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Bristol Casino reports nearly $14M in April revenues
Adjusted gaming revenues for the first four months of this year topped $55 million for the Bristol Casino, future home of Hard Rock. On Wednesday the Virginia Lottery released its monthly casino revenues report, showing the temporary Bristol Casino generated nearly $14 million in adjusted gaming revenue – hitting $13.94 million. Through the first four months of the year, the casino’s revenues exceeded $55.7 million, or about 1% ahead of the first four months of 2023, lottery records show.
Youngkin vetoes bills on contraception access, skill games, Confederate heritage rollbacks
Last week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed 48 more bills passed by the Democratic-led General Assembly, blocking legislation aimed at preserving contraception access, ending state perks for Confederate heritage groups and legalizing slot machine lookalikes known as skill games. Friday was the governor’s deadline to act on a final batch of bills the General Assembly had returned to him in April. Most of the vetoes dealt with legislation Youngkin tried to amend in ways the legislature opposed.
Under Glenn Youngkin, Parole in Virginia Has Nearly Vanished
In early April, Sarah Moore got the news she was dreading: Her husband, Dennis Jackson Moore, had been denied parole again. It was his fourth rejection in as many years. Dennis, who goes by Vega, is 45. He has spent more than half his life in prison in Virginia for a murder and armed robbery he committed as a teenager. At the time, his defense argued that he did not fully understand the charges against him and had been misled by a detective when he gave a recorded confession. Vega was tried in adult court.
State budget includes money to study tapping into natural gas pipeline in Tazewell and Russell counties
Studies that will explore the economic development benefits of extending natural gas from a major pipeline in Southwest Virginia to Tazewell and Russell counties were funded in the state budget approved last week. Each county will receive $100,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2025 for its own study. Originally, the budget amendment filed by state Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell County, asked for a total of $250,000 just for Tazewell County, where officials have been working for more than a decade to tap into a pipeline that runs through the county. Tazewell County is the third largest producer of natural gas in the state, but businesses and residents there have little access to it.
Who were the mysterious ‘men in black’ at the UVa encampment?
Who were the men in black? In the fallout since the University of Virginia’s controversial decision to have Virginia State Police break up a small encampment of anti-war protesters on May 4, UVa officials have cited a number of justifications. Among them is a claim that four mysterious men in black, wearing helmets and backpacks, joined the encampment the night before. “At least two of these [men] were known to law enforcement personnel as participating in violent acts elsewhere in the commonwealth,” UVa President Jim Ryan said in a "virtual town hall" days after the incident. “This became a safety and security issue, especially when the four men came in on Friday night.” Since then, the university has offered almost no further details on the mysterious quartet ...
Second lawsuit is filed against Luna Innovations, alleging securities fraud
A newly filed federal lawsuit seeking class-action status against Roanoke-based Luna Innovations Inc. is looking to expand the timeline of the company’s alleged securities fraud. Plaintiffs’ lawyers accuse the fiber-optic sensing company of issuing financial reports that illegally inflated Luna’s stock price. The suit — which identifies Luna, its former chief executive officer, Scott Graeff, and two former chief financial officers, Eugene J. Nestro and George Gomez-Quintero, as defendants — makes allegations similar to a case filed in April.
How the Shenandoah County School Board Decided to Restore Confederate School Names
Proud and satisfied, or sad and embarrassed. However citizens of the commonwealth view Shenandoah County School Board’s recent decision, Virginia appears to be the first in the nation to restore Confederate school names, after years of vigorous community engagement, a controversial renaming process, and a change in board priorities related to race, diversity and inclusion.
UVa graduates walk out on President Jim Ryan’s opening commencement address
The University of Virginia’s Final Exercises were barely underway Saturday morning when a couple dozen graduates walked out in protest. Their exit was triggered by the entrance of UVa President Jim Ryan, who took the stage in front of Old Cabell Hall to welcome the crowd of thousands to Grounds and congratulate the class of 2024. ... With many students and parents still getting situated by the time Ryan stepped up to the podium, it was difficult to make out which graduates were participating in the walkout and which were taking their seats.
Fedderman: For Virginia schools, learn from the past and ready for the future
As we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court decision that promised an end to public school segregation, we face a sobering reality: Too many of Virginia’s schools are sliding back into segregation, undoing decades of progress. This is not just a failure to live up to legal mandates; it’s a failure in our responsibility to our children — and to justice. As the first Black male president of the Virginia Education Association, I feel a deep, personal resonance on this anniversary. It’s time to come together, learn from our mistakes, and renew our commitment to realizing the promise of the Brown decision for diverse and adequately resourced schools.
Wood: Protect Virginia’s vulnerable coast from offshore drilling
Virginia banned offshore drilling in our state waters nearly four years ago, but we are still at risk from oil and gas extraction today. Oil and gas development is still allowed in most federal waters further off our coast, and its impacts can forever damage coastal communities, economies and businesses. Oil spills don’t respect state or federal boundaries, yet much of the Atlantic Coast is still open for drilling. President Joe Biden has an opportunity now to do something about this once and for all.