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Virginia Senate blocks Youngkin’s picks for Parole Board
Democrats in the Virginia Senate voted Thursday to block Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees to the Virginia Parole Board, another shot in an ongoing partisan battle over filling roles in state government. The Senate voted 21-19 to block a normally routine resolution confirming four Youngkin appointees to the Parole Board and one appointee to the Safety and Health Codes Board. A month ago, the Republican majority in the House of Delegates took similar action to block 11 appointees of former Gov. Ralph Northam. The House’s move was retaliation for Senate Democrats’ refusal to confirm Andrew Wheeler, Youngkin’s controversial pick to serve as Virginia’s top environmental official.
School superintendents chide Youngkin administration's audit of 'divisiveness' in schools
School superintendents across Virginia on Thursday criticized recent efforts by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration to target “divisive concepts” and equity initiatives in the state’s schools, saying the administration’s work could “set public education in Virginia back many years.” In a blunt letter representing the views of all 133 state superintendents, the school leaders challenged a recent report by Youngkin education officials that criticized ongoing efforts to address racial and socioeconomic disparities in education as “discriminatory,” and that sought to downplay the role of systemic racism in fostering those disparities.
Details unsettled for college-sponsored ‘lab schools’ in Va.
A conference committee — and eventually Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin — will have to work out the details on a key piece of the governor’s legislative agenda, a plan to partner colleges with K-12 systems to create “lab schools” that proponents say would spark innovation in education. One version of the legislation has passed the Democratic-controlled Senate with changes made to appease teachers unions and local school boards. The GOP-controlled House has passed legislation on party-line votes that hews more closely to what Youngkin initially touted.
Rising gas prices pump up discord in Richmond as Democrats call for declaration of emergency
Gas price wars hit the Virginia General Assembly this week, with Democrats calling on Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to declare an emergency to fight gouging at the pump and Republicans saying “I told you so” over a failed tax-cut proposal. House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) demanded Thursday that Youngkin issue an executive order declaring a state of emergency over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which would activate a state law prohibiting price-gouging in times of disaster.
General Assembly OKs bill creating candidate finance audits
The Virginia General Assembly passed a campaign finance reform bill Thursday that adds a new layer of oversight to spending by candidates, but only after an amendment was added so it would not take effect until their next scheduled election cycle is over. The measure would both tighten record retention requirements and implement reviews of campaign committee financial records by the Department of Elections. Currently, candidates disclose their spending with varying degrees of specificity under what’s effectively an honor system, with no state-sponsored review.
As earmarks return, federal dollars to flow to Virginia projects through new U.S. budget
A new federal budget is halfway through Congress, with billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine and authority for Virginia and other states to receive all of the money promised to them last fall for highways and bridges in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. But the budget approved by the House of Representatives late Wednesday and due for a vote by the Senate also heralds a return of earmarks — federal dollars for local projects championed by members of Congress.
Friday Read Virginia governors come and go, but Bob Brown’s camera has captured their history for half a century
It’s probably not true that Bob Brown traded tomato plants with Thomas Jefferson or sipped bourbon with Abraham Lincoln, though you might hear such tales around Virginia’s Capitol. But it is a fact that Brown began photographing the General Assembly for the Richmond Times-Dispatch so long ago, almost half the current members of the House of Delegates hadn’t even been born. Since 1970, Brown has been a near-constant presence in the halls of Jefferson’s Capitol — neck slung with cameras, Canon raised to his eye for a quick shot of lawmakers huddling, scratching, yawning, guffawing. Governors come and go — 14 in the past 52 years — but Brown is as constant as the rotunda’s Houdon statue of George Washington.
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FROM VPAP
From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia
Our Virginia COVID-19 dashboard features VDH vaccination data, including what percentage of the state's population has received at least one shot and the number of vaccinations per 100,000 residents in each city and county. Our dashboard also makes it easy to track the latest available data for tests performed, infections, deaths and hospital capacity. There's also a filter for each city and county, plus an exclusive per-capita ZIP Code map. Updated each morning around 10:30 a.m.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Va. superintendents push back on Youngkin administration’s ‘divisive content’ report
Local school administrators are pushing back on an interim report that rescinded equity initiatives at the Virginia Department of Education and calling on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration to terminate a tipline for “divisive” teaching. In a Thursday letter, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents said the recent report made “gross assumptions” about public education in Virginia and failed to solicit input from local school administrators. Members of the association, which represents the state’s 133 local school divisions, first read the report after it was picked by the media, according to Executive Director Ben Kiser.
