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After Hopewell water plant released raw sewage, state officials outline health, environmental impact
Public officials are advising locals to avoid the James River in Hopewell and Richmond, after a weekend water treatment plant malfunction released raw sewage into the waterway. They also said the region’s recent heavy rains play a part in pollution in the river but don’t expect long-term effects. ... The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the incident. They visited the facility on Saturday and will be working with the plant to find solutions to ensure another leak won’t happen again.
Hopewell facility fully operational after Friday’s million-gallon sewage spill
A spill that caused more than a million gallons of untreated sewage to affect waterways in Hopewell has been contained. The city of Hopewell released a statement saying that the Hopewell Water Renewal facility on 231 Hummel Ross Road was back to full operational capacity as of Saturday afternoon. Around 11:50 p.m. Friday, HWR experienced a power failure due to faulty wiring, resulting in sewage overflow. HWR staff responded immediately and brought in contractors to restore the affected systems.
New recovery programs in Southwest Virginia will help mothers stay with their children during addiction treatment
Two new residential addiction treatment facilities for pregnant and parenting women are coming to Southwest Virginia, addressing a critical gap in care in a region hard-hit by the opioid crisis. Strong Futures, which will be located in Norton, and Four Truths, in Roanoke, received funding from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to launch and expand residential treatment options that allow women to keep their children with them in the facility while they go through treatment for substance use disorder.
National Democrats to send $1.5 million for Virginia races
The Democratic National Committee is pledging $1.5 million to the party in Virginia to boost Democratic candidates in elections this year — from races for statewide offices to every seat in the House of Delegates. The national committee called the pledge “one of the largest and earliest initial investments the DNC has ever made to the Virginia Democratic Coordinated Campaign in an off-year election cycle.”
Hanover leads state in removing books from school libraries
Hanover County Public Schools has removed twice as many books from its school libraries as any other school division in the state and accounts for more than one-third of removed books over the past five years, according to a new report from the state legislature’s watchdog commission. The Monday report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shows that the Hanover school division has removed 125 book titles from its school libraries between July 2020 and March 2025.
State report: Hanover County leads Virginia with most removed books
The question of what books should be in a school library has been a lightning rod for controversy recently. A report released Monday morning by a state watchdog agency revealed details on what’s been removed and where it’s happening. About two-thirds of the over 90 Virginia school divisions that responded to the survey did not remove any books from their school libraries. Among those that did, Hanover County led the pack with 125 titles removed. That’s according to a new report from the state’s non-partisan research group the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission, or JLARC.
Virginia schools removed 200+ different books from libraries, report finds
Most Virginia school divisions surveyed by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission did not remove any books from school libraries based on content in the last five years. But a handful of school divisions account for the vast majority of the 223 different book titles that were removed based on content during that time. JLARC was directed by the General Assembly earlier this year to survey school divisions about school library book removals, and 92 of the state’s 132 divisions responded.
Survey reveals Virginia schools banned over 220 library books since 2020
A report presented to a group of Virginia legislators Monday reveals that school boards have removed over 220 books from their schools' libraries since 2020. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission survey asked Virginia's 131 school divisions if they have school library book removal policies and the number of books currently banned. The survey found that almost two-thirds of the participating divisions hadn't removed any books for content-related purposes. The survey revealed that a significant portion of the increase in banned books is attributed to a misinterpretation of a 2022 law.
FBI mum, but all signs point toward exit of well-regarded Richmond FBI executive
The FBI won’t say it, but others will: Stanley Meador, who headed up the Richmond FBI operations for four years, appears to have been quietly sidelined from his prominent position as top cop of the bureau’s Richmond field office. ... other signs confirm an exit that was first reported by The New York Times in June. The New York Times credited anonymous sources, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch has not been able to independently confirm their report. Meador is said to have upset conservatives with a 2023 memo issued by the Richmond field office. The so-called “Richmond Memo” discussed the threat of domestic terrorism from “radical-traditionalist” Catholics and was inspired by a case investigated in Henrico County.
As international threats mount, Norfolk’s NATO commands play a key role
NATO’s footprint in Hampton Roads is expected to expand in the coming years, despite President Donald Trump’s criticism of member nations' military spending levels. The two major NATO commands in Norfolk – Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and the more recently established Joint Force Command – have played a key role in bolstering the alliance’s strength against Russian aggression. The Joint Force Command in Norfolk, established in 2019, has grown from 100 to 250 personnel this year and could double its force tomorrow if its building at the Norfolk Naval Station had the space, Vice Adm. James Morley told VCIJ.