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Smithfield Foods relocating 115 corporate jobs to Hampton Roads
Smithfield Foods is relocating about 115 of its U.S. corporate jobs to Hampton Roads. Two regional Midwest offices — in Illinois and Missouri — will close and associated positions will move to the Smithfield headquarters by the end of next year, said Ray Atkinson, Smithfield Foods spokesperson. Since the process has just begun, the company hasn’t yet determined how many employees will move and how many positions will be open for hire, Atkinson said. The positions include finance, procurement, human resources, information technology and other support functions.
From the classroom to the campaign trail: Ghazala Hashmi’s rise
Before she was a state senator from Chesterfield County, and long before she became Virginia's Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, Ghazala Hashmi was known by colleagues as a calm, soft-spoken English professor who led meetings with precision and brought her deep love of early American literature to the classroom. After nearly 30 years in the classroom, Hashmi has made a swift rise in politics and is now the first Muslim woman in the U.S. to be nominated to a statewide ticket, according to her campaign.
Experts warn of the economic and environmental impacts of federal cuts on Hampton Roads
During a committee meeting Friday at Norfolk State University, Virginia lawmakers heard from experts from a variety of sectors about how the volatility of federal cuts is having a profound impact on Hampton Roads. The Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions convened for the fourth time, having heard presentations at the General Assembly Building in Richmond as well as in Alexandria and Wytheville. In Norfolk, speakers highlighted significant federal workforce populations and reliance on federal funding for climate resiliency and other initiatives.
After Va. elections, governor’s race begins a new phase
Virginia’s election season kicked into high gear Saturday as the newly formed Democratic lineup for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general launched a statewide bus tour on a blistering hot afternoon while their Republican rivals kept to a far more low-key campaign approach. “Everywhere we travel, people get to hear from us about the things we are for,” gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger said at an afternoon rally at Richmond’s Abner Clay Park with her ticket mates, state Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi (Richmond) for lieutenant governor, and former Norfolk delegate Jerrauld C. “Jay” Jones for attorney general.
Senate draft of ‘big, beautiful bill’ could cut funds for Virginia hospitals, also affect Medicaid
Virginia’s hospitals are monitoring congressional budget proposals with concern. While the recently-passed U.S. House of Representatives’ version of the President Donald Trump-backed “big beautiful bill” retained federal mapping that preserves Medicaid access in Virginia, a new draft in the U.S. Senate could alter two critical funding mechanisms that support Virginia’s hospitals and their ability to bolster the state’s expanded Medicaid program. The Senate proposal could change provider assessment rates and state-directed payment programs. The two funding mechanisms are critical to hospital operation in Virginia and how they chip into the expansion of Virginia’s Medicaid program.
Democratic candidates for Connolly’s congressional seat debate fairness over Walkinshaw’s frontrunner status
A crowded field of Democrats is vying for the party’s nomination in the special election for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. James Walkinshaw, [the late U.S. Rep. Gerry] Connolly’s chosen successor, appears to be the clear frontrunner, sparking concerns among rivals that the nomination process favors establishment candidates and also limits voter access. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the special election date for Sept. 9 after Connolly, 75, died in May due to esophageal cancer. It came weeks after Connolly announced he would not seek reelection and would step down as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. The 11th District Democratic committee announced a firehouse primary scheduled for June 28, giving candidates less than a month to make their case to voters.
Virginia professors warn against governance boards politicizing tenure processes
The Virginia Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the largest organization representing university professors in the commonwealth, is raising fresh concerns, after learning the George Mason University’s Board of Visitors inquired in February 2024 about their roles in reviewing promotion and tenure cases. The educators say they fear the pipeline of college professors could contract if more college governing boards seek to influence the process of hiring and promoting professors. The debate has bubbled up as the politicization of governing boards at public colleges and universities nationwide, including those in Virginia, has increased.
Judge facing bribery charge allegedly sought pay raises for court staff
A Fredericksburg-area judge facing a felony charge of bribery of a public official did not attempt to enrich himself, the special prosecutor handling the case said. Richard T. McGrath, the chief judge of the 15th Judicial District of Virginia, which includes the Fredericksburg region, was indicted on June 2. The Mechanicsville resident’s next appearance in Spotsylvania County Circuit Court is scheduled for July 7. He is represented by Richmond-based defense attorney Craig Cooley, who did not return a phone call seeking comment. “What I can share is he was charged with soliciting a bribe, not offering a bribe,” said Special Prosecutor Nate Green, the Williamsburg Commonwealth’s Attorney. “He basically was asking someone to give money, not to give him money.”
Frederick County quashes two data center proposals
The Frederick County Board of Supervisors rejected via a consensus vote the further study of two Comprehensive Plan amendment applications for potential data center facilities during a joint work session with the Planning Commission on Wednesday night. One application was for a 644-acre data center campus called Meadow Brook Technology Park between Valley Pike (U.S. 11) and Hites Road just south of Stephens City. The other was for Winchester Gateway 2, which proposed a 105-acre data center development at the southern corner of Va. 37 and Middle Road south of Winchester.
Virginia Beach sheriff’s deputy who claimed he was fired for political reasons has been rehired
A deputy who alleged in a 2022 federal lawsuit against former Sheriff Ken Stolle that he was fired for political reasons has returned to duty. William “Dave” Fowler was rehired in April by Sheriff Rocky Holcomb, according to department spokeswoman Toni Guagenti. Holcomb became sheriff in September 2023, after Stolle stepped down. He won a special election last year and is running for reelection in November. “MDII Fowler applied for a deputy position with the VBSO like any job applicant,” Guagenti said in an email to The Pilot. “He followed all the applicant procedures, including taking a written exam, a physical and a background check.”