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Program cuts costs of health insurance in Va.
Virginia's innovative reinsurance program for health coverage is reducing the monthly bill for each person covered by an Obamacare policy by nearly $100 a month, the State Corporation Commission reports. The state program reimburses health insurers for some of the costs of relatively large claims for payment from the hospitals, physicians and other health care providers treating policyholders. By doing this, the SCC projects average monthly bills this year will be $519 for each covered individual, compared with $617 if the program were not in place.
Radford Arsenal says new incinerator delayed eleven months; new completion date is 2026
The Radford Army Ammunition Plant is pushing back its completion date for a new incinerator that had been scheduled to be in operation by July. The Arsenal, as it’s commonly called, now expects to complete construction of the new facility by next June. The Radford Arsenal first announced plans to build a new energetic waste incinerator in 2018. Justine Barati is director of public affairs for the Army’s Joint Munitions Command, which oversees the Arsenal. She said they are delaying the completion date for the new incinerator until next summer, due to heavy rains and changes to the design of the new facility.
Mills: Don’t cut farmers (like me) off at the knees
As a young farmer raising tobacco, small grains, cattle and chickens alongside my dad in rural Virginia, I’ve learned one lesson very clearly: To survive as a farmer in the Southeast, you’ve got to be creative. Commodity prices swing like a pendulum, and profit margins vanish overnight. For my family, flue-cured and dark tobacco are the stabilizers — the crops that help us weather the storm and stay on the land. That’s why I’m sounding the alarm about a little-noticed piece of the reconciliation bill making its way through Congress — one that proposes to carve tobacco out of the duty drawback program.
Virginia hits lowest recidivism rate in the United States, VADOC says
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) recently hit a milestone, with a new study showing the Commonwealth has the lowest recidivism rate in the country. VADOC Director Chad Dotson announced Thursday that recent data shows there is a 17.6% three-year reincarceration rate for inmates in state custody. The FY2020 rate is Virginia’s lowest in more than 20 years and an improvement from FY2019, when it was at 19%. VADOC noted that the state has had the lowest or second-lowest recidivism rate in the nation for 12 consecutive years.
Tata: Virginia must reshape its child welfare system
When I joined Virginia’s House of Delegates four years ago, improving outcomes for kids in foster care became one of my top priorities. I’ve had the privilege of meeting hundreds of incredible young people involved with our foster care system. In my conversations with them, I always focus on casting a vision that their best days are ahead. To truly make this vision a reality, much work is needed to transform our child welfare system, which faces major challenges. Last year, there were almost 95,000 reports of child abuse and neglect, about one-third higher than pre-pandemic levels.
On anniversary of Beach shooting, a time for healing, support and reflection
Time heals all wounds, the adage goes, but the scars of the 2019 shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center remain visible and tender to the touch. The “Virginia Beach Strong” signs may be fewer in number now, the raw emotion of that day’s horror has dulled, but each May 31 still recalls the awful tragedy of 12 lives senselessly cut short on a sunny Friday afternoon.
Radford just raised property taxes almost 20% and still hasn’t paid some bills. Why the city is financially stressed.
The sharp tax increases and tightened budget that the Radford City Council approved last month are a signal of a badly needed course correction, Radford’s mayor and other officials said recently. For years, the city council’s budget decisions were based on inaccurate, overly rosy revenue projections, leaving income to lag behind expenses, officials said. It may take several more budget cycles to bring the city back to a more stable financial outlook, they said.
Complaint against Rocky Mount mayor alleges he filed false documents in court
Rocky Mount Mayor Holland Perdue is facing legal trouble over his day job as an attorney. Perdue’s onetime opposing counsel in a contested will has filed a request for sanctions against him. The claim: Perdue filed and signed off on manipulated information in Franklin County Circuit Court after missing a legal deadline. The case against Perdue remained on the court’s docket this week, with no hearing date set.
Chesterfield approves two data center developments
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved two rezoning cases that will allow for data center development in the western part of the county. ... Both zoning requests were filed by the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority in February. The cases were filed in relation to a confidential economic development project coming to the county. Each development comes with extensive water and wastewater proffers, including a water usage cap.
Data centers floated for Dumfries property off I-95
A contentious town hall provided Dumfries-area residents an early look at a proposed data center complex. The tech hubs’ potential arrival in eastern Prince William County – a rarity in comparison with the county’s western end – was met with a mixed reception from the crowd. The Lexora Park project – near the Four Seasons at Historic Virginia 55-and-over community off Dumfries Road west of Interstate 95 – could include as many as five data centers, according to an April 9 concept plan.