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Petersburg issues state of emergency following flooding
Petersburg officials have declared a local state of emergency after several days of heavy rain led to severe flooding across the city. The relentless rain led to flooding that hit across the entire city Monday evening and early Tuesday. With more rain in the forecast, a flood watch has been extended through midnight across the area. Officials called a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday to announce the state of emergency and address how it will fix those problems moving forward.
Spanberger highlights law enforcement experience in Virginia governor’s race ad
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s (D-Va.) gubernatorial campaign launched a new ad on Tuesday highlighting her background in law enforcement. The 30-second ad, which is narrated by Spanberger’s father, Martin Davis, will be broadcast in the Richmond and Norfolk media markets and statewide on digital platforms. The Hill was the first outlet to view the ad. Davis notes Spanberger’s background working as a federal agent investigating child predators, narcotics cases and arresting drug dealers, as well as her record as a CIA officer working on counterterrorism cases.
Some Virginia school divisions inaccurately citing 2022 state law to remove books from libraries
A new state report has found that some school divisions in Virginia have been inaccurately citing 2022 state law as justification for removing books from school libraries. “This is an interesting circumstance where there’s a law in place that has been used, but the law was never really intended for that use in the first place,” Justin Brown, Associate Director of the non-partisan Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, or JLARC, told 8News.
Some Virginia schools incorrectly using state law to remove library books, study reveals
A new study from a nonpartisan government agency revealed that while most Virginia school divisions are not removing any books from their libraries, some are incorrectly citing a 2022 state law to justify removals. The study, released Monday by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), found that 344 books (243 titles were removed, with some being removed in multiple school divisions) have been removed from school libraries by about one-third of the divisions that responded to survey.
Number of unemployed Fairfax residents reaches a level not seen since mid-2021
Federal workforce cuts implemented by the Trump administration and, as of July 8, enabled by the U.S. Supreme Court have helped drive the number of unemployed Fairfax County residents to heights not seen in nearly four years. A total of 21,705 county residents were counted as unemployed in May, according to new data reported by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. That’s up 35% from a year before.
Arlington unemployment rate reaches highest point since the pandemic
Arlington’s unemployment rate has risen to its highest point in nearly four years. A total of 5,061 Arlington residents were counted as seeking jobs in May, according to new figures from the Virginia Employment Commission. That’s the highest total since the 5,523 recorded in July 2021, when the nation was still in the grip of Covid.
Former speaker Gilbert sworn in as U.S. Attorney for Western Virginia
On his first day as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Todd Gilbert said it’s a job he has long desired. Although Gilbert has held other high-profile positions as a Virginia lawmaker and Speaker of the House of Delegates, he still remembers fondly his previous tenure as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in several jurisdictions. “I bring to this job truly the heart of a prosecutor,” he said in an interview Monday at the U.S. Attorney’s Roanoke office, several hours after he was sworn in by District Judge Thomas Cullen.
Professor responds to new GMU federal investigation over alleged discriminatory hiring practices
George Mason University (GMU), Virginia’s largest public university, is under federal investigation over its hiring practices, marking the second time in a month the institution has come under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Education. The Trump administration's latest inquiry accuses GMU of racial bias in its hiring practices, alleging the university prioritized diversity over credentials. The probe continues a broader nationwide campaign targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at universities that uses funding from the federal government. ... Faculty concern grew louder Monday after VA-AAUP released a sharply worded letter condemning the federal probe as a politically motivated “hit job.”
JLARC says some school districts are incorrectly citing a 2022 law when removing books from libraries
The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission (JLARC) presented a report to members of the General Assembly on Monday about books that are being removed from school libraries across Virginia. The report found that school divisions have the authority to select and remove books from libraries, but some are misinterpreting a 2022 law to justify removing titles. The state has no authority over which books school libraries carry, and current law offers no guidance to divisions on how to manage library collections, according to JLARC. The Board of Education requires each school to maintain a library with materials that support instruction, research, inquiry and general student interest.
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.