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State mental health authorities promise investigation, changes after Eastern State patient escapes second time this year
The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services said it will conduct an internal investigation and make necessary security changes after a patient at Eastern State Hospital escaped over the weekend. Glenn Large, Jr., 50, escaped by scaling a fence Saturday morning. He was recaptured Sunday by James City County police and taken to jail. It marked the second time Large was unaccounted for this year.
Attorney Andrew Lucchetti jumps into race against Wittman
Andrew Lucchetti, a civil rights lawyer who lives in Mechanicsville and practices law in western Henrico County, is the third Democrat to declare a bid to take on Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, in congressional midterm elections next year. Lucchetti, 49, said he’s not daunted by Wittman, an 18-year Republican incumbent who has won 10 general elections by double digits. After all, he’s faced down a tougher opponent: himself. “My bad days made me who I am,” Lucchetti says in a video launching his campaign on Tuesday morning.
Miyares: Claims portal open after Fauquier-based debt company misrepresents services
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced the opening of a nationwide claims process and portal for customers of tax debt settlement company Wall & Associates, Inc. potentially eligible for restitution. After a 2024 trial, the Fauquier County Circuit Court found Wall & Associates, Inc. – which has or had a corporate office in Marshall – misrepresented the expertise of its salespeople as “tax consultants,” mispresented the average results or savings for people using its services and misrepresented the geographic area where services would be performed, according to a Monday news release from the attorney general's office.
National seashore lacks lifeguards as Chincoteague fumes
Visitors are flocking to Assateague Island National Seashore in record numbers. The annual Chincoteague pony swim and auction — and the peak of the summer tourism season — is three weeks away. But Chincoteague Mayor Denise Bowden is worried, as the Eastern Shore town faces new responsibilities because President Donald Trump‘s administration never hired lifeguards to protect people thronging the 37-mile-long barrier island in Virginia and Maryland. As in zero lifeguards, with 13 positions unfilled, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
Where your legislators stand on HEAT funding paying for public surveillance
Using funds for auto theft tipsters to pay more than a million dollars a year for surveillance technology is a step too far for some legislators in Virginia. Last year, only one tenth of one percent of the Help Eliminate Auto Theft fund budget went toward that law’s stated purpose of paying citizen tipsters. Instead, about one-third of HEAT’s $4.4 million budget went toward equipment grants for local law enforcement agencies. Cardinal News found that the majority of those grants were used for license plate reader cameras or similar public-facing surveillance technology. . . . State legislators were divided on whether surveillance technology was an appropriate use of HEAT funding.
VPAP Visual GOP House Primary Turnout
With no statewide primary in June, Republican turnout was driven by House and local elections. Despite the Democratic primaries for Lt. Governor and Attorney General, Republican turnout was higher in several House Districts. See how turnout compared between Republican and Democratic primaries in the districts with a Republican House Primary on the ballot. Select a district to see a list of all the primaries in that district last month.
Bristol first responders deploy to Texas to assist with flood rescue operations
A local team of swift water rescue specialists departed early Monday morning to help in Texas, where catastrophic flooding over the July Fourth weekend has left more than 80 people dead and many others missing. Six members of the Bristol Virginia Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team, which is designated as Virginia Task Force 4, left around 4:30 a.m. after receiving deployment orders overnight, according to Bristol Fire Chief Mike Armstrong. The team includes five firefighters and one police officer, each trained in advanced water rescue techniques.
Fairfax County parents spoke up about antisemitic bullying. They say it got their kids expelled.
Three kids who attended a Fairfax County private school were expelled after their parents complained about antisemitic bullying, according to a new complaint filed with the Virginia Attorney General’s office. In the 22-page filing, Brian Vazquez and Ashok Roy said their 11-year-old daughter faced antisemitic harassment at The Nysmith School for the Gifted. They learned about it when one of her classmates told his parents. Their complaint alleges they urged the head of the school to intervene, but that nothing was done to address the bullying. Kenneth Nysmith, head of the school, said the allegations are false.
Annual ‘Best Places to Bike’ report ranks Va. cities low, rankles officials and advocates
Doug Allen knows good biking infrastructure when he sees it. The Richmond resident has been to Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin — places widely considered some of the most bicycle friendly cities in the world. “Every time I travel somewhere, I try to check out the transit and the biking if I can,” he said. When PeopleForBikes’ national report highlighting the best places to bike debuted in late June, Virginia cities ranked low on the list. The news comes after the state has beefed up bike infrastructure to improve access and safety for cyclists.
Audit raises red flags for Arlington transit program serving people with disabilities
County leaders are promising action after an audit found major deficiencies in the operation and oversight of a transit program serving Arlington residents with disabilities. Identified issues with the Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) program ranged from billing discrepancies to a lack of review of driver manifests by WeDriveU, which operates the paratransit program under contract to the county. The report indicated that faulty efforts on the part of the contractor and Arlington County’s Transit Bureau are shortchanging taxpayers.