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Israel, Palestinian Tensions Overflow in Loudoun Board Room, Prompting Warning from Chairwoman
Tensions between Loudoun community members supporting Israel and those supporting Palestine have been increasing since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the terrorist group, Hamas. [Last] week, those tensions boiled over during a Board of Supervisors’ meeting, drawing a warning from County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large). Since the attack and in response to the war in Gaza that has displaced millions of residents, some community members have called on supervisors to divest any business interests in companies that support Israel and called for them to condemn the continuing attacks by Israel in Gaza.
With funding cut, what is the future of key Virginia refugee resettlement program?
For years, Commonwealth Catholic Charities has led much of Virginia’s work to help newly arrived refugees build lives in the United States. The nonprofit has operated its refugee resettlement program in the greater Richmond region, Roanoke and Newport News since 2010. ... But in January, the Trump administration abruptly suspended the Biden-era U.S. Refugee Admissions Program by executive order, halting all new refugee arrivals into the country and freezing government funding ... Luckily, the nonprofit was met with an “outpouring of support from the community,” Dillon said, which helped CCC secure housing and services for every refugee that had already been referred to CCC ...
Local judge indicted on charge of bribery of a Spotsylvania County public official
Toward the end of the Aug. 13, 2024, Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors meeting and following a closed session, the board voted on a vague motion, and county officials didn’t provide clarity afterward. Courtland District Supervisor Drew Mullins made a motion to authorize County Attorney Karl Holsten to cooperate with the Virginia State Police in an ongoing investigation regarding the actions of a person subject to the oversight of a public body in the county. The board unanimously supported the motion, and the meeting was adjourned. There is now a bit more clarity, however, regarding the circumstances surrounding the vote. Richard T. McGrath, the Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial District of Virginia, which includes the Fredericksburg region, was indicted Monday on a Class 4 felony charge of bribery of a public official.
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Dominion look at nuclear plant on base
The agreement signed Friday would allow the Navy and Dominion Energy Virginia to explore building a Small Modular Reactor and other alternative energy options, such as a solar farm on base. “To be crystal clear, we believe the new nuclear (power) has to be part of the energy mix if we're able, if we're going to be able to meet the demand going forward, said Ed Baine, president of Dominion. SMRs are a smaller version of commercial nuclear reactors. They produce 300 megawatts or less. To save costs, the plants are manufactured off-site. Several companies are developing designs, but so far, no commercial SMR plant has opened in the United States.
NOVA Parks pushes back on Dominion Energy’s tree cutting project along W&OD Trail
A major tree-cutting project along the W&OD Trail in Loudoun County is set to resume this month. But Northern Virginia parks’ officials are pushing back on how Dominion Energy plans to address the root of the problem. Two months after pausing the project, Dominion Energy said it will resume removing specific trees to maintain the safety and reliability of the electric grid. The plans were put on hold in late March in response to complaints from counties and towns along the popular walking and biking path. But Paul Gilbert, head of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, or NOVA Parks, expressed apprehension about what Dominion has planned in a letter to the utility on Friday.
Democrats plan ‘firehouse’ primary for 11th District special election
June will be a hectic month for many Fairfax County voters. In addition to participating in statewide elections, Democratic voters will be faced with choosing their party’s nominee for the 11th Congressional District special election to determine the late Rep. Gerry Connolly’s successor. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee announced today (Friday) that it will select a nominee with a “firehouse primary” on June 28 — 11 days after the party’s June 17 primary, which has the statewide lieutenant governor and attorney general races on the ballot.
Spanberger unveils plan to make housing more affordable, accessible
Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger unveiled her plans to make housing more affordable and accessible throughout Virginia while in Henrico County on Friday. “No matter where I travel, whether I’m in the City of Richmond or Richmond County, or Radford, or Roanoke, or Hampton Roads, I hear about the high cost of housing,” Spanberger said. The Democratic nominee for governor said that it starts with investing in ways to increase Virginia’s housing supply.
Spanberger pushes housing policy at new development in Henrico County
Virginia’s average home price has increased 6% over the last year, bringing it up to nearly $400,000 dollars. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Abigail Spanberger offered ideas to address the problem at an event in Henrico County Friday morning. “We have people that are gainfully employed that now cannot afford to live in the localities in which they work because of a lack of supply,” said Martin Johnson with the Virginia Realtors association, discussing the state’s housing woes.
VPAP Visual Mapping Paid Conferences in 2024
In 2024, Virginia legislators and statewide office holders reported nearly 80 domestic conferences outside of Virginia, paid for by various organizations, often the host of the events. Under Virginia law, these paid conferences must be reported on annual disclosure forms.
Federal policies could put a damper on regional summer tourism
Hampton Roads is fortunate to be a popular tourism destination each summer for visitors who flock to the beaches and enjoy the many historic attractions throughout our region. These guests fill our hotels, eat at our restaurants and represent a significant share of the region’s annual economic activity. Yet, as the summer season starts, many in the area are justifiably concerned that President Donald Trump’s hostility to foreign nations, including traditional allies, and his administration’s zealous and often ham-fisted deportation efforts will drive away tourists ...