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Spotsylvania water park to open sooner than expected
In the 16 months since work started on the former Thornburg farmland between U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 the landscape has been gradually morphing into what will eventually be the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions water park. The 135-acre Spotsylvania County site is now a complex with roadways, heavy equipment, cement silos, trailers, along with rising buildings and cranes that dominate the skyline. ... On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the family owners of Kalahari resorts gathered on a stage at the site with a large under-construction building as the backdrop.
Study recommends no change in oversight of Virginia’s juvenile justice agency
Who should oversee Virginia's Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), which is responsible for serving more than 3,000 court-involved youth every day? That was the question at the center of the latest study from the General Assembly's research arm, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC). Currently, DJJ falls under the purview of the public safety secretary, but advocates have argued that transferring DJJ to the health and human resources secretariat would improve access to services since behavioral health is a big focus of the rehabilitative process.
A look at the views of 2 candidates vying for the GOP nod in 62nd House District
Agreeing on many issues while differing on others, Republican statehouse primary candidates Karen Hamilton, of Orange, and Clay Jackson, of Madison, sat side by side last Thursday night for a candidates’ forum in the District 62 nominating race. A homeschool mom of three, college educated in structural engineering and a first-time political candidate, Hamilton briefly stumbled in her opening statement ... A beef cattle farmer and board of supervisors’ chairman, Jackson admitted he didn’t know what his first three bills would be if elected to the statehouse, but stressed time and again he would fight to represent local interests.
Report: Moving Department of Juvenile Justice to another state agency likely won’t improve youth programs
A new report says moving the Department of Juvenile Justice under a different state agency likely wouldn’t improve the programs it offers to incarcerated youth. The report comes as the state Inspector General’s office says it will review mental health services being offered to children at the Bon Air Correctional Center — Virginia’s only state-run youth prison. Research for the nonpartisan report included interviews with Department of Juvenile Justice staff, state cabinet members and national experts.
JLARC: Moving juvenile justice department won’t boost services
Virginia’s juvenile justice officials can connect kids in trouble with services they need faster than the state’s social services, mental health and health agencies often can, a study by the legislature’s watchdog agency found. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study investigated advocates’ recommendations that the state switch the Department of Juvenile Justice from the oversight of the Secretary of Public Safety to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.
Ahead of schedule, Kalahari welcomes a beaming Youngkin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin was technically the keynote speaker for the Kalahari Resorts’ ceremonial “steel beam signing” event Wednesday afternoon, but it was founder and CEO Todd Nelson who delivered an answer to the question many are wondering. When is the $900 million Thornburg indoor waterpark going to open? The answer: Nov. 12, 2026. “We’re ahead of schedule,” Nelson said. “Everything is going really, really quite well.” More than 150 people attended the ceremony held on the 1.38 million-square-foot resort’s future grounds, which will also include a 150,000-square-foot convention center and 900 guest rooms.
Sen. Cory Booker endorses Jay Jones in Virginia’s Democratic primary for AG
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has endorsed Jay Jones in Virginia’s Democratic primary for attorney general. Jones, a former state delegate and assistant attorney general for the District of Columbia, faces Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor in the June 17 primary. The winner will face Attorney General Jason Miyares, the Republican incumbent.
Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor talk Southwest Virginia, flood recovery and economic growth
The field of Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor is packed, with six hopefuls who hail from Hampton Roads, the Richmond area and Northern Virginia. None of the Democratic candidates are native to the Southwest or Southside regions, though many claim a connection. Cardinal News asked them some region-specific questions to get an idea of how they plan to serve our readership if elected.
Earle-Sears proposes ‘Axe the Tax’ initiative to eliminate car tax and tax on tips
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears on Tuesday announced her new “Axe the Tax” initiative, renewing Republican efforts to eliminate the state’s car tax and end income taxes on tipped wages. Earle-Sears, who is running to be the next governor of Virginia, said the state is financially prepared to phase out the controversial personal property tax on vehicles, citing Virginia’s robust rainy day and reserve funds, as well as recent budget surpluses.
Del. Gilbert reflects on tenure as House GOP leader
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, has stepped down as Minority Leader in the Virginia House of Delegates, ending more than a decade in party leadership and formally clearing the path for Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, to lead the Republican caucus into the 2025 election. Gilbert’s leadership tenure included a two-year term as Virginia’s 57th Speaker of the House, beginning in 2022. Gilbert confirmed in an interview Monday that his decision to step aside was entirely driven by the ongoing federal selection process for the U.S. Attorney post in Virginia’s Western District.