Miyares to prosecute fraudulent unemployment claims
On Thursday, Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares announced an agreement with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) aimed at fraudulent claims for unemployment compensation. . . . The agreement will enable the VEC to can request and authorize the Attorney General to represent them in the prosecution of criminal unemployment compensation fraud cases. “The VEC has asked that I take on this responsibility, and I enthusiastically agreed to the VEC’s request,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Va. AG hiring staff to target unemployment fraud
Virginia’s attorney general on Thursday announced he has signed an agreement with the Virginia Employment Commission to hire more staff dedicated to investigating and prosecuting fraudulent unemployment claims, a problem that has cost the state more than $100 million since 2020, a report estimates. According to Attorney General Jason Miyares’ spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, his office is hiring staffers to work with localities under the agreement, including attorneys and investigators who will be in a dedicated unit of the attorney general’s office.
Miyares among AGs urging Biden to end daycare mask mandate
On Thursday, Attorney General Jason Miyares joined 22 others in urging President Joe Biden to end the Head Start program’s mask mandate. According to Miyares's office, the mandate requires children as young as two-years-old two wear masks in Head Start schools and daycares.
Monique Miles no longer deputy attorney general
Alexandria resident Monique Miles is no longer deputy attorney general of government operations and transactions for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, as of March 3. According to a Washington Post article, Miles resigned after the publication uncovered Facebook posts she made supporting U.S. capitol rioters on Jan. 6, 2021 and claiming that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. But Miles claims that she was terminated, not that she resigned. “This came as a total shock to me,” Miles told the Times in an interview. “ … I did not tell them I was resigning.”
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Senate Dems scuttle Youngkin parole board appointees in ongoing personnel skirmish
Virginia Senate Democrats rejected four of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s nominees for the Virginia Parole Board on Thursday in an escalation of an ongoing fight over appointments. “Just retaliation,” said Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, after the party-line vote on an appointment resolution that also included a nominee for the state Safety and Health Codes Board. When the General Assembly adjourns, possibly on Saturday, the parole board will have only one member, its chair Chadwick Dotson, a retired judge and former Wise County commonwealth’s attorney.
Virginia Senate nixes Youngkin parole board picks
The Virginia Senate rejected Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s picks for the state’s parole board on Thursday, extending a partisan tit-for-tat that started with the chamber’s rejection of a Trump administration official for the Republican’s Cabinet. In a party-line 21-to-19 vote, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected four Youngkin appointees to the parole board and a single nominee to the state Safety and Health Codes Board.
Virginia Senate blocks most Youngkin parole board appointees
The Virginia Senate on Thursday rejected all but one of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s nominees to the state parole board, a move the chamber’s Democratic majority said was partly in retaliation for House Republicans’ earlier defeat of appointments to other government boards. “I think that the House needs to be taught a lesson,” Democratic Sen. Adam Ebbin said during an unusually heated debate. The move marked sharp escalation in the long-simmering fight over appointments during this year’s session of the divided General Assembly.
Newfound parity in Virginia’s General Assembly marked by gridlock, partisan politics
A dramatic shift in Virginia’s government, coupled with the fact that party politics are alive and well, has created a halting gridlock in the General Assembly this year. Democrats were in full control until Republicans won the gubernatorial election and flipped the House of Delegates in November. The Democrat-held Senate has since been dubbed the blue wall, with Democrats working to block Republicans’ attempts to roll back progressive policies. And, of course, Republicans have been returning the favor in the House.
Virginia lawmakers OK lifting ban on facial technology use
Last year, Virginia lawmakers passed one of the most restrictive bans in the country on the use of facial recognition technology, barring local police departments and campus police from purchasing or using the technology unless explicitly authorized by the legislature. On Thursday, just eight months after the measure took effect, lawmakers approved a bill to lift the blanket ban. The legislation would allow police agencies to use the technology in certain circumstances, including to help identify an individual when they have reasonable suspicion that the person committed a crime.
