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Cost of Mountain Valley Pipeline up to $7.85 billion
As work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline nears a finish, the price of the massive infrastructure project continues to climb. The estimated cost is now $7.85 billion, according to a first-quarter earnings report released Tuesday by Equitrans Midstream Corp., the lead partner of the 303-mile natural gas pipeline. That’s up from $7.6 billion earlier this year, and more than double the $3.7 billion projection made in 2018, when construction began on the deeply controversial project that cuts a path through the New River and Roanoke valleys.
Advocates worry Virginia struggles to provide medications to ailing prison inmates
The Virginia Department of Corrections recently launched a tip line where people could call to report suspected delivery or sale of contraband behind bars. In making the announcement, Department Director Chad Dotson said the safety of employees and inmates was his top priority. But advocates say there’s another drug problem in prisons— a failure to provide prescription drugs inmates need. A recent study published by the American Medical Association found people with common chronic diseases were less likely to get prescription drugs for their condition if they were in prison or jail.
UVa allows protesters to remain in ‘liberated zone’ so long as it doesn’t become an encampment
A student-led protest demanding the University of Virginia divest from the state of Israel originally planned for Wednesday got off to an early start Tuesday afternoon. University officials say the nearly 100 protesters gathered on Grounds will be allowed to stay so long as they do not erect tents, as have been seen at other campus protests nationwide. And those protesters — a crowd including students, faculty and Charlottesville community members — were complying even as a light rain began to fall late Tuesday night.
Labor union says it’s filing FOIA suit over secretive Petersburg casino process
A hospitality workers’ union trying to ensure Petersburg picks a labor-friendly developer for its planned casino says it will sue the city over alleged transparency violations after the City Council appeared to make major decisions on the casino project behind closed doors. Unite Here, a union that represents casino workers across the country, announced Tuesday that it will file a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Petersburg City Council over its surprise decision to cancel a competitive bidding process and give the casino project to The Cordish Companies, a development company based in Baltimore.
McElwain: As other states ban abortion, Va. remains a beacon of hope
In a small town in Florida, a half-day drive from Richmond, a woman takes a pregnancy test after realizing her period is a couple of weeks late. If she goes into her nearest Planned Parenthood in Tallahassee to seek an abortion, she may be too late now that Florida’s six-week abortion ban has taken effect. Even if she makes it into the health center prior to the cutoff, she will have to come back again at least 24 hours later due to Florida’s mandatory waiting period. As Florida’s near-total ban on abortion takes effect, our hearts go out to all impacted. In these troubling times, I want to assure those seeking care: Virginia is here for you.
Drakes: School nurses could be the cure to chronic absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools is at an all-time high in Virginia as the public education system continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic absenteeism is defined as students who miss more than 18 days of school, and this number has doubled across the commonwealth since 2019. The Virginia Department of Education has launched a campaign in response to this issue, as gaps in learning have been revealed by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores.
Scrap over expanded flights at Reagan National bedevils big aviation bill
This week’s vote on a major aviation bill is reigniting one of the Capitol’s most parochial recurring feuds — a spat over how many flights can take off and land at Congress’ favorite airport. Once again, the senators who represent Virginia and Maryland appear outgunned. The D.C.-area lawmakers are waging a last-ditch fight nonetheless to try to keep Congress from approving additional flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Their arguments include the contention that the extra flights would compromise safety — although the Federal Aviation Administration has said the agency will ensure safety isn’t harmed.
Youngkin’s biggest legacy in Virginia could be his impact on education—for better or worse
With a new sports arena dead in the water and a legislature controlled by political opponents, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s largest impact on the state after he leaves office could be in the education space. Youngkin was clear about his education priorities on the campaign trail back in 2021. “We watched parents all over the commonwealth stand up and try to defend their children, get our schools open, make sure materials are appropriate in the classroom,” then-candidate Youngkin said on the campaign trial. Now, two and a half years later, Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said the governor has delivered on those promises.
Roanoke Council Told That Assistant City Manager Verbally Attacked, Physically Threatened Employee, Emails Show
A city budget analyst told Roanoke City Council members last month that after a March 6 meeting, then-Assistant City Manager Brent Robertson “began verbally attacking” and “physically threatening” her so severely that she decided to quit. “In all my professional career, I have never been so brutally attacked,” the employee wrote, according to a copy of the April 5 email released to The Rambler in response to a public records request.
Va. Beach rejects collective bargaining for city employees
Virginia Beach’s City Council voted 5-5 on a measure to allow employees to negotiate their wages and working conditions, ultimately defeating the proposal. Five council members — Sabrina Wooten, David Hutcheson, Jennifer Rouse, Worth Remick and Joash Schulman — voted in favor of the request from the city’s firefighter’s union. Councilmember Amelia Ross-Hammond abstained from the vote. Council measures need a majority vote to pass. Mayor Bobby Dyer and others suggested an ‘enhanced meet-and-confer,’ which would create a formal committee for the city manager to hear employee concerns instead of granting collective bargaining rights.