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By NATHANIEL CLINE,
Virginia Mercury
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday new rules that will put refunds quickly back into air travelers’ pockets for canceled or delayed flights.
The agency estimated that the new regulations will save consumers over a half billion dollars every year in airline fees.
Under the new rules, which will go into effect beginning in late October, airlines must issue full refunds including imposed taxes and fees within seven business days for credit card purchases, and within three weeks for other payment methods.
Virginia has nine major airports commonly used by consumers including Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Richmond International Airport.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By MARKUS SCHMIDT,
Cardinal News
A member of the Pulaski Town Council was charged with three class 1 misdemeanors and one class 3 misdemeanor last week relating to alleged ethics and conflict of interest law violations in his role as a public official between January 2021 and April 2024.
The charges against Michael Reis, an attorney from Pulaski who was first elected to the council in 2020, stem from his role in facilitating the appropriation of public funds to benefit the renovation of the Calfee Community & Cultural Center, a local institution that came to be known as the Calfee Training School when it first was a school for Black children in 1894, and Wide Angle Strategies LLC, a consulting firm with a vested interest in the center.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By MATTHEW BARAKAT,
Associated Press
A jury on Wednesday rejected a woman’s lawsuit seeking tens of millions of dollars from Virginia’s largest school system over allegations that she was raped multiple times as a middle schooler.
The woman, who was identified in court papers only by her initials, sued Fairfax County Public Schools under Title IX, a law that guarantees girls and women equal educational access. The lawsuit alleged school officials at Rachel Carson Middle School in Reston ignored her complaints that she endured sexual harassment and sexual assaults inside and outside of the school back in 2011 and 2012, when she was a seventh-grader.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By LISA ROWAN,
Cardinal News
The New College Institute in Martinsville appears to be starting a mediation process with its estranged philanthropic arm, but the details remain unclear.
In a meeting Wednesday, the state-run higher education center’s executive committee voted to name board vice chair Richard Hall as sole spokesperson for the board in mediation with its foundation.
Adam Kane from the state attorney general’s office attended the meeting, including the closed session that preceded the vote. The office serves as legal counsel for NCI.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By CHER MUZYK,
Prince William Times
The race for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District is shaping up to be very competitive — and very expensive.
In the Democratic primary race, retired Army Col. Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, 48, of Woodbridge, has a solid financial edge, raising more money than all the Republican and Democratic candidates in both primary races combined — by far.
Since launching his campaign late last year, Vindman has raised nearly $3.8 million. That’s more than four times the amount raised by his Democratic rivals, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
VaNews April 25, 2024
Associated Press
Glenn Youngkin will visit Germany, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland next week for his third international trade mission as Virginia governor.
Youngkin, a Republican, will meet with Finland’s president, government officials, strategic business associations, company executives and global industry leaders “to further strengthen Virginia’s economic and cultural connections,” his press office said Wednesday as it announced his itinerary.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By TREVOR METCALFE,
Virginian-Pilot
(Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Thousands of containers, dozens of construction vehicles and tons of coal are moving through Hampton Roads terminals as the port helps Baltimore with diverted shipments due to a recent bridge collapse. “To me, it’s an example of how our industry needs to be nimble and responsive to the situation at hand,” said David White, executive director of the Virginia Maritime Association. ... The Port of Virginia’s state-run terminals could process anywhere from 18,000 to 20,000 rerouted containers this month, Virginia Port Authority spokesperson Joe Harris said.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Virginia Democrats are falling in line and falling in love. With Levar Stoney’s strategic retreat — rather than risk a pasting for the 2025 gubernatorial nomination, he’s risking a pasting for the 2025 lieutenant governor’s nomination — Democrats are forgoing a contest for their top spot to rally behind Abigail Spanberger, whose politics and posturing seem to give almost everyone in a party still whining over Glenn Youngkin’s squeaker victory in 2021 something to cheer about.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By DAVID MCGEE,
Bristol Herald Courier
(Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
Now in its 20th year, The Crooked Road began as a dream for Todd Christensen and the late Joe Wilson, who met one wintry day in 2003 at the Carter Fold in Maces Springs. The fold was already established as a popular regional music attraction, started by the late Janette Carter in 1975 to promote the legacy of the Carter Family and the music of this region. ... Ultimately, the grassroots effort caught the attention of state lawmakers and then-Gov. Mark Warner, who signed legislation in 2004 dedicating the 333-mile route as Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.
VaNews April 25, 2024
By STACY PARKER,
Virginian-Pilot
(Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A U.S. Department of Justice evaluation of a dozen Virginia Beach facilities found that the city is not in compliance with the American Disabilities Act and will need to make changes to those buildings and others. It could cost millions of dollars and take several years for the city to reach compliance with its facilities, sidewalks, web-based services and emergency operation plans as part of a settlement agreement with the DOJ.
VaNews April 25, 2024
