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Judge dismisses Thoroughfare cemetery case against Prince William County, landowners
A U.S. District Court judge on Friday denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and granted a motion to dismiss in the case of Frank Washington v. International Investments LLC. Washington, a trustee for Scott Cemetery in Thoroughfare, filed the suit against the county government and International Investments for alleged failure to protect and eventual desecration of the private, historically-recognized cemetery in Thoroughfare belonging to the families of freed slaves and indigenous Native Americans. The plaintiffs claimed the property owned by International Investments had been disturbed by development and gatherings at the site.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission considers requiring devices on crab pots to protect terrapins
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to review potential regulations that would require modifications to crab pots to discourage the unintentional capture of diamondback terrapins. Diamondback terrapins, found all along the East Coast, are the only turtles found in brackish water, and problems begin when they move into areas with crab pots. Specifically, they can get stuck in the submerged pots that are common in Virginia’s waters, especially within 150 feet of the shore, and drown. In some cases, terrapins can follow each other into crab pots, whether or not they have bait inside.
Planned Parenthood says Trump’s megabill targets thousands of Virginians’ health care
Thousands of Virginians use Medicaid at Planned Parenthood health centers across the state for reproductive health care services every year. But a provision in President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” could cut off those people from accessing services using federal support. The organization serves roughly 25,000 people per year in the commonwealth, according to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia spokesperson RaeAnn Pickett. That includes nearly 800 people who use Medicaid for Planned Parenthood services in Virginia every month. With the potential cuts, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart said that’s subject to change.
College of William and Mary changes chief diversity officer title to senior advisor to the president
Tuesday, July 1, the College of William and Mary changed former Chief Diversity Officer Fanchon Glover’s title to Senior Advisor to the President. The College also renamed the Center for Student Diversity to the Student Center for Inclusive Excellence. The change comes after the Board of Visitors took a neutral stance on DEI initiatives in the April 25 passage of HC-3 titled “Merit-based excellence, student opportunity and freedom from discrimination.” In the meeting, the Board voted for the resolution to support the College’s “merit-based” approach to education without directly eliminating DEI or changing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion or the Center for Student Diversity at the time.
Hopewell sewage spill highlights need for spending on wastewater. Will federal funds dry up?
The Hopewell Water Renewal wastewater treatment plant released over 1 million gallons of untreated sewage into the James River on Friday night following an electrical failure. The spill resulted in an advisory warning against swimming, fishing or otherwise coming into contact with the river from the Old City Waterfront Park to the Berkley Plantation. The advisory will likely be in place until Friday, giving the section of river time to flush or settle out the contaminants. In 2024, over two-thirds of the water treated by Hopewell Water Renewal came from industrial sources, which is contaminated with different chemicals than domestic sewage.
Google partners with Youngkin and offers AI training courses to Virginia job seekers
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Tuesday that Google will partner with his administration to provide free and low-cost artificial intelligence certification courses to Virginians as part of his office’s ongoing effort to connect citizens to new jobs amid changes to the state’s economy. The partnership, which he has described as an AI career launchpad, will provide Google-sponsored AI training courses for up to 10,000 Virginians at any given time, officials said at Google’s office in the northern part of the state.
Kiggans: ‘One big beautiful bill’ invests in our families, military and future
Coastal Virginians know that leadership isn’t about always getting everything you want — it’s about standing firm in your values and delivering real results for the people you serve. That’s what I have tried to do every day in Congress, and it’s why I supported final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While it isn’t perfect, I believe this bill will ultimately make Virginians safer and more prosperous. Not even the biggest critics can deny that the outcomes of this bill are substantial. This bill provides the largest tax cut in American history. Without action, the 2017 Trump tax cuts were set to expire, costing middle-class families in my district an average of $2,028 per year.
Spanberger extends financial advantage over Earle-Sears
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, raised almost twice as much money in her campaign for governor in the last quarter as Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, her Republican opponent, and had $15.2 million in hand with less than four months to election day. Spanberger raised $10.7 million in the past three months, including almost $4.3 million between June 5 and the end of June. Earle-Sears raised $5.9 million, including $2.4 million since the last campaign finance reporting deadline, and finished June with $4.5 million in the bank.
Big Beautiful Bill cuts to Medicaid will quake Virginia hospitals, health care experts say
Experts are warning that cuts the One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes to Medicaid pose a significant threat to rural hospitals, but hospitals across Virginia are bracing for the impact. Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, for example, projects a loss of more than $20 million as a result of the cuts. “While the fiscal impact on our organization is significant, the greater travesty lies in what this means for our patients, particularly the more than 15% who rely on Medicaid,” said Reese Jackson, president and CEO.
Va. prison ombudsman holds first stakeholder meeting
Legislation introduced during the 2024 General Assembly session created an ombudsman position to oversee the Virginia Department of Corrections. Andrea Sapone took the role in September, and later promised to prioritize an investigation into Red Onion State Prison. She held her first stakeholder meeting Tuesday to explain how the office works and what it’s accomplished so far. Sapone said her office is focused on high-level issues at prisons across the state. The unit has published several inspection reports since February and completed work on about 12 others.