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Lingering impacts of pandemic lead to higher tax rates in Northern Va.
Fairfax County lawmakers Tuesday approved a budget that raises the residential tax rate by 3 cents, a reflection of the lingering economic impacts of the pandemic and uncertainty over the Virginia state budget. Fairfax’s increase in the residential tax rate, to $1.125 per $100 of assessed value, means the annual tax bill for county homeowners will increase by an average of $450. … With remote work keeping office vacancies high, Northern Virginia localities have had to find ways to make up for the loss in commercial tax revenue while trying to maintain the quality of schools and other services.
UVa president: ’Necessary to rely on assistance from the Virginia State Police’ to clear encampment
The organizers of an encampment in support of Palestine at the University of Virginia knew that pitching tents could trigger action against their protest. University officials made that clear when they first gathered Tuesday afternoon. What they and the faculty members who were helping them communicate with police and administrators did not anticipate was the force with which that action would come. Instead of citations and facilities management taking down the tents, they were met with a multi-agency, coordinated police action with officers wearing riot gear and military-grade equipment.
Virginia health officials launch ‘surveillance system’ for kids sickened by cannabis
Virginia officials are instructing health care providers to start keeping track of “adverse events” involving children and teens being exposed to cannabis products. In an April 24 letter to clinicians, State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton said her agency had received enough reports of minors getting sick from products containing CBD and THC, chemical compounds found in cannabis, that the state was establishing a “special surveillance system” to keep tabs on the issue.
UVa leaders address protest response, ‘fully and painfully aware’ of loss of trust from students
University of Virginia (UVA) President Jim Ryan hosted a virtual ‘Town Hall’ Tuesday afternoon to address concerns and backlash from students, alumni and community members in response to events that unfolded at the school on Saturday. Riot police were called to clear a Pro-Palestinian protest, which led to 27 people – including 12 students – being arrested.
Buc-ee’s still plans to open in New Kent in 2027 despite delays from I-64 improvements
The Texas-based roadside travel chain Buc-ee’s is still on course to open one of its first stores in Virginia in New Kent in 2027 despite a complicated series of road improvements. New Kent County Planning Director Amy Inman said the mega convenience store will have to coordinate with the Interstate 64 widening project as well as the reconstruction of the Route 106 bridge, but that “they are still planning to open in 2027.”
Opponents respond as Mountain Valley Pipeline segment ruptures during test
A picture of a ruptured section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline circulating on social media this week ignited a fury of opposition from those who have protested the project for years. The damaged pipeline, which the photo showed being hauled down a roadway, was the end result of hydrotesting on a section of the mainline pipe on May 1 near Route 221 on Brent Mountain. The incident came as the pipeline’s developers asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an in-service date of June 1, a decision protesters continue to oppose.
Federal, State Agencies Quiet About Mountain Valley Pipeline Failure
The state and federal regulatory agencies that oversee the Mountain Valley Pipeline have said little about a rupture last week during a pressure test. Groups that oppose the Mountain Valley Pipeline say last week’s failure in Roanoke County, Virginia, shows the risks the project poses to communities and property. Because it is undergoing testing now, Wednesday’s rupture only released water. But the pipeline’s builder, Equitrans Midstream, has asked federal regulators for permission to begin operations at the end of this month.
Forty applicants vying for Shenandoah medical marijuana license
Forty complete applications were received for conditional permits to operate as the state’s sole licensed pharmaceutical processor of medical cannabis for a region including the Shenandoah Valley, as well as the cities of Charlottesville and Fredericksburg and the counties of Spotsylvania and Stafford, according to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Each company paid an $18,000 fee for the opportunity to be granted the lucrative medical marijuana license for the CCA’s health service area 1 (HSA 1), which has been tied up in litigation for years.
Youngkin holds event in Richmond on National Fentanyl Awareness Day
Preliminary data from the Virginia Department of Health shows more than 1,900 Virginians died from fentanyl overdoses in 2023. That’s why Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin held an event at City Stadium in Richmond on May 7, which is National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
Dominion: Nuclear plant upgrades on budget and schedule
Dominion Energy‘s push to extend the life of its two half-century old nuclear power stations is on target with its $1.2 billion phase 1 budget and schedule, although one critical step, replacing the giant heat exchangers around each reactor, has been more complicated than first thought. The aim is to extend the life of its Surry and North Anna power stations, in Surry County and Louisa counties respectively, for another three decades.