Search
Energy storage bills among Youngkin’s vetoes
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed legislation that would have raised the targets for how much new energy storage the commonwealth’s two largest electric utilities must propose adding over the next two decades. Energy storage facilities store electricity during off-peak hours when it’s cheaper to generate and deploy it during high-demand periods when it would be more expensive to generate otherwise.
After ousting first Black superintendent, VMI appoints interim as search continues for new leader
The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors named Brigadier General Dallas Clark acting superintendent Saturday afternoon, but didn’t set a firm date for when a new superintendent will be selected. It’s the first significant decision the school has made concerning its leadership since the board drew scrutiny for opting not to extend the contract of the institution’s first Black superintendent in February. Clark, a graduate of VMI, has been working with the institution intermittently as the institute planning officer and deputy superintendent for finance and support at VMI, overseeing several offices, including finance and budget, auxiliary services, and facilities management.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth to add $65M hotel
Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming are planning to break ground on a $65 million hotel in Portsmouth this summer, more than two years after the casino first opened. Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover revealed the plans for The Landing Hotel Portsmouth during his annual State of the City address Friday. The eight-story hotel will be located directly adjacent to the casino, overlooking the property’s water feature. It will have 106 guest rooms, including 32 suites ranging from roughly 400 to 800-plus square feet.
Trump’s cuts to AmeriCorps end Virginia community service grants
President Donald Trump’s administration ended grants for at least 16 community service programs in Virginia as part of sweeping AmeriCorps funding cuts, abruptly shutting down projects and forcing layoffs. The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency — the Elon Musk-led team Trump tasked with slashing the federal government’s budget and workforce — recently ordered AmeriCorps, the federal agency for community service and volunteerism, to terminate nearly $400 million in grants. The move pulled back funding used to plan and operate community service programs throughout Virginia, mostly in education and health care. Grant money went to nonprofits, organizations, schools and the City of Richmond.
Most Virginia teachers are women, but most superintendents are men
Early in her administrative career, before she became the first female superintendent of Henrico County Public Schools in 2018, Amy Cashwell recalled being the only woman in a boardroom full of men. As they discussed a major project, one of the men asked if she would be hindered from giving a project her all. She looked at him with a puzzled expression. He said: “Well, you have kids.” She responded: “So do you.” It’s a moment many women in education leadership recognize — a quiet but persistent skepticism about whether they can lead and mother at the same time.
Virginia sees spike in superintendent turnover
More than 40% of Virginia's K-12 public school districts had at least one new superintendent between 2019 and 2024, according to national data collected by Superintendent Lab and reviewed by Axios. The Trump administration wants to empower local schools by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Turnover among systems' leaders is evidence of school districts' instability, as they struggle with teacher shortages and falling test scores.
Republicans Hold Annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner Amid Record Attendance
Republicans from across Prince William County gathered at Fox Chase Manor for their annual black-tie Lincoln Reagan Dinner, drawing a record crowd and laying out their strategy ahead of the 2025 election cycle. County GOP Chairman Jacob Alderman said the party sold more than 300 tickets for the fundraiser, which brought in over $30,000 to support local political efforts. . . . Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts launched a direct attack on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, calling her voting record more extreme than that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Bernie Sanders, despite her moderate branding. Roberts pledged that Heritage’s political action committee would invest heavily in the 2025 election to defeat Spanberger and promote conservative values across the state.
Bert Ellis reflects on time as member of UVa. Board of Visitors
The Cavalier Daily spoke with former Board of Visitors member Bert Ellis, who was fired by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin March 26, about the goals he had hoped to accomplish as a member, many of which he believes remain unachieved. These goals included key priorities of removing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, firing President Jim Ryan, lowering costs and reducing the University’s operating budget and rejuvenating the Honor system.
Helicopter forces 3 planes to change landing plans at DCA
Three planes coming into Reagan National Airport were required to alter their landing plans about 11 a.m. Sunday when a police helicopter took on an urgent mission in the same airspace at about the same time they were supposed to land, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. All three flights landed safely after making second approaches into the airport. . . . The incident came after one Thursday in which two planes coming into National Airport were forced to abort landings when an Army Black Hawk helicopter took a lap around the Pentagon before landing at a military heliport, according to the FAA.
Manassas Officials Caught Off Guard as Bank Tenant Sidesteps Millions in Data Center Taxes
A bank tenant inside a newly completed data center in Manassas has triggered a sweeping local tax exemption, upending financial expectations and leaving city officials blindsided. At the April 30, 2025, Manassas City Council meeting, Commissioner of the Revenue Tim Demeria revealed that a tenant inside the new Brickyard data center, operated by Digital Realty Trust, had filed paperwork identifying itself as a bank. Under Virginia Code §58.1-1202, banks are exempt from local Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) taxes and the business personal property taxes that typically bring cities millions in revenue from data centers. The loss is significant.