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Number of unemployed Fairfax residents reaches a level not seen since mid-2021
Federal workforce cuts implemented by the Trump administration and, as of July 8, enabled by the U.S. Supreme Court have helped drive the number of unemployed Fairfax County residents to heights not seen in nearly four years. A total of 21,705 county residents were counted as unemployed in May, according to new data reported by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. That’s up 35% from a year before.
Some Virginia schools incorrectly using state law to remove library books, study reveals
A new study from a nonpartisan government agency revealed that while most Virginia school divisions are not removing any books from their libraries, some are incorrectly citing a 2022 state law to justify removals. The study, released Monday by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), found that 344 books (243 titles were removed, with some being removed in multiple school divisions) have been removed from school libraries by about one-third of the divisions that responded to survey.
Virginia schools removed 200+ different books from libraries, report finds
Most Virginia school divisions surveyed by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission did not remove any books from school libraries based on content in the last five years. But a handful of school divisions account for the vast majority of the 223 different book titles that were removed based on content during that time. JLARC was directed by the General Assembly earlier this year to survey school divisions about school library book removals, and 92 of the state’s 132 divisions responded.
State report: Hanover County leads Virginia with most removed books
The question of what books should be in a school library has been a lightning rod for controversy recently. A report released Monday morning by a state watchdog agency revealed details on what’s been removed and where it’s happening. About two-thirds of the over 90 Virginia school divisions that responded to the survey did not remove any books from their school libraries. Among those that did, Hanover County led the pack with 125 titles removed. That’s according to a new report from the state’s non-partisan research group the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission, or JLARC.
Youngkin: Global firm to open headquarters in Sterling
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced that ORBCOMM Inc., a global firm producing internet-connected devices, will establish its global headquarters in Sterling, according to a news release. ORBCOMM will invest up to $3 million in job creation and will expand into 22,000 square feet of office space. The project, pending Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approval on July 15, is estimated to create as many as 51 jobs or more.
Gilbert sworn in as interim U.S. Attorney
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, resigned his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates early Monday morning and was sworn in at 11 a.m. as interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, following his formal nomination by President Donald Trump.
‘They literally blast horns’: Overnight Metro work keeps Virginia residents awake
Track work on the southern end of Metro’s Blue Line is underway in Northern Virginia – and people who live nearby say it’s keeping them awake overnight. The Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street stations are closed, with shuttle buses replacing usual rail service. Alexandria residents told News4 that overnight and in the early morning hours they hear power tools, blasting horns and conversations on workers’ radios.
DOJ withdraws from Sentara investigation
The federal government is withdrawing from intervening in a whistleblower complaint against Sentara Health that alleges the Hampton Roads health care system improperly inflated local insurance rates in 2018 and 2019. On June 19, the federal government sent a notice of its decision to withdraw its prior notice of partial intervention, and that it is declining to intervene on the matter. The DOJ declined to comment when asked to elaborate on its reason for withdrawing.
Yancey: 223 book titles pulled from school library shelves in Virginia, but 75% were in just 5 places
Across Virginia over the past five years, 223 different books have been removed from school library shelves, many of them by more than one school system. However, those removals have been concentrated in a relative handful of communities. Hanover County has removed more books from its school library shelves than any other locality in the state — 125 in all. That one county accounts for more than one-third of the book removals in the state. Along with another four counties — Rockingham County, which removed 57 books, Goochland County with 34, Madison County with 23 and Spotsylvania County with 19 — those five counties alone accounted for 75% of the book removals in the state.
Norfolk cleared to start construction on first phase of floodwall
People passing through the eastern edge of downtown Norfolk will soon see construction for the first phase of the city’s massive floodwall project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Norfolk Planning Commission recently approved designs for Phase 1A of the more than $2.6 billion project, which the city calls Resilient Norfolk. The effort aims to protect the city from catastrophic flooding during major storms and is part of the Army Corps’ wider Coastal Storm Risk Management program developed after 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. Virginia Beach and the Peninsula are working on CSRM projects but are still in the study phase.