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D.C. region launches dashboard to deliver more detailed, timely crime data
A new initiative reporting crime data from across the D.C. region in “near-real time” has won praise from local leaders and will provide new tools for policymakers, public safety agencies and the public. “It’s the only one we’re aware of in the nation,” said Eli Russ, a senior public safety planner for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), who serves as project manager for the effort. Officially launched before the group’s monthly meeting Wednesday, the new COG Regional Crime Dashboard will draw from daily reports issued by public safety agencies in 24 jurisdictions spread across D.C., Virginia and Maryland.
New dashboard brings near real-time info about crime around the region
Police departments around the region are increasingly offering updates on crime data, but depending on how big the department is, the speed of those updates might vary. . . . But to track it all, you usually have to go to each individual department’s webpage and search around for the information you want, if you’re trying to compare one area to another. That will no longer be the case. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has unveiled a new dashboard that lets you track crime around the region, from the District to the biggest suburban counties in Maryland to the smaller municipalities that also work with COG. You can break it down by jurisdiction or group the D.C. area together.
Hampton council defers vote on proposed law targeting homeless population
It’s easy to miss, but just off Pine Chapel Road and Barrack Street in Hampton is the place 54-year-old Donald Cook calls home. Cook told 10 On Your Side’s Regina Mobley there’s a reason why a homeless camp near a busy road in now abandoned, leading to those that called the place home moving deeper in to the woods near the Hampton Convention Center. . . . If Hampton City Council signs off on the reenactment of a law taking aim at homeless people, it will make it unlawful to camp, lay, sleep or store items on public property. At a City Council legislative session Wednesday night, members decided to defer a vote on the ordinance that would prohibit camping or storage on public property.
Hampton hits pause on anti-camping ban
Hampton is holding off on banning camping, sleeping and storing personal items on public property for now. City Council on Wednesday postponed a vote until September 24. Mayor Jimmy Gray said that’s to update the proposed ordinance with input from residents, advocates and service providers working with people experiencing homelessness. The pause comes as Hampton is working with nearby localities on regional approaches to combatting homelessness.
Richmond enters formal agreement with VDH to fix its water system
Richmond is further dedicating to fixing what’s broken at its water treatment plant after the regional water crisis exposed those weaknesses. The city announced that it has entered into an Order of Consent with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to address the alleged violations the agency found when investigating January’s water crisis, according to a June 12 press release.
Martinsville City Council members remain mostly mum on lawsuit controversy
Members of the Martinsville City Council are remaining largely quiet about the federal lawsuit filed by council member Aaron Rawls against the city manager and city sheriff’s deputy. Council members each cited the pending litigation as their reason for not commenting on the suit that Rawls filed against City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides and Deputy Reva Keen. . . . Rawls filed the case June 2 in U.S. District Court in Danville. The suit alleges that the pair acted in violation of Rawls’ First, Fourth and 14th amendment rights. The alleged violations are concerned with Rawls’ right to speech, freedom from unlawful seizure and deprivation of liberty.
Aspiring CPAs Consider Ditching Grad-School Plans as States Revamp Laws
Recent changes to CPA licensing laws in many U.S. states mean one thing for some prospective accountants: School’s out early. . . . Nearly 20 U.S. states have amended CPA licensing laws since January, in what may become a precursor for the entire country. Several professional groups say they expect close to or all 50 U.S. states to offer alternatives to the 150-hour rule by 2027. The changes permit CPA candidates like Flannery to use an additional year of work experience instead of schoolwork to qualify as a certified public accountant. . . . Virginia, like Ohio and several other states, will implement its new law at the start of 2026. Kameron Samuel, a rising senior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., is setting aside plans to try to reach the 150-credit threshold in favor of applying for jobs once he graduates next May.
16 months after Richmond pulled city staff directory from its website, newspaper publishes it
In February 2024, The Times-Dispatch reported that, amid public outcry over issues with utility bills and meals tax collection, officials under then-Mayor Levar Stoney removed the city’s staff directory from the city website. The directory contained the names, phone numbers and email addresses of City Hall’s many department directors. Without it, Richmond residents were unable to directly contact their highest-paid, most visible and most responsible public servants. . . . Now, The Times-Dispatch is publishing its own database of department directors' desk and cellphone numbers.
Killing a Biden-era submarine deal would be a 'lost opportunity' for Hampton Roads, local leader says
When Australia and the United Kingdom signed a deal to buy nuclear submarines from the United States and have U.S. experts teach them to build their own, Hampton Roads officials saw doors opening. The deal, which would see Australia buy as many as five Virginia-class subs from the U.S. to help curb China’s expanding influence in the Pacific, could ultimately be worth more than $200 billion over the next couple of decades. But President Donald Trump announced Wednesday his administration will review the Biden-era deal to ensure it aligns with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Lynchburg vice mayor apologizes to Peacemakers leader for past defamatory comments
Some Lynchburg City Council members are apologizing for something that happened during a meeting a few years ago. During Tuesday's Lynchburg City Council work session, Vice Mayor Curt Diemer spoke out against personal attacks in their meetings. It happened during a 2023 meeting. During public comment, a speaker said something defamatory about Shawn Hunter, the leader of the Peacemakers in Lynchburg. Hunter sued her and won. Hunter was just awarded $50,000 in damages in a Lynchburg Circuit Court on June 6.