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Virginia man accused of stockpiling bombs, using Biden photo for target practice, pleads guilty
A Virginia man pleaded guilty Friday in a federal case that accused him of stockpiling the largest number of finished explosives in FBI history and of using then-President Joe Biden’s photo for target practice. Brad Spafford pleaded guilty in federal court in Norfolk to possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle and possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to court documents. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December.
Health Wagon, Mission of Mercy hosting free medical, dental clinics in Wise County
The blue sheet of paper in Martha Waddell’s hand contained a checklist of over a half-dozen medical procedures the Haysi resident was to undergo Friday at the Move Mountains medical mission. Waddell was among the first 200 people to be seen at The Health Wagon’s annual free health care event Friday morning, undergoing a biopsy for a suspicious lesion on her right arm, a bone density scan and an echo cardiogram for her heart.
Roanoke schools navigate federal funding freeze
The Trump administration has frozen $6 billion in Department of Education funding that affects a wide swath of programs. Roanoke's public school system will be especially hard hit because of its high rates of economically disadvantaged students and English learners. The city's school system is still figuring out the details, but based on last year's programs, could be facing roughly $3.8 million in frozen federal funding.
Off-on switch: How federal funding uncertainty is impacting one after school program in Arlington
These days, the federal funding spigot gets turned off and then on again with dizzying speed. The Education Department paused more than $6 billion in federal funds for after school and other enrichment programs earlier this month. But after an outcry from a group of Republican senators, a portion of that money dedicated to supporting after school programs has been unfrozen, according to the Associated Press. That’s a bright spot for one Arlington nonprofit reeling from federal cuts. But it also underscores how tenuous federal funding has become for community organizations.
Virginia politicians’ spending gives glimpses into campaign tactics
The two women vying to be Virginia’s next governor have so far followed dramatically different strategies, their campaign finance reports show. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, with far more financial resources than Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, is spending heavily on digital advertising and email, a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis of thousands of items in the candidates’ campaign finance reports found. ... "The spending breakdown reveals each candidate's strategy and approach to voters. Spanberger targets a digital, fragmented audience, while Earle-Sears favors traditional grassroots engagement," said Olusoji Akomolafe, chair of the political science department at Norfolk State University.
Youngkin: It’s not too late for Earle-Sears to win
Back from addressing Iowa Republicans who were eager to hear how he won office in a state that’s been leaning Democratic, Gov. Glenn Youngkin says it’s not too late for Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to be elected the next governor of Virginia. “Now’s the time I just remind everybody that in the summer of 2021, I was down all summer,” Youngkin said Friday on WRVA’s Richmond Morning News with Rich Herrera. On a different radio show Friday, state Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, fired back when conservative radio host John Fredericks called Earle-Sears’ campaign a “clown car.” “It’s not a clown car and I think we are fixing it as we speak,” Peake told Fredericks ...
E. coli spikes at Richmond river spots
Half of the eight Richmond river stations the James River Association monitors were showing elevated levels of E. coli as of Friday. If you're planning to take a dip in the James during this rare dry and sunny week, you may want to wait — and then double-check river conditions before you go. The James River Association collects river samples weekly in Richmond in summer and updates their map every Friday, the nonprofit's riverkeeper Tom Dunlap tells Axios.
Chesterfield officials say ICE courthouse detainments are causing people to not show up for court
Elected officials who manage the operations of the Chesterfield County Courthouse are speaking out after federal agents have made several visits to the courthouse for immigration enforcement in recent weeks. Clerk of the Chesterfield Circuit Court Amanda Pohl called the activity an "atrocity" in an interview with CBS 6 Friday. “Having this kind of action happen inside the court building is very frustrating, because it shows that courts are not a safe place for folks," Pohl said.
Immigration charges on the rise in Roanoke’s federal court
President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has led to a sharp increase in the number of undocumented immigrants who find themselves in Roanoke’s federal court. So far this year, 32 people have been charged with illegally entering the country after previously being deported, the most common immigration charge brought in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. There were just 13 such cases in the district during the entire four years of former President Joe Biden’s administration, according to figures from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
ICE arrests of people without criminal records surge in Virginia and D.C.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions jumped in Virginia and D.C. in June, newly obtained data shows. The numbers illustrate a major shift that came soon after the Trump administration tripled ICE's arrest quota. In Virginia and D.C., people without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 60% of daily ICE arrests in early June, up from about 50% in early May, before the quota increase.