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Fate of Job Corps, a lifeline for disadvantaged youth in Marion, is uncertain as feds seek to close the program
Lea Moyer began taking classes at the Blue Ridge Job Corps center in Marion in October after experiencing homelessness. Moyer, 22, entered the foster care system when she was 17 years old. She struggled with her mental health, and that led her to getting “kicked out” of foster care programs, she said. “When I aged out no one was there to help me with anything anymore, and due to my mental health and needing hospitalizations sometimes it was hard to keep up with housing and a job,” she said. Now, she’s studying to become a certified nursing assistant while living on the Job Corps campus in Smyth County. The program is self-paced, and she is working through chapter eight of a 50-chapter program to receive her certification. At its height, the Blue Ridge center had 92 students at one time.
Google purchases land in Botetourt County for potential data center
Google has purchased some 312 acres in Botetourt County to potentially build a data center in the future, the county announced Tuesday. The tech giant purchased the land, located in the Botetourt Center at Greenfield, for around $14 million. “Google has invested significantly in the Commonwealth, and I am proud that they have chosen Botetourt County as the site of their newest data center,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a county news release.
Google buys Botetourt County land for data center plans
Google has bought more than 300 acres in a Botetourt County industrial park to potentially build a data center campus there, officials announced Tuesday. The tech giant paid just over $14 million for the land and will put another $4 million toward local projects benefiting the county’s fire service, law enforcement, schools and other departments, Botetourt County Administrator Gary Larrowe said. “This is a win for Botetourt and it’s a win for all of us,” Larrowe said as he announced the project Tuesday evening during a board of supervisors meeting.
Connolly tweets from beyond the grave to boost former chief of staff in Virginia election
The social media account of former Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died in office last month, called on voters in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District to support his former chief of staff, James Walkinshaw, in the special election primary. According to his website, Connolly endorsed Walkinshaw before his death. The post received some backlash online.
Deceased lawmaker’s social media urges support for former aide in Virginia special election
Social media accounts for the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) urged Democrats to vote for his former chief of staff James Walkinshaw in the party’s upcoming special election, in posts Tuesday. “Early voting starts TODAY in VA-11! This is our first chance to stand up for our workers, our schools, our democracy, and everything Gerry fought for. Before his passing, Gerry endorsed James Walkinshaw to carry on that legacy because he knew James would never stop fighting for us. Make your plan and vote early and bring a friend. Every vote matters,” the post on Connolly’s Facebook page reads.
Some, but not all, 11th District GOP candidates condemn ‘theatrics’ of DOGE cuts
Roughly half of the Republicans seeking to represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District condemned the process — but not the result — used by the Trump administration’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash the federal workforce. Speaking to voters at a forum on Sunday (June 22), three of the candidates expressed a distaste for the way in which tens of thousands of federal government workers have been fired since President Donald Trump took office in January, allegedly to reduce spending.
Spanberger talks car tax, Job Corps program cuts on campaign stop in Lynchburg
The Democratic nominee for governor, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, held a rally in Lynchburg on Tuesday afternoon as part of her “Span Virginia,” an eight-day bus tour with 40 stops across the state. Spanberger arrived on her campaign bus around 1:30 p.m. and entered Three Roads Brewing in downtown to a cheering crowd. In her speech, Spanberger said, “I’ve got a lot of fuel in the tank” as she looked ahead to the months on the campaign trail until the general election in November.
Tysons Casino Backer Donates $105K To Earle-Sears
The Republican candidate running to be Virginia's next governor received $105,000 from the company seeking to build a casino in Tysons, according to the latest state financial filings. Building a Remarkable Virginia, one of two political action committees funded by casino developer Comstock Holding Companies, made the donations to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign in two installments — $55,000 on June 2 and $50,000 on June 3, according to state financial filings reported by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project. The company's other PAC is Comstock Hospitality Holdings.
Virginia’s GOP ticket to hold first united rally since controversy
Virginia’s statewide GOP ticket appears to be making amends and will appear together at a rally in Northern Virginia next week. The Republican nominees for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are holding a joint rally July 1 – marking the first time the ticket will appear together since nominees were finalized in April and for the first time since Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked the party’s lieutenant governor nominee to drop out of the race.
Wiegard: Virginia needs Congress to protect clean energy efforts
The U.S. House recently passed a budget bill that includes the near total repeal of all support for clean energy. For Virginia, this approach would increase energy costs, increase air pollution, accelerate climate change and decrease economic investments. Federal tax credits — designed to boost clean energy manufacturing in the U.S. — have been getting good results in parts of Virginia. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, Rep. Jen Kiggans’ district in the Hampton Roads region has seen an estimated 3,000 new jobs, mostly related to offshore wind. Rep. John McGuire’s district in western Virginia has seen more than 5,000 jobs from solar, energy storage and clean tech manufacturing.