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Complaint against Rocky Mount mayor alleges he filed false documents in court
Rocky Mount Mayor Holland Perdue is facing legal trouble over his day job as an attorney. Perdue’s onetime opposing counsel in a contested will has filed a request for sanctions against him. The claim: Perdue filed and signed off on manipulated information in Franklin County Circuit Court after missing a legal deadline. The case against Perdue remained on the court’s docket this week, with no hearing date set.
Chesterfield approves two data center developments
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved two rezoning cases that will allow for data center development in the western part of the county. ... Both zoning requests were filed by the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority in February. The cases were filed in relation to a confidential economic development project coming to the county. Each development comes with extensive water and wastewater proffers, including a water usage cap.
Data centers floated for Dumfries property off I-95
A contentious town hall provided Dumfries-area residents an early look at a proposed data center complex. The tech hubs’ potential arrival in eastern Prince William County – a rarity in comparison with the county’s western end – was met with a mixed reception from the crowd. The Lexora Park project – near the Four Seasons at Historic Virginia 55-and-over community off Dumfries Road west of Interstate 95 – could include as many as five data centers, according to an April 9 concept plan.
City of Richmond says nixed FEMA grant would not have prevented water outage
A second service disruption to Richmond’s water utility this year has resurfaced questions about the recent cancellation of a $12 million FEMA grant intended to reinforce the city’s water treatment plant. While a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Public Utilities said the scope of the work described in a 2023 grant announcement had nothing to do with the problems this week, it’s unlikely to cool flaring tempers after repeated boil water advisories and potential rate increases for repairs.
After contributions to Virginia, international students face uncertainty due to Trump’s visa changes
Virginia’s colleges and universities could lose millions of dollars and thousands of jobs after the federal government froze international student visa interviews on Tuesday, mounted efforts to require all foreign students to undergo social media vetting and announced plans to “aggressively revoke” Chinese students’ visas. The actions, spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the behest of President Donald Trump’s administration, are likely to disrupt international students considering attending any of the schools in the commonwealth. Over 21,000 international students were enrolled at Virginia colleges and universities in the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the National Association of Foreign Advisors’ Association of International Educators.
Griffith discusses proposed spending cuts, Medicaid impacts
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith this week discussed cuts proposed through work by the Department of Government Efficiency and aspects of the budget bill related to health care, during a visit to the Twin City. Since President Trump established the DOGE agency in January it has reported finding $175 billion of what it terms wasteful government spending, fraud or corruption.
Trump signs tire plant legislation from Virginia Congressman Morgan Griffith
Congressman Morgan Griffith is celebrating a win for the rubber tire manufacturing businesses in Virginia. Environmentalists are worried about the consequences. Virginia has more than 3,000 employees who work in the rubber tire manufacturing business. That’s according to Census records. It’s also why a Biden-era rule requiring these businesses to install new equipment to reduce emissions was such a concern to Republican Congressman Morgan Griffith, who says the industry calculates fabricating and installing these new devices will cost more than $100 million nationwide.
Former Venezuelan congressman joins race to succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly
The race to find a replacement for the late Rep. Gerry Connolly has added another contender. Leopoldo Martínez, a lawyer who once served in Venezuela’s National Assembly, launched a campaign today (Thursday) for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, where he’ll compete for the Democratic nomination in an increasingly crowded field.
Virginia House District 62 primary candidates square off in GOP political forum
Republicans and potential independent voters in Virginia House District 62 had a forum Thursday night in Unionville giving voters in the June 17 primary election a chance to hear the views of the two candidates. Madison County farmer, small-business owner, and Board of Supervisor Chair R. Clay Jackson, 41, – a 12-year BOS veteran with 10 years of experience as chair – and Orange County businesswoman and homeschool mom Karen Hamilton squared off answering submitted questions.
Report finds 44% of working Hampton households are struggling to meet basic needs
Nearly half of Hampton households cannot afford basic necessities, and most of them are making too much money to receive benefits, according to a new report from the city’s Economic Empowerment and Family Resiliency department. The study looked at poverty, with 2023 Census data showing 13% of Hampton households fall below the federal poverty line — roughly 2% higher than national average. However, another 31% of the city’s households are classified as Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE), meaning they earn above the federal poverty line, but not necessarily enough to afford necessities like health care, food or transportation.