Va. seeks records law change to require victim notification before releasing crime files
The Virginia General Assembly is preparing to change the state’s open records laws again, removing a recent provision that required police and prosecutors to release closed files to any requester. The changes would also require crime victims to be notified whenever law enforcement is inclined to release a report in open or closed criminal cases. For many years, the state law on criminal investigative files stated that law enforcement had total discretion on whether to release anything more than the basic time, nature and location of an incident.
Virginia to change how data center equipment is assessed, reducing tax revenue but providing owners predictability
Two identical bills that standardize the way municipalities may tax certain data center property — making business planning easier, but also potentially reducing tax revenues — sailed through the Virginia General Assembly and await the governor’s signature. Loudoun County in particular is the world's largest collection of data centers, which in turn account for a relatively big chunk of the jurisdiction's tax base. Prince William also boasts numerous data centers, with more potentially on the way.
Pound isn’t the only Southwest Virginia town on the chopping block
While the Town of Pound faces the potential repeal of its charter if it doesn’t get its act together, another Southwest Virginia town appears to be on the verge of being eliminated. The General Assembly recently passed legislation to eliminate St. Charles, a town with an estimated population of 73 people located in the coalfields of northern Lee County.
‘We believe that this bill will save lives’
A relative of a Virginia man killed in a crash with a heavily modified truck in Mecklenburg County last month on Thursday painted a grim picture of the fatal accident when she spoke to lawmakers in favor of legislation banning so-called Carolina Squat vehicles. “Picture BJ’s truck completely as a tin can, and the transmission of that other truck that pushed him back into his own truck,” Ann Taylor Kallam said of the impact that left her future brother-in law, 27-year old Brayden “BJ” Upton, dead when his Chevy collided with a squatted pick-up truck on Feb. 16.
Legislators approve Sam Rasoul's bill to educate youth on gambling dangers
A bill to require school instruction about the addictiveness of gambling has passed the Virginia General Assembly. Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, introduced the legislation, which passed the Senate this week after approval last month in the House of Delegates. House Bill 1108 next goes to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for signing into law. “I had some parents approach me … there are stories of some of our youth who have really struggled with gambling addiction,” Rasoul said. “Now, especially since we have allowed for online gambling to proliferate so much, it’s so easy for that to happen.”
Favola bill on child care moves forward in Richmond
After seeing its scope narrowed in the state Senate, a measure to allow residents of apartment buildings to operate child-care facilities gained back a little more flexibility in the House of Delegates. House members voted unanimously on March 8 in support of a measure by state Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington-Fairfax-Loudoun) to amend the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and permit child-care facilities in apartment units. That followed earlier, also unanimous, support in the state Senate.
Whether authorities like it or not, snare traps aren’t going anywhere
Any cause for hope that new snare trap bans or restrictions will come out of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly is dead. Delegate Maragret Ransone submitted two snare trap bills. One aimed to prohibit the use of snare traps with a circumference larger than 12 inches, and the other sought a full prohibition on using snare traps to hunt or kill game. Neither of them made it past the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (ACN) to crossover.
Augusta County officials expect state House and Senate to approve courthouse referendum
The Augusta County Board of Supervisors provided an update on the status of the county’s pursuit of a new referendum in 2022 for the Augusta County Courthouse at their meeting on Wednesday night. Senate Bill 283, which will allow residents to vote on whether the Augusta County courthouse should stay in Staunton or move to Verona again in the fall, passed through House Committee in January and now edges closer to the governor’s desk, according to Vice-Chairman Butch Wells.
Legislature elevates Franklin County prosecutor Dudley to judgeship
Franklin County’s prosecutor has been tapped for a new role in the courtroom with state lawmakers voting this week to appoint him to a general district court judgeship. A.J. Dudley, a county native who’s served as commonwealth’s attorney since 2016, is set to join the bench of the 22nd Judicial District effective May 1. That district court serves Franklin County, Pittsylvania County and Danville. Dudley will be succeeding Judge George Jones, a jurist for 28 years, who is retiring.
