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Solar project proposed on Bent Mountain; Blacksburg’s ESS to expand
A Massachusetts renewable energy company has proposed placing solar panels on Bent Mountain. New Leaf Energy Inc. proposed construction of an energy facility at 9150 Reed Road that would begin generating electricity in 2027. The site is a former apple orchard — now mostly cleared for pasture — that belongs to Glenn Reed. The facility, which is described as small, will generate 3 megawatts or 4 megawatts of energy, the proposal said.
Number of incarcerated pregnant women increases amid opioid epidemic
Karlee Clements was six months pregnant, “full on into addiction” and begging to go to jail because she was afraid she would kill her child. Soon after, she was incarcerated at Riverside Regional Jail for a violation. Because of her baby’s low heart rate, she was sent to Chippenham Hospital, where she spent the remainder of her pregnancy. Zip-tied to a hospital bed, with a Riverside officer next to her, Clements gave birth to a baby girl and spent three days with her, per Virginia law. Restraints are no longer allowed on inmates during labor, except under certain circumstances.
UVa. student protest remains subdued in its second day
A student-led protest at the University of Virginia remained peaceful as it entered its second day Wednesday, standing in stark contrast to how similar anti-Israel protests have unfolded across the country and the commonwealth. Roughly 80 protesters — a crowd including students, faculty and Charlottesville community members — spent the day on the school’s Lawn ...
Bill banning certain driveway, pavement sealants to take effect this July
After attempting to ban the products in previous sessions, the Democratic legislature passed a bill Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed that bans the sale of pavement sealant containing a set of chemicals environmental groups say seep into the environment, causing health issues for wildlife and humans. The ban begins July 1. House Bill 985 prohibits the sale of the sealant used for driveways and parking lots that use certain concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, or PAHs, chemicals commonly found in coal tar.
Demonstrators take to streets in Richmond
Two days after police and pro-Palestinian protesters clashed at VCU, demonstrators took to the streets on Wednesday night. Demonstrators gathered at Abner Clay Park in the Jackson Ward neighborhood around 7 p.m. A group of about 60 marched from the park to VCU Police Headquarters at Broad and Third streets, and then returned to the park. A few hours later, a few people on bicycles briefly tried to block law enforcement vehicles near Madison and Clay streets before police turned on their sirens and lights.
Montgomery County manufacturer to invest $1.6M to increase capacity
ESS Technologies, which specializes in packaging line design, equipment manufacturing and integration for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and consumer packaging goods industries, will invest $1.6 million to increase capacity at a new facility in Montgomery County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday.
D.C.-area senators try to stop more flights at Reagan National Airport
A group of Washington-area Senate Democrats who oppose adding more longer-distance flights in and out of DC’s Reagan National Airport — which was included in a bipartisan FAA bill released this week — are pressing for an amendment vote to strip it out of the legislation, which is being debated on the floor now. “The proposal flies in the face of known safety concerns and known congestion concerns so we are going to push very hard for this amendment,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland who warned that he and the other local senators may oppose the bill in the end if they don’t get a vote.
Virginia’s Planned Parenthood seeing more clients as Florida ban goes into effect
The Virginia League Planned Parenthood is trying to gauge how many patients will now head north. Virginia is now the only southern state that has not imposed additional restrictions on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, said Paulette McElwain, Chief Executive Officer of Virginia League for Planned Parenthood.
CEO of free clinic serving Appalachia saw pay package nearly double over 2 years, tax forms show
The director of the Health Wagon, a nonprofit free clinic that serves one of the poorest and medically underserved areas in the state, earned $520,000 in 2022, a pay package that nearly doubled over the last two years and was 12 times that of the average income of the people she serves. The increase places her compensation well beyond that of comparable executives in wealthier regions of Virginia, who are paid between $100,000 and $200,000.
Early voting starts Friday for June primaries; 13 on ballots in 7th District
Early voting starts Friday for the June 18 primary elections, which feature a crowded field of candidates. Seven Democrats and six Republicans are in the running for the 7th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from Henrico County, has held the post since 2018 and is running for Virginia governor in 2025.