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It’s always sunny in Glenn Youngkin’s Virginia
...Youngkin may be treading the same political terrain as Trump and DeSantis, but during the town hall, like on the campaign trail in 2021, he packaged the message in less combative terms – a trait that could appeal to conservatives concerned that the current front-runners could be too divisive in a general election. Whether faced with tough questions on the handling of race in education or the treatment of transgender students, Youngkin was all smiles, all the time. He consistently attempted to defuse potentially tense exchanges with kind words and an insistence that the controversy at hand was not, in fact, all that controversial – a stance many Democrats and Republicans would likely reject.
Cuccinelli, a former Trump official, launches PAC urging DeSantis to run
A former White House official who helped implement Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies is breaking ranks with the former president and instead encouraging Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to pursue the presidency in 2024. Ken Cuccinelli, a former attorney general of Virginia, was a top official at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s single term in office. . . . But Cuccinelli announced Thursday that rather than support Trump’s third bid for the White House, he is launching Never Back Down PAC, a new political action committee that will support DeSantis’ potential 2024 presidential run.
Toll road operator withdraws from plan to develop Beltway, I-270 toll lanes
Maryland’s vision to use one of the nation’s biggest public-private partnerships to relieve D.C.-area traffic congestion faces serious jeopardy, as the private team picked to develop it quit the project on Thursday. The team, led by Australian toll company Transurban, backed out amid uncertainty that Maryland’s new Gov. Wes Moore (D) supported the proposal and the unresolved — potentially costly — lawsuits over the project’s environmental implications.
Virginia slave laws inform judge’s ruling on frozen embryos
Frozen human embryos can legally be considered property, or “chattel,” a Virginia judge has ruled, basing his decision in part on a 19th century law governing the treatment of slaves. The preliminary opinion by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner – delivered in a long-running dispute between a divorced husband and wife – is being criticized by some for wrongly and unnecessarily delving into a time in Virginia history when it was legally permissible to own human beings.
State Police investigating missing portion of Pittsylvania Planning Commission video
The Virginia State Police has launched an investigation concerning a September 2020 Pittsylvania County Planning Commission video that has a portion of it missing. The missing portion involves a special use permit application for a 1,481-acre solar farm off Berry Hill Road, which was the subject of an open house for residents last week. The missing portion of video was a topic of conversation at the open house.
Janet Rainey retires after 47 years of keeping state records vital
Keeping records of the births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Virginia may seem like dull work. Don’t tell that to Janet M. Rainey. Retired as of Jan. 31, the 66-year-old spent her life in what she describes as an “intriguing field,” rising to lead the records office of the Virginia Department of Health for 18 years. Ms. Rainey was the sixth state registrar since the office was established in 1912 and the second Black woman to hold the office’s top post.
Friday Read Long-Lost Letters Bring Word, at Last
In a love letter from 1745 decorated with a doodle of a heart shot through with arrows, María Clara de Aialde wrote to her husband, Sebastian, a Spanish sailor working in the colonial trade with Venezuela, that she could “no longer wait” to be with him. Later that same year, an amorous French seaman who signed his name M. Lefevre wrote from a French warship to a certain Marie-Anne Hoteé back in Brest: “Like a gunner sets fire to his cannon, I want to set fire to your powder.” . . . None of those lines ever reached their intended recipients. British warships instead snatched those letters, and scores more, from aboard merchant ships during wars from the 1650s to the early 19th century.
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EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Youngkin defends transgender polices, history standards in CNN town hall
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) reinforced his stance on a variety of education topics, some controversial, and dodged questions about a potential 2024 presidential run during a CNN town hall Thursday night. Youngkin fielded questions from parents, teachers and students on topics ranging from policies affecting transgender students to banning artificial intelligence-powered ChatGPT in the classroom at the town hall, titled “The War Over Education.” The governor, who appeared upbeat and jovial throughout, often danced around tougher questions and routinely retreated to his well-known stance of supporting parental involvement in schools.
