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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.
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.
Virginia Beach mayor wants a collective bargaining referendum on November ballot
Residents could influence a future decision on collective bargaining for city employees by casting a vote on Election Day. Mayor Bobby Dyer said Tuesday he wants an advisory referendum on collective bargaining on the November ballot. The outcome of such a referendum would be non-binding. The City Council denied collective bargaining of city employees in a 5-5 vote with one abstention April 30. Dyer was among those who voted against it.
Hemp market collapses, frustrating network of Southwest Virginia growers
Since its height in 2020, the “green rush” to grow hemp in Southwest Virginia has slowed to a standstill as falling prices eventually made harvesting pointless, but that hasn’t stopped local growers from seeking to stake their claim in what they hope will eventually be Virginia’s new legal cash crop: cannabis. With bipartisan efforts in the state legislature making to the governor’s desk, it looked possible that the 100-plus members of the farming and small business network Purely Appalachia might be growing and selling cannabis in Southwest Virginia very soon. But Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent veto of HB 698 and SB 448 means the group’s hopes will be stalled, at least until his term ends.
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.
Del. Rasoul seeks cease-fire for Gaza
Roanoke citizens and a state lawmaker responded to heightened conflict in Gaza this week, urging people to speak out against Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israeli troops seized control of a border crossing in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to news reports on Tuesday. The latest military action follows months of Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, retaliating for a terrorist attack conducted by Hamas last October. As reports about an incursion into Rafah spread, state Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, on Monday sent an email asking people to call their congressperson and demand President Joe Biden enact a cease-fire.
The ongoing rise in antisemitism should rally Virginians to action
Religious freedom and tolerance for others’ beliefs are foundational principles in the United States, and stem from a philosophy enshrined in Virginia law 238 years ago. The Statute for Religious Freedom, authored by Thomas Jefferson, states “all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion.” Ensuring that right has never been easy, and it’s especially difficult lately as a virulent strain of antisemitism afflicts the nation and our commonwealth. In a week that people around the world remember victims of the Holocaust, it’s more important than ever for Hampton Roads to stand up to hate and defend our Jewish family, friends and neighbors from attacks.
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.
General Assembly, Youngkin still have ‘work to do’ on budget compromise
... The commonwealth’s budget planners will soon have data to answer a key question: Can everyone get what they asked for? On Tuesday, lawmakers involved in the budget writing process met with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who was briefed by Finance Secretary Steve Cummings earlier in the day. “We still have an aspiration to present a budget that meets the multiple objectives of the General Assembly and the governor’s office by next week. And that’s what we’re working towards this week,” said Youngkin. “As I said, we still got work to do. But I’m optimistic.”
UVa. president, other leaders defend steps that led to arrests at protest
University of Virginia and police officials defended actions that led to the arrests of more than 25 pro-Palestinian protesters on campus grounds over the weekend, even as faculty members and others criticized what they saw as an overly aggressive response. In a virtual town hall Tuesday, Tim Longo, chief of police at U-Va., said that officials offered to let demonstrators stay if they took down their tents and that authorities moved in Saturday only when they refused. James E. Ryan, the university’s president, said that police were met with “physical confrontation and attempted assault” and that officials then called in Virginia State Police.