Search
Portsmouth, Hampton councils to consider giving themselves raises after state law increases pay scale
Mayors and city council members in Hampton and Portsmouth this month will consider whether to nearly double their annual salaries after state law was changed this year to allow cities to increase the elected officials’ pay. Legislation passed by the General Assembly in April amended the maximum amounts that Virginia mayors and council members can earn. The legislation creates new salary caps based on population, and nearly doubles the maximum amount local elected officials can earn if cities vote to increase pay. So far, two Hampton Roads cities are moving forward to discuss and consider the change.
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.
Virginia primaries: Why this year’s races hold national implications
Washington’s neighbor to the south is preparing for federal primaries that could provide a window into how elections will shake out in November. Virginians will vote on June 18 to choose the primary candidates for the Commonwealth’s 11 House seats and one Senate seat. Democrat Tim Kaine, who has served in the Senate since 2013, faces a field of five Republicans hoping to be the state’s first GOP senator since John Warner retired in 2009. Kaine was tapped as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election and has held various important posts, including governor from 2006 to 2010.
Fariss waives preliminary hearing on drug, gun charges, sending case to grand jury
Former Del. Matt Fariss waived his right to a preliminary hearing on felony drug and firearm charges on Tuesday, sending his case to a Campbell County grand jury. Fariss was arrested March 23 during a traffic stop in Campbell County. Deputies found a hunting rifle in his pickup truck and ammunition and a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine in his pocket. He was charged with felony counts of drug possession and possession of a firearm, as well as a misdemeanor charge of violating a protective order.
Youngkin joins 19 other Republican governors in bashing Biden on energy policy
Republican governors banded together Monday to pound away at the Biden administration’s energy policy. In a letter to the White House, 20 GOP state leaders call on the president “to pursue an all-of-the-above energy approach that will promote homegrown energy that benefits all Americans.” With a diesel refinery outside New Orleans as their backdrop, eight governors [including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin] held a news conference to discuss their strategy to “unleash American energy,” largely based on talking points from the letter.
Following Youngkin veto, legislators look to protect those in mental health crisis
Virginia legislators passed a bill this session that would’ve given those with behavioral, neurological or cognitive health issues protections when in confrontations with the police. But Youngkin vetoed the effort. Now in summer working groups, some still hope to see problem addressed. Peter Francisco is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. He’s got a 24-year-old autistic and legally blind son. Two years ago, after his son became aggressive, Francisco called the police for help. When the cops arrived, they tackled his son, but an officer’s face was scratched in the scuffle.
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.