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Workforce and child development hub on track to open in Abingdon this summer
Travis Staton donned a hard hat Thursday and proudly showed off some of the features — from exploration labs to a cafe — of the first-of-its-kind Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub taking shape in Abingdon. Construction of the $25.5 million project started last July, and it is on schedule and about 85% complete, according to Staton, who is president and CEO of EO, formerly the program arm of United Way of Southwest Virginia.
Kiggans backs bill to extend affordable internet; Dems say she’s tardy
As a federal program that offsets internet costs to families in need has expired, Congress is seeking both short- and long-term solutions. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-2nd, signed onto a bill to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program on Wednesday, months after its introduction and as the program expired. The timing prompted a rebuke from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Three Democrats seeking 5th District nomination agree to agree in campaign forum
Three Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination in the June 18 primary elections in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District to take on Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell County, the incumbent, who faces his own primary challenge by state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland. The three Democratic candidates, Paul Riley, Gary Terry, and Gloria Witt, met at a candidate forum in Danville on Thursday evening to discuss their backgrounds and legislative priorities and generally agreed on the issues. They also talked about how they’d run in November against a GOP candidate in a heavily Republican district.
Hanover officials discuss major solar farm development
Hanover County is in the early stages of reviewing what would be the largest solar development to come to Hanover’s Beaverdam District since the county adopted a broadened solar policy. The project was submitted by North Carolina-based Strata Clean Energy LLC, who has constructed 12 solar projects in Virginia. To date, Hanover has only approved four solar projects in the county. Strata aims to rezone around 1,477 acres of privately-owned land adjacent to the North Anna River in order to build a solar farm capable of producing 72-megawatts worth of electricity; enough to power around 18,000 homes.
Virginia attorney general joins efforts to fight back against Title IX changes
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined a multi-state effort to stop new Title IX rules from going into effect. The list of new rules designed to protect victims of campus sexual assaults and the rights of LGBTQ+ students has come under attack by Republican attorneys general in several states. Miyares called the changes a “dangerous overhaul” of Title IX, and said the new rules would negatively impact students, families and schools in the commonwealth. The ruling also comes after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration overhauled the commonwealth’s transgender student policies.
Adkins: 250 years later, Native Americans have a chance to reclaim the narrative
The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is a momentous occasion for the United States. It’s a time to celebrate the ideals enshrined in that document — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, for the Chickahominy people and other Native American tribes, this anniversary carries a more complex weight. The declaration, for all its eloquence, wasn’t written with us in mind. It spoke of freedom from tyranny, a right blatantly denied to my ancestors through broken treaties and forced removal from our lands.
Luna claws back cash, benefits from former CEO Graeff
Luna Innovations declared this week that its former president and CEO, Scott Graeff, engaged in prohibited conduct in connection with a series of incorrect financial statements — triggering a claw back of severance and stock benefits payable to Graeff for his assisting the company after his March 24 retirement, according to the company. A personnel shakeup continued as Luna leadership also fired Chief Technology Officer Brian Soller for cause Friday … The disclosures appeared in a late Wednesday afternoon filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and triggered a temporary plunge in company stock to near $2 a share.
Lerch: Va. counties step up to meet solar energy demand
There’s been considerable discussion recently regarding county review and approval of utility-scale solar projects. We would like to provide some context to this important conversation on behalf of Virginia counties. Members of the Virginia Association of Counties are accommodating this emerging and intensive land use in a responsible and inclusive manner. Over the past decade, Virginia local governments have approved 260 projects totaling 11,640 megawatts in capacity generation. That’s 69 counties, eight cities and six towns that have said yes to utility-scale solar ...
Virginia Guard, Finland in formal partnership
The connection was forged nearly 25 years ago when soldiers from the Virginia National Guard‘s 29th Infantry Division served alongside soldiers from Finland on a peacekeeping rotation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Now, Virginia’s Guard is the official state partner of Finland’s Defense Forces. Gov. Glenn Youngkin made it formal during a visit to Helsinki on his four-nation trade mission, signing a partnership agreement with Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen.
Luna Innovations considers options including sale or merger as it reports latest executive turnover
Luna Innovations Inc., a publicly traded Roanoke-based technology company, will consider a sale or merger among its options going forward, in the wake of financial reporting irregularities that led to the resignations of its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, and the firing of its chief technology officer. The company announced on Wednesday that it has found that former CEO Scott Graeff, who resigned in late March, had engaged in conduct that constituted “cause” under his contract, so Luna will cancel his severance payments and take back stock from him.