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Higher costs, fewer jobs likely at Danville casino
It looks like numerous changes will be made to Danville’s agreement with Caesars Virginia, including an increase in the casino project’s cost to $750 million and language allowing the company to hire fewer workers than initially promised. The changes also propose elimination of a promised separate entertainment venue. Instead, the venue would occupy a 40,000-square-foot conference center included in the project. The Danville City Council will consider whether to approve the revisions, along with several others, during its Tuesday meeting.
Anderson: Campus protesters are making it clear their threats aren’t empty
“Hamas make us proud, kill another soldier now.” That quote is not from a terrorist in a cave in a war-torn country like the ones I’ve served in. That’s from a student at an Ivy League American university this week. Let’s take stock of this uniquely terrifying moment in American history: Antisemitism has, horrifically, become socially acceptable with the progressive left. Jewish students and professors continue to be targeted on a daily basis.
Prosecutor seeks to drop charges against five deputies in Irvo Otieno death
The Virginia prosecutor investigating the death of Irvo Otieno is seeking to withdraw charges against five law enforcement officers who were indicted on murder counts last year, curtailing the scope of what was once a sprawling case to just three defendants. Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man whose family said he was in mental distress when he arrived at Central State Hospital for treatment, died there of asphyxia as Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and hospital workers restrained him for 11 minutes, according to surveillance video and the medical examiner. Authorities in Virginia’s Dinwiddie County initially charged 10 people in Otieno’s death.
More than 125 arrested at four Virginia universities amid nationwide protest over Israel-Hamas war
Following the strong reaction to the Israel-Hamas war across the country, some Virginia colleges and universities are still responding to last week’s series of on-campus demonstrations that resulted in dozens of students’ arrests and lingering questions about upcoming graduation ceremonies. Some of the most notable Virginia protests that led to arrests occurred at the University of Mary Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech and, most recently, the University of Virginia.
After decades on the sidelines, North Danville is in line for revitalization
Across the Dan River from Danville’s River District, a largely revitalized part of the city, is North Danville, a business district with a rich history that lost investments and attention after the tobacco and textile industries left town. This part of Danville is the city’s next target for revitalization. But an unorthodox approach is needed to make sure this work is done correctly, said Lashawn Farmer, director of design and expansion for the River District Association. The crux of this approach is community engagement and input, said Farmer.
At a private donor retreat, Trump team says Virginia and Minnesota are in play
Top officials for former President Donald Trump’s campaign believe they can flip Democratic strongholds Minnesota and Virginia into his column in November, they told donors behind closed doors at a Republican National Committee retreat Saturday. Brandishing internal surveys, pollster Tony Fabrizio and senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita delivered a set of presentations that focused on finances, messaging and the political map, according to two people who were present at the Four Seasons resort [in Palm Beach, Florida].
Coakley: Election officials aren’t just vote counters. We’re part of the community
Election officials and our work can be a heated subject, particularly in a world of viral media where conflict and extreme views often get the most reach. It would be easy for any voter to imagine “election officials” as a far-off group of people in their state capital or in Washington, D.C., who don’t know them or understand their community. In reality that couldn’t be further from the truth — election officials are part of every single community in the nation, and we conduct elections according to the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Locke: Youngkin administration actions undermine academic freedom
Back in the fall of 2021, while teaching a unit on the presidency in an American government class, I encountered a question from a student about why I would even address Donald Trump. My response was straightforward: “Because he was a president.” This simple exchange illustrates the essence of academic freedom — a principle that is currently under threat in Virginia. The question didn’t arise from mere curiosity; it stemmed from a broader political critique, suggesting a “thinly veiled attempt to incorporate the progressive left’s groupthink on our students.”
25 arrested at UVa. after clashes with police
Authorities arrested 25 pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a sustained confrontation at the University of Virginia on Saturday, university officials said, after dozens of law enforcement officers in riot gear surrounded a student encampment and used pepper spray to disperse people from the area. The clash, which U-Va. President James E. Ryan described in a letter to the school community Saturday evening as “upsetting, frightening and sad,” marked the latest escalation during the past several weeks of protests on campuses over the Israel-Gaza war.
Election workers fear threats and political interference. Listen to them.
Six months before Americans cast their ballots for president, members of Congress and a host of local offices, election workers are deeply concerned about their safety and worried that unscrupulous officials will interfere with the vote. Those are among the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, which makes for grim reading. Virginia recently took an important step to protect poll workers, but they also need responsible leaders to build trust in the system rather than maligning it for political gain.