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McLean government IT contractor hiring almost 900
McLean, Virginia-based 22nd Century Technologies is investing $1 million to expand its headquarters and will hire an additional 880 workers. At a time when many big D.C.-area government contractors are scaling back expansion, minority-owned 22nd Century continues to grow operations in Fairfax County and across the U.S. The company relocated its headquarters from New Jersey to McLean in 2008. Fairfax County competed with sites in Texas, Florida and West Virginia for the company’s expansion.
Virginia faces Medicaid cuts after US Senate passes Trump budget bill
On Tuesday, the US Senate passed its version of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” by a narrow 51–50 margin, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote after three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — joined Democrats in voting against the bill. The bill will cut roughly $1 trillion from Medicaid, according to a preliminary review done by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The legislation will now head back to the House of Representatives, where at least two Republican members of Virginia’s congressional delegation have said they opposed it.
With four new appointees, entire Board of Visitors now Youngkin-appointed
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the appointment of four new members to the Board of Visitors June 20 — James Donovan, Class of 1982 alumnus John F. Harris, Class of 1972 and 1974 alumnus H. Eugene Lockhart and Class of 1990 alumna Calvert Saunders Moore. The appointees began their terms Tuesday, officially marking the beginning of an entirely Youngkin-appointed Board. These four appointees enter the Board following University President Jim Ryan’s resignation and will be part of the Board which selects an interim president and conducts a national search for a new president.
Senate version of Trump's bill poses test for Va. Republicans in U.S. House
Former state Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, was a leader of Virginia’s long political battle to expand eligibility for its Medicaid program, so he hopes Virginia Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will stand their ground this week to block legislation by the U.S. Senate that he said would undermine the program’s expansion and other parts of the state’s health care safety net.
Martinsville city manager responds to civil rights lawsuit
In a recently filed response, Martinsville City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides disputes the majority of claims in a civil rights lawsuit stemming from City Councilor Aaron Rawls’ ejection from a public meeting. Ferrell-Benavides’ answer was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Danville. Ferrell-Benavides is a defendant in the case, along with Deputy Reva Keen of the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office. As of Monday, the city manager’s response is the only one that has been filed.
Trump nominates Todd Gilbert as U.S. Attorney; Shenandoah County delegate to withdraw from House race
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to become U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, a move that ends his nearly two-decade tenure in the Virginia House of Delegates. In a statement Tuesday, Gilbert expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving the region. ... Gilbert confirmed he will formally withdraw his name from the November ballot for the 33rd House District and notify the local GOP committee to begin selecting a replacement candidate.
Va. GOP's ticket campaigns together, but not side-by-side
Virginia’s statewide GOP ticket appeared together for the first time Tuesday night — for about a minute — at a rally in Fairfax County, following a controversy that had prompted Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the party’s nominee for governor, to keep John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, at arm’s length. Earle-Sears, Reid and Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is running for reelection, shared a brief moment on the stage together alongside Gov. Glenn Youngkin and many others at the end of the rally at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.
Samuels Public Library Opens New Chapter Without County Funding, But With Strong Community Support
Samuels Public Library began a new chapter today, one that library leaders call “unusual” but deeply meaningful. As of July 1, the library is operating without funding from Warren County for the first time in decades. Still, the halls were filled with smiling faces, coffee cups, and Apple House donuts as supporters streamed in for an open house celebrating community resilience and a commitment to keeping services alive. . . . Although the mood inside the library was cheerful, the backdrop to this event was serious. For over two years, Samuels Public Library has been at the center of a tense funding dispute with the Warren County Board of Supervisors, stemming from concerns over library content and operations.
The City of Charlottesville has to toss out its new zoning law — because its outside attorney made a mistake in an ongoing lawsuit
The City of Charlottesville has to abandon its new zoning rules after a judge ordered it to revert to the old ordinance. During a 10-minute hearing in Charlottesville Circuit Court on Monday, June 30, Judge Claude Worrell issued a default judgement in favor of a group of plaintiffs who, in January 2024, sued the city in an attempt to stop the implementation of the new zoning ordinance. The City Council voted unanimously to adopt that ordinance in December 2023, and it took effect in February 2024. The ruling came after the city’s outside counsel missed a June 2 filing deadline, Charlottesville Community Engagement reported June 30.
Virginia Tech researchers study link between large solar installations, property values
A new study from a Virginia Tech-led team of researchers explores how large-scale solar power plants affect the value of agricultural and residential properties. Researchers analyzed millions of real estate transactions around thousands of utility-scale solar facilities nationwide. They found that the construction of a solar facility increased the value of nearby agricultural and vacant land by 19% on average, while the value of nearby residential properties saw an approximately 5% temporary decrease.