Youngkin talks slavery, transgender issues at CNN town hall
Gov. Glenn Youngkin took to the national stage Thursday night as he joined CNN’s Jake Tapper for an hour-long town hall session focused on education. Youngkin focused on parents' rights, the message that resonated in his 2021 campaign, when he led a sweep by the first Republicans to win statewide office in Virginia since 2009. “Parents deserve not only to be at the table, but they deserve to have the head seat at the table,” said Youngkin, who added that Virginia is "ground zero" in "the debate and the battle" over education issues.
Youngkin says people should 'put down' accusations of racism during CNN town hall
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) defended his administration's efforts to combat critical race theory in schools and said people needed to stop viewing things through a racial lens during a Thursday night CNN town hall. Youngkin, who won his 2021 election on a platform that heavily leaned on parental rights issues, took part in a CNN town hall with Jake Tapper on Thursday night on the "War Over Education" and defended his administration's policies on the teaching of critical race theory in schools, as well as how schools should respond to students seeking to identify with a gender different than their biological sex.
Glenn Youngkin Defends Anti-Trans Legislation, Says Schools Just Need ‘Gender Neutral’ Bathrooms
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered a shallow solution to the state’s divided stance on public education and transgender policies during CNN’s town hall on Thursday. The Republican governor, whose administration’s guidelines ban transgender students from using bathrooms and competing in sports teams that do not match their gender assigned at birth, attempted to minimize the controversial new policies. As Youngkin fielded questions from CNN’s Jake Tapper, parents, and educators, a 17-year-old student who identified as a transgender man asked, “Do you really think that the girls in my high school would feel comfortable sharing a restroom with me?” The governor circled around the question, and instead insisted that school’s needed “extra bathrooms” and “gender neutral” bathrooms, before arguing that “biological boys should [not] be playing sports with biological girls.”
Youngkin announces new slate of efforts to address learning loss in Virginia
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a large-scale effort Wednesday to address learning loss among Virginia students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan includes launching a grant program for qualifying families to cover extra educational expenses and a web tool to provide comprehensive data on student learning for parents and teachers. Youngkin’s announcement follows the release last year of state and national data revealing wide achievement gaps and proficiency declines among Virginia students during the pandemic.
Fairfax Co. school system hits back at AG Miyares’ claims that college prep program discriminates
Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares is accusing the Fairfax County Public Schools of “racially discriminating against children,” after he said Cooper Middle School sent out a letter to parents offering a college prep program for students of certain racial or ethnic groups. . . . According to Miyares, the letter violated the Virginia Human Rights Act which bans discrimination based on a person’s race or ethnic background.
STATE ELECTIONS
Christiansburg's Due South BBQ closes in latest business move by Del. Marie March
Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, has closed another restaurant, this time the one that launched her string of dining businesses in the New River and Roanoke valleys. Due South BBQ, which opened in 2007 at 1465 Roanoke St. in Christiansburg, is closing, according to a Wednesday announcement.
FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Cuccinelli announces PAC to back DeSantis for president
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who served as a top immigration official in the Trump administration, announced Thursday that he has formed a PAC to urge Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024. "It's time for fresh, conservative leadership," Cuccinelli said in a video posted Thursday on Twitter, announcing his Never Back Down Pac.
Same-day voter registration having big impact in Albemarle
Same-day voter registration made a big impact in Albemarle County this year, especially for people who moved and forgot to change their address. The county’s registrar says Albemarle and Charlottesville saw some of the highest same-day registration in the commonwealth. Director of Elections Lauren Eddy says most of those come from college students. “Sometimes we would have to say, ‘Oh, you’re still registered back home in Fairfax. You’re going to have to try to drive back home two hours today before the polls close.’ But with same-day registration, they were able to register at their polling place and vote on Election Day,” Eddy said.
