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Richmond has spent at least $6.7 million on water crisis
January’s water crisis is estimated to have cost the city of Richmond at least $6.7 million, according to a memo provided to Richmond City Council in late June. From Jan. 6 to Jan. 11, a widespread water crisis left residents and businesses throughout Richmond — as well as Henrico, Hanover and Goochland counties — with little to no water. In the wake of this event, both city leaders and regulatory agencies have been looking into how to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again.
Town Council votes to ban data centers from Warrenton
Warrenton's leaders have officially pushed the reset button on data centers. Just seven months after the citizens of Warrenton elected new council members opposed to the controversial developments, the Warrenton Town Council voted unanimously in favor of a zoning change that essentially erases data centers from the town code. . . . The move is just the latest attempt to turn the page on the special use permit the town council approved in February 2023 for the Amazon data center slated for Blackwell Road in Warrenton —a move which pulled the town into several lawsuits and cost some council members their seats.
Richmond police cut off federal access to license plate readers
The Richmond Police Department cut off access to federal agencies seeking to use their license plate readers, the department announced Tuesday. “Moving forward, no federal agencies will have access to our license plate reader program,” said Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards. “This tool is vital to solving serious crimes in our city, and we will ensure it is used lawfully, responsibly, and in alignment with Richmond’s values.”
No fooling the public about federal spending bill’s ugly effects
For years, Republican officials such as U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman and Jen Kiggans shouted themselves hoarse about the mounting national debt, worrying it would saddle future generations with the decisions of today. Elect us, they said, and we’ll get it under control. More recently, Wittman and Kiggans were among those GOP lawmakers who stood against legislation that made cuts to Medicaid. Kiggans was also among a handful who argued against the folly of ending clean energy tax credits that would directly affect jobs and opportunity here in Hampton Roads. Now the public knows better. Last week, both Wittman and Kiggans joined with all but two Republicans to pass the embarrassingly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act ...
McCreash: State lawmakers took away my second chance
In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed a historic record sealing law set to take effect July 1. When I joined the Virginia Expungement Council in 2022, I was ecstatic to learn of this law, which gave me hope for a second chance. It was a promise to millions of Virginians such as me — an opportunity to wipe the slate clean after years of hardship and setbacks. After a decade of struggle, I believed that, at last, I could provide for my family, volunteer at my kids’ school, work towards my dream of becoming a math/statistics teacher, and move forward from a traumatic chapter in our lives. But in March, lawmakers shattered that hope.
Federal agency used Richmond license plate readers for immigration enforcement without permission
A federal agency used the Richmond Police’s license plate reader program to conduct unauthorized immigration enforcement activities, according to the department. On Tuesday, July 8, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) issued a press release regarding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) use of its license plate reader program to investigate immigration enforcement-related cases. . . . This sort of use violates the department’s operational standards, per the release. The ATF also did not explicitly disclose that it would be using this technology for immigration enforcement when it requested access to the license plate reader system.
Roanoke gets Virginia’s first Safe Haven baby box, designed to give parents in crisis a safe way to surrender a newborn
Visitors driving through the parking garage beneath Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital’s new emergency department will now notice an unusual door, raised from floor level and reminiscent of a mailbox, but larger. It’s built to hold a baby. This is Virginia’s first baby box, a device that allows a parent to legally and anonymously surrender an infant in a secure, monitored environment. . . . When Virginia passed a law in 2022 allowing the use of baby boxes, the idea caught the attention of a nurse at Carilion, and she began advocating for a local installation.
Youngkin: Family is safe in Texas flooding
It was an emotionally overwhelming Fourth of July for Gov. Glenn Youngkin as floodwaters roared down the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. Family and friends were vacationing there on Friday, and while they are now safe, “I have to say there were moments when they weren’t,” Youngkin told reporters Tuesday, after speaking at an event at 84 Lumber in Chesterfield County. Youngkin recalled that he hastened down to the little community of Hunt, Texas, after his morning speech July 4 at a naturalization ceremony at Fort Monroe, by the Chesapeake Bay.
Virginia advances plans for nuclear reactor in southwest region
Southwest Virginia may soon be home to one of the nation’s first advanced nuclear reactors, as state leaders accelerate efforts to bring the technology to the region. Backed by nearly $200,000 in state funding, the initiative represents a cornerstone of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s broader strategy for a more resilient and innovative energy future in the Commonwealth, according to a news release. The project has received a $100,000 grant from the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank (VCEIB) and a $97,500 GO Virginia grant.
Report outlines challenges of Va.’s special education compliance system, recommends improvements
After years of inconsistencies and complaints, Virginia has moved closer to revising its process for reporting issues with special education services, aiming to improve the structure and ensure that families receive the necessary services for their students with disabilities. The issues with the state’s dispute resolution system — an impartial procedure for parents and schools to resolve disagreements over issues with special education services — have created a divide among parents and public school leaders for at least the past five years. . . . Last year, Virginia recorded over 185,000 students receiving special education services during the 2024-25 school year.