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Virginia scholarship aiding those impacted by Massive Resistance and their descendants gets record funding
A scholarship to aid those impacted by the inequity of Virginia’s schools to Black students over 70 years ago is entering the summer with record funds and a record number of recipients. Before the U.S. The Supreme Court outlawed school segregation in May 1954, Virginia’s system of public education left Black kids and their schools far behind. Among them was Barbara Johns who went on to be a plaintiff in the historic Brown vs. the Board of Education case. A committee and scholarship designed to benefit those who were subject to that mistreatment and their descendants now bears the name of the suit.
Claims in lawsuit by UVa Jewish student evaluated by others
A Jewish University of Virginia student from Israel has filed suit against the school in federal court, claiming he has been the victim of antisemitism on Grounds and that, further, UVa leaders knew and did nothing to stop it. ... Legal experts are skeptical about Goldstein’s claims and doubt the complaint, filed on May 17, will find much success in court. “This is an embarrassment to the legal profession. This isn’t a complaint,” attorney Jeff Fogel told The Daily Progress. “It makes claims which, frankly, I know to be lies, and on the other hand, it makes claims it can’t back up.”
State, federal aid help Brown v. Board of Education scholarship fund reach over $3.4 million
On the heels of the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which mandated public school desegregation nationwide, Virginia’s scholarship fund named after the landmark Supreme Court ruling has gained $2.5 million in federal and state aid. The state’s Brown V. Board of Education Scholarship fund now stands at more than $3.4 million, after $500,000 in federal funds were awarded in March and $2 million in state funds were confirmed in the commonwealth’s newly passed two-year spending plan, according to the scholarship committee.
Main: Will Virginia’s residential solar market survive the coming year?
When the Virginia Clean Economy Act became law in 2020, solar advocates celebrated. In addition to creating a framework for a transition to a zero-carbon electricity sector by 2050, the VCEA and sister legislation known as Solar Freedom swept away multiple barriers to installing solar in Virginia. Among the new provisions were some that strengthened net metering, the program that allows residents, businesses and local governments who install solar on site to be credited for excess electricity they feed back to the grid.
Virginia distilleries generate over $275.9 million in revenue
Virginia’s distillery industry generated an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion and supported more than 3,000 jobs in 2022, according to a study by Economic Forensics and Analytics Inc., commissioned by the Virginia Spirits Board (VSB). There were approximately 81 licensed and revenue-generating distilleries in Virginia in 2022.
Lawmakers call for further inquiry into Virginia prison that had hypothermia hospitalizations
A raft of hypothermia hospitalizations and other questionable conditions at a Virginia prison uncovered in a recent report deserve further scrutiny, leading Democratic state lawmakers said this week. Lawmakers pledged to press Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration for answers and called for a newly created prisons watchdog to look into the findings of an Associated Press report, which found at least 13 hospitalizations for hypothermia over three years at the Marion Correctional Treatment Center.
The effects of removing RGGI from Virginia’s state budget
The Virginia General Assembly and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin approved the final state budget on May 13. Language that tied Virginia to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, did not make the final cut. Programs partly or largely funding with RGGI revenue will lose that money, and people who benefit from flood mitigation and energy-efficiency programs may have to turn elsewhere for funds.
Mountain Valley Pipeline says it hasn’t yet completed construction, pushes in-service date to early June
The Mountain Valley Pipeline says it hasn’t yet completed construction on their 303 mile natural gas pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia, and has set their new in-service target date to early June. The pipeline company had earlier planned to be in service by the end of this month. In a letter Tuesday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a lawyer representing MVP acknowledged that they still have some welding, hydrotesting, and other required safety checks to do, and won’t be ready to go in service until early-June.
Spotsylvania School Board revisits book policy
While book removals from Spotsylvania County school libraries was a hot-button issue last year, the issue has been nonexistent in 2024. Last year, former schools Superintendent Mark Taylor removed 30 books from libraries after they were challenged by parents. A new majority school board took over in January and it quickly placed Taylor on leave. The board fired Taylor in March. During its Monday night meeting, the school board addressed the issue of the banned books’ current status.
Dominion Energy may move proposed natural gas plant to Chesterfield Power Station site
Dominion Energy is considering a different location for its proposed Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC). In a letter sent to the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors on May 1, Dominion Energy proposed the idea of “potentially siting CERC on the Chesterfield Power Station Property,” which is around six miles away from the currently-proposed site. Dominion Spokesperson Jeremy Slayton said the idea was based on feedback from the community.