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By NOUR HABIB,
Virginian-Pilot
(Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
One day, Judith Burkett of Portsmouth received a call from her grandson’s school: Did she know where Jakob was? He hadn’t attended in months. Months before, the boy — his mother, her partner and three younger brothers — had been living with Burkett. But Burkett’s daughter and her partner had a drug problem and the family suddenly left in fall 2022, a couple of months into Jakob’s third grade year. Burkett started asking friends and family to help look. She found out where they were living and alerted the school. The school attendance liaison became “a godsend.” “She was like a pit bull until she got him back in school.”
VaNews April 29, 2024
By SAMUEL B. PARKER,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards on Thursday said the department had reached out to pro-Palestine protest organizers to ask them to decrease the frequency of their demonstrations amid a surge in violent crime in the city and persistent police staffing issues.
In a text message sent by Richmond police officer Mohammed Maher Hameed to organizer Zaid Mahdawi, Hameed requested that the protesters give Richmond police “a little break.”
VaNews April 29, 2024
By PETER CARY,
Piedmont Journalism Foundation
The special Warrenton Town Council meeting was called to hear from Dominion Energy about how it will run power lines to the proposed Amazon data center on Blackwell Road. But when Dominion failed to supply any new information, it spun into something else.
Three council members tried to gain approval for one last check on noise the data center might emit, but the move clearly frustrated Mayor Carter Nevill, who launched into a nearly eight-minute speech, during which he defended the controversial Amazon project, the town council and staff — as well as the rigor of the town’s approval process.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By ROBERT ARCHER,
published in
Roanoke Times
(Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The efforts in the recent legislative session to make the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority more independent of the executive branch give me pause and concern. I have been involved in the alcohol business at Blue Ridge Beverage Company Inc. for more than 50 years. Our family business has always taken seriously the responsible marketing and consumption of alcoholic beverages and the issues surrounding them. Also, in my travels over the years as a member of our national trade association leadership, I learned that Virginia’s ABC has always served as a model for the control and regulation of a product that can cause harm if abused.
Archer is chairman and CEO of Blue Ridge Beverage Inc. based in Salem.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By GRACE MAMON,
Cardinal News
As fire and rescue volunteerism declines across the state, many localities are changing the way they provide this service. Using paid crews is costly and sometimes controversial, but it’s already been an effective solution for several Southern Virginia counties, and likely will be for many more.
Some localities, like Henry County, have coupled paid staff and volunteers for decades. Others, like Franklin and Pittsylvania counties, are in earlier stages of the transition to what is called a combination model of rescue services.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By MICHAEL MARTZ,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, now with a clear path to the Democratic nomination for governor next year, jumped into the party’s primary in the 1st Congressional District on Friday by endorsing political newcomer Leslie Mehta for the nomination.
Mehta, 47, a former civil rights attorney in Chesterfield County, is running against former New Kent County Treasurer Herb Jones for the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, who defeated Jones two years ago.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By JONATHAN HUNLEY,
Fredericksburg Free Press
It was about a year and a half ago, right before Christmas, when a Fredericksburg police officer had a life-changing moment.
He was responding to a call for service at an apartment complex, and he was first on the scene.
An 8-year-old boy had been walking back from a playground with a family member when he saw that his parents had just gotten back home. The boy ran over to see his mother and father, but he was struck by a car coming through the parking lot.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By BILL ATKINSON,
Progress Index
(Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)
The chief patron of the successful legislation that brought the long-pursued casino referendum has blasted Petersburg City Council over the choice of its former collaborator as the winning bidder for the business. In a scathing statement Friday night, Sen. Lashrecse Aird also pushed back at the city’s earlier claim that it wrote but never sent a letter of intent to one of the other four vendors “under duress” so that Aird would have a name to use as a bargaining chip in Richmond.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By TREVOR METCALFE,
Virginian-Pilot
(Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A movie musical based on Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams’ childhood could earn more than $12 million in state incentives to film in Richmond and Hampton Roads, according to state film office documents obtained by The Virginian-Pilot. In return, the film’s production could bring a total estimated statewide economic impact of about $84 million, Virginia Film Office Director Andy Edmunds said. The production will be based in Richmond with some photography in Virginia Beach, according to the project’s application for the incentives.
VaNews April 29, 2024
By DAVE RESS,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Google plans a $1 billion investment in Northern Virginia data centers, and in welcoming the move, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said it underscores the need for his “all of the above” energy plan, citing a controversial proposal for a gas-fired power plant in Chesterfield County as an example. Google’s investment will include expanding its two Loudoun County data centers and building a third facility in Prince William County, said Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and its parent firm Alphabet.
VaNews April 29, 2024
