Search
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.
Greene County staff permitted to speak to press after pushback from First Amendment groups
Greene County leaders now say staff are free to talk to the press after multiple county employees said they were previously gagged under county "policy." Those leaders, who have denied there ever was such a policy, were prompted to speak after First Amendment lawyers and advocates sent a letter to the county supervisors last month demanding they rescind the policy. "It remains a mystery how Greene County employees came to believe they were strictly prohibited from speaking to the press if no such thing was ever communicated to them,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the New York-based Freedom of the Press Foundation and one of the letter's signatories, told The Daily Progress in an email.
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.
After Hopewell water plant released raw sewage, state officials outline health, environmental impact
Public officials are advising locals to avoid the James River in Hopewell and Richmond, after a weekend water treatment plant malfunction released raw sewage into the waterway. They also said the region’s recent heavy rains play a part in pollution in the river but don’t expect long-term effects. ... The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the incident. They visited the facility on Saturday and will be working with the plant to find solutions to ensure another leak won’t happen again.
DOJ withdraws from Sentara investigation
The federal government is withdrawing from intervening in a whistleblower complaint against Sentara Health that alleges the Hampton Roads health care system improperly inflated local insurance rates in 2018 and 2019. On June 19, the federal government sent a notice of its decision to withdraw its prior notice of partial intervention, and that it is declining to intervene on the matter. The DOJ declined to comment when asked to elaborate on its reason for withdrawing.
Hopewell facility fully operational after Friday’s million-gallon sewage spill
A spill that caused more than a million gallons of untreated sewage to affect waterways in Hopewell has been contained. The city of Hopewell released a statement saying that the Hopewell Water Renewal facility on 231 Hummel Ross Road was back to full operational capacity as of Saturday afternoon. Around 11:50 p.m. Friday, HWR experienced a power failure due to faulty wiring, resulting in sewage overflow. HWR staff responded immediately and brought in contractors to restore the affected systems.