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Ongoing war between GOP factions entering new stage as Va., S.C. reps fight for reelection
The Republican establishment has plowed millions of dollars this year into primaries to produce what it views as a less dysfunctional House GOP conference. It’s still got a long way to go. Major Republican leaders and donors have notched some key victories in their ongoing war against far-right insurgents who threaten the ability to govern as a unified party. But even those successes have come at a cost: the enormous amount of effort, money and time it’s taken to push their candidate over the finish line. That raises the stakes for the upcoming battles over the next few weeks ...
Virginia agencies investigating E. coli hospitalizations connected to Lake Anna visits
The Virginia Department of Health, along with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, is investigating at least 20 confirmed cases of gastrointestinal illnesses connected to visits to Lake Anna in Spotsylvania County over Memorial Day weekend. In a news release last week, the VDH said some of the hospitalized patients have been diagnosed with Escherichia coli, or E. coli, infections. They said a majority of the reports of the gastrointestinal illness have been seen in children.
Mountain Valley Pipeline says it’s ready to operate
Developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline on Monday said that the natural gas project is ready to go and asked federal regulators for authorization to begin operating by Tuesday. The request comes a decade after the project was first announced in 2014 with an anticipated completion date of 2018. It has been delayed for years by legal and permitting challenges and has seen its price tag more than double from $3.5 billion to $7.85 billion. The 42-inch-diameter pipeline is designed to transport up to 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily from West Virginia through six Virginia counties, ending at a Transco compressor station in Pittsylvania County.
MVP says it’s completed construction, asks federal government for authorization to begin transporting gas
The Mountain Valley Pipeline says it has completed construction and all testing on the 303 mile pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia. In a one-page letter Monday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, MVP requested to go in service and begin running gas, and asked the agency to approve authorization within 24 hours. The company says it has contracts with multiple shippers to begin transporting gas a day after authorization. MVP said market demands heighten the need for, quote, “prompt authorization.”
Divisive new data center rules clear Fairfax County Planning Commission
New regulations on the construction of data centers in Fairfax County cleared their first major hurdle last week. The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously endorsed zoning amendments on Thursday (June 6) that aim to restrict the size, location, equipment screening and design standards of any new data centers in the county. Proposed by county staff, the new regulations come as data center construction in Northern Virginia intensifies, heightening unease among residents.
Richmond fires several finance department employees amid meals tax review
Several people have been fired this spring from Richmond’s finance department, two sources told VPM News. The move comes following the city bringing on government management specialist Anne Seward to consult with the department on policy and to assist in a review of the meals tax. Seward is a subcontractor through Davenport & Co. LLC, according to a memo the city shared with VPM News.
Charlotte supervisor indicted on new perjury charges
A Charlotte County grand jury issued criminal indictments Wednesday against longtime Charlotte County supervisor Gary Walker on eight new felony charges of perjury. The indictments are tied to concerns about the accuracy of information Walker provided on his annual Statement of Economic Interests (SEI) forms filed between Jan. 1, 2016, and Jan. 11, 2023. Walker was previously indicted in January on three felony charges of perjury and two misdemeanor charges of failure to submit a yearly SEI form.
Former Del. Anderson files federal lawsuit against Virginia speed cameras
A federal lawsuit filed Monday challenges the legality of Virginia’s speed camera law. The cameras are allowed to be placed around schools to try to address speeding. Attorney and former state delegate Tim Anderson is a known critic of the cameras. He filed the lawsuit on behalf of a man named Gerrod Seifert, who was fined for speeding by a camera in Chesapeake in Sept. 2022, the lawsuit says. The suit names the City of Chesapeake and the Chesapeake Police Department as defendants. Anderson has also filed lawsuits in state court against the cities of Chesapeake and Suffolk.
Russell County votes to end negotiations over controversial landfill plan
The Russell County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday night to end negotiations on a host agreement with a company that wants to put a private landfill on the former Moss No. 3 prep plant site in the Carbo area — a decision that drew an eruption of cheers and cries from residents who have urged the board to reject the plan for months. It was a big victory for the group, We Say No to Moss 3 landfill, which has worked for months to get county leaders to turn down the proposed landfill. Opponents feared that the project would harm the environment, negatively impact the health of residents and create odor issues and traffic.
These new housing laws will take effect next month
Manufactured homes, mobile homes, trailers — whatever they’re referred to as, this type of housing has offered tenants an affordable option to become homeowners. But they haven’t offered as much stability. That’s where Virginia lawmakers have passed some laws to help neighbors around the state have a little more peace of mind. For example, should a mobile home park be sold for redevelopment, a new law will require some financial assistance to help residents relocate and another new law strengthens protections for residents’ leases. The mobile-home-specific proposals are among a suite of housing laws that will take effect next month ...