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Roanoke seeks share of Botetourt County’s Google data center tax revenues
Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb has asked Botetourt County to give the city 15% of the annual tax revenue generated by the future Google data center and to replace the water that will be used by the project, citing Roanoke’s “historic contribution” to the regional water authority and fears that the data center’s water demands could have a negative impact on recreation at Carvins Cove. Botetourt County says it already planned to do all those things. The board of supervisors this month approved a plan for water replacement, and the county has paid $450,000 to the Western Virginia Water Authority to start that process.
VA slows planned staff cuts, but concerns about services remain
Expected cuts to staff of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ultimately may not be as extensive as the agency first announced. While that’s some welcome news, downsizing at the federal agency serving millions of American veterans continues to be a pressing concern, especially in a military-centered region such as Hampton Roads. VA leaders insist that the ongoing reduction in force will not affect the care and services available to veterans. But the VA has a history of problems, including lengthy wait times at facilities across the country, and with a dramatic increase in the number of people utilizing its resources, it remains to be seen if the agency can deliver on its lofty promises.
Appalachian Power has $135M plan to improve reliability
Appalachian Power plans to spend $135 million over three years on electric-grid upgrades to improve service reliability, which the utility said represents the first phase of a larger grid transformation process. The company, which has about 540,000 customers in Western Virginia, said Wednesday it is asking state regulators for permission to carry out the plan. Appalachian said it will submit a separate request late next year to charge customers for costs related to the project.
Appalachian files $135M plan to improve grid reliability, service
Appalachian Power Company has filed a plan aimed at improving power grid reliability and resiliency with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. APCo is not requesting rate increases at this stage, according to a written statement. The first phase of includes improvements to the local distribution system that delivers energy to homes and businesses including building new substations, upgrading equipment ...
Virginia’s housing shortage looks grim, but builders and developers say incremental change will help
Anyone who’s tried to buy a house in Virginia in recent years will tell you it's not easy. There aren’t many houses available, and that leads to inflated prices and bidding wars. But changes from state agencies and the legislature are giving some hope. “We’re at a shortage on single-family homes," Delegate Carrie Coyner told Radio IQ after a meeting of the Virginia Housing Commission Tuesday morning. "It’s really hard to attract and keep young people and stay top for business.” The meeting included a presentation by Virginia Association of Realtors and it painted a grim picture of the Commonwealth’s housing market now and into the future.
Pay raise, shipbuilding, better TRICARE: Kiggans says House defense budget would benefit Hampton Roads
After a marathon markup session in the House Armed Services Committee, the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act includes money for pay raises, shipbuilding and other proposals that would benefit Hampton Roads. “We finished at one o’clock this morning,” said committee member Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) of Virginia Beach in a Wednesday morning interview with WAVY. The Pentagon spending plan now goes to the full House.
Spanberger widens lead as Virginia voters prioritize cost of living, personal freedoms
With fewer than four months to go before Virginians elect a new slate of statewide leaders, a new poll from Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs finds Democrats holding early leads in all three top races — and voters sharply focused on economic pressures and personal freedoms. The latest Commonwealth Poll, conducted June 19–July 3, captures evolving voter sentiment in advance of the 2025 election and suggests momentum has shifted further toward Democratic candidates, particularly among independents.
Democrats hit Earle-Sears in new ad over job cuts, business ranking drop
The Democratic Party of Virginia is launching a new ad Thursday attacking Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears after Virginia lost its ranking at the top of CNBC’s Top States for Business list. Virginia fell from first place last year to fourth this year after a new metric was introduced to the process: federal job cuts.
Virginia governor’s race candidates share stances on public safety, labor unions
What issues will drive you to vote when early voting gets underway in just a few weeks? I sat down with Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to hear what they'd aim to deliver for Virginians if elected the state's next governor.
Reid releases child care policy plan to bolster families
Virginia GOP candidate John Reid, who is running for lieutenant governor, released a new policy plan on Wednesday that will expand access to child care for parents while reducing government spending and bolstering resources for home-based and faith-based providers. National Republicans are riding the wave of victory from President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill,” which includes increasing the child tax credit to $2,200 for each child, an increase from $2,000.