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EPA cancels $20 million grant for Southwest Va. projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified the University of Virginia that it is terminating a $19.9 million grant that would have funded eight Southwest Virginia projects. The grant would have helped pay for, among other things, energy-efficient workforce housing in Buchanan County, a community center in Dickenson County, energy-efficiency improvements for child-care centers in eight localities and research to identify locations for telehealth hubs that could double as safe places during natural disasters.
United Way of Central Virginia loses AmeriCorps grant, putting child care workforce plans in jeopardy
A well-planned and time-consuming initiative to ease the child care crisis in Central Virginia has hit an unexpected roadblock. The United Way of Central Virginia (UWCV) has lost a $283,000 AmeriCorps operational grant that was intended to support staffing for a new child care center and expand services across multiple early learning sites. The decision threatens to delay a project that could have impacted more than 500 children and their families.
Census figures show Virginia lags behind the rest of the country on public education spending
Spending on public education in Virginia is falling behind the rest of the country. $16,000. That's what Virginia spends per pupil, according to the Census Bureau. Relative to the rest of the South, that's pretty good. But it’s below average for the Midwest, and it's below average for the western states and it's way below average for the Northeast. Chad Stewart at the Virginia Education Association says the numbers show the Commonwealth is falling behind.
Youngkin Takes Final Action on 2025 Legislation: How Loudoun Delegation Bills Fared
Friday marked the deadline for Gov. Glenn Youngkin to make final decisions on legislation passed by the General Assembly during the 2025 session. In March, the governor took action on the 916 bills, with 53 of those coming from Loudoun’s legislators. He signed 30, vetoed 11 and sent 12 back with proposed amendments. The General Assembly convened for a one-day session April 2, sending back six Loudoun bills for a final decision by the governor.
Virginia Tech preparing for ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Metallica concert—and its economic impact
The lush grass of Worsham Field was stripped away. The sprinkler heads were removed. The field that is home to the Virginia Tech football team was barren and level. Part of the crew that sets up the stage for Metallica’s concerts spent the early parts of Friday afternoon beginning the process of laying down the flooring that signaled the transformation of a football stadium into a temporary concert venue. The group began the multi-day process that will culminate Wednesday with a long-awaited concert that features Metallica performing “Enter Sandman,” the song that has welcomed the Hokies onto the field for nearly a quarter of a century, in front of a sold-out crowd inside Lane Stadium.
Most Virginia teachers are women, but most superintendents are men
Early in her administrative career, before she became the first female superintendent of Henrico County Public Schools in 2018, Amy Cashwell recalled being the only woman in a boardroom full of men. As they discussed a major project, one of the men asked if she would be hindered from giving a project her all. She looked at him with a puzzled expression. He said: “Well, you have kids.” She responded: “So do you.” It’s a moment many women in education leadership recognize — a quiet but persistent skepticism about whether they can lead and mother at the same time.
Virginia sees spike in superintendent turnover
More than 40% of Virginia's K-12 public school districts had at least one new superintendent between 2019 and 2024, according to national data collected by Superintendent Lab and reviewed by Axios. The Trump administration wants to empower local schools by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Turnover among systems' leaders is evidence of school districts' instability, as they struggle with teacher shortages and falling test scores.
Republicans Hold Annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner Amid Record Attendance
Republicans from across Prince William County gathered at Fox Chase Manor for their annual black-tie Lincoln Reagan Dinner, drawing a record crowd and laying out their strategy ahead of the 2025 election cycle. County GOP Chairman Jacob Alderman said the party sold more than 300 tickets for the fundraiser, which brought in over $30,000 to support local political efforts. . . . Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts launched a direct attack on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, calling her voting record more extreme than that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Bernie Sanders, despite her moderate branding. Roberts pledged that Heritage’s political action committee would invest heavily in the 2025 election to defeat Spanberger and promote conservative values across the state.
Bert Ellis reflects on time as member of UVa. Board of Visitors
The Cavalier Daily spoke with former Board of Visitors member Bert Ellis, who was fired by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin March 26, about the goals he had hoped to accomplish as a member, many of which he believes remain unachieved. These goals included key priorities of removing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, firing President Jim Ryan, lowering costs and reducing the University’s operating budget and rejuvenating the Honor system.
Helicopter forces 3 planes to change landing plans at DCA
Three planes coming into Reagan National Airport were required to alter their landing plans about 11 a.m. Sunday when a police helicopter took on an urgent mission in the same airspace at about the same time they were supposed to land, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. All three flights landed safely after making second approaches into the airport. . . . The incident came after one Thursday in which two planes coming into National Airport were forced to abort landings when an Army Black Hawk helicopter took a lap around the Pentagon before landing at a military heliport, according to the FAA.