1,000 students without school bus access.
By HAYDEN ROBERTSON,
WSET-TV
Lynchburg City Council voted to extend the city-wide youth curfew for another six months.
During Tuesday afternoon’s Lynchburg City Council work session, the council was briefed on the success of the curfew and how it’s helped lower crime rates in the city. Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema presented the information to the council and asked them to consider extending it.
By MATT BUSSE,
Cardinal News
Roanoke-area residents looking for more grocery stores, restaurants and other retail options could get a boost from a new regional collaboration.
Roanoke County, on behalf of the economic development authorities of Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem, is advertising to hire a consultant to “provide a retail analysis and to develop and implement a retail recruitment plan” for the three localities.