General Assembly elects two judges in Chesterfield but third candidate is removed by state senator at last minute
The General Assembly voted to elect two judicial candidates to the bench in Chesterfield County on Wednesday but a nominee for a third judgeship, who was believed to be a shoo-in, was pulled at the last minute by one of Chesterfield's state senators. The legislator said she was concerned about the "lame duck" status of the sitting judge, whom the candidate would be replacing in nine months. "I just think it's important that you close one door before you open another one," Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, who scuttled the nomination of attorney Steven B. Novey, said Thursday. "I just wanted to make sure it was handled respectfully. We're all in agreement on Novey - that was not the issue at all."
STATE ELECTIONS
Candidate criticized for singling out Prince William student
A candidate for the 19th District House of Delegates seat is facing criticism after she singled out an eighth-grader in remarks at last week’s Prince William County School Board meeting. Makya Little, a county school system parent who recently announced her bid for the new General Assembly seat in northeastern Prince William and southeastern Fairfax County, called eighth-grader Chloe Murphy’s public comment “disrespectful” and “facetious” at the March 2 School Board meeting.
CONGRESS
What Congress’ giant appropriations bill would mean for Hampton Roads
Legislation to formally appropriate money for the federal government to spend this year has passed the House of Representatives with a significant boost to Navy shipbuilding. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, also sets the money necessary for a 2.7% pay increase for military personnel, and includes hundreds of millions of dollars for a variety of Hampton Roads initiatives.
Fed spending bill: Money for Prince George water, Petersburg pharma and Amtrak train station
A federal spending bill that cleared the House of Representatives Wednesday includes more than $19 million in funding for 10 projects in and around central Virginia. Topping that list are infrastructure improvements for Prince George County and money to upgrade the water system that will serve the new pharmaceutical cluster in Petersburg.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Norfolk distribution center to create 200 jobs
A Massachusetts-based logistics services company plans to build a distribution and fulfillment center in Norfolk expected to produce 200 jobs, RoadOne IntermodaLogistics announced Tuesday. The company did not disclose the cost of the 340,000-square-foot facility, which will be six miles from the Port of Virginia’s terminals.
Norfolk’s MacArthur Center under new management after previous owner defaulted on debt in 2019
MacArthur Center is now managed by a Syracuse, New York-based real estate group after its previous owner defaulted on its debt in 2019. Spinoso Real Estate Group was appointed to manage the downtown Norfolk shopping center in late 2021, according to Jared Chalk, Norfolk economic development director. The change was implemented by Wells Fargo, who is acting as special servicer for the loan that former mall owner Starwood Property Trust defaulted on in 2019.
TRANSPORTATION
Metro board votes to replace agency’s top watchdog without comment
Metro’s board on Thursday voted unanimously to replace the agency’s top watchdog without publicly commenting on the decision. The board’s vote not to renew inspector general Geoffrey Cherrington’s contract comes as Metro is heading into its sixth month of reduced rail service because of safety issues that are sidelining trains amid a federal investigation. Cherrington, tasked with uncovering corruption, fraud, waste and abuse within the agency, served in the post for five years before board members said in a resolution they would not renew his contract when it expires April 16.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Virginia’s HBCUs received more than $141M collectively from ARP
Big bucks. That’s what Virginia’s five historically Black colleges and universities have received from the federal American Rescue Plan. More than $141 million was collectively provided to the five schools through the pandemic relief bill that President Biden proposed and Congress passed in 2021 after he took office, ac- cording to the U.S. Department of Education.
CORONAVIRUS
COVID cases drop by 39%
The rate of new cases of COVID-19 declined 39% during the past week across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia – compared to the prior week - but the number of hospitalized patients remains relatively high. Reports of new cases fell most sharply in Southwest Virginia – down 53% - after weeks of record-breaking pace, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Only 325 new cases were identified across the 10 counties and two cities, less than half the 703 total reported last week. Most localities reporting only double-digit increases, while Norton and Scott County each reported single-digit case counts for the seven-day period starting March 4.
