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Yancey: Former Del. Barnie Day, known as ‘Virginia’s Mark Twain,’ dies
Sometimes on winter mornings, Barnie Day would wake up and find a freshly killed deer hanging in his barn in Patrick County. He often had no idea who had left it, but that’s not what mattered. What mattered is that the hunters who hauled their kill to Day’s barn knew that he’d know what to do with it. “They knew Barnie would know who didn’t have meat in his refrigerator, so Barnie would call around and see who needed venison,” says Jack Betts, Day’s friend and former neighbor. Day died Monday at age 72. Those who follow Virginia politics might remember Day from his brief stint in the House of Delegates more than a quarter-century ago, during which he made such a name for himself as an orator that he was mentioned as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor.
Innocence petition for Terence Richardson of ‘Waverly Two’ denied by Court of Appeals of Virginia
Terence Richardson — one of the two men known as “the Waverly Two,” who were acquitted of a Waverly police officer’s 1998 murder but still sentenced to life in prison — was denied a writ of actual innocence in the Court of Appeals of Virginia on Tuesday. Richardson had spent decades there for Allen Gibson’s murder, despite a federal jury finding both him and Ferrone Claiborne, the second of the Waverly Two, not guilty. A rare legal maneuver by the federal judge allowed him to sentence them to life in prison for their federal drug convictions because of their previous state pleas and his personal certainty of their guilt.
Green Recycle in Pittsylvania to create 28 jobs; QualiChem in Salem to add 12
A plastics recycling startup will invest $4.3 million and create 28 jobs in Pittsylvania County, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. Green Recycle USA LLC will turn industrial plastic waste into raw material to be used in new products by manufacturers in a variety of industries, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a news release. ... A Salem-based producer of fluids used in fabricating metal components will invest $9 million to expand in the city, creating 12 jobs, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. QualiChem Inc.’s products include oils, coolants, rust preventatives and cleaners used in the aerospace, medical and automotive industries, among others.
Virginia Beach board votes to keep suspension of DEI in place
The Virginia Beach School Board voted 6-5 Tuesday to move forward with its initial vote to suspend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. This is the third vote the board has taken on the matter. “I want to thank the public for coming to the school board meetings repeatedly to voice your overwhelming support for our educational practices that support all students in our division,” District 5 board member Melinda Rogers said in a Facebook post on the vote. “While the board majority voted in favor to remove needed supports, I will continue to work to support ALL staff and students, including listening to my constituents and educating myself in the policies and data that best support our community so I can make informed decisions on the dais.”
These non-traditional candidates say they represent the evolving politics of Virginia
As GOP Lt. Governor candidate John Reid paves the way for Virginia political candidates of different backgrounds, others from both parties are following suit and having their lifestyles thrown into the spotlight. On the western side of the state a Democratic candidate for House of Delegates recently announced she was ethically non-monogamous in a social media post now seen by hundreds of thousands. And in the eastern side, a Republican delegate-hopeful had her background in the fetish community exposed. Both are facing down what might have been campaign ending scandals just a few years ago.
Arlington approves plan to scale back cooperation with ICE
Arlington’s board has unanimously approved a plan to scale back the police department’s communication with federal immigration officers in the Northern Virginia suburb. At a Tuesday afternoon meeting, leaders voted to make changes to the county’s Trust Policy. The tweak specifically removes the portion of the policy titled Section 7, which detailed instances in which Arlington police can inform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about an arrest. The change comes as board members said people are becoming increasingly reluctant to call 911 when they need help.
Richmond’s inspector general is out at City Hall, and leaders aren’t explaining why
The Richmond official in charge of investigating waste, fraud and abuse at City Hall has been quietly dismissed from his job, according to a member of the City Council who opposed the move. Councilor Reva Trammell (8th District) said she was absent from Monday’s council meeting to see her grandson graduate from college. While she was gone, the City Council held a closed meeting that Trammell says resulted in the dismissal of Inspector General Jim Osuna, who had been in that role since 2019.
New Virginia law requires all car passengers to wear seatbelts on highways
It's a major win for a grieving Virginia mother who says her son lost his life because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. After years of advocacy work and asking lawmakers to listen, the "Christopher King Seat Belt Law," also known as HB2475, will go into effect July 1. The law requires every adult riding in a car on a public highway to wear a seat belt, even in the back seat. Current law only requires adults in the front seat to wear a seat belt. . . . The Christopher King Seat Belt Law is still considered a secondary law, meaning police cannot stop a driver for not wearing a seat belt. Police can, however, issue a $25 fine for not wearing a seat belt if a driver is stopped for something else.
Chesapeake’s first proposed data center already faces opposition
A Chesapeake developer has filed plans to build the first large-scale data center in Hampton Roads. Longtime developer Doug Fuller said the project is designed to handle computing for artificial intelligence applications and is made possible by tens of millions of dollars of new ultrafast internet infrastructure built by the city and region to lure tech businesses. But before Fuller’s plans were submitted to the city, opposition to the data center was already fomenting online.
Metro’s automated train expansion delayed over safety concerns, says oversight commission
The commission that has federally granted oversight of Metrorail on safety said Tuesday afternoon it is still not ready to allow Metro to expand its use of automated trains. Officials with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) said they still have too many safety concerns to allow Metro to increase its use of train autopilot features. But they added that they are working with Metro to get to a point where the transit agency will be allowed to use more automation.