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Norfolk judge rules the city attorney can prosecute some misdemeanors in court
Last week, a Norfolk Circuit Court judge ruled the city’s charter allows the City Attorney’s office the authority to prosecute violations of local ordinances in that court. It’s the latest round in a turf spat between Norfolk City Attorney Bernard Pishko and Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi. Fatehi has sought to prohibit such a decision. The legal ruling stems from an appeal of Virginia Beach resident Jared Fuller's conviction in the General District Court for being in Northside Park after dark at 7:06 p.m. on Nov. 6, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
Free Narcan, fentanyl testing available through new Richmond vending machines
Richmond is installing new harm reduction vending machines across the city, equipped with free Narcan, fentanyl testing strips and personal hygiene products. “This life-saving program is about meeting people where they are, with compassion and dignity,” Mayor Danny Avula said. The machines are part of the city’s Office of Opioid and Substance Use Response. Officials say the goal is to prevent overdoses and support Richmonders living with substance abuse disorders.
Sites slated for mystery data center projects in Chesterfield sell for nearly $60M
Entities involved in plans to build proposed data center campuses in western Chesterfield have dropped tens of millions of dollars in recent days to secure the project sites. More than 1,200 acres between the two sites, one near Moseley and the one near Westchester Commons, have changed hands for a combined total of about $60 million in multiple transactions that closed in late June, according to Chesterfield courthouse records.
Prince William supervisor’s PAC receives another $100K, this time from Dumfries data center backer
Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega earlier this month received a $100,000 campaign donation via her political action committee, YES PAC, from a real estate developer with ties to a recently-pitched data center project near the Four Seasons at Historic Virginia retirement community in Dumfries.
Data center demand brings first gas substation to Nokesville
Western Prince William County needs an infusion of electricity to avoid getting close to running out of power by as soon as 2027 due to soaring demand from power-hungry data centers. That will mean big changes for a stretch of Vint Hill Road that’s already a tangle of high-voltage power transmission lines. Dominion Energy plans a major upgrade of an existing electrical substation near Vint Hill Road and Reid Lane in Nokesville. That’s where a picturesque, mostly rural roadway is interrupted by a confluence of three high-voltage power transmission lines with giant metal poles and towers.
Remains of former ‘Spirit of Norfolk’ vessel now an artificial reef in Florida
The Spirit of Norfolk now rests beneath the waves off the coast of Florida, transformed into an artificial reef nearly three years after a fire ended its time on the Elizabeth River. The cruise vessel had been sitting at Colonna’s Shipyard in Norfolk since June 2022, when it caught fire during a lunch cruise with 108 passengers and crew on board. All were safely evacuated. The fire, which started in an operating port generator, took several days to extinguish and caused an estimated $5 million in damage, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Gilbert sworn in as interim U.S. Attorney
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, resigned his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates early Monday morning and was sworn in at 11 a.m. as interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, following his formal nomination by President Donald Trump.
Youngkin: Global firm to open headquarters in Sterling
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced that ORBCOMM Inc., a global firm producing internet-connected devices, will establish its global headquarters in Sterling, according to a news release. ORBCOMM will invest up to $3 million in job creation and will expand into 22,000 square feet of office space. The project, pending Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approval on July 15, is estimated to create as many as 51 jobs or more.
DNC launches $1.5M investment in Virginia
The Democratic National Committee announced an initial $1.5 million investment in Virginia on Tuesday in an effort to help candidates up and down the ballot in November’s off-year elections. The investment in the state is one of the largest and earliest investments the committee has made to the Virginia Democratic Coordinated Campaign during an off election year, according to the DNC.
Subramanyam Warns of Federal Budget Impacts in Town Hall
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) on Thursday warned constituents of the coming impacts of the recently signed federal budget bill during a town hall at John Champe High School. The legislation has been touted by Republicans and the White House as the “largest tax cut in history for middle- and working-class Americans” including no taxes on tips, overtime and social security. The bill is also expected to fund the completion of a wall along the southern border, the hiring of thousands more Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border patrol officers and modernize air traffic control systems across the country.