CONGRESS
Lawmaker Requests Investigation Into Unsafe Driving Record Among U.S. Postal Service Trucking Contractors
A Virginia congressman this week requested that a government watchdog open an investigation of the U.S. Postal Service’s freight-shipping practices. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the agency hires trucking contractors with unsafe driving records. Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability that oversees the USPS, asked the USPS’s Inspector General on Tuesday to investigate the Postal Service’s policies for selecting and overseeing trucking contractors and subcontractors, according to a letter viewed by the Journal.
Federal funds to aid Creeper Trail work
On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced $100,000 in federal funding would fund repairs along the Virginia Creeper Trail. The Appalachian Regional Commission will provide the funds to help rehabilitate work along the Creeper Trail, according to a written statement.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Virginia officials make their case to GSA for new FBI headquarters
Lawmakers from Virginia launched their final bid on Thursday to sway the General Services Administration to select a site in Springfield as the new home of the FBI headquarters over two Maryland locations — although the fierce political battle with lawmakers from Maryland appears far from over. Emerging from the consultation with the GSA, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said at a news conference that Virginia’s intent was not to “say anything negative” about Maryland’s sites, only to make the case that Virginia’s could best meet the needs of the FBI on a variety of factors.
Virginia says Biden shouldn't put 'thumb on scale' in FBI site decision
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., promised not to "say anything negative" about Maryland's bid to land the new FBI headquarters on its side of the Potomac River, but he and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., had nothing good to say about Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's effort to draw President Joe Biden into the decision. Speaking after Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Virginia leaders made their final pitch to bring the new headquarters to a federally owned site in Fairfax County, the senators said it would be a mistake for Biden to intervene, just as it was when then-President Donald Trump stopped the process of selecting a new headquarters site five years ago.
Are Hampton Roads’ giant cranes spying on us for China? The Pentagon has concerns.
The Pentagon is reportedly concerned Chinese-made cranes operating at U.S. ports may be a “Trojan horse,” collecting intelligence on the movements of defense supplies. According to the Wall Street Journal, ship-to-shore cranes manufactured by Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. — or ZPMC — contain sophisticated sensors with the capability of tracking the origin and destination of cargo containers. The cranes in question are widely used by the Portsmouth-based Port of Virginia, with four having been installed at the Virginia International Gateway in 2019 after sailing to Hampton Roads from China. The cranes, standing 170 feet tall and weighing roughly 14.6 million pounds each, are among the largest on the East Coast.
$50 million Hanover County warehouse could create 1,000 jobs
A Washington state-based apparel business plans to invest at least $50 million to build a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center in Hanover County, creating 1,000 jobs, the Youngkin administration announced Thursday. The project by SanMar Corp. would create the company’s flagship center for East Coast distribution. The center is being planned in the East Coast Commerce Center, a 128-acre development in the 10400 block of Hickory Hill Road in Ashland. Equity Industrial Partners Corp. and Raith Capital Partners are developing the site.
Billionaire Mitchell Rales joins Josh Harris’s bid to buy the Commanders
Mitchell Rales, a Potomac, Md., billionaire who is a co-founder of Danaher Corp., joined the Josh Harris-led bid to buy the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder, a person with knowledge of the deliberations said Thursday. The addition of Rales, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $5.6 billion, strengthens the group’s bid in multiple ways as Snyder considers a possible sale.
DC billionaire partners with frontrunner Josh Harris in Commanders bid; Bezos on the outside right now
One of Washington D.C.'s billionaires, Mitchell Rales, is joining forces with Josh Harris, a Bethesda native who has long been considered one of the frontrunners to buy the Washington Commanders, according to an ESPN report. Their partnership is an indication the bidding for the team is reaching the home stretch ahead of a meeting of NFL owners in late March. The jockeying also confirms what has been rumored in recent days - that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will likely not be the person who buys Washington's NFL team.