As COVID-19 cases drop, Sovah Health to restore normal visitation
Entering the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, local hospital visiting hours will be back to normal in a few days. With COVID-19 numbers decreasing in the region and throughout the state, Sovah Health officials in Danville and Martinsville are restoring the hospital's regular visitation rules beginning Monday.
By not stockpiling vaccines, Pittsylvania-Danville Health District sees little waste
With COVID-19 vaccinations at all-time lows across the nation, some areas are in warp-mode to get the shots of protections into arms before the doses expire. Since the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District does not stockpile vaccines, waste isn’t much of a factor. With daily COVID-19 cases plummeting following record highs in January, the number of Virginians stepping up to get vaccines has dipped to the lowest levels in the pandemic.
VIRGINIA OTHER
U.S. Navy destroyer sidelined by judge’s ruling in COVID-19 vaccination lawsuit, Pentagon says
A court order barring the Navy from removing the commander of a Norfolk-based destroyer because he refused a COVID-19 vaccination has indefinitely sidelined the ship. The order comes in a lawsuit filed by the ship’s commander and a Marine lieutenant colonel, saying their religious freedoms were infringed when they refused vaccinations and then were subject to reassignment. It “presents a direct and imminent threat to national security during a global military crisis,” the Pentagon said in a court filing.
About 300 Afghan evacuees arrive at Loudoun processing site that’s faced local opposition
About 300 Afghan evacuees arrived this week at a Department of Homeland Security processing center in Northern Virginia whose use has been opposed by nearby residents, local and federal officials said Thursday. The National Conference Center, a 40-acre site in the Lansdowne area of Loudoun County, is expected to host each month as many as 1,000 Afghans who were evacuated from their native country as part of a massive airlift that started when the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August.
LOCAL
Sheriff Ends Pre-Release Notice to ICE
When Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey A. Kincaid is faced with an administrative "detainer," she is discontinuing a policy that allowed for a pre-release notification to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of Fairfax jail inmates who ICE suspects are undocumented immigrants.
Fairfax County staff asks Prince William officials to rethink data center plan
Fairfax County officials want Prince William County to rethink the proposed “PW Digital Gateway,” which would replan 2,133 acres along Pageland Lane to allow for new data centers. Fairfax’s objections are based mainly on the effects of the development on the Occoquan watershed, including Bull Run, whose reservoir is a major source of drinking water for both Fairfax and Prince William counties. A letter from Fairfax County officials also includes “significant concerns” from its environmental, public works and planning departments.
County finance department: Data centers’ tax revenue would fall short of projections
Prince William County’s Finance Department is predicting that local tax revenue generated by a new data center corridor proposed near the Manassas National Battlefield Park will be substantially less than its proponents projected. Prince William County Deputy Finance Director Tim Leclerc, in a letter to county officials, estimated the proposed “PW Digital Gateway” would eventually generate about $400.5 million in local tax revenue annually under current tax rates -- not the $700 million the project’s applicants estimate.
Shift to local Prince William health department to begin in July
Prince William County plans to make a soft transition to a locally-run health department before fully absorbing the health district next year. During a budget work session Tuesday, the Board of County Supervisors discussed the transition to locally administered health services. Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park to enter into a contract with the Virginia Department of Health to locally provide public health services.
Richmond Public Schools again leads the state in school dropouts
Richmond Public Schools has the worst dropout rate of any public school district in Virginia. According to the state department of education, Richmond has held the unfortunate title and top slot five times in the last decade and had the second-worst dropout rate four times. With school bells ringing once again in Richmond, and the pandemic’s worst behind us with students now back in class, 8News reviewed state attendance data.
Richmond woman injured in confrontation with police at Family Dollar files formal complaint against officer with Internal Affairs
Surrounded by supporters on Wednesday, Alecia Nelson stood quietly in tears just before she walked inside the Richmond Police Department’s 3rd Precinct and filed a formal complaint against an officer who confronted her Monday at a Family Dollar store in the city’s South Side. Joshua Carter, who recorded video of Monday’s tumultuous encounter between Nelson and the officer, Graham Lang, also filed a complaint against Lang with Richmond internal affairs investigators on Wednesday, alleging assault and excessive force. But when Carter tried later to swear out a criminal assault charge against Lang, he said a magistrate declined to issue the warrant and told Carter he was going to wait until he hears from internal affairs.
