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Danville council members to consider giving themselves hefty raise
Danville City Council will vote whether to give themselves a hefty raise. If council members increase their pay, it will be the second time in about a year they will have voted to increase their salaries. However, the first pay hike they approved for themselves in May 2023 still hasn't gone into effect. Councilmen are considering this new boost to their compensation because of a state law passed in April that increases the population-based, maximum-allowed pay for city councils across the commonwealth.
Frederick County School Board chair’s first book challenge denied by 2 high schools
A book challenge by Frederick County School Board Chairman Edward “Scott” Sturdivant has been reviewed by committees at both Millbrook and James Wood high schools. Sherando High School was expected to do so earlier this week. Ellen Hopkins’s 2004 novel “Crank,” a long-form, free verse poem which details a high school student’s descent into drug addiction, is the book Sturdivant wants removed. ... Millbrook sent Sturdivant a decision letter on May 20 stating that a committee of teachers, parents, a librarian and a school administrator voted 7-0 to retain “Crank” with certain restrictions.
Virginia moves closer to extending passenger rail to the New River Valley
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority on Tuesday announced that it is in preliminary discussions with Norfolk Southern about an alternative way to extend passenger rail to the New River Valley that would avoid a costly tunnel upgrade and make it easier to eventually bring service to Bristol. After receiving information earlier this year regarding the cost and timeframe for a previous plan that would use about 28 miles of the Virginian Line, which the commonwealth purchased from Norfolk Southern in 2022, the authority revisited negotiations with the railroad operator to find a more cost-effective and timelier alternative.
Va.’s first anti-hazing summit held at VCU, hosted by family of freshman who died after frat party
Eric Oakes’ voice cracked for a moment when he reflected on the Virginia Hazing Prevention Summit he’d helped host at Virginia Commonwealth University Tuesday. Three years after the death of his son, Adam Oakes, the pain lingers but so does inspiration. “It was great seeing everybody collaborate and come together,” Oakes told reporters following a day-long gathering on VCU’s campus June 4. “I know Adam’s was the extreme of hazing, but there’s so much physical and mental damage done by hazing. It needs to be eradicated.” Oakes was a college freshman when he died of alcohol poisoning after a fraternity party hazing event in 2021.
Roanoke Democratic official: Former candidate’s paperwork at issue
After Jamaal Jackson announced he was withdrawing as a Roanoke City Council candidate Monday, city Democratic Committee officials later said his paperwork has been turned over to the commonwealth attorney’s office. Jackson announced his withdrawal in an email early Monday, and did not respond to further inquiries about why. Later that night, Roanoke City Democratic Committee Chair Mark Lazar sent an email to news outlets after 8 p.m. “Recently, the Roanoke City Democratic Committee received a complaint regarding ballot access petitions for Jamaal Jackson,” Lazar said.
Yancey: Bears are back, and they have long memories
Dear Local Bear: I see you’re back. Or maybe you’re a different bear from the one who hung around last summer and banged on the window one day after one of my indoor cats said something to you that was admittedly quite unneighborly of her. In any case, I don’t mind you trespassing on my property — living out here in the woods of Botetourt County, I accept that sort of thing. However, on your most recent nocturnal visit, you had the audacity to engage in vandalism and destruction of property. Not only did you toss the contents of the supposedly bear-proof trash can, you broke the door handles off my locked car! I know it was you, but you also left your muddy paw prints on my wife’s car.
Richmond joins other Va. school systems with new policy requiring clear backpacks
Richmond Public Schools will require see-through backpacks for students starting July 1. RPS is the latest district to take the step as a safety measure that’s been a nationwide response to school shootings for decades. At least two students brought loaded guns to school this year — one at Maymont Preschool and another at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary. The Monday night decision from the Richmond School Board includes having RPS provide clear bags to students who need them.
‘We are responsible now’: D-Day memorial finding new ways to tell veterans’ stories, honor legacy
In April Cheek-Messier’s top floor office of the National D-Day Memorial’s headquarters overlooking Bedford’s East Main Street, plenty of World War II photos and memorabilia adorn the walls. Some images especially dear are of veterans Cheek-Messier met over the years who fought, sacrificed and are like family. As uplifting and heartfelt as they are, a stinging bittersweet reality is clear when she glances at them. “They’re leaving us. It’s hard,” Cheek-Messier, the National D-Day Memorial Foundation’s president, said in a recent interview.
Marjorie Taylor Greene and John McGuire plan 5th District event in Albemarle
Charlottesville’s city government was caught off guard Monday afternoon when it first learned that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and fellow Republican and congressional candidate Virginia state Sen. John McGuire were planning to visit City Hall. So too was Albemarle County when, hours later, the McGuire campaign suddenly decided to move its planned “Early Vote Rally to Save America” from City Hall to a county polling location.
Richmond restaurants struggle with city meals tax woes
Richmond restaurants continue to grapple with issues related to the city's meals tax bills. While the city is working toward a July 1 deadline to review all delinquent accounts, some restaurants are receiving letters of compromise and settlement from the city, while others are signing non-disclosure agreements to come to an agreement. Either way, it’s not a fair system, Michael Byrne, director of the Virginia Restaurant Association, said.