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From VPAP Early Voting in June Primaries
VPAP has updated its early voting dashboard to include ballots for the June 18th primaries. Republican primaries are occurring for the U.S. Senate and three U.S. House districts. Toggle to see the Democratic primaries for six U.S. House districts, or choose a locality for more details.
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.”
Chesterfield County Jail first institution to implement new device aiding opioid recovery
The Chesterfield County Jail has become the first institution in the nation to adopt a new FDA-approved device aimed at alleviating withdrawal symptoms among inmates struggling with opioid addiction. The Masimo Bridge device utilizes neuromodulation technology to significantly reduce the discomfort associated with drug withdrawal. The device sends electrical impulses to certain parts of the brain that contribute to withdrawal symptoms.
Youngkin calls on coaches to help warn about fentanyl
It might have seemed an unexpected place to talk about a deadly scourge – the Richmond Kickers’ home field to mark National Fentanyl Awareness Day – but for Gov. Glenn Youngkin it was a chance to reach out to a group he feels will make a difference: coaches. Those are the same kind of people that Youngkin, once a high school and college basketball player, said steered him right so many times as a teenager – when “I probably spent more time with coaches and teammates than with my parents,” he told a gathering of college, high school and other youth sports coaches at City Stadium.
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.
Dominion Announces Plans for South Loudoun Power Line Project
Dominion Energy is moving forward with another transmission line project that would begin in Fauquier County and cut through Prince William and connect with Loudoun’s Wishing Star substation west of Dulles Airport. The 500 kV, 26-mile-long project was approved by PJM Interconnection, the regional power coordinator, to meet the growing demand for power in the region. During a virtual community meeting about the project April 30, Dominion representative Rob Richardson said the company would like to file its plans with the State Corporation Commission this summer.
Russell County votes to close 2 schools to afford raises for teachers
Russell County School Board members said they voted Tuesday night to close two small elementary schools because they felt it came down to a difficult choice between keeping the buildings open or giving teachers much-needed raises. The school system’s teacher salaries are the lowest in this region and at or near the bottom across the state. Over two years, the system has lost 51 teachers to other school systems that pay more, according to Superintendent Kimberly Hooker. As a cost-savings move, she recommended the closings of Swords Creek and Copper Creek elementary schools after this school year.
UVa officials say outside agitators, aggressive behavior prompted state police crackdown on protesters
University of Virginia officials held a virtual “town hall” Tuesday, their first public appearance since Saturday’s chaotic crackdown on an anti-war protest on Grounds, during which 27 were arrested and several others were pepper-sprayed by state troopers. The virtual meeting was meant to “provide an update and answer questions about Saturday’s protest near the UVA Chapel that led police to declare an unlawful assembly and arrest demonstrators who didn’t leave.” Many left with their questions still unanswered. That was because the university curated all of the questions it would answer beforehand.
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.
Free clinics see increased demand following Medicaid unwinding in Virginia
Free clinics across Virginia are seeing more patients than in years past, with fewer volunteers to handle the volume. According to Virginia Free & Charitable Clinics (VAFCC) CEO Rufus Phillips, patient demand was up 11.5% from July 2023 to March 2024, compared to the same period the year prior. He says since the pandemic, the number of volunteers has fallen from 11,800 to 5,600. … VAFCC is requesting more money from the General Assembly to try to keep up with an influx of new patients.