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Elections Office Certifies Purcellville Recall Petition Signatures
The Office of Elections has certified signatures in a recall petition submitted last month seeking to remove Purcellville’s mayor, vice mayor and two council members from office. According to court documents, 1,211 signatures were included in the petition to remove Mayor Christopher Bertaut. Of those, 25 were deemed invalid and 1,186 were verified. The number of signatures required for a petition to be certified was 494.
Arlington County leaders express regret for treatment of displaced Queen City residents
Arlington leaders on Tuesday (May 13) honored the legacy of a once-vibrant community wiped off the map to make way for construction around the Pentagon. Board members also expressed regret at how those residents were treated by county leaders eight decades ago. County Board members used the meeting to celebrate Queen City, which had been established in the early 1890s but in 1942 was acquired through eminent domain by the federal government. The 900-plus residents of the community were displaced, many of them moving to other historically African-American communities in Arlington and across the region.
Amazon breaks ground on 3 million-square-foot Goochland fulfillment center
Construction of a massive new Amazon facility in Goochland got off to a ceremonial start this week. Officials from the e-commerce giant crowded into the county’s agricultural center Wednesday morning to officially announce plans for (and ceremonially break ground on) the previously reported 3.1 million-square-foot robotics fulfillment center on a 105-acre site at 2022 Ashland Road in the Rockville area.
Amazon picks Goochland for next fulfillment hub
Amazon is building a new state-of-the-art robotics fulfillment center in Goochland County, the company’s fourth in Virginia, creating more than 1,000 jobs and further deepening its footprint in the commonwealth. The 3.1 million-square-foot facility, known as RIC6, will occupy a 107-acre parcel in the Rockville Opportunity Corridor. It joins a growing network of Amazon investments in Virginia that include fulfillment and delivery centers, dozens of data centers, Whole Foods Markets, Amazon Fresh stores, and the company’s second headquarters in Arlington.
Advocates say cuts to SNAP would have significant impacts for Virginia families
Families that are in poverty and struggling to make ends meet might be cut off from social welfare benefits if Congress moves forward with a funding proposal now under consideration. Virginia could be facing a shortfall of more than $350 million – that’s if Congress moves forward with a budget proposal to change the funding formula for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. One of the new features is a work requirement that Lily Roberts at the Center for American Progress says is a misnomer.
GOP presents plan to seize legislative majorities in Virginia and New Jersey this November
The Republican State Leadership Committee is looking to make key expenditures in this year’s New Jersey and Virginia state legislature races. Republicans are wary of how well Democrats tend to over-perform in off-year elections, but they have a strategy to “defy” expectations in November. In a memo, the RSLC said the races “present significant challenges for Republicans, reminiscent of the complex political landscape of 2017, the last odd-year election Republicans had full control of Washington.”
Republicans prioritize data centers in attempt to flip House seat in Prince William County
With just a little more than a month left in their primary election campaigns, Sahar Smith and Gregory Lee Gorham are focusing their campaigns on data centers and taxes in an attempt to represent Republicans come November and flip Prince William County-based House District 21, one of the few Virginia House of Delegates swing districts in the region. ... State Del. Joshua Thomas currently represents this district and is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for his second term.
Supporters of Loudoun County theater teacher ask Virginia attorney general to investigate his removal
Supporters of Rock Ridge High School theater teacher Tony Cimino-Johnson are asking the Office of the Virginia Attorney General to investigate why he was placed on leave from his job by Loudoun County Public Schools April 1, and to investigate alleged wrongdoing by LCPS. In a May 12 letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares, a Republican, supporters say Cimino-Johnson's removal from class was retaliation for actions he has taken. Cimino-Johnson has taught at the school in Loudoun Valley Estates since 2014.
Renovation and expansion projects at 10 Virginia colleges and universities put on pause
Gov. Glenn Youngkin paused over $600 million in funding requests for 10 renovation and expansion projects at Virginia’s higher education institutions to prepare for possible statewide repercussions stemming from uncertainty about the country’s economic future. As President Donald Trump’s administration continues slashing federal spending and programs and overhauling global trade policies, Youngkin and lawmakers are keeping a keen eye on the state’s purse strings.
Recall petition effort in Highland County dismissed
Petitions to remove Highland County supervisors Harry Sponaugle and Henry Budzinski have been dismissed. Highland County Circuit Court Judge Edward K. Stein ordered both cases dismissed on May 7. This was the second attempt to recall the supervisors started by Debbie Hodges of Doe Hill. The first try was dismissed without prejudice last fall after the registrar’s office failed to properly certify the signatures on the petitions.