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In hundreds of deadly police encounters, including in Virginia, officers broke multiple safety guidelines
In hundreds of deaths where police used force meant to stop someone without killing them, officers violated well-known guidelines for safely restraining and subduing people — not simply once or twice, but multiple times. Most violations involved pinning people facedown in ways that could restrict their breathing or stunning them repeatedly with Tasers, an Associated Press investigation found. Some officers had little choice but to break policing best practices — safety guidelines that are recommended by government agencies, law enforcement groups and training experts — to save a life or protect someone.
George Mason University announces 3% tuition hike
George Mason University (GMU) announced it would be raising its in-state tuition for the 2024-2025 school year. The university said its Board of Visitors (BOV) voted to increase the tuition by 3% in an effort to keep up with inflation and to “compensate for lower state support.”
As Danville Casino marks 1 year, full resort expected to draw ‘different type of visitor’
Exactly one year ago Wednesday, Danville’s temporary casino opened, inching the city closer toward becoming a tourism destination. Housed in a giant tent-like structure — although once inside it’s hard to believe it’s a makeshift building — lines of eager patrons with money in hand awaited the doors to officially open at 10 a.m. May 15, 2023. With the full resort expected to be in operation by the end of the year, the shift will move from a day-trip style visit to more of a vacation getaway. “This is a different type of visitor that we truly haven’t seen as much of in this community,” Lisa Meriwether, tourism manager with Visit SoSi, told the Register & Bee in an interview Monday.
Body-worn cameras for Virginia State Police dropped from new budget
An effort to purchase body-worn cameras for the Virginia State Police died during this year’s prolonged budget talks, which concluded on Monday. That means the state police, Virginia’s largest law enforcement agency with over 1,800 officers, will remain without the devices at least until next session. The effort was initiated this session by State Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg.
Wexton, Briskman, EPA reps celebrate excavation of Hidden Lane Landfill
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Leesburg) and Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Juli Briskman (D-Algonkian) gathered with Environmental Protection Agency representatives at the Hidden Lane Landfill Superfund site May 14, celebrating progress made on the decades-long effort to clean up the site. The EPA began excavation work in February on the 25-acre site located between the Broad Run Farms and Countryside subdivisions in northeastern Loudoun County.
VCU suspends fraternity for hazing, sorority for selling pills
A Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity has been suspended two years for hazing, and a sorority has received a four-year punishment for using its group forum to buy and sell prescription pills. Two other student groups received interim suspensions after allegations of hazing were made against the fraternities. These represent the latest reports of misconduct among student groups, which universities are now required to publish.
Roanoke city staff emails allege hostile work environment
Emails from city staff to the Roanoke City Council decry a hostile work environment, and City Manager Bob Cowell clarified that an assistant city manager he reassigned was demoted. Following a three-hour closed-door meeting in April, the city council approved Cowell’s appointment of an assistant city manager to replace Brent Robertson. ... a series of emails, obtained via a freedom of information request and first reported on by The Roanoke Rambler, details a previously unmentioned series of events leading to Robertson’s reassignment.
Williams: The backlash to antiracism is nothing new
America’s historical backlash against antiracism can be likened to a human body rejecting a transplanted heart. Antiracism in America remains a foreign object, given the pervasive and systemic racism so foundational at the nation’s birth. Racism is the American default, which is why attempts to cure it seldom take hold. “It’s happened repeatedly throughout American history,” says University of Virginia historian Kevin Gaines.
Fewer Virginia kids are overdosing on cannabis products following new law
The number of children and teens in Virginia going to the emergency room for cannabis-related sickness has declined, following a law passed last year that regulates the sale of THC in commercial hemp products or extracts. An analysis from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association determined the number of cannabis-related pediatric ER visits dropped 14% between the second half of 2022 and the second half of 2023. The decline is a sign the new law is working, said Ryan McKinnon, a spokesperson for a group called Virginians for Cannabis Safety.
Loudoun Co. proposes 16 delayed-start days next year to allow teachers to meet state training requirements
Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia is considering adding 16 delayed-start days to the calendar for the 2024-25 school year, as part of a plan to give teachers more time to complete critical trainings. The proposal, which Superintendent Aaron Spence presented to the school board Tuesday night, is the result of new standards covering several subject areas getting implemented at the same time. Under the plan, the school district would have teachers start their days at the regular time, but students would arrive two hours late. That would happen roughly two days per month, Spence said.