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Purcellville recall petitions certified; next steps begin
Petitions to recall Purcellville Mayor Chris Bertaut, Vice Mayor Carl "Ben" Nett and Council members Carol Luke and Susan Khalil have been certified, according to Loudoun County General Registrar Judy Brown. The four petitions, one each for the mayor and three council members, have been sent to Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens' office for the next steps in the process, she said. Clemens confirmed that he has the petitions, and he was reviewing them on Thursday morning.
Renovation and expansion projects at 10 Virginia colleges and universities put on pause
Gov. Glenn Youngkin paused over $600 million in funding requests for 10 renovation and expansion projects at Virginia’s higher education institutions to prepare for possible statewide repercussions stemming from uncertainty about the country’s economic future. As President Donald Trump’s administration continues slashing federal spending and programs and overhauling global trade policies, Youngkin and lawmakers are keeping a keen eye on the state’s purse strings.
Elections Office Certifies Purcellville Recall Petition Signatures
The Office of Elections has certified signatures in a recall petition submitted last month seeking to remove Purcellville’s mayor, vice mayor and two council members from office. According to court documents, 1,211 signatures were included in the petition to remove Mayor Christopher Bertaut. Of those, 25 were deemed invalid and 1,186 were verified. The number of signatures required for a petition to be certified was 494.
Arlington County leaders express regret for treatment of displaced Queen City residents
Arlington leaders on Tuesday (May 13) honored the legacy of a once-vibrant community wiped off the map to make way for construction around the Pentagon. Board members also expressed regret at how those residents were treated by county leaders eight decades ago. County Board members used the meeting to celebrate Queen City, which had been established in the early 1890s but in 1942 was acquired through eminent domain by the federal government. The 900-plus residents of the community were displaced, many of them moving to other historically African-American communities in Arlington and across the region.
State Secretary of Transportation: Amtrak service to Bristol a ‘heavy lift’
Attracting Amtrak passenger rail service to the Twin City is an expensive, long-term proposition that still remains possible, state transportation leaders said Tuesday. Speaking during a public session about the state’s six-year transportation plan at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Secretary of Transportation B. Sheppard Miller III urged proponents to keep working.
Youngkin calls for transformation of child welfare system
Until she was 18, Katie Jones got to see her mom only once a week, for a one-hour session with her five brothers and sisters, monitored by a social worker. “Every week I used to say ‘when do I get to see my mom,’” she said Thursday at an event where Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched a push to transform the state's foster care system. Those hours were always filled with tears, and they always ended the same way: “I’d have to say ‘Bye mom,’ and go back to my foster family,” said Jones, who grew up in Chesapeake. “I love my mom unconditionally and she loves me unconditionally.”
Williams: By punishing speech, VCU loses its moral compass
On the one-year anniversary of the storming of the VCU Gaza Solidarity Encampment by police in riot gear, more than a dozen Virginia Commonwealth University police officers converged upon the Cabell Library lawn and students were threatened with arrest for sitting on blankets. This absurd show of force on April 29 escalated what had been a low-key gathering of several dozen students commemorating the encampment — an event where participants were asked to bring blankets, schoolwork, art supplies, music and games.
Virginia’s progress reducing overdose deaths is worth celebrating
Virginians have reason to feel encouraged by the latest reports from state and federal officials of the death count in the ongoing battle against fatal overdoses of fentanyl and other drugs. In April, the Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced that deaths from fentanyl overdoses in the commonwealth were down 44% from the previous year. They are down 46% from the worst year on record, 2021.
Loudoun Board Questions Sheriff Over ICE Agreement
Sheriff Mike Chapman last week addressed the Board of Supervisors to dispel “misinformation” surrounding his agency’s recent agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He said the agreement formalizes a longstanding practice of the Sheriff’s Office to inquire with other agencies prior to releasing a person incarcerated at the Adult Detention Center. A formal Memorandum of Agreement was signed in late March, which prompted a community protest in front of the office’s Leesburg headquarters. “Let me explain what we do and what we don’t do when it comes to working with ICE,” Chapman said.
Chesterfield School Board OKs weapons scanners at middle and high schools
The Chesterfield School Board approved installing weapons scanners at all middle and high schools prior to the 2025-26 school year. "It's extremely important that our children feel safe and our staff feel safe," Steven Paranto, the Matoaca District representative on the school board, said. "This is not an answer that will cure everything in regards to their safety, but it's definitely a tool that we can use." The board voted 5-0 in favor of the scanners during its monthly meeting Tuesday.