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Va. Department of Health to standardize data collected about marijuana-related child ER visits
Virginia health care providers are being asked to step up reporting of cases in which CBD or THC products are making kids sick, after a surge in the number of emergency room visits for children in recent years following exposure to marijuana. That includes tragic and extreme examples of the danger a THC product can pose to young children, like the case of one 4-year-old Spotsylvania boy who died in 2022 after ingesting THC gummies. Health care experts say, as cannabis and products with THC and CBD become more available, the risk to children is on the rise. That’s part of why the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is issuing new surveillance guidelines to better track the trends.
Citizens for Fauquier County group challenges rejection of Amazon data center appeal
Citizens for Fauquier County, an environmental nonprofit that has become a prominent voice in opposing the Amazon data center project slated for Blackwell Road in Warrenton, announced Tuesday that it intends to take legal action to enforce its right to appeal the approval of the data center’s site development plan with the town Board of Zoning Appeals. The group filed an appeal on May 16, according to a news release, challenging the zoning administrator’s April 18 decision to approve the Amazon site development plan. The group cited alleged non-compliance with the town’s zoning ordinance and conditions outlined in the special use permit established by the town as a term of its February 2022 approval.
Advocates see missed opportunities as Virginia lags its neighbors in clean energy manufacturing
When the nonprofit Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) began tracking where financial incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act were spurring clean energy manufacturing growth and jobs nationwide, Zach Amittay figured Virginia would snag the top slot in the Southeast. So he was startled that the state has consistently lagged behind South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia since E2 began its research after the IRA became law in August 2022. “Overall, Virginia pales in comparison to its neighbors, especially those farther South,” said Amittay, Southeast advocate for E2. “And that’s kind of an irony considering how Virginia’s framework for clean energy policies is driving demand for solar, electric vehicles, battery storage and offshore wind.”
Report shows perils of air pollution persist nationwide
The American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report concludes that even though Americans have changed their ways significantly over the last 50-plus years, the struggle to provide cleaner air is far from being won. In fact, the challenge is greater than ever. We have made most of the easy fixes, the experts tell us. And even as we continue those efforts, it’s time to work harder on the growing threat climate change poses to the air we breathe. ... Comparatively speaking, the Hampton Roads area gets fairly high marks for air quality. The Virginia Beach-Norfolk area is tied for No. 1 cleanest metropolitan area in the nation for 24-hour particle pollution.
Yancey: Wages in Southwest Va. still lag behind but are growing faster than state and national averages
I want you to close your eyes and try to guess the place I’m about to describe. Wait — never mind. That’s probably not a good idea. I always try to envision I’m in a conversation with readers, so I sometimes forget you’re reading this and not looking back at me through the screen. Let’s try this, then. I’m going to describe a place, and you try to guess what part of Virginia it is (unless the headline has already given it away). There’s a part of the state where wage growth has typically lagged behind the state and national averages, but where since the pandemic wages have been growing faster than either of those — and at last report, are growing three times faster than the national rate.
Federal judge rejects request to halt Dominion’s Virginia Beach offshore wind farm
A federal judge has denied a request from a coalition of conservative interest groups that sought to halt construction of Dominion Energy’s offshore wind farm in Virginia Beach. The groups sued the Biden administration earlier this year, arguing federal agencies ignored threats to endangered whales when approving the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. The suit will still move forward this fall, but the decision issued last week denied plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction to stop construction while the lawsuit is decided. U.S. District Court Judge Loren AliKhan said there wasn’t enough proof that plaintiffs would suffer irreparable harm from construction on the project moving forward.
Virginia board considers ousting GOP election official accused of sharing voting machine information
Two members of the Charles City County Electoral Board have asked Virginia officials to begin the process of removing the third member of the board, who is accused of sharing sensitive election machine information with a local GOP leader. In a May 14 letter to the Virginia State Board of Elections, election officials in Charles City … formally requested the ouster of local Electoral Board Member Maria A. Kinney, a Republican who just joined the board in January. The cause listed in the request was “severe dereliction of duties,” including a claim Kinney allowed a former Charles City County GOP chair, Irene Churins, to view election equipment passwords during an accuracy test.
Virginia Beach task force calls for accountability from event producers
City-sponsored festivals and events should provide an accounting of funds in order to continue to receive support, a festival task force recommended to the City Council Tuesday. It was one of many priorities the group laid out in a report meant to guide policies on city-sponsored events as well as how Oceanfront public parks are used throughout the year. The council-appointed 90-day Festival Task Force reviewed the cost-benefit of city sponsorships as Virginia Beach continues to ramp up its annual event lineup at the Oceanfront.
After DeSantis endorsement, Trump backs Rep. Bob Good challenger
Former President Donald Trump has delivered a punishing blow to the reelection campaign of Rep. Bob Good, R-5th, by endorsing state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, his opponent in a Republican primary race that has focused from the beginning on loyalty to the former president. A day after endorsing Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hung Cao, Trump didn’t just endorse McGuire. On Truth Social he issued a scathing denunciation of Good, who initially had supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary and then endorsed the former president after DeSantis ended his candidacy.
Richmond residents rally for affordable housing
More than 100 Richmond residents came out Tuesday evening to demand the City Council address affordable housing in the city. The rally, hosted by the New Virginia Majority, a locally based political activism organization, comes following a recent uptick in eviction rates in Richmond. In a plea to Richmond officials, members of the organization called for an immediate stop to evictions and additional funding for affordable housing efforts.