Virginia oyster population booming, harvest extended
Virginia’s oyster population is booming and local experts say oysters are the healthiest they’ve been in decades. Oysters are typically harvested between October and March, but with such a healthy stock this year, that harvest is being extended into April for the first time in decades. “Oysters have been doing well in the Commonwealth,” said Chris Moore, a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
STS Group AG to create 119 jobs in Salem, invest $32 million
STS Group AG, a Germany-based vehicle parts manufacturer that two years ago said it would build its North American headquarters in Wythe County, on Thursday announced that it will instead locate in Salem, at the former General Electric building. The company will invest $32 million and will create 119 jobs, the Roanoke Regional Partnership said in a news release.
Shenandoah County farmer embraces solar for his grandkids' 'best possible life'
On the windy and sunny first day of March, 78-year-old Fred Garber faced the future from a slope on his 163-acre farm. His voice competed with the sounds of power tools that rattled across a 23-acre, fairly rocky section of his land. Bordered by tall fences of woven wire, workers in hardhats and bright safety vests made progress on a solar project that, when completed, will feature nearly 10,000 panels....“I’m convinced that climate change is a valid thing. I’m not responsible for the world, but I’m responsible for this,” Garber said of the solar-power facility taking shape on his farm. “And I’m responsible for doing what I can to see that my grandkids have the best possible life. My grandkids are appreciative of this.”
HIGHER EDUCATION
Marymount president hits back on 'misleading' coverage
After several weeks of getting pummeled as a heartless executioner of humanities programs, Marymount University president Irma Becerra on March 8 went on offense. In a recorded video message to alumni and friends of the university that lasted seven minutes, the president said the issue had been blown completely out of proportion by media reporting that was “misleading at best and pointedly incorrect at worst.”
New College Foundation rebrand could block scholarships at Martinsville education center
The New College Foundation, which was established to support the New College Institute higher education center in Martinsville, has a new name and a new direction. But the state attorney general’s office has pressed pause on the transition — and that means scholarships to New College Institute students may also be on hold. It’s the latest event in a history of tension between the boards of the institute and its foundation.
VIRGINIA OTHER
County to give Free Hill Cemetery to historical society
Fluvanna Historical Society Director Tricia Johnson gave a presentation on Free Hill Cemetery in Columbia at the Board of Supervisors meeting held March 1. The burial site was established early in the 19th Century as the final resting place for the large community of free people of color who gave Free Hill its name. Interments continued well into the 20th Century. But in 1965, the Columbia Town Council decided to log the wooded parcel and use the proceeds to fund road projects. The logging process caused tremendous damage to the site, including the loss of headstones and other grave markers.
Missouri man awaits extradition after 15-year run from the law ends in Luray
For more than a year, 62-year-old Charlie Benfield had made Page County his new home. His father, who lived in Arlington, owned property along Clearview Road just east of Luray not far from the Yogi Bear Campground. An old house set back in the woods became his residence as he worked odd jobs as a farm hand and tried to live “under the radar.” “People being giving…like they are in Page County, they brought him in and allowed him to work for them,” Luray Police Chief C.S. “Bow” Cook said earlier this week. “They had no clue who he was…He had integrated himself into the community and people were helping him out…but they didn’t know…they didn’t have a clue.”
Board of Supervisors sends Fort Belvoir renaming concerns up to Secretary of the Army
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is no stranger to renaming things, from roads to magisterial districts. But now, the board is leading a push not to rename a site associated with slavery. In a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (March 7), Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck raised the topic of Fort Belvoir’s potential renaming. The base is named for the Belvoir plantation that once occupied the site. . . . While Fairfax County and other localities have routinely renamed locations, the Fairfax County History Commission expressed concerns about the Naming Commission’s report for a few reasons, from questions about historical inaccuracies to uncertainty about the effect on how Black history should be represented at the fort, according to Storck.
