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Virginia gas plant progresses despite opposition
In response to increasing energy demand because of extreme weather and the rapid growth of data centers, Dominion Energy plans to build a natural gas plant in Chesterfield, Va. But the nearby community, which was home to a coal plant for almost 80 years and currently lives near two existing gas plants, has resisted the project for months, citing concerns about air quality. Still, Dominion Energy is one step closer to building the new plant after applying in early March for a Certificate of Public Convenience from the State Corporation Commission, which evaluates utility projects’ costs and rationales for increasing rates. Dominion expects to go before the commission in November.
Yancey: Is it over? 8 more things to know about the John Reid controversy.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin blinked. Then Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears blinked. That’s my read on the past 48 hours in Virginia politics as the controversy over Republican lieutenant governor candidate John Reid may now have reached its end point with Reid still very much on the party’s ticket. In case you’ve been blissfully out in the woods without Wi-Fi for the past week, here’s the briefest of recaps: Last Thursday, Youngkin became aware of a social media account with Reid’s longtime screen name that since at least 2014 has been posting photos of nude male models. On Friday, Youngkin told Reid he should drop out of the race.
Youngkin aide defends against Reid extortion claim
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s top political aide said Wednesday that the campaign manager for GOP lieutenant governor nominee John Reid privately acknowledged he was aware of a social media account containing racy images that led Youngkin to urge Reid to leave the race — but which Reid has said he knew nothing about. Youngkin political adviser Matthew Moran included the statement in an affidavit responding to Reid’s accusation that Moran’s actions amounted to extortion, the latest escalation in the unusual spat between the state’s leading Republican and one of his party’s major nominees in an election year.
Richmond mayor slashes city credit card use after scandals
Mayor Avula announced Wednesday that he's cracking down on how government employees use city-issued credit cards following some questionable purchases. Avula has previously acknowledged wanting to rebuild the fractured public trust in City Hall, which has stemmed partly from how taxpayer dollars are spent. In a release, Avula said the number of city-issued credit cards (known as p-cards) will drop from 320 to about 60 by next Friday. The only allowable purchases, per Avula, are those needed for public health and safety reasons.
Kaine meets with Ukrainians in Roanoke Valley, shares insights from recent visit
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine met with Roanoke-area Ukrainians and their supporters last week to share what he'd learned on a visit to the war-torn country and other European nations last month. Kaine visited Finland in February, and Poland, Ukraine and Germany during the Senate's Easter recess. During his mid-April visit to Ukraine, he placed flowers at the Bucha Memorial, which remembers the more than 400 civilians and prisoners of war executed in 2022 by members of the 234th Air Assault Regiment, a Russian paratrooper unit based in Pskov, a city with which Roanoke paused a sister city arrangement in 2023.
State police to immigrants: Checkpoints are for traffic safety, not ICE
The Virginia State Police have conducted two traffic safety checkpoints in rural northern Fauquier County since the start of 2025 but say that neither was tied to immigration enforcement and, although some citations were issued, no one was detained. Immigrants are on edge as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ramps up its detention and deportation efforts across the country. But local law enforcement officials say policing practices have not changed.
Arlington unemployment claims spiked in March, adding to region-wide pessimism
Hundreds more Arlington County residents began seeking work in March as federal layoffs continue to drive a region-wide surge in unemployment, new data shows. A total of 4,929 Arlington residents were counted as without jobs and seeking work in March, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday (Tuesday). That’s up 16% from the 4,249 recorded in February, and up a hefty 60% from 3,116 in March 2024.
Youngkin: Virginia leads nation with greatest reduction of fentanyl overdose deaths
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced at a press conference Tuesday that Virginia is now seeing a 44% drop in fentanyl overdose deaths. The Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released this data. “I am very pleased the CDC acknowledged that Virginia over the course of the last year has led the nation with the greatest reduction of overdoses in the entire country,” Youngkin said.
Hampton hopes to redevelop Fort Monroe into a landmark. Years of stagnation have slowed it.
At a historic site that’s been hampered by development setbacks for years, officials said ongoing projects will help Fort Monroe look completely different a year from now. Virginia took over the 565-acre former Army base in 2011 and planned to restore and convert it for private development. Those plans have since been nixed due to rising project costs and uncertainty surrounding potentially hazardous materials still sitting on the fort’s grounds.
Flint Hill fire company lawsuit heads to Virginia Supreme Court
A three-judge panel of the Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that the full court will consider appeals made by the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors and former Flint Hill Volunteer Fire and Rescue leader Karen Williams in a case regarding the fire company’s ousted leadership. This case began in 2023 when local attorney David Konick represented former leaders of the Flint Hill fire company in filing a lawsuit against the county after the Board of Supervisors voted to remove their leadership.