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Newport News seeks commitment from U.S. Navy on downtown military housing
Newport News recently secured a commitment from the state for a $40 million loan to support construction of U.S. Navy housing downtown, but the city is awaiting the Navy’s response on the project’s next steps. The city’s intergovernmental affairs manager, Jerri Wilson, said Tuesday to her knowledge, the Navy has yet to officially commit to a specific course of action for downtown housing in Newport News. State and local officials previously stated the Navy could contribute up to $400 million to house sailors and revitalize downtown.
Groups criticize environmental justice approach in Virginia
Some environmental justice advocates in Virginia have denounced recent actions by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that they say undermine efforts to protect vulnerable communities in the state. The governor has appointed a half-dozen members to the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice whose professional or business interests, advocates say, may put them at odds with the council’s mission. He also recently vetoed a bill that would have given the council additional authority and more funding to travel around the state to communities affected by environmental justice concerns.
McDonald Sentenced to 14 Years in EDA Case
After hearing slightly over two hours of prosecution and defense arguments in support of their conflicting sentencing recommendations—22 years by the prosecution, six years by the defense—Western District of Virginia federal Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon went down the middle, sentencing former Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jennifer McDonald to 14 years in prison for her role in the circa-2014 to 2018 EDA “financial scandal.”
Henry County plant remains open in wake of Teal-Jones bankruptcy filing
Teal-Jones Group filed for bankruptcy and was granted creditor protection on April 25. The company, with headquarters in Canada and operations in Henry County, obtained a Provisional Recognition Order from the U.S. Court for the District of Delaware under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, according to a news release issued May 24. ... "County staff was informed by the company of the filing in Canada," said Henry County Administrator Dale Wagoner. "I understand that the local facility has been profitable, and after a brief furlough, the company has ramped back up to full production locally."
Roanoke College hires contractor after ‘cancer cluster’ allegation
Roanoke College will partner with an environmental services contractor to investigate claims that the university has a higher-than-average cancer rate. School President Frank Shushok Jr. issued a statement to students Tuesday in response to the publication of an article in “Air Mail,” a weekly digital newsletter, written by reporter Clara Molot, alleging that the university cancer incidence rates are five times higher than that of 20- to 29-year-olds in the country.
Biden, Trump tied in Virginia, Roanoke College poll says
Five months before the presidential election, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for the first time are tied in a head-to-head matchup in Virginia, while Biden holds a 2-point lead when other candidates are included, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College. The survey found that 42% of voters would back Biden and 42% Trump in a head-to-head matchup, while Biden would lead Trump 40% to 38% with third-party candidates in the race.
Richmond vending machines to dispense Narcan
Richmond has been awarded $148,000 for three vending machines that will be stocked with the opioid antidote Narcan and test strips. The funding is part of four grants aimed at curbing the ongoing opioid epidemic, according to the state agency that is stewarding much of the money for Virginia. “These vending machines will help people who are not connected to harm reduction services or who are likely to witness or experience an opioid overdose and to reduce stigma by integrating harm reduction into public spaces,” reads a proposal submitted by city grant specialist Dominic Barrett.
Virginia House committee breaks down ballooning veteran education benefit program
A nearly 100-year-old veterans benefit program saw cuts during the latest state budget cycle after costs ballooned 450% in just four years. The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, or VMSDEP, started after World War I as a way to support veterans to get an education. Over the next 90 years it was expanded, allowing family members of vets to also get a nearly cost-free education. But changes made in 2019, according to state data, caused the program to explode from $12 million to $65 million a year. “At the cost structure it is right now, there’s concern of the program potentially collapsing,” Tony Maggio, a fiscal analyst for the House of Delegates, told the House Appropriations committee Tuesday.
Home value disparities are displacing residents of Richmond’s Black neighborhoods
Some Richmond neighborhoods lost between 18% and 45% of their Black residents in the last decade due to rising housing costs and gentrification, according to a new report out Thursday. Decades of racist homelending policies and present-day bias in home appraisal have undervalued many Black Richmonders’ homes. That’s now pushing some longterm residents out of their communities. The report studying disparities in home value is from Richmond-based nonprofit Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, which used metro-area research from the Brookings Institute, city tax assessment data and American Community Survey demographics census stats.
New poll shows Biden and Trump tied in Virginia
Virginia could be a battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, according to a Roanoke College poll released Wednesday. The poll showed President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied (42% to 42%) in a head-to-head matchup in the commonwealth, while Biden holds a two-point lead (40% to 38%) when other candidates are included.