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Va. health officials testing, but not limiting, use of Lake Anna water after E. coli cases
Judy Inglett never dreamed her healthy 15-year-old daughter would end up on dialysis and undergo blood transfusions after swimming at Lake Anna State Park in Virginia over the Memorial Day weekend. ... Ava is one of 20 people diagnosed with an E. coli infection — that for four children escalated to serious kidney complications — that investigators said triggered lake water testing that has left families second guessing their go-to summertime vacation spot.
Charges dropped for nine University of Mary Washington student protesters
Charges against the nine University of Mary Washington students arrested for trespassing after refusing to leave a campus encampment in Jefferson Square in April have been dropped. According to a motion for nolle proesqui filed on June 6 in Fredericksburg General District Court by Commonwealth’s Attorney Elizabeth “Libby” Humphries, misdemeanor charges against the students, who were protesting violence in Palestine, were withdrawn for two reasons.
Most 10th District primary candidates back federal laws for data centers
Concern about data center proliferation is running high among congressional candidates heading for primary races next week — at least among those who responded to a survey from the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, a citizens’ group critical of data centers. Eleven of the 16 candidates vying for their party’s nomination to represent the 10th Congressional District expressed concerns about data centers’ drain on the power grid and their effect on the environment and nearby communities. In addition, all but state Sen. Jennifer Boysko, a Democrat from Fairfax, said they would support federal legislation that would prevent data centers from being built close to national parks and historic battlefields.
Miyares joins cohort pressing for U.S. Supreme Court to review pharmacy benefit manager case
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares wants states to have more authority to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. Pharmacy benefits managers, or PBMs, are the middlemen that negotiate contracts between health plans, drug manufacturers and pharmacies. Though they do retain rebates and discounts set in their contracts, the exact amount of savings passed onto consumers has been relatively unknown. In recent years, several states have pushed legislation to enhance transparency, but it’s unclear how much power states have to enact their own regulations due to different court rulings on similar cases. So, Miyares recently signed onto a 32-state amicus brief to request that the United States Supreme Court review a case from Oklahoma.
Record fine, new laws sends powerful message against animal cruelty
A company that bred beagles in deplorable conditions was recently ordered to pay $35 million for violations of the Animal Cruelty Act and federal environmental statutes. That’s a record punishment for these offenses and yet somehow feels inadequate for the harm inflicted. Virginia has subsequently tightened its laws regarding animal cruelty, improvements that should empower investigators in the future. The hope is that those tougher rules along with this record fine will keep such a horror from unfolding again in the commonwealth.
Residents and activists react to MVP approval
A day after federal regulators granted the Mountain Valley Pipeline authorization to go in service, MVP said it’s preparing to start transporting gas, but has not yet said when that will begin. The company reported to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday that it’s completed all safety checks, but some residents want to see more information about those inspections. Within view of the pipeline, Theresa “Red” Terry lives with her husband on Bent Mountain. She’s fought the pipeline for years, partly because she’s concerned that an accident could lead to an explosion.
Early study results paint grim picture of Virginia’s health care landscape
Social Determinants of Health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. And a study, requested by the state’s Joint Commission on Health Care, into how Virginia can improve social determinants is about at its midpoint. “There is a 20 year difference between the localities with the highest and lowest life expectancy rates in the state with Manassas Park at 89.3 years and Petersburg at 64.9 years,” said Jen Piver-Renna, part of the staff at the Joint Commission on Health Care. She was updating legislators on what they’ve found so far. The completed study is expected later this year with legislation to follow. But in the meantime, that life expectancy rate was among shocking numbers that alerted commission chair Delegate Rodney Willet.
Outside groups supporting Helmer dominate ad spending ahead of congressional primary
Heading into the June 18 primary for the 10th Congressional District, outside spending from political action committees supporting Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax) has surpassed the amount spent by all candidates in the race combined. Three PACs have spent a combined $5.44 million on ads and mailers in support of Helmer, according to the most recent filings available on June 12. Total campaign expenditures for all 16 candidates totaled $5.35 million through May 29, the most recent reporting deadline for candidate committees.
After HR probe, Richmond officials suggest ‘restructuring’ of election office
Human resources officials in the city of Richmond recommended an “immediate departmental restructuring” of the city election office after an internal investigation concluded the city’s registrar and deputy registrar violated nepotism and ethics policies. The results of the HR investigation into the Richmond election office — which is separate from a more far-reaching probe underway by Richmond’s inspector general — were sent to state and local election officials on Tuesday. The Virginia Mercury obtained copies of the findings through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Kaine Announces Plan To Lower Drug Costs
Sen. Tim Kaine announced the first step of his plan for economic relief for Virginians facing rising costs and inflation at a summit Monday at a retirement home in Lansdowne. This first step, which Kaine referred to as the “first plank of his ‘Kaine Kitchen Table Agenda,’ ” involves lowering the cost of prescription drugs like insulin. This follows prices for several prescription medications for maladies like heart disease and parasitic infections being raised drastically throughout the 2010s, according to NPR.