Creation of police oversight panel among 3 critical items City Council to consider
Richmond City Council is heading to decision time on three significant items on its agenda—creation of a civilian review board to oversee police discipline, collective bargaining for employees and redistricting. Joyce Davis, council’s interim chief of staff, notified members of the governing body this week that a draft proposal on the civilian review board would be presented for introduction at the council meeting on Monday, March 14.
Norfolk’s looking at a new police oversight panel. Here’s what it would - and wouldn’t - do.
In the wake of the killing of George Floyd in 2020, protesters in cities across the nation called for racial justice and reforms to police departments. Norfolk’s City Council said at the time it wanted to implement a civilian review board for the city’s police. Progress has been slow. Activists in the region have complained of the glacial pace at which cities in the region have taken steps to ensure greater police accountability. But it looks like Norfolk is finally getting close to approving and filling a review board.
Portsmouth City Council on verge of replacing city attorney after meeting behind closed doors
The Portsmouth City Council appears to be preparing to replace its interim city attorney. The council met behind closed doors Wednesday evening to discuss interim City Attorney Burle Stromberg’s performance, and is planning to vote Friday on appointing someone else to the post. Mayor Shannon Glover called the special closed session Wednesday night to discuss Stromberg’s performance, but details around the meeting are scarce. The reason for the discussion has not been made public.
Surry supervisors table Bacon’s Castle solar farm
Surry County supervisors voted 3-1 on March 3 to delay their decision for at least a month on whether to allow a solar farm to be built across the street from the 17th century Bacon’s Castle homestead. The vote to table the matter followed a public hearing, which drew a mix of supporters and opponents of the project. Pine Gate Renewables, an Asheville, North Carolina-based company, proposes to construct the 20-megawatt solar farm — under the name Surry Solar Center LLC — on a 220-acre tract
Former Mayor David Bowers enters Roanoke City Council race
Former Roanoke Mayor David Bowers announced Thursday he’s entering this year’s already competitive race for three city council seats. Bowers, who plans to run as an independent, served as mayor 16 of the last 30 years and previously spent eight years as a council member. He failed in his most recent run for city elected office, a campaign for mayor in 2020, when Mayor Sherman Lea was reelected. “I believe in Roanoke,” said Bowers about his bid this year.
School superintendent: Local schools won’t be impacted by state’s slashing of equity initiatives
State education officials have begun rolling back statewide equity initiatives aimed at fulfilling Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s pledge to stop schools from teaching “inherently divisive concepts.” But the rollback won’t have any impact on Fauquier County schools, according to Superintendent David Jeck. “It doesn't change anything that we're doing here,” Jeck told the Fauquier Times, adding that the school division’s focus on equitable instruction will continue unabated. “I read the memo from the new state superintendent, and it's tinged with this political element. And for us, it has zero to do with politics,” Jeck said.
Culpeper County planners narrowly deny Amazon data center rezoning
In a preliminary win for preservation of historic sites and farmland, the Culpeper County Planning Commission voted 5-4 just before midnight Wednesday to deny Amazon Data Services’ application to rezone 243 acres in Stevensburg for a data center. Most of the more than two dozen people who addressed the commission at its first review of the rezoning request spoke against the estimated $500 million development at a horse farm on State Route 3.
Culpeper receives $80,000 for electric school buses
Over $1.5 million in federal funding was awarded to school districts across Virginia in order to replace old, diesel buses with clean vehicles. As a part of the endowment, Culpeper County Public Schools received $80,000 for four buses as part of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates.
Restoration of historic Shipman schoolhouse for Black students carries on
Thanks to the work of a Nelson County construction company, the effort to restore a historic school house for Black students has a solid foundation, but its future may be shaky without more rapid intervention. Luke Ramsey first posted on Ramsey Restoration’s Facebook Page about the former Shipman Colored School in November 2018. Ramsey regularly updates his page with photos from his recent restoration projects; he said the 2018 post garnered more likes, shares and comments than any previous post. Community members commented expressing excitement about the project and recalled memories from when the building later served as a preschool.
