Search
State watchdog to audit Bon Air juvenile facility
A state watchdog agency plans a special review of Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, the place judges send youth convicted of felonies when they think there are no less restrictive places to house them. The Office of the State Inspector General said it would review the Bon Air facility at the request of the Commission on Youth, a legislative agency that has been concerned about reports from advocates and families that the center does not have enough staff.
State Sen. Stella Pekarsky joins race to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly
Another Democrat is angling to potentially succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly. State Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-36) will campaign for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District seat, stating in an announcement video first shared with FFXnow that she wants to run to provide not just a voice, but also action for those “terrified and angry” about the currently Republican-led federal government.
Manassas leaders voice concerns over data center tenant not subject to business property taxes
City leaders in Manassas are expressing bewilderment after learning a tenant inside a new data center won’t have to pay business personal property taxes, drastically shrinking the revenue the city expected from the property. The tenant inside the Brickyard data center at 9905 Godwin Drive, operated by Digital Realty Trust, filed tax paperwork on April 14 identifying itself as a bank, Commissioner of the Revenue Tim Demeria told City Council April 30.
Spanberger condemns ‘shocking’ ICE raid in Charlottesville
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia's Democratic candidate for governor, is calling out federal immigration authorities after two men were detained during a raid on a courthouse in downtown Charlottesville last month. On April 22, three plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — one masking his face with a balaclava — entered the Albemarle County Courthouse, arrested two men and whisked them away in unmarked vehicles to a detention center in Farmville. The incident has sparked pushback from Charlottesville residents and officials alike. Now Spanberger is pushing back.
Former VCU diversity staffers: ‘It’s hard to even process’
Trevon Straughter recounted the moment he found out his job was being eliminated. It was Friday, March 21. He was working from home and had just picked up some Southern Kitchen for lunch. Then he got the feeling that he should check his email quickly before returning to work. Straughter had been working as a program and event specialist in VCU’s Division of Inclusive Excellence, which focused on initiatives of diversity and inclusion. He saw an email from Alison Miller, Virginia Commonwealth University’s chief human resources officer, sent at 2:43 p.m. which said, “the university must follow federal and state laws regarding discrimination and perceived discrimination.”
A Salacious Saga Engulfs the Virginia G.O.P. and Weakens Youngkin
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia found out that Republican research had linked the G.O.P.’s nominee for lieutenant governor to a blog featuring photos of naked men, he tried to save his party from an embarrassing situation. Mr. Youngkin called the candidate, John Reid, a longtime conservative talk radio host in Richmond, and told him he needed to abandon his campaign because the website was certain to be discovered and would tank the party’s entire ticket. ... Then a funny thing happened. Mr. Reid did not quit. Instead, he posted a five-minute video to social media noting that he is gay and explaining that he had watched pornography and had one-night stands in the past. The Republican base in Virginia quickly rallied around him.
Pamunkey Reservation listed as one of the nation’s most endangered historic places
Some of the highest rates of sea level rise in the country are in the Chesapeake Bay region where it’s twice the average annual global rate. Wednesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s reservation, on a peninsula in King William County, among its eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in America.
Former Henrico NICU nurse now facing 20 charges
Eight new charges have been handed down to former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital nurse Erin Strotman, meaning the former health professional now faces a total of 20 charges in the ongoing investigation into the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The charges were issued by the Commonwealth, which also motioned in a court hearing on Wednesday, May 7 that Strotman’s current bond be revoked. Prosecutors argued they were in a different place in their investigation as of Wednesday, now that Strotman faces 18 more charges than she did at the time of her arrest in January.
Virginia High School League ratifies transgender student participation policy
The Virginia High School League ratified its transgender student participation policy Wednesday as its executive committee meeting. The league's executive committee voted Feb. 10 to change the policy in compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order to keep transgender women from playing on women’s high school sports teams. Since the policy had already been changed, there was no vote or discussion on the changes Wednesday by the VHSL's executive committee. The new policy only affects trans girls.
Fairfax County teachers’ union blames supervisors after budget crushes labor agreement
Fairfax County teachers’ elation at securing a collective bargaining agreement, the first of its kind in nearly 50 years for the district, has proven short-lived. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2026 that transfers $2.93 billion to Fairfax County Public Schools — up $119 million from the current fiscal year, but well short of the $248 million increase that Superintendent Michelle Reid requested primarily to cover employee pay raises promised by the union contract.