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Virginia State University presidential debate imperiled as Biden rejects commission’s plans
President Joe Biden on Wednesday rejected the fall schedule proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, imperiling Virginia State University’s chance to host a presidential debate in October. … The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates in November announced that it had chosen VSU for the site of the second presidential debate, on Oct. 1. The school in Ettrick … said it would be the first historically Black college or university to host a general election presidential debate.
Loudoun parents, activists question need for SROs in elementary schools
Some parents and liberal groups have pushed back on a panel’s recommendation to place security guards or police officers at each of the county’s 61 public elementary schools. Several activist organizations, including the Loudoun Democratic Committee, endorsed a May 13 statement that said stationing police officers, known in this context as “school resource officers,” in schools does not make students safer.
Racism, hate speech, harassment evident on baseball team, Virginia Beach school system says
The Kempsville High School boys varsity baseball team is forfeiting the rest of the season due to an investigation into allegations of racism, hate speech, and harassment, according to a message from the school’s principal.
SCC Hearing Examiner Recommends Denial of Greenway Toll Increases
State Corporation Commission Senior Hearing Examiner Michael Thomas on Wednesday released a report recommending denial of a rate increase submitted by Toll Road Investors Partnership II, the company that owns the Dulles Greenway. He ruled the increase in the maximum tolls charged to most drivers because it would “materially discourage use of the Greenway,” in violation of state law. The request, submitted in July of last year, is to increase rates to $8.10 during peak hours, up from the current $5.80; and to $6.40 during off-peak hours, up from $5.25. A hearing on the application was conducted in February, following a public comment period and public hearings.
Colonial Williamsburg archaeologist uncovers Revolutionary War barracks
A revolutionary discovery has been made at Colonial Williamsburg. Archaeologist have uncovered evidence of a Revolutionary War barracks on foundation property near the regional visitor center. According to 18th-century maps and other documents, a barracks was constructed in 1776-1777 to accommodate up to 2,000 soldiers and 100 horses. The barracks are believed to have been destroyed by fire in 1781 by General Cornwallis’ troops.
Yancey: In agreeing to debate, Biden and Trump cast aside a Virginia school
The presidential debate deal announced Wednesday may be good for the two candidates (they wouldn’t have agreed to it if it weren’t) — and might even be good for voters. It won’t be good for one Virginia school. Virginia State University had been picked by the Commission on Presidential Debates as a site for one of three presidential debates this fall. Instead, the campaigns of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump decided to bypass the commission and agree to two debates, each handled by a major television network. The Republican National Committee voted two years ago to withdraw its support for the debate commission, believing it was biased against the party’s candidates (even though one of the commission’s co-chairs is a former chair of the RNC). What’s new here is that the Democrats have now ditched the commission as well.
Unsealed federal lawsuit alleges Omega Protein skirted U.S. citizen ownership requirement
A recently unsealed federal lawsuit alleges that the lone menhaden reduction fishery in the Chesapeake Bay broke federal law by creating a shell company to cover-up its foreign ownership, routing profits to a Canadian company instead of keeping them in Virginia. Benson Chiles and Chris Manthey, two private investigators involved in environmental conservation efforts, brought forward the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2021 against Omega Protein under the False Claims Act, saying the company violated the Jones Act and American Fisheries Act by not disclosing that its owners are family.
Salem pharmacy fined $75,000 for vaccine, drug violations in 2021, 2022
A CVS in Salem delegated the provision of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 to an untrained nurse who injected a youth with six doses at once, according to state records. One of a dozen violations found in connection with a routine inspection in January 2022, authorities cited the drugstore for posing a danger to the public’s health. The long-pending case was resolved when the Virginia Board of Pharmacy fined the store $75,000 earlier this month for violations of state law including the state Drug Control Act.
Prince Edward schools that helped usher in Brown v. Board of Education still in disrepair
A small group of Robert Russa Moton High School students in Farmville began gathering in secret months before an April 23, 1951, walkout to protest the unequal conditions of school facilities for Black students. “It was the same type of secrecy that was developed during the Manhattan Project,” said John Stokes, one of the walkout’s organizers. “We had to trust everyone so we could pull this thing off.” Students decided to report a fake disturbance downtown, luring Moton Principal M. Boyd Jones away from school on the day of the protest. … When Jones returned to school, the strike was in full force. About 400 students gathered in the auditorium to hear a speech from 16-year-old student Barbara Johns before walking out of the school in protest.
Ambitious vision has the Port of Virginia positioned for success
The Port of Virginia has big plans for the future — and that’s great news for Hampton Roads and the larger commonwealth. Friday’s State of the Port event saw officials outline an ambitious timeline for growth, including becoming the deepest and widest East Coast port by next year. Success in those efforts should ensure that the billions in economic activity generated by the port — the revenue it produces and the jobs it creates and maintains — continue to serve our communities.