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Who is running in the District 70 primary in Newport News?
... In Newport News, there are two Republican candidates running in the primaries to get on the November 2025 ballot, hoping to represent District 70 in the House of Delegates. ... Hailey Dollar is one of two candidates running in the Republican primary. Dollar is an army combat veteran who was born and raised in Hampton Roads, between York County and Newport News. ... Dollar's Republican primary opponent is Cynthia Scaturico. Scaturico was born in Illinois, then in 2014 she moved to York County for a few years where she worked at Smithfield Foods. During the pandemic, Scaturico moved to Iowa where she began her political career after being elected to the Board of Supervisors.
Senator pressures state to put history scores in school accountability system
Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, is putting pressure on the Virginia Board of Education to include social studies exam scores in the state’s new school accountability system, which is set to take effect this fall. The new system will publicly rank each Virginia school in one of four performance categories: distinguished, on track, off track and needs intensive support. The criteria for each ranking include test scores in reading, writing math and science – but not social studies.
Earle-Sears’ silence on Medicaid cuts ‘speaks volumes,’ Charlottesville Dems say
The Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill approved by House lawmakers late last month would slash $600 billion from Medicaid and threatens to strip health insurance from hundreds of thousands of Virginia’s poorest residents — and Winsome Earle-Sears isn’t talking. The Republican lieutenant governor running for governor has kept mum about the GOP budget bill which has moved to the Senate for consideration. Her Democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, has denounced the bill as a threat to rural hospitals, small businesses and working families. But Earle-Sears’ campaign has declined multiple interview requests on the subject from multiple news outlets, and the campaign did not immediately respond to a Daily Progress inquiry.
After Jamestown lost federal funding, Virginia grants millions to protect against rising waters
Despite losing some federal funding, Jamestown will potentially receive even larger support from the state. President Trump’s administration recently rescinded a $300,000 grant awarded to Preservation Virginia last summer for its efforts to protect Historic Jamestowne from the effects of climate change. But now, the group stands to get $8 million from the state toward flooding mitigation at the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. All it should take now is a little bit of housekeeping among the state, James City County and Preservation Virginia.
Norfolk firefighter who lost his job over medical marijuana use challenges firing after change in Virginia law
For as long as he can remember, Brandon Beltaine wanted to be a firefighter. He grew up watching the 1991 film “Backdraft” and took pride in people who worked hard. ... Beltaine attained that dream, completing the fire academy and started working as a Norfolk firefighter in 2018. But Beltaine’s career is now in jeopardy. He was fired in 2023 for medical marijuana use off the job — a dismissal that would now be illegal under changes made to Virginia law last year.
Miyares Finds Federal Case in Loudoun Locker Room
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares today announced his office has referred allegations that Loudoun County Public Schools administrators initiated “retaliatory Title IX investigation” against three students to federal authorities. The case involves three male students at Stone Bridge High School who claimed they were targeted for investigation after they were recorded in a school locker room making comments about a transgender student.
Virginia Department of Education plans to launch Office of Excellence and Best Practices
The Virginia Department of Education is preparing to launch a new Office of Excellence and Best Practices by hiring an executive director who will be responsible for fostering innovation, highlighting high-performing schools, and directing resources toward initiatives with a proven track record of improving student outcomes. The agency posted an advertisement for the opening last week. Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson, who began in March, said it has been challenging for the agency to track and share successful educational practices and resources across school divisions, despite significant funding. ... Some Democratic state legislators, including Senate Education and Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, are concerned about the timing of the agency’s decision to fill a senior position.
Virginia Board of Education member is also serving in Trump administration
Virginia Board of Education member Amber Northern started a new job in the Trump administration on Monday, as a senior adviser to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon – raising questions about whether simultaneously holding the positions at the state and federal levels poses a conflict of interest. ... She is serving in the federal role under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act agreement, which allows employees from outside organizations to temporarily work in federal agencies. Northern said she is awaiting guidance from “the powers that be” on whether her roles in the state and federal government could present a conflict.
Shushok: In Virginia, private colleges are the new front line for access
This summer marks three years since I became president of Roanoke College. When I arrived in 2022 after 30 years serving at large research universities, including nearby Virginia Tech, I brought what some on campus jokingly (and not-so-subtly) called “big school energy.” I had a lot to learn about leading a small private college. ... Over the past two decades, many public land-grant universities in the U.S., including our own Virginia Tech, have boomed in popularity, prestige, resources and selectivity. At the same time, Virginia’s independent, nonprofit colleges and universities, like Roanoke College, have stepped up to become the front line for college access — a striking role reversal in the higher education ecosystem.
Republican candidates vie for Virginia’s 62nd District seat
Two Republican candidates are competing to represent Virginia's 62nd District in the House of Delegates, which encompasses Greene and Madison Counties, as well as large parts of Orange and Culpeper Counties. Clay Jackson, the current Chair of the Madison County Board of Supervisors, and Karen Hamilton, a small business owner and military wife, are both vying for the position.