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Latest lawsuit fails to stop Botetourt County wind farm
The latest — and likely the last — legal challenge to a proposed wind farm in Botetourt County was turned down by the Virginia Court of Appeals on Tuesday, as preliminary construction of the project continues. In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the court found that opponents lacked standing to legally object to a temporary facility that will produce concrete needed for the foundations of the massive turbines.
Grand jury refuses to indict UVa student accused of antisemitic hate crime
The criminal case against a University of Virginia student accused of perpetrating a hate crime against a Jewish housemate hit a roadblock last week, at least temporarily, after a Charlottesville grand jury refused to issue a felony indictment against Robert Cabell Romer. While a lower court judge certified a threat warrant against the 20-year-old Romer last month, the grand jury hearing evidence this month marked that charge as "no true bill."
Fort Lee changes are now online as post switches Facebook, social-media account names
The changeover from “Fort Gregg-Adams" to “Fort Lee” may not be physically visible yet, but in cyberspace, the rebranding is complete. The official website and social-media outlets Facebook and X now indicate the Prince George County Army post as Fort Lee, less than two weeks after the Pentagon announced it was reverting the names of military posts mainly in the South from what they were changed to in 2023.
Science agency staff brace for HQ takeover
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is expected to announce Wednesday that it’s moving into the headquarters of the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, according to the union representing NSF employees. But as of Tuesday evening, staff at the science foundation hadn’t been informed by management about their building’s incoming occupants, leaving them feeling blindsided and unsure about where they’re expected to work.
Report: National Science Foundation headquarters to be taken over by HUD, displacing 1,800+ employees
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will reportedly take over the National Science Foundation (NSF) headquarters building (2415 Eisenhower Ave.), displacing more than 1,833 NSF employees who currently work there. HUD Secretary Scott Turner and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin reportedly plan to announce the takeover Wednesday (June 25), according to information provided to journalist Dan Garisto by multiple NSF staff members. The transition will occur over the next two years. ... The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, which represents NSF workers, confirms the takeover in an official statement released Tuesday. The union says it received notice Tuesday afternoon about the planned announcement.
Youngkin responds after ICE detains multiple people at Chesterfield courthouse
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained 14 people over three days at the Chesterfield County courthouse, Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard told CBS 6. "ICE showed up at the Chesterfield courthouse on Friday and detained six people," Leonard confirmed to CBS 6 reporter Cameron Thompson. "They came back yesterday, Monday, and detained six more. They are on the premises today as well." Leonard said his staff received "little notice" about the operation, and he was not sure how long it would last.
Chesterfield becomes focal point in Virginia immigration enforcement debate
Lawyers say they are feeling intimidated by groups of men standing silently in rooms not typically open to the public. Spouses are crying in hallways. Families go days without being able to contact loved ones who have been detained, not knowing if they remain in the same state. These are the realities for some people who have lived in the United States after entering the country illegally but have completed all the required steps to exist within the legal system. Chesterfield was thrust into the spotlight of the national immigration debate this week with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers operating in the courthouse.
Fate of Job Corps, a lifeline for disadvantaged youth in Marion, is uncertain as feds seek to close the program
Lea Moyer began taking classes at the Blue Ridge Job Corps center in Marion in October after experiencing homelessness. Moyer, 22, entered the foster care system when she was 17 years old. She struggled with her mental health, and that led her to getting “kicked out” of foster care programs, she said. “When I aged out no one was there to help me with anything anymore, and due to my mental health and needing hospitalizations sometimes it was hard to keep up with housing and a job,” she said. Now, she’s studying to become a certified nursing assistant while living on the Job Corps campus in Smyth County. The program is self-paced, and she is working through chapter eight of a 50-chapter program to receive her certification. At its height, the Blue Ridge center had 92 students at one time.
Google purchases land in Botetourt County for potential data center
Google has purchased some 312 acres in Botetourt County to potentially build a data center in the future, the county announced Tuesday. The tech giant purchased the land, located in the Botetourt Center at Greenfield, for around $14 million. “Google has invested significantly in the Commonwealth, and I am proud that they have chosen Botetourt County as the site of their newest data center,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a county news release.
Google buys Botetourt County land for data center plans
Google has bought more than 300 acres in a Botetourt County industrial park to potentially build a data center campus there, officials announced Tuesday. The tech giant paid just over $14 million for the land and will put another $4 million toward local projects benefiting the county’s fire service, law enforcement, schools and other departments, Botetourt County Administrator Gary Larrowe said. “This is a win for Botetourt and it’s a win for all of us,” Larrowe said as he announced the project Tuesday evening during a board of supervisors meeting.