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Petersburg asks for state-of-emergency declaration after flash floods wreak havoc on city
As Petersburg braces for the possibility of more rain adding to what has been an historic amount of flash-flooding, city officials are hoping that the high-water issues that have been plaguing the city for decades will rekindle discussions about dredging the Appomattox River shoreline. A combination of silt build-up and poor drainage from an already aged water infrastructure is to blame for flooding from storms that have pummeled Petersburg and surrounding areas for the past week or so. Storms that came through the overnight hours of July 15 were the worst of them to date, dumping as much as 5 inches of rain and creating pools in low-lying areas as deep as 18-24 inches.
Petersburg issues state of emergency following flooding
Petersburg officials have declared a local state of emergency after several days of heavy rain led to severe flooding across the city. The relentless rain led to flooding that hit across the entire city Monday evening and early Tuesday. With more rain in the forecast, a flood watch has been extended through midnight across the area. Officials called a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday to announce the state of emergency and address how it will fix those problems moving forward.
Petersburg officials: Flooding spurred by intense rain, aging water system, lack of river dredging
On Tuesday outside city hall, Petersburg officials said yet another night of intense, dangerous rainfall led to major flooding for the third time in a week in the city. While providing updates on the safety concerns and the additional storms rolling in, city leaders explained how the Appomattox River is playing a role in the ongoing overflows. Meanwhile, legislators are touting state-level solutions to manage the recurrent flooding. ... Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham placed blame not only on the heavy rains, but also on aged water systems that can’t keep up with demand, and lack of dredging in the Appomattox River that allows water to pool in portions of the city.
Trump administration fires 17 immigration court judges across 10 states, including Virginia, union says
Seventeen immigration court judges have been fired in recent days, according to the union that represents them, as the Trump administration pushes forward with its mass deportations of immigrants in the country. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents immigration court judges as well as other professionals, said in a news release that 15 judges were fired “without cause” on Friday and another two on Monday. The union said they were working in courts in 10 different states across the country — California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
ICE arrests surge in Northern Virginia, prompting emergency planning among immigrant families
Northern Virginia has become a focal point in the federal government’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy. ICE arrests have skyrocketed 350% over the past year across the Commonwealth, according to The New York Times, with the vast majority of them taking place in the suburbs of D.C. Fairfax County alone has seen twice as many arrests compared to any other county in Virginia. Rohmah Javed, the legal director of the Immigrant Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center, says her office is inundated with calls from families trying to piece together what happened to loved ones who never made it home from work.
Sen. Tim Kaine speaks to U.Va. students, discusses Ryan resignation and more
Sen. Tim Kaine held a conversation with a group of graduate University students and faculty members Friday at the Central Library of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library system. In an informal Q&A session, audience members asked about threats to federal research, the future of diversity, equity and inclusion at the University, potential shifts in the Democratic Party and more. According to Alexia Childress, event co-organizer and School of Medicine student, event co-organizer and Medicine student, the event was organized by several medical students in the wake of former University President Jim Ryan’s resignation.
Virginia hospitals face big income cuts from Trump’s bill
Virginia hospitals and doctors face big cuts in income under President Donald Trump’s tax and budget bill while Virginians with Obamacare coverage could see big premium increases if a Biden-era tax credit goes away, state officials say. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Trump signed into law July 4 calls for state Medicaid agencies to cap payments to hospitals and doctors to the rates the federal Medicare program for older Americans pays.
Valley Health braces for $50M loss after Medicaid cuts become law
Valley Health says it expects to lose more than $50 million in revenue following the enactment of a new federal law that significantly reduces Medicaid funding and health insurance subsidies nationwide. The legislation, often called the Big Beautiful Bill and signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, includes nearly $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid program over the next decade. According to Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz, those changes are expected to result in the loss of health coverage for millions of Americans, including nearly 380,000 people across Virginia and West Virginia, where Valley Health operates six hospitals, including Winchester Medical Center.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission considers requiring devices on crab pots to protect terrapins
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to review potential regulations that would require modifications to crab pots to discourage the unintentional capture of diamondback terrapins. Diamondback terrapins, found all along the East Coast, are the only turtles found in brackish water, and problems begin when they move into areas with crab pots. Specifically, they can get stuck in the submerged pots that are common in Virginia’s waters, especially within 150 feet of the shore, and drown. In some cases, terrapins can follow each other into crab pots, whether or not they have bait inside.
Google partners with Youngkin and offers AI training courses to Virginia job seekers
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Tuesday that Google will partner with his administration to provide free and low-cost artificial intelligence certification courses to Virginians as part of his office’s ongoing effort to connect citizens to new jobs amid changes to the state’s economy. The partnership, which he has described as an AI career launchpad, will provide Google-sponsored AI training courses for up to 10,000 Virginians at any given time, officials said at Google’s office in the northern part of the state.