New Commonwealth's Attorney Elected
In a special election held on March 1, Kemper M. Beasley III was elected as Commonwealth's Attorney for Buckingham County. This special election was held to choose someone to finish out the term of E.M.Wright Jr. who held the position for the past 45 years before retirement. Beasley has served the past four years as the part-time assistant Commonwealth's Attorney and ran in this election unopposed.
An unpleasant first for Nottoway as supervisors censure one of their own
The formal Motion of Censure against John Roark was introduced Thursday night by Supervisor Steve Bowen and passed, 4-0, after several counter-offers from Roark. The motion reads as follows: “Supervisor Roark has recently appeared before the Nottoway County School Board, calling for dismissal of several staff members over an extremely sensitive . . .
EPA declines to take more active role in fixing landfill issue
The federal Environmental Protection Agency has declined taking a more direct role in solving issues with the Bristol Virginia landfill. In a letter to City Manager Randy Eads, EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Diana Esher said the issues remain the responsibility of state and local agencies but EPA will remain involved in the process. Public concerns over widespread odor complaints and other emissions from the city’s landfill have dominated the conversation over the landfill for more than a year.
Today's Sponsor:
Richard Bland College of William & Mary
RBC is the Commonwealth’s only Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) chapter, partnering with industry leaders to provide global-best workforce development through an earn-and-learn experience.
EDITORIALS
A few good bills make the cut amid partisan fingerpointing
“We’re at the time of the year where there gets to be some frustration between the bodies and we get to hear from senators that are unhappy with the House,” began Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County. “But I want to speak today about something that’s very disappointing to me here in the Senate.” His speech came during the wind-down of the March 4 Senate session, the conclusion of what was supposed to be the penultimate week of the 2022 General Assembly session, although indications are that legislators might stay in session longer than planned to hash out the budget.
State secrecy pulls at threads of trust
Gov. Glenn Youngkin's determination to remove divisiveness from public education is driving a wedge between public schools and parents. And the tactics he’s employing are fraying the fabric of trust our government depends on to function properly. It started with an anonymous tip line that allows parents to report any teacher they suspect of teaching “divisive” material that offends or upsets their children. When news organizations filed Freedom of Information Act requests to learn what type of information was being collected, Youngkin refused.
Virginia’s budget choices
It was inconceivable during the depths of the COVID pandemic, when unemployment was through the roof and the economy was cratering, that Virginia would find itself with the largest budget surplus in state history. Now lawmakers have the opportunity to provide broad tax relief to Virginia families while also making generational investments in public education, climate resilience, public safety, mental health services and other areas of pressing concern. They can, and should, strike a reasonable balance that helps Virginians today and prepares for tomorrow.
Nonprofits should steer clear of politics
Since the invasion into Ukraine, all manner of sanctions have been lobbed at Russia — everything from ending state procurement contracts, to pulling vodka from store shelves and the recent stringent ban on importing Russian oil. That last one is aimed, hopefully, at easing the spike in prices at the nation’s gas pumps, which on average have exceeded $4 a gallon in Virginia, per latest estimates by AAA. Freezing vodka sales from liquor stores is a move directed at hobbling the Russian economy.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Two years into the pandemic, what have we learned?
This weekend marks two years since the pandemic began. On March 11, 20220, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic. On March 12, 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Virginia. On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared an emergency nationwide. . . . Whatever start date you choose, our lives haven’t been the same since.
OP-ED
Davis: Education, property and hope win the South
One of the hardest things to understand about the segregated South is not why segregation lasted as long as it did, but what ultimately brought this institution to its knees. We often think of segregation in terms of institutions and power, and its end the result of legal cases and laws, such as Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Act, that broke white Southern political power. To see segregation’s demise only through a series of legal and legislative triumphs, however, creates an incomplete narrative.
Walker: RGGI helps low-income households, especially in rural areas
Thanks to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), thousands of low-income Virginia households now have the opportunity to break out of a cycle of paying high energy bills caused by inefficiency. Low-income housing tends to have inadequate insulation, and inefficient heating and cooling appliances. This makes housing cheaper on the front end but leads to year after year of shockingly high energy bills for Virginians who least can afford them.