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Richmond’s inspector general staff threaten resignations over personnel changes
Multiple investigators in Richmond’s Office of the Inspector General have threatened to resign over recent personnel changes in the department, 8th District Councilwoman Reva Trammell told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Wednesday evening. The inspector general is tasked with investigating allegations of fraud, waste and abuse within city government. The office reports to City Council.
Renovation and expansion projects at 10 Virginia colleges and universities put on pause
Gov. Glenn Youngkin paused over $600 million in funding requests for 10 renovation and expansion projects at Virginia’s higher education institutions to prepare for possible statewide repercussions stemming from uncertainty about the country’s economic future. As President Donald Trump’s administration continues slashing federal spending and programs and overhauling global trade policies, Youngkin and lawmakers are keeping a keen eye on the state’s purse strings.
Recall petition effort in Highland County dismissed
Petitions to remove Highland County supervisors Harry Sponaugle and Henry Budzinski have been dismissed. Highland County Circuit Court Judge Edward K. Stein ordered both cases dismissed on May 7. This was the second attempt to recall the supervisors started by Debbie Hodges of Doe Hill. The first try was dismissed without prejudice last fall after the registrar’s office failed to properly certify the signatures on the petitions.
Purcellville recall petitions certified; next steps begin
Petitions to recall Purcellville Mayor Chris Bertaut, Vice Mayor Carl "Ben" Nett and Council members Carol Luke and Susan Khalil have been certified, according to Loudoun County General Registrar Judy Brown. The four petitions, one each for the mayor and three council members, have been sent to Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens' office for the next steps in the process, she said. Clemens confirmed that he has the petitions, and he was reviewing them on Thursday morning.
Elections Office Certifies Purcellville Recall Petition Signatures
The Office of Elections has certified signatures in a recall petition submitted last month seeking to remove Purcellville’s mayor, vice mayor and two council members from office. According to court documents, 1,211 signatures were included in the petition to remove Mayor Christopher Bertaut. Of those, 25 were deemed invalid and 1,186 were verified. The number of signatures required for a petition to be certified was 494.
Arlington County leaders express regret for treatment of displaced Queen City residents
Arlington leaders on Tuesday (May 13) honored the legacy of a once-vibrant community wiped off the map to make way for construction around the Pentagon. Board members also expressed regret at how those residents were treated by county leaders eight decades ago. County Board members used the meeting to celebrate Queen City, which had been established in the early 1890s but in 1942 was acquired through eminent domain by the federal government. The 900-plus residents of the community were displaced, many of them moving to other historically African-American communities in Arlington and across the region.
House clerk blocks three Youngkin vetoes of budget items
The clerk of the House of Delegates exercised his rarely used power to reject gubernatorial budget vetoes on Wednesday by declining to recognize Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s attempts to veto three items in the revised two-year budget he signed early this month. House Clerk Paul Nardo, acting in his capacity as keeper of the rolls, informed Youngkin that he cannot publish three of the governor’s vetoes because they are unconstitutional under the Virginia Constitution.
Big bills, tough choices: Proposed federal cuts threaten Va.
Virginia would face big bills and tough choices if the Congress adopts federal spending cuts GOP committees proposed this week that would shift the cost of food assistance to states, make it harder for people to get health care through Medicaid and cost them more to buy health insurance. A pair of Republican-controlled committees in the House of Representatives released proposed budget cuts that could cost Virginia hundreds of millions of dollars each year and force the state to increase its share of spending or reduce services to people who need help the most.
Hotline between military and air traffic controllers in Washington hasn’t worked for more than three years
A hotline between military and civilian air traffic controllers in Washington, D.C., that hasn’t worked for more than three years may have contributed to another near miss shortly after the U.S. Army resumed flying helicopters in the area for the first time since January’s deadly midair collision between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, Sen. Ted Cruz said at a hearing Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration official in charge of air traffic controllers, Frank McIntosh, confirmed the agency didn’t even know the hotline hadn’t been working since March 2022 until after the latest near miss.
State Secretary of Transportation: Amtrak service to Bristol a ‘heavy lift’
Attracting Amtrak passenger rail service to the Twin City is an expensive, long-term proposition that still remains possible, state transportation leaders said Tuesday. Speaking during a public session about the state’s six-year transportation plan at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Secretary of Transportation B. Sheppard Miller III urged proponents to keep working.