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Yancey: Dwight Eisenhower’s mother grew up in Augusta County, but no historical marker remembers her
Eighty years ago Thursday morning, Americans woke up to the news that Allied forces had crossed the English Channel and were fighting on the beaches of Normandy — the day we now remember simply as D-Day. The first indications came shortly after midnight Eastern time, from a suspicious source: German radio. American news organizations were rightly skeptical until 3:32 a.m. — 9:32 a.m. at the landing sites — when radio stations interrupted their programming to bring a message from Col. Richard Dupuy … By then, the fighting was three hours old, and many of the Virginians who were in those first waves were already dead or dying — but the liberation of Europe had begun.
Regulators approve request from Dominion to drop RGGI fee on customer bills
The average Dominion Energy Virginia residential customer will soon see a charge of about $4.50 dropped from their bills. The fee was being collected to recover costs through the state’s participation in the regional carbon market. On Monday, the State Corporation Commission, which regulates Virginia’s utilities, approved a request from Dominion to stop tacking the fee on customer’s bills to recoup the costs the utility racked up through participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which Virginia is no longer a part of.
VCU officials reviewing $56M payment to Richmond for failed development project, JLARC suggestions
Officials from Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health System told lawmakers on Wednesday they are reviewing an agreement to pay the city of Richmond approximately $2.5 million annually in lieu of taxes for a development that was never built, after the school paid the city, investors and developers nearly $80 million to exit the failed building project.
State air board adopts federal particulate matter standards
The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board voted to adopt federal standards for fine particulate matter found in wildfire smoke on Tuesday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM 2.5 — particles smaller than 2.5 microns. … Karen Sabasteanski, a Department of Environmental Quality policy analyst, told members of the air board that Virginia localities are already in compliance with the standards, meaning new emissions controls won’t be needed when the rules take effect this summer. “Compared to the rest of the country, we’re in good shape,” Sabasteanski said.
Cell Phone Ban Adopted in King George County Schools
King George County Public Schools this week became the first area school division to implement a total ban on cell phones, and similar bans are being considered in Stafford and Caroline county schools. The King George School Board adopted Policy JFCK at its regular meeting on Monday. The policy states that “possession or use of portable communications devices such as cellular telephones, or other hand-held computing devices, shall be prohibited at each school to prevent disruption of the educational environment and to maintain order on school property during the instructional day.”
East, West Join Forces in Loudoun Power Line Battle
Loudoun County has been grappling with impact of the growing demand for power for some time, but it has largely been limited to eastern Loudoun where the Lansdowne Conservancy has been leading the charge in mitigating the impacts of needed power infrastructure on local communities. Last December, the concerns expanded to western Loudoun as a proposal to build a 500-kilovolt line between Harpers Ferry and the Leesburg area were approved by PJM Interconnection, the regional power coordinator. Since then, the Piedmont Environmental Council and Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance have held community meetings in Purcellville, Hillsboro, Waterford and Lovettsville to raise awareness and garner community action on the lines.
Lynchburg City School Board votes to adopt Gov. Youngkin’s transgender policy
The Lynchburg City School Board voted Tuesday evening to adopt Governor Glenn Youngkin’s transgender policy. According to the policy, Lynchburg City Schools will refer to each student using the name and pronouns associated with the appropriate sex appearing on the student’s official record — male pronouns for a student whose sex is male and female pronouns for a student whose sex is female.
Out-of-state money funds Virginia’s GOP Senate candidates
Out-of-state dollars are funding Virginia's U.S. Senate primary campaigns. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions are flowing into the five commonwealth candidate's coffers from all corners of the country. That includes at least $265,631 from Florida, $206,270 from Texas and $167,709 from California, to name a few of the states where contributors live.
Tangier Island’s shrinking landscape sparks action from officials
Federal, state and local officials met together on Tangier Island last Thursday to discuss possible solutions for the shrinking fishing village. Alongside Tangier community leaders and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), officials visited sites on the island where land is disappearing due to sea level rise and erosion, followed by a meeting to discuss challenges and solutions for the island.
Christiansburg site back in discussion for NRV passenger rail hub
Discussions are ongoing to potentially use a former Cambria option to extend passenger rail service to the New River Valley. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority announced Tuesday that it is in preliminary discussions with Norfolk Southern Corp. to pursue that option to return passenger rail to the NRV on the Norfolk Southern main line (N-Line). The authority also is seeking to purchase the Manassas Line in Northern Virginia.