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VCU shoots down racial literacy requirement

By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia Commonwealth University will not impose a racial literacy class requirement on students, its board voted Friday, the most contentious action the board has taken in years as the panel considered a significantly political issue. The board voted 10-5 to reject the mandate, as members in the majority said they opposed adding extra requirements for graduation. It was a defeat for members of the faculty, who developed their plan over a four-year time period, gaining support from academic committees and offices.

VaNews May 13, 2024


$3 billion data center project proposed for Powhatan

By DAVE RESS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A California developer wants to bring Virginia’s data center boom to new territory: Powhatan County, on an undeveloped 119.9-acre tract abutting the Chesterfield County line north of U.S. Route 60. Ultimately, the project would mean a $1.5 billion investment in buildings and other improvements as well as about $1.5 billion in equipment, said Roxanne Salerno, Powhatan’s economic development manager.

VaNews May 13, 2024


After Spanberger: 7th District Dems run local race in national spotlight

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

National Republicans are taking a keen interest in the Democratic primary in Northern Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, but their primary focus has been on one candidate — Eugene Vindman. He is a political newcomer with a familiar face because of the public role that he and his twin brother, Alexander, played in the first impeachment of then-President Donald Trump.

VaNews May 13, 2024


Facilities run by Virginia’s behavioral health agency don’t comply with parts of disability rights law, audit finds

By DEAN MIRSHAHI, WRIC-TV

Unannounced inspections of the 12 facilities run by Virginia’s behavioral health agency last July found many Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues, per a new audit, including that most had inaccessible restrooms and paths from parking areas. The office of Virginia’s inspector general looked into whether the state-operated facilities overseen by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) complied with some requirements of the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on disability.

VaNews May 13, 2024


State again cites Mountain Valley Pipeline for environmental violations

By MATT BUSSE, Cardinal News

State regulators on Friday cited the Mountain Valley Pipeline for violations of environmental rules and ordered the developers of the $7.85 billion natural gas project to pay a $31,500 fine. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality outlined more than a dozen offenses mostly related to erosion and sediment control, including sediment impacting wetlands and fill material accumulating in the Blackwater River and the Maggodee Creek in Franklin County.

VaNews May 13, 2024


Williams: Irvo Otieno’s family needs the Justice Department, without delay

By MICHAEL PAUL WILLIAMS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

When Ann Cabell Baskervill announced she was resigning as Dinwiddie County commonwealth’s attorney to attend graduate school in France, it wasn’t hard to foresee her dream becoming an American nightmare for Kenyan immigrant Caroline Ouko. Ouko is the mother of Irvo Otieno, 28, who died of asphyxiation on March 6, 2023, after he was pinned on the floor while shackled and handcuffed for about 11 minutes by Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and hospital personnel during his intake at Central State Hospital.

VaNews May 13, 2024


VPAP Visual Lobbyists in Virginia: 2023-24

The Virginia Public Access Project

Information on the lobbyists who registered in Virginia from May 2023 through April 2024, including the number of clients they represented, their years of experience and more.

VaNews May 13, 2024