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Youngkin to set special election for Connolly’s seat amid primary season juggle
As Fairfax County laid to rest longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly Tuesday, attention shifted to the fast-moving process of replacing him in Congress — a decision that rests with Gov. Glenn Youngkin and could reshape the calendar for both parties in the politically vital 11th District. ... A spokesperson for Youngkin on Tuesday declined to say whether the governor has made a decision on when to schedule a special election. Under Virginia law, the governor is required to issue a writ of election to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, there is no mandated timeline for doing so.
Dominion Prepares Next Transmission Line Project: Morrisville to Wishing Star
Community members last week had the chance to provide feedback on Dominion Energy’s next transmission line project – a 36.5-mile-long route across three counties. The Morrisville to Wishing Star line will feature 500 and 230 kilovolt lines running north through Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun counties. Less than five of the miles will be built in Loudoun. The project is designed to improve reliability for the region, according to Dominion Energy. While some of the exact routes are still being determined, according to Dominion Representative Porlan Cunningham, the majority of the line and new infrastructure will be built in Fauquier and Prince William counties ...
VPAP Visual Measures of Legislator Wealth: 2025
Annual reports filed by members of the Virginia General Assembly are meant to disclose possible conflicts of interest, but they also provide a look at the wealth of elected officials. See how Republican and Democratic legislators compare across four different measures from the latest reports.
Families, advocates protest alleged prison abuses
A few dozen people gathered at the state capitol in Richmond on Saturday to protest alleged abuses at Wallens Ridge and Red Onion state prisons. Activists and family members of people incarcerated at Red Onion say multiple men are participating in a hunger strike because of their treatment. April Wright came to the capitol from near Winchester. She says her son, Austin Arocho, has been mistreated while in state custody. He has two years left on his sentence, but Wright wants the facilities shut down for the sake of future generations.
Del. Hope debates challenger over historic preservation law’s impact on housing
Del. Patrick Hope and one of his challengers in the Democratic primary are at odds over how new legislation on historic preservation will impact housing. Arjoon Srikanth, who is facing Hope (D-1) in the June 17 primary, argued that legislation enacted last year will hold up development plans designed to meet housing goals. As a case in point, he held up a Crystal City-area project that may face delays over a disputed interpretation of the law.
Former state delegate, political newcomer square off in District 97 GOP primary
A former state delegate will square off with a political newcomer in the Republican primary for Virginia House District 97. The candidates are Tim Anderson, 50, an attorney, and Christina Felder, 28, a substitute school teacher. The seat is considered competitive. Republicans lost control of it to Democrat Michael Feggans in 2023 and are hoping to oust him to win it back. Anderson, an attorney who represented House District 83 from 2021-2023 and later ran unsuccessfully for a Virginia Senate seat, is making a bid for District 97 in an effort to flip the Democratic-controlled majority in the House.
Earle-Sears facing potential legal scrutiny after originally failing to disclose trips paid for by outside organizations
Republican gubernatorial nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is facing potential legal scrutiny after failing to disclose multiple trips paid for by outside organizations on her required financial disclosure forms. Earle-Sears amended her Statement of Economic Interests (SOEI) last week to reflect participation in seven trips funded by third-party groups, despite originally certifying in February that she had taken none. The Earle-Sears campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Virginia Scope.
New trails will connect Hampton Roads cities, offer regional boost
As warming days remind us that summer is nearly here, the call of the outdoors can be heard even by those whose daily lives play out in cities and densely settled neighborhoods. Fortunately, thanks to foresight, planning and hard work, the developing South Hampton Roads Trail is beginning to offer residents of the region’s five cities — Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Suffolk — easier ways to get out in nature, whether they are enjoying an alternative way to reach a destination or simply exercising in the fresh air and sunshine.
Yancey: U.S. House wants to axe a tax credit that has driven growth of high-wage manufacturing jobs in rural areas
President Donald Trump wants to boost American manufacturing, a goal that has eluded other presidents in the so-called “post-industrial” era but a laudatory one nonetheless. However, many of the manufacturing jobs that he and other administration officials talk most prominently about are likely minimum-wage or other low-wage positions. Meanwhile, the “big, beautiful” bill now moving through Congress would likely slow the growth of one fast-growing manufacturing sector where the average annual income is $81,600. Furthermore, those jobs are concentrated in places that voted for Trump in 2024, meaning that some Republican members of Congress are finding themselves in the position of potentially slowing manufacturing growth in their own districts.
Cowan: Officials should protect Chesapeake from data center noise
As a mental health professional, I never expected to speak out against a data center. But after learning more about the recently proposed facility in Chesapeake, I was, quite frankly, disturbed — disturbed that city leaders would consider placing such a massive industrial structure next to long-established neighborhoods. These are homes where families have built lives, where children play and where peace and quiet have long been part of daily life. At this month’s Planning Commission meeting, the developer addressed the projected decibel level of the facility and outlined general mitigation efforts. What he failed to address, however, is one of the most concerning and least understood aspects of data centers: low-frequency noise.