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A look at the 5th congressional district race spending with primaries one month away
We’re exactly one month away from primary elections in Virginia and there’s a lot of money being thrown around in the race for the Republican nomination for the 5th congressional district. The race between incumbent Bob Good and John McGuire is shaping up to be an interesting one, especially from a financial standpoint.
Too hard to stomach? Fairfax County chews on a ‘meals tax’ for dining out
That restaurant pasta or gas station burrito in Fairfax County could be facing a price increase after lawmakers in search of revenue began considering an option that has been rejected twice amid heated opposition: a meals tax. On Tuesday, county supervisors directed County Executive Bryan J. Hill to study the pros and cons of imposing a tax of between 1 and 6 percent on food and beverages prepared in restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores — a response to the board’s passage this month of an austere budget that increased the annual tax bill for homeowners by an average of $450.
Petersburg Catholic group sues Park Service over Memorial Day Mass
A Knights of Columbus council in Petersburg has gone to federal court, seeking the right to continue its tradition of holding a Memorial Day Mass within Poplar Grove National Cemetery. The Catholic fraternal organization says it held the Memorial Day Mass within the cemetery most years dating back to the 1960s. That changed in 2023, when the National Park Service denied the organization’s permit.
Petersburg school leader spent $22,000 on travel over 15 months on job, records show
Former Petersburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Tamara Sterling charged taxpayers more than $22,000 while traveling to conferences during her 15 months on the job, according to records obtained by CBS 6 through a public records request. The $22,000 bill was more than double what the Henrico County superintendent spent, 14 times what the Hopewell superintendent spent, and 43 times what the Chesterfield superintendent spent on travel during that same time frame.
Va. teacher pay gets a boost in budget, but it’s still projected to fall short of national average
Legislation that would have aligned Virginia teachers’ pay with the national average or higher by the 2027-28 school year won bipartisan support but was blocked from the state budget by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto last week. The two-year budget, signed last week, includes $540 million to help pay for 3% salary increases for teachers and state employees in both years. The governor said he supported the goal of “ensuring that teachers and state-funded education support positions are funded competitively,” but didn’t approve the bill to boost educators’ salaries to the national average because it relied heavily on what he viewed as flawed data from the National Education Association, which represents educators across the country.
Concerns over solar farms plague Washington County
On Tuesday, the Washington County Virginia Board of Supervisors heard a presentation from Catalyst Energy Partners about their proposal to put up solar farms. The proposed areas are several parcels off Wyndale Road in Abingdon. Together, the total acreage is around 1,800. The proposal was met with pushback from many neighboring residents. “This has been somewhat of a secret,” William Bish, who lives on Wyndale Road, said. “I first became aware of it by some signs posted along the road which are now missing.”
Yancey: Why we won’t write about the Danville Dairy Daddies
I will not write about the Dairy Daddies. I will not fall for the cheap marketing ploy by which a new Danville summer league collegiate baseball team has adopted what the team admits is a “sensual” name and mascot as a way to draw attention — and has embarked on a series of promotions such as “Teat-Tugging Thursdays” and on social media has taken up some blush-inducing hashtags such as #DaddiesAfterDark. To do that would be beneath my dignity as a serious journalist. Instead, I will write about serious things, such as how Danville, a city written off for dead two decades ago when the textile industry collapsed, has now made such a startling comeback that it can now support not just one but two summer league college teams.
When will broadband arrive in Fauquier County? It’s anyone’s guess.
Fewer than 14 months remain on All Points Broadband’s contract to deliver high-speed broadband to rural communities in Virginia, but not a single mile of cable has been laid in Fauquier County. With 60% of the contract period elapsed, All Points has not completed any of its milestones or project phases, according to the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative dashboard. An official delay has not been announced for Fauquier County, but one appears likely, meaning about 10,000 homes and businesses will still have no access to high-speed fiber-optic internet and phone service.
5 Virginia colleges awarded lab school funding must resubmit applications
Five Virginia colleges that have already been awarded millions in state funding for lab schools are scrambling to find new partners and resubmit their lab school applications within the next month. Budget language finalized this month emphasizes that state code does not allow lab school funding to go to private or two-year colleges — which Democrats who wrote the law have asserted for the past two years. The Virginia Department of Education has awarded lab school planning grants to five colleges that appear to be ineligible: Emory & Henry College, Roanoke College, Mountain Gateway Community College, Paul D. Camp Community College and Germanna Community College.
Broadband, renewable energy are focuses for rural development, USDA administrator says
Rural communities can improve their economy and quality of life, Andrew Berke, administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, stressed during the opening of the fifth annual Investing in Rural America conference, held Tuesday at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond hosts the two-day Investing in Rural America conference, which tackles topics like driving community investment in rural places and innovative housing strategies.