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Loudoun Sheriff: Increase in Traffic Stops are Efficient Policing, Not Racial Profiling
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is pushing back against community concerns that an increasing number of traffic stops and vehicle searches are evidence of racial profiling, instead saying they are result from more efficient policing. On May 6, Sheriff Mike Chapman presented his quarterly report to the Board of Supervisors showing that the number of traffic stops conducted between Jan. 1 and March 31 totaled 7,088. New Virginia Majority, a political advocacy group, raised concerns that that number had risen by 65% over last year’s first quarter total of 4,290 traffic stops. NVM Campaign Director Sofia Saiyed said the stops are “pretextual” and that the Sheriff’s Office is “practicing racial discrimination to target the immigrant community and funnel them into the deportation pipeline” in a May 19 press release.
Lynchburg business leaders speak out against ‘soap opera’ on city council
Over the past week, Lynchburg business leaders have been pushing back against the behavior of members of city council, with some suggesting the council’s conduct could be jeopardizing investment in the city. The discussion was initiated by Dave Henderson, managing partner of Hen + Hound Management Co., the restaurant company that owns The Water Dog in downtown Lynchburg. He sent an email to city leaders and the local news media a day after the council’s most recent meeting on May 13. ... “I needed to get it off my chest,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone would pay attention to the email.” The email had the opposite effect, inspiring other local business leaders to speak out.
Spanberger: As governor, I’ll lower health care costs for Virginians
I’m running for governor because I believe that Virginia needs decisive leadership that puts Virginia first. Wherever I go in our commonwealth, I hear from Virginians who are working longer hours — but finding it harder to get by. From Norfolk to Norton and everywhere in between, far too many Virginians are getting squeezed. They’re feeling it in the checkout line. They’re feeling it when they pay their mortgage or pay the rent. And they’re feeling it at the pharmacy counter. The cost of living is too high for families juggling so much, young people starting their careers, and seniors living on a fixed income.
Rogers: Virginia Beach School Board poised to remove student, staff protections
It was only 71 years ago, on May 17, 1954, that Brown v. Board of Education was decided and segregation was deemed unconstitutional in all schools across the country. However, instead of complying with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, school districts such as Norfolk chose to completely shut their doors ... Virginia Beach City Public Schools has worked since 1961 to distance itself from its past of segregation ... On April 8, all the work being done to support Virginia Beach students began to unravel. The School Board majority, per their own resolution, has demanded a suspension of all programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
International student workers expected to return for summer tourism season, despite immigration crackdown
Balancing a tray of folded white cloth napkins and shiny cutlery, Wattanacorn Meemaijon of Thailand began to set a table inside Becca Restaurant & Garden at The Cavalier Hotel on a recent afternoon. The fourth-year college student majoring in industrial engineering is one of dozens of international student workers temporarily living in Virginia Beach for a summer work and travel program under a J-1 visa. ... As the Trump administration has implemented stricter vetting procedures for visa applicants, and tariffs have cooled Canadians’ appetite for travel to the U.S., tourism industry leaders are wary of any potential impacts.... However, the policy changes at the federal level don’t seem to be affecting the summer work and travel program, according to several local employers and the State Department.
Second Virginia measles case reported in Charlottesville
The second confirmed case of measles has been reported in Virginia, this time in Charlottesville. There have been 1,046 confirmed cases and three confirmed deaths in the U.S. so far this year as outbreaks continue to crop up across the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ... The child in the Charlottesville case is between 13 and 17 years, according to the Virginia Department of Health, and had recently traveled internationally. The Health Department did not say if the child was vaccinated.
Chesapeake Bay crab numbers drop again
Chesapeake Bay blue crab populations fell again, hitting the second-lowest number since Virginia and Maryland marine scientists began counting in 1990, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said. The annual winter sampling the department and the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences conduct yielded an estimate that blue crab numbers in the Bay fell to 238 million from last year’s 317 million.
Richmond’s monuments still sitting at wastewater plant 5 years after murder of George Floyd
A half-decade after Richmond’s Confederate monuments fell, Del. Mike Jones, D-Richmond, said he would gladly trade their return for functional civilian oversight of Richmond police — and other signs of what he called “real progress.” “As abhorrent as they are, give me life, give me real justice. You can keep your monuments,” said Jones, who was Richmond’s 9th District City Councilman from 2017 until 2024. “S— didn’t change when they came down.”
Prosecutor dispute in Norfolk heating up
A feud between Norfolk city leaders and Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi was on display in court [last] week as attorneys argued who has authority to handle several cases. At least one case was delayed until July as City Attorney Bernard Pishko and Fatehi laid claim. [The prior] week, Fatehi forbid Pishko’s office from prosecuting all Norfolk Circuit Court misdemeanor cases. Fatehi made the decision after Norfolk City Council members — unhappy with how shoplifting cases were handled — authorized the City Attorney’s Office to prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting offenses.
Former CIA officer files as GOP challenger to Don Beyer
A Vienna man who spent more than 15 years working with the CIA and Secret Service is seeking to unseat longtime U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D). Running as a Republican, Anthony “Tony” Sabio formally declared his candidacy on Wednesday for the 2026 election in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District. Sabio, who was born in Puerto Rico but settled in Northern Virginia following six years in the U.S. Navy, will officially kick off his campaign [this] week, he told ARLnow. Billing himself as a “battle-tested patriot,” the 50-year-old argues that his life experiences make him a stronger fighter for “everyday Americans” than long-tenured legislators.