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By DAVE RESS,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Tragedy in Richmond — with eight people, including four juveniles, killed in shootings since Easter — but success in Hopewell, where efforts to break cycles of retaliation have produced a 72% drop in shootings, show Virginia cannot let up on gun violence prevention efforts, two Tri-Cities legislators say.
That’s why the $72.5 million the General Assembly put in the state budget for community violence intervention programs is so important, said state Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, and Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By DANIEL EGITTO,
ArlNow
In the wake of a recent veto of a Virginia recreational marijuana bill, proponents are still holding out hope for future change — but not for at least a couple years.
At an Arlington Committee of 100 meeting last week, State Sens. Adam Ebbin and Aaron Rouse said the chances of the Virginia General Assembly overriding Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s decision earlier this month are slim to none.
Legislation to legalize retail sale of cannabis passed the state House and Senate on thin margins before getting the ax from the governor, who cited public health concerns.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By MICHAEL MARTZ,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
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U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, collected a big endorsement for her 2025 campaign for governor on Monday from Clean Virginia, a deep-pocketed advocacy organization in Charlottesville that played a prominent role in legislative elections last fall that gave Democrats majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. The Clean Virginia Fund, the organization’s political action committee, also pledged “an initial contribution” of $250,000 to Spanberger, who is running for the Democratic nomination against Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. No Republican candidates have jumped into the race yet ...
VaNews April 16, 2024
By BEN PETERS,
Inside NOVA
Election season is getting underway in Prince William County and across the region, with two crowded and competitive races to replace outgoing members of Congress in both the 7th and 10th districts.
In the 7th District, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, is stepping down to run for Virginia governor in 2025. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, also a Democrat, is stepping down in the 10th District due to health issues. Those are considered the two most competitive congressional races in Virginia in 2024, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By STAFF REPORT,
Loudoun Times
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Twelve Democrats and four Republicans have qualified for the ballot for the June 18 10th Congressional District primary elections, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. Early voting for the primaries begins May 3. ... The winner of the November general election will take the seat held since 2019 by Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Leesburg), who is stepping down at the end of her term due to a serious health condition.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By DAVID MCGEE,
Bristol Herald Courier
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The Bristol Casino, future home of Hard Rock, reported more than $16.2 million in adjusted gaming revenues in March, its most successful month to date.
The Virginia Lottery, which oversees casino gaming in the state, on Monday reported a combined $65 million in gaming revenues from the state’s three casinos, the temporary Bristol Casino, temporary Caesar’s Virginia in Danville and the permanent Rivers Casino in Portsmouth.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By ROBERT ZULLO,
Virginia Mercury
The nation’s largest public power company, the Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of six neighboring states, has put forward plans for eight new natural gas plants since 2020.
In South Carolina, Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper are pushing the state legislature to pave the way for a 2,000-megawatt natural gas power plant. Farther north, Dominion also plans new gas generation in Virginia. In its most recent plan filed with state regulators, Georgia Power is looking to add new gas turbines. Likewise, Duke Energy in North Carolina is proposing new gas plants and delaying coal power retirements.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By JACKIE BOND,
Cavalier Daily
The University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is facing scrutiny from two online news publications after OpenTheBooks — a nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency — reported that the University currently has 235 DEI-related employees, totaling $20 million in University spending. The University contests this report, claiming that these numbers are highly inflated.
The University’s DEI office provides several resources and programs, including the Equity Center, which works to redress racial and economic inequalities, the Diversity Council, where elected representatives discuss strategies for making the University a more welcoming environment, and resource groups for Black, LatinX and veteran employees to help recruit, mentor and support staff members in each of these identity categories.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By JANE HARPER,
Virginian-Pilot
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Murder charges against one of two brothers accused of taking part in a 2017 fatal shooting were thrown out Monday after a judge ruled prosecutors had violated his right to a speedy trial.
Judge Brenda Spry issued her ruling at the end of a hearing in Portsmouth Circuit Court, during which attorneys for Alexander Weinschel pointed to repeated lapses in his case over the past six years, including a period of more than two years in which no scheduling or continuance orders were ever filed.
VaNews April 16, 2024
Virginian-Pilot
Editorial
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Solemn ceremonies scheduled for Tuesday will mark the 17th anniversary of the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech that claimed the lives of 32 students and faculty members. As time passes and memory fades, it’s important to remember those lives, young and old, cruelly stolen from the commonwealth by a troubled young man with access to firearms and a determination to use them.
Gun violence remains a crisis in Virginia and the nation, one that demands every tool available and the courage to use them. We should not accept that the thousands of gun deaths each year are required for the preservation of liberty, recognizing that inaction allows the bloodshed to continue.
VaNews April 16, 2024
