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Richmond’s inspector general is out at City Hall, and leaders aren’t explaining why
The Richmond official in charge of investigating waste, fraud and abuse at City Hall has been quietly dismissed from his job, according to a member of the City Council who opposed the move. Councilor Reva Trammell (8th District) said she was absent from Monday’s council meeting to see her grandson graduate from college. While she was gone, the City Council held a closed meeting that Trammell says resulted in the dismissal of Inspector General Jim Osuna, who had been in that role since 2019.
USDA Staffing and Funding Cuts Would Threaten Virginia’s Ability to Reach Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Goals
Lee Good grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and raises cows, calfs, crops and hay on about 200 acres in the foothills of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Good, 55, previously farmed as a hobby but now makes his living in Rockingham County, the top contributor to the state’s top private industry—agriculture. He cares about clean water and air while still being profitable, and he wants to protect the environment in both his local community and the Chesapeake Bay at the other end of the state, which recreators, crabbers and fishermen all rely on.
Poll: Amid rising costs, Republican and Democratic voters value Va.’s colleges and universities
An overwhelming majority of voters are proud of Virginia’s colleges and universities and feel they are equipping young people to succeed, even as, across the country, frustrations mount due to rapidly shifting federal education systems and rising tuition costs. According to poll results released by Virginia Business Higher Education Council (VBHEC), 90% of respondents both Democrats and Republicans in Virginia are proud of the colleges and universities in the commonwealth because they see a “strong connection” between the work on Virginia’s campuses, the prospects for the state’s economy to grow and for young people to succeed in the job market.
Lawsuit that seeks to overturn Roanoke's gun law delayed by judge
A Roanoke judge on Monday paused through the end of this year a lawsuit filed by Second Amendment advocates who are seeking to strike down a city ordinance that bars guns from public buildings and parks. Circuit Judge David Carson granted a motion filed by the city to stay the proceedings while a federal appeals court considers a similar case in Fairfax County. Awaiting the outcome of that case would conserve judicial resources, the city argued. . . . In 2021, the Roanoke City Council passed an ordinance that makes it a misdemeanor to have a gun — whether concealed pursuant to an individual permit or carried openly — in city-owned buildings and parks. Offenses are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Metro’s automated train expansion delayed over safety concerns, says oversight commission
The commission that has federally granted oversight of Metrorail on safety said Tuesday afternoon it is still not ready to allow Metro to expand its use of automated trains. Officials with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) said they still have too many safety concerns to allow Metro to increase its use of train autopilot features. But they added that they are working with Metro to get to a point where the transit agency will be allowed to use more automation.
Lynchburg midwives lead resurgence in maternity care provider options
Lynchburg has a long history of midwifery and is once again at the forefront of advocating for midwives who care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Katie Page, a staff midwife at Centra Medical Group Women’s Center in Lynchburg, has been pushing for legislation to advance midwifery in Virginia and help the women for whom midwives provide care. Through her leadership role with the Virginia affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Page was instrumental in the passage of a bill this year in the General Assembly that will bring greater equity in insurance reimbursement for all classifications of midwives.
Green Recycle in Pittsylvania to create 28 jobs; QualiChem in Salem to add 12
A plastics recycling startup will invest $4.3 million and create 28 jobs in Pittsylvania County, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. Green Recycle USA LLC will turn industrial plastic waste into raw material to be used in new products by manufacturers in a variety of industries, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a news release. ... A Salem-based producer of fluids used in fabricating metal components will invest $9 million to expand in the city, creating 12 jobs, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. QualiChem Inc.’s products include oils, coolants, rust preventatives and cleaners used in the aerospace, medical and automotive industries, among others.
Norfolk prosecutor revokes city attorney’s authority on shoplifting charges following council vote
Norfolk City Council members unanimously approved a code change this week that will let the City Attorney’s Office prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting cases, despite objections from some residents. But the change drew a swift rebuke from the city’s top prosecutor, who said he would revoke the city attorney’s authority to prosecute any misdemeanors in Circuit Court and would implement additional oversight of charges pursued in District Court.
Pulaski company’s $1.3 million poultry poop proposition
A Pulaski County company stands to earn $1.3 million in a state program to keep pollution out of the Chesapeake Bay. The target: chicken poop. MOVA Technologies is one of nine Virginia businesses chosen for the Department of Environmental Quality’s $19 million grant program, called Pay-For-Outcomes Nonpoint Source Pollution Reduction, according to a DEQ news release. MOVA will begin testing its poultry air purification system later this year in Rockingham County, at a poultry house near the Shenandoah River, company spokesman Luke Allison said. Commercial demonstrations will begin next year. Ultimately, the system will help both farmers and MOVA make a profit, he said.
Amazon fulfillment center in Goochland to create 1,000+ jobs
Gov. Glenn Youngkin participated Wednesday in a ceremonial groundbreaking for Amazon.com's 3.1 million-square-foot robotics fulfillment center in Goochland County, which is expected to create more than 1,000 full-time and part-time jobs. The fulfillment center will have a 650,000-square-foot footprint on a 107-acre parcel, according to the governor’s office, and will be Amazon’s fourth robotics fulfillment center in the state, joining others in Henrico County, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.