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Youngkin: Virginia leads nation with greatest reduction of fentanyl overdose deaths
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced at a press conference Tuesday that Virginia is now seeing a 44% drop in fentanyl overdose deaths. The Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released this data. “I am very pleased the CDC acknowledged that Virginia over the course of the last year has led the nation with the greatest reduction of overdoses in the entire country,” Youngkin said.
WMATA removing 57 bus stops from Northern Va. service
Fifty-seven bus stops are set to be cut from Metrobus' routes in Northern Virginia, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The changes have been scheduled to take effect June 29. The 2025 Better Bus Network Redesign was first announced in November 2024, when WMATA released a list of 500 stops transportation authority wanted to get rid of across the DMV. WMATA's website claims fewer stops would make Metrobus service "quicker and more streamlined."
How two Va. candidates’ scandals reflect changing attitudes
When sexually explicit videos of House candidate Susanna Gibson surfaced online in 2023, John Reid — then a conservative talk radio host — was unapologetically blunt. “Don’t get mad that I’m the only person in Virginia media who will tell the truth about this trash woman,” Reid wrote in a Facebook post, which included a still from one of the videos. “Say no to legislative hookers.” Now, nearly two years later, Reid — the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor and the first openly gay nominee on a statewide ticket in Virginia — is facing his own controversy.
Schapiro: Youngkin blows up the Republican Party he built
All of Glenn Youngkin’s horses and all of Glenn Youngkin’s men couldn’t put the Republican Party of Virginia back together again. First, Youngkin pulled off the improbable: He was narrowly elected governor in 2021, seemingly signaling in a blue-trending state the comeback of a moribund GOP. Youngkin’s victory was a testament to, among other things, a generous self-investment.
Botetourt County Board of Supervisors candidate reprimanded by state bar association
Dirk Padgett, candidate for Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, received a public reprimand dated April 22 from the Virginia State Bar Association for violating rules that govern fees, safekeeping property and misconduct between a lawyer and a client. The state bar association took issue with Padgett’s recordkeeping regarding client fees, his use of the term “non-refundable” in a contract with a client, and an agreement he entered into with the client which, the association said, limited her right to pursue a complaint against Padgett with the state bar, among other issues.
U.S. Department of Justice demands answers about DEI from University of Virginia
When Governor Youngkin replaced a vocal supporter of Trump Administration views about diversity, equity and inclusion on UVA’s Board of Visitors, some thought that signaled support for a more cooperative approach. Now, however, the Department of Justice appears to be holding the university’s feet to the fire.
Visa restored for third — and final — UVa international student
The University of Virginia on Monday disclosed that the legal status of a third international student who had lost their right to study in the U.S. has been restored. A university webpage providing updates on recent federal actions noted the change, saying that as of Sunday the visas of all three UVa students whose records were terminated earlier in April from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, had been restored.
Measles exposure includes more areas at Woodbridge site
Initial information from the state health department about Virginia’s first measles case this year said a potential exposure site in Woodbridge was limited to the Advanced Urgent Care department of Kaiser Permanente Caton Hill Medical Center. That’s been expanded to include the laboratory, radiology and pharmacy at the Kaiser site, at 13285 Minnieville Road in Woodbridge. A child under 5, who is from the northwest region of Virginia, was in those areas on Tuesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
$700M subsea cable factory breaks ground in Chesapeake amid concerns about tariffs, energy policy
Gov. Glenn Youngkin sang the praises of international business cooperation Monday as officials broke ground on a massive undersea cable manufacturing factory in Chesapeake. The project from a South Korean cable company will eventually serve national and global wind energy projects and represents the largest investment in the city’s history. But despite the rosy outlook from officials, a cloud of uncertainty swirled. “Tariffs is a concern. If I say that is not a concern, I’d be lying,” said Koo Bon-kyu, president of South Korean company LS Cable & System, told American and South Korean media after the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Fluoride spike at Richmond water plant reignites calls for regional management
A spike in fluoride levels during a pump install at Richmond’s water treatment plant last week went unreported for days and has prompted neighboring counties to repeat calls for a cooperative approach to water service in the region. In statements released late Monday afternoon, Henrico and Hanover counties said they were “discouraged” and “disappointed” by what Henrico called “repeated operations failures and communications breakdowns” associated with the plant, which the city said “experienced an issue” during an installation of a new fluoride pump that increased fluoride levels over several hours last Wednesday.