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Greene County policy barring staff from speaking to press 'unconstitutional,' experts say
Greene County staff say they have been forbidden from speaking directly to the press about county business. And while county officials — elected and appointed — say there is no formal written policy in place, free speech experts say even an unwritten policy blocking public information is a violation of the First Amendment. Such unwritten policies are not rare, Seth Stern, a First Amendment lawyer and director of advocacy for the New York-based Freedom of the Press Foundation, told The Daily Progress, but that doesn’t make them any less illegal. “These policies are relatively common and, in most cases, unconstitutional,” Stern said via email.
Bristol landfill likely needs ‘decade’ for temps to decline
While temperatures inside the city’s former quarry landfill are coming down, it will likely be years before the facility can be formally closed and sealed, a landfill expert said. Temperatures deep inside the waste mass of the quarry landfill were over 200 degrees when it was regularly emitting noxious odors and prompting widespread public concern earlier this decade. ... “It will be approximately a decade. It could be eight years, it could be 15 years to go from where it is today — and where it was — to what we would call normal conditions,” said Craig Benson, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and member of the Department of Environmental Quality panel of experts that provided recommendations ...
Trump undermines the rule of law with Culpeper sheriff’s pardon
It wasn’t long ago that a sheriff trading fake badges in exchange for cash would have earned universal condemnation. But that was before the age of Donald Trump, when a pledge of personal support for the president can be exchanged for a free pass from punishment. Nearly every chief executive, certainly every one in recent memory, has a few pardons or commutations that raise eyebrows, turn heads or shock the conscience. But Trump continues to excuse, and even praise, violent and corrupt individuals, rewarding his criminal supporters at the expense of public safety and common decency.
Yancey: Roanoke College poll: Virginians’ confidence in economy has plummeted under Trump
In their only debate in the 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan asked a single, devastating question that sank President Jimmy Carter’s already flagging reelection campaign: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” The answer, given the economy of the times, was clearly “no,” and voters resoundingly went with someone who they felt could change things. It’s a question that might haunt Virginia Republicans in this year’s state elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the House of Delegates.
Kiggans: Federal spending bill reflects Coastal Virginia’s values
In Washington, it’s easy to get distracted by the noise. But behind the headlines, real work is getting done. That’s why I voted for this year’s reconciliation bill — because it delivers measurable results for working families, seniors, small businesses and our servicemembers in Coastal Virginia. This bill is about putting money back in the pockets of everyday Americans. It stops the largest tax hike in American history before it can hit our middle class. By making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, it gives families and small businesses the certainty they need to plan for the future.
Without ‘cause’ but not without ‘justification’: Hopewell mayor comments on firings’ firestorm
Saying they “deserve their privacy,” Hopewell Mayor Johnny Partin Jr. said the firings earlier this month of the city manager and city clerk were without “cause” but not without "justification," and because it is a personnel matter, those reasons will not be publicly divulged. “It is true that we did vote for termination without cause, meaning only to award these employees their contractual severance payment instead of accusing them of any misconduct and withholding severance,” Partin said in a statement from the dais during the May 27 City Council meeting.
Earle-Sears campaign ad stresses American dream
Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears debuted a campaign ad [in early May] that stressed her family’s humble origins and her successful pursuit of the American dream. Titled “Seven Quarters,” the ad begins by mentioning how much money, $1.75, her father had when he came to the United States from Jamaica to build a better life for himself and his family.
Frederick County Republicans joining Sixth District GOP Committee lawsuit
The Frederick County Republican Committee (FCRC) on Tuesday night agreed to join a lawsuit that will be filed by the GOP Committee of Virginia's Sixth Congressional District seeking to overturn a new state law which denies political parties the right to choose their nomination processes. It was decided on March 1 by the Sixth District Republican Committee on a 22-1 vote that the group would file a lawsuit seeking to overturn Helmer's Law, which went into effect in January 2024. The law, which was originally sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax), requires political parties to use state-run primaries instead of their own nomination methods. Local elections are excluded.
Virginia Natural Gas breaks ground on $50M operations headquarters in Chesapeake
Virginia Natural Gas is building a new $50 million operations headquarters in Chesapeake. The project features 39,000 square feet of office space and a 30,000-square-foot warehouse. Roughly 150 employees — from the company’s Virginia Beach and Chesapeake locations — will work at the new facility on almost 30 acres on Clearfield Avenue. ... One of four natural gas distribution companies operating under Southern Company Gas, Virginia Natural Gas maintains its corporate headquarters on South Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.
VPAP Visual 2025 Legislators’ Most Common Stock Holdings
Virginia legislators are required to file conflict of interest forms each year disclosing their ownership of securities, including stock in publicly traded companies. See the companies that were reported in the stock portfolios of at least five members of the 2025 General Assembly.