LOCAL
Arlington treasurer sounds alarm on growing tax-delinquency rate
Staffing issues and delays in making further technological upgrades may impact the bottom line at the Arlington treasurer’s office, which for years had reported rock-bottom tax-delinquency rates. Without a change, “it’s going to take a Herculean effort” to bring 2023 delinquency rates in line with the rate of 0.161 percent reported last summer, Treasurer Carla de la Pava told County Board members during a Feb. 28 budget work session. The delinquency rate currently is up about 30 percent compared to the same time last year, in part because of staff turnover, de la Pava said.
Baboons, kangaroos and scorpions among animals now banned in Loudoun Co.
Private ownership and breeding of certain exotic and venomous animals is now banned in Loudoun County, Virginia. The county’s Board of Supervisors adopted a new section to Chapter 612, Dogs and Other Animals, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County on Tuesday. It restricts private ownership of certain exotic animals such as wolf hybrids, kangaroos, scorpions, baboons, alligators, venomous snakes, other venomous reptiles and nonnative venomous spiders that pose a threat to public health and safety.
Loudoun CA’s Office: Prosecution Change Just Returns to Pre-COVID Practice
Loudoun Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Shaniqua Clark Nelson said a planned change to take county prosecutors off uncontested cases where no jail time is threatened is simply returning to the common practice before COVID-19. At a March 8 meeting with the Coalition of Loudoun Towns, a group of Loudoun town mayors, she promised a follow-up letter to clarify the office’s plans after a Dec. 30 letter to judges about the change raised concerns among civic leaders and law enforcement officials.
Supervisors mixed on proposed 70% board pay raises
Prince William County’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, which begins July 1, includes 70% raises for all eight members of the board of supervisors. But not all of them are happy with the proposed change. Supervisor Yesli Vega, R-Coles, said Monday, March 6 that she opposes pay increases for board members. “Based on how the board majority has governed over the past three years, I don’t believe a pay increase is merited,” Vega wrote in an email.
Mayor says Petersburg doesn't need more Section 8 housing
During yesterday's city council meeting, Mayor Sam Parham shot down a group proposing to build new homes for those on Section 8 vouchers. Real estate investment firm Cava Companies, based in Richmond, gave a presentation detailing the work they have been doing in the capital and what they want to bring to Petersburg. Cava, founded in 2007, has built thousands of homes and owns 500 of them in Richmond.
Pocahontas Island builds its first new home in three decades
Excitement filled the air as the groundbreaking ceremony for the purchasing and the developing of a lot of land in Pocahontas Island commenced—the first time in years that someone has made a new development in the historic black neighborhood. “This year marks the 30th year anniversary of the devasting tornado that ripped through old town and through our beloved island,” said House of Delegates candidate Kimberly Pope Adams, who gave the introduction for developer Marlo Green.
Surry County Volunteer Rescue Squad to disband after nearly six decades
The Surry County Volunteer Rescue Squad is relinquishing its agency license after more than 50 years as a unit, citing “changing times” and an extreme shortage of emergency service volunteers. According to a statement from county supervisors, the volunteer service has answered less than 2% of total calls in the past year because of the dire shortage. The required commitment to training and the availability needed to answer increased calls for service have become too difficult for people wishing to volunteer, the board said.
Northumberland firearms policy continues to challenge supervisors
The Northumberland Board of Supervisors has not yet decided how to address a troublesome local ordinance banning the possession of loaded shotguns or rifles in vehicles on public roads. The board has until the first of May to change or repeal its ordinance, according to the Dept. of Wildlife Resources. Supervisor Thomas Tomlin has been vocal about his frustration over the prospect of the county no longer being able to use its own definition of a loaded firearm.
Tactical training facility proposal pulled
A proposal for a emergency response tactical training facility in rural Spotsylvania County is no longer on the table. The applicants — GT Tactical Operations and Global Traveler — recently notified the county they will no longer pursue a special-use permit and rezoning for 83 acres on Mount Olive Road in Partlow. The applicants said they wanted to build a facility that would “focus on providing a realistic and real-world training venue for patrol units, SWAT teams, emergency response teams, tactical teams, tactical units, fire and rescue and other first response teams as well as military and private sector security companies.”
