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Virginia State University left out in the cold after candidates determine debate schedule
Virginia State University said Wednesday it was "disappointed" over reports that VSU appears to have been dropped from the upcoming presidential debate schedule, yet hopeful that an arrangement can be worked out. "A presidential debate at VSU is a huge win, not only for our students and campus community but for the greater community in general," university spokesperson Gwen Williams Dandridge said in a statement.
Speakers show up to debate solar in Mecklenburg
Speakers for and against solar development showed up for the monthly meeting of the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors Monday in Boydton despite there being no public discussion of any solar projects. The agenda for the meeting included a closed session discussion on a siting agreement for 7 Bridges, a proposed 80-MW facility that Longroad Energy wants to build on 499 acres northeast of Chase City near Scotts Crossroads, Courthouse Road and the Meherrin River. ... On Monday, company officials asked neighbors of the project to share their views with the supervisors.
Search warrants claim ‘pattern of money laundering’ at some Va. cannabis-related stores
Newly unsealed search warrants in Washington County allege that some of the cannabis-related stores that were targeted in a region-wide raid last fall were involved in money laundering. Dozens of stores across Southwest Virginia were raided in September. While the ownership structure of many of the shops is unclear, the search warrants show that the homes and banking records of two people who owned multiple locations also were searched. Among the items that were seized were a number of guns — pistols, rifles and shotguns — as well as ammunition, computers, cellphones and vehicles, including two Rolls-Royces.
Complaints spark second review of Prince William Digital Gateway area property values
After weeks of complaints, criticism and landowner appeals, the Prince William County assessor’s office on Monday revised its sky-high assessments of properties inside the planned Prince William Digital Gateway data center corridor. Roughly half the property valuations dropped, but half went up — the result of the county eliminating one discount but replacing it with a new one. But even for those whose assessments are now lower, there is no joy in Mudville. That’s because Digital Gateway-area landowners’ assessments remain in the millions, and their tax bills will be in the tens, or even hundreds, of thousands.
Segregation skyrocketed among Virginia’s Latino students in past 30 years
Richmond Public Schools had the highest levels of school segregation between white and Latino students in Virginia in 2022, according to a Stanford University analysis of federal data. The combination of ethnicity, poverty and language create a “triple segregation” among Latino students that’s been overlooked for decades and “left to fester,” said Gary Orfield, co-director of the UCLA Civil Rights Project. Latino students’ federal right to desegregation didn’t happen until nearly 20 years after the Brown v. Board ruling with the 1973 Supreme Court case Keyes v. School District No. 1, Denver.
MacArthur Center redevelopment still likely several years away, Norfolk official says
While a gleaming vision for the transformation of the city’s struggling downtown shopping mall has been revealed, Norfolk’s economic development director is cautioning anyone who is looking for construction barrels anytime soon. Instead, Sean Washington, who has led the city’s economic development efforts for nearly two years, wants to make clear that the rendering and possibilities shared by Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander at his recent state of the city address are “very much so conceptual” and that there is still “a long road ahead.”
Henrico approves zoning for 622-acre technology park
Henrico County approved a request from developer Hourigan to rezone 622 acres in Varina as an extension of the White Oak Technology Park. Early drawings for the project included a property with 13 buildings that were all shown as data centers. ... Central Virginia is perfectly poised along the “global data hub” and the infrastructure to host data centers. Subsea fiber optic cables — two from Europe and one from South America — come ashore in Virginia Beach, then travel west along the Interstate 64 corridor to eastern Henrico before turning toward Northern Virginia.
Ambitious vision has the Port of Virginia positioned for success
The Port of Virginia has big plans for the future — and that’s great news for Hampton Roads and the larger commonwealth. Friday’s State of the Port event saw officials outline an ambitious timeline for growth, including becoming the deepest and widest East Coast port by next year. Success in those efforts should ensure that the billions in economic activity generated by the port — the revenue it produces and the jobs it creates and maintains — continue to serve our communities.
Hearing examiner recommends denying Greenway toll increase
The senior hearing examiner overseeing the Dulles Greenway’s application to raise tolls on the privately owned road has recommended that the State Corporation Commission deny the request outright. The examiner, Michael D. Thomas, filed a 159-page report May 15 that found the Greenway’s request to raise tolls would “materially discourage use of the Greenway” and are not “reasonable to the user in relation to the benefit obtained,” thereby failing to meet the standards of a 2021 state law that made the regulations that govern the road more stringent.
Stafford County School Board proposes banning student phones during class
At last night’s monthly meeting, the Stafford County School Board announced an update to the division policy regarding student cell phone use. The proposed update to the Code of Student Conduct and Related Policies adds a regulation that “prohibits personal communication devices during the regular school day.” Students will have to turn their phones off or silence them and store them out of sight in a backpack or bag from the start bell until the dismissal bell.