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Levar Stoney goes on TV with six-figure ad buy in lieutenant governor race
Former Richmond mayor Levar Stoney — one of six Democrats seeking the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor June 17 — will appear on TV commercials played across Virginia in a new TV ad blitz starting Thursday. Four different spots will run in the expensive Washington media market as well as in Richmond and Norfolk. The ad buy is “well into the six figures," according to his campaign. Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe appears in two of the four ads.
Norfolk prosecutor revokes city attorney’s authority on shoplifting charges following council vote
Norfolk City Council members unanimously approved a code change this week that will let the City Attorney’s Office prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting cases, despite objections from some residents. But the change drew a swift rebuke from the city’s top prosecutor, who said he would revoke the city attorney’s authority to prosecute any misdemeanors in Circuit Court and would implement additional oversight of charges pursued in District Court.
Williams: By punishing speech, VCU loses its moral compass
On the one-year anniversary of the storming of the VCU Gaza Solidarity Encampment by police in riot gear, more than a dozen Virginia Commonwealth University police officers converged upon the Cabell Library lawn and students were threatened with arrest for sitting on blankets. This absurd show of force on April 29 escalated what had been a low-key gathering of several dozen students commemorating the encampment — an event where participants were asked to bring blankets, schoolwork, art supplies, music and games.
Virginia’s progress reducing overdose deaths is worth celebrating
Virginians have reason to feel encouraged by the latest reports from state and federal officials of the death count in the ongoing battle against fatal overdoses of fentanyl and other drugs. In April, the Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced that deaths from fentanyl overdoses in the commonwealth were down 44% from the previous year. They are down 46% from the worst year on record, 2021.
Loudoun Board Questions Sheriff Over ICE Agreement
Sheriff Mike Chapman last week addressed the Board of Supervisors to dispel “misinformation” surrounding his agency’s recent agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He said the agreement formalizes a longstanding practice of the Sheriff’s Office to inquire with other agencies prior to releasing a person incarcerated at the Adult Detention Center. A formal Memorandum of Agreement was signed in late March, which prompted a community protest in front of the office’s Leesburg headquarters. “Let me explain what we do and what we don’t do when it comes to working with ICE,” Chapman said.
Lynchburg midwives lead resurgence in maternity care provider options
Lynchburg has a long history of midwifery and is once again at the forefront of advocating for midwives who care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Katie Page, a staff midwife at Centra Medical Group Women’s Center in Lynchburg, has been pushing for legislation to advance midwifery in Virginia and help the women for whom midwives provide care. Through her leadership role with the Virginia affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Page was instrumental in the passage of a bill this year in the General Assembly that will bring greater equity in insurance reimbursement for all classifications of midwives.
Earle-Sears: Right to work is still under threat
Virginia’s right-to-work law that says people cannot be required join a union is still under threat despite Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger’s recent promise that she would not sign a full repeal, her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, said. In a letter to more than 350 Virginia business leaders, Earle-Sears said the law, dating to the 1940s, is critical to Virginia’s economy.
National Airport, Pentagon hotline had been disconnected for three years
A hotline connecting air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport and their counterparts at the Pentagon has been “inoperable” since March 2022, a Federal Aviation Administration official confirmed Wednesday, further evidence of poor safety coordination between federal agencies responsible for the airspace where a midair collision in January killed 67 people. The line is maintained by the Defense Department, and the aviation agency was not aware of the outage during the three years it was down, Franklin McIntosh, the FAA’s deputy head of air traffic control, testified at a Senate hearing Wednesday.
Amazon to open giant warehouse in Goochland County
Retail giant Amazon broke ground Wednesday on a massive, 3.1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Goochland County. It will be the 10th Amazon facility in Greater Richmond, feature robotic operations and create more than 1,000 jobs, the company said. Amazon is building the warehouse at 2022 Ashland Road, near two dozen other industrial business locations. Expected to open in 2027, it will be the largest Amazon facility in greater Richmond and the second largest in the state, following Suffolk.
Democrats running for attorney general say Virginia needs to challenge Trump
Democrats will choose between a longtime prosecutor from the Richmond suburbs and a former lawmaker from a politically active Hampton Roads family in the primary race for attorney general. Former state delegate Jay Jones and Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor are facing off in the Democratic primary. Democrats are hoping to win big this year. Virginia is considered to be a bellwether state because its statewide elections are held the year after the presidential election.