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Democratic field makes closing arguments in crowded Virginia LG race
With the June 17 Democratic primary days away, six candidates locked in a quiet-but-crowded race for lieutenant governor are making their final push to stand out — and to convince voters they’re the best bet to take on Republicans this fall. The contenders include state Sens. Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse, former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, former federal prosecutor Victor Salgado, and attorney Alex Bastani. The six candidates have done little to differentiate themselves from one another and only a few personal attacks have been made.
Big bet: Can a $130M conservation deal in Virginia’s coal country curb climate change and lift Appalachia?
Waiting around isn’t Debbi Hale’s forte. So nobody in this depleted coalfield town of barely 850 near the Kentucky border was shocked four years ago when the retired gym teacher orchestrated a $10,000 makeover of a neglected patch of grass across from a trailer court. From there, it’s just a short hike down to a paddler’s bliss, where Bad Creek flows into eight undisturbed miles of the Pound River. Then, just days before the July 2022 ribbon-cutting, a ferocious flood ripped through Appalachia. . . . It’s an all-too-familiar pattern for the Wise County native. Such exhausting episodes of one step forward, two steps back are common in this place, which has foundered as King Coal’s century-plus reign plays out. That demise has government agencies and entrepreneurs alike casting about to “fix Appalachia” . . .
Alpha-gal syndrome is gaining recognition in Virginia
Just days before Christmas 2021, Nicole Cooper was struggling to breathe. Her husband called 911, and moments before the ambulance arrived, Cooper jabbed herself with an epinephrine shot. She could tell she was having an allergic reaction, but she didn’t know what she was reacting to. She remembers the panic, the medical questions and treatments in the emergency room. What she doesn’t remember is the tick bite that triggered it all. . . . A bill that passed unanimously during the 2024 General Assembly session added alpha-gal syndrome to Virginia’s list of reportable diseases. Starting July 1, health care professionals must report cases to the Virginia Department of Health.
Hampton defers camping in public spaces ban after community pushback
City Council delayed a vote Wednesday to ban camping and storage on public property, which would have cleared the way for the city to criminalize homeless encampments. Mayor Jimmy Gray said the decision came after individual conversations with council members, and a new version of the ordinance will be presented in August. ... Nearly 20 people spoke at Wednesday’s council meeting against the proposal, with some critical of how it would affect homeless people and highlighting the need for more resources such as affordable housing.
Loudoun Supervisor Sees New ‘Reality’ Amid Unprecedented Power Growth
Loudoun Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Michael Turner (D-Ashburn) has been voicing concerns for years about the challenges and impacts of supplying power to the area’s data centers. After the latest report from the region’s energy coordinator, he is stepping up that alarm. PJM Interconnection, the entity responsible for coordinating power throughout 13 states including Virginia, is seeing demand for electricity grow more rapidly than predicted just a year ago—at a rate that, it said, that could not have been foreseen.
Miyares, Surovell clash over university board appointments
In dueling letters to university rectors, Attorney General Jason Miyares and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, each said the other doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to the status of college board of visitors members who a state Senate panel refused to confirm. The lightning rod is Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s appointment of former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the University of Virginia board. Cuccinelli was one of eight appointees the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee refused to confirm this week.
Democrats, Republicans fight after Cuccinelli’s UVa appointment blocked in committee vote
Ken Cuccinelli, class of 1991 alumnus and former Virginia Attorney General, will not be confirmed as a member of the University's Board of Visitors — at least according to a Virginia Senate committee, run by Democrats. The Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted not to confirm Cuccinelli’s appointment Tuesday on a party line vote, eight to four, with three Republicans absent. The Committee also blocked appointees to the Board of Visitors at other Virginia schools. The Cavalier Daily reached out to Cuccinelli, but he declined to comment. Republicans say that this is not the end of the road for Cuccinelli’s appointment.
Henrico board OKs new rules to limit rapid data center growth
Henrico officially scrapped its plans for a technology overlay district around the White Oak Technology Park for new, stricter regulations. The decision was made at a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night. Any developer seeking to build a data center in Henrico will now have to get a stamp of approval from the board. The idea is that board members can reject any project that doesn’t have adequate protections for residents, such as the distance between a data center and residential homes, excess light pollution or noise in the evenings.
Youngkin says gubernatorial appointments rejected by the General Assembly can still serve
A fight is now brewing between Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly. That’s because Youngkin is arguing that eight of his picks to serve on the board of visitors at various universities can continue to serve, despite their nominations being rejected by the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on June 9. In a statement, Youngkin’s offices said, “Make no mistake, these highly qualified appointees will continue to serve in their posts as the Constitution of Virginia affords.”
Winsome Earle-Sears, John Reid face GOP identity test in historic Virginia election
Virginia Republicans have made history with a groundbreaking statewide ticket, but now they face the challenge of selling it to their own base. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Marine Corps veteran and the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia, is the Republican nominee for governor. Running alongside her for lieutenant governor is John Reid, a conservative radio host and the first openly gay man nominated for statewide office by the GOP. Together, they represent one of the most diverse Republican tickets the Commonwealth has ever seen.