SRO to return to Albemarle County schools
Three years after they were removed entirely, a school resource officer is set to return to the halls of Albemarle County schools. Schools Superintendent Matthew Haas’ request for a single officer – a $126,000 line item in the school division’s $257.3 million funding request – has proven controversial. Parents have been split over the decision, which reverses the School Board’s unanimous 2020 vote to remove officers from schools, citing their ineffectiveness and incidents of discrimination. But amid widespread complaints of misconduct, particularly at Albemarle High School, the school board appears to have changed its mind.
Podcaster challenges longtime Albemarle County supervisor for seat
A relative political newcomer has tossed his hat into the ring to challenge longtime Albemarle County Supervisor Ann Mallek. Crozet resident Brad Rykal, a soldier and defense contractor-turned-author and podcaster, has filed to run as an independent for the White Hall district seat on the Board of Supervisors. Mallek, a Democrat who is running for her fifth and final term on the board, has represented White Hall since 2009.
Waynesboro still assessing extent of data breach
The city of Waynesboro is continuing to assess stolen city data that was posted online, Waynesboro City Manager Mike Hamp said Wednesday. The theft was first discovered in January, but Hamp said the city is still trying to get a complete accounting of what city data was taken. “We are trying to understand what they have,” he said.
Residents question Pittsylvania solar project
Residents packed into Peaceful Baptist Church on Thursday to ask Dominion Energy questions about the upcoming Southern Virginia Solar farm project that will start later this month. Dominion Energy is constructing a 125 MW solar facility to be known as “Southern Virginia Solar.” The project will impact residents on Rocky Knoll Lane and those who use Buford Road.
Speakers ask Halifax County supes to place more limits on solar projects
The proliferation of utility-scale solar farms in Halifax County — 17 projects have been granted permits so far — brought out a crowd Monday night to ask that the county make changes in land use policy to limit solar development. The Halifax County Board of Supervisors voted to make one revision to the solar ordinance, requiring that new projects be located 2,000 feet from any town limit. The proposed revision will be sent to the Planning Commission for a public hearing before the board takes a final vote on adopting the change.
Today's Sponsor:
PlanRVA and ChamberRVA
Partnering for the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization’s 2023 Transportation Forum to build momentum around big transportation ideas. Learn more.
EDITORIALS
Sorry, free marketers, but EVs are taking over
There’s been considerable hand-wringing over Virginia’s commitment to renewable energy and the reduction of carbon emissions. Policy advances aimed at reducing the impact of climate change during the recent Democratic reign – from 2020 to 2021, Democrats controlled the House of Delegates, the state Senate and the Executive Mansion – have become a central target in the GOP’s attempt at their own trifecta: Later this year, all 140 seats of the General Assembly are up for election, and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has staked his political future on regaining control of both chambers.
A place for remembrance
How can one make sense of an inherently senseless tragedy? How can we find peace and comfort amid loss and sufferings? What can help repair the pieces of a community shattered by a terrible act of violence? There is no easy way to chart a path through those incredibly difficult questions. Yet, the commission working on a permanent memorial to honor the victims of the 2019 Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting has done well to navigate them.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Del. Fariss faces more difficulties than criminal charges
Not long after Cardinal’s Markus Schmidt (with an assist from Grace Mamon) broke the news about a state legislator being charged with two felonies stemming from a traffic incident, the pro-Democratic site Blue Virginia tweeted: “Appalling behavior by Del. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell County.” That, of course, assumes Fariss is guilty even though it’s part of the American tradition that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I suspect had this been a Democratic legislator that the site might have been forgiving. More importantly, though, voters in Fariss’ district have been forgiving.