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With a year in the books, Danville’s casino prepares for 2024 opening of full resort
When the temporary Danville Casino opened its doors a year ago, the city was introduced to an entirely new industry. Over the last 12 months more table games and slots have been added, investment levels have increased, partnerships have been formed with local organizations, and most obviously, significant progress has been made on construction of the permanent resort. The structure of the permanent casino’s hotel tower has been built, complete with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. And steel framing is going up for the anticipated restaurants, meeting space and gaming floor.
Youngkin signs overdose prevention, Xylazine penalty bills at Abingdon High School
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin was joined by Abingdon High School students Thursday as he signed three bills related to overdose prevention and drug education. Youngkin was joined on stage by students as he signed SB 614, SB 726 and SB 725. SB 614 combats the manufacturing of Xylazine, and SB 726 requires Virginia school boards to create policies and procedures for opioid overdose prevention and treatment in schools. … SB 614 combats the manufacturing of Xylazine by allowing law enforcement to charge dealers with a Class 5 felony.
Bills to help kids avoid foster care, improve social media safety signed by Youngkin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin ceremonially signed legislation Tuesday intended to help children avoid foster care. “By establishing a robust statutory framework centered on kinship care, we pave a pathway towards permanency for Virginia’s children, ensuring consistent practice across all local social services,” Youngkin said in a Tuesday news release. ... Legislation relating to online protections for children’s data and a merger between two educational institutions in Norfolk are among the other final bills that recently received Youngkin’s signature.
In Stafford, Youngkin signs three bills to protect child sex-crime victims
When Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey stepped to the podium Wednesday at the Stafford County Public Safety Center, he began citing a recent Washington Post report that disturbed him. The article was about a Wisconsin man who allegedly used Artificial Intelligence to create more than 13,000 images of children engaging in sexual acts. … Mehaffey was concerned because, in Virginia, no existing law addressed the creation of AI-generated child pornography images.
Bubbosh and Hicks: In fight against climate change, rural localities need help. Here’s the plan
The amount of federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act and other laws that is available to local governments is staggering. There are billions of dollars in federal assistance for buildings, vehicles, electricity and more that target local governments. This funding can help Virginians lower home electricity bills and vehicle fuel costs, protect and enhance property values, ensure energy security and independence, and improve overall quality of life. However, without more direct state government support and assistance, Virginia’s small and rural areas will struggle to access these funds ...
Friday Read A fan hit by a foul ball stayed through the 9th. Now she’s on a baseball card.
Topps Now trading cards have celebrated some of baseball’s biggest achievements in recent years. One marked Shohei Ohtani cranking his 40th home run last season. Another commemorated Framber Valdez throwing a no-hitter with the fewest pitches in more than two decades. And a third memorialized the Chicago Cubs blasting seven home runs in a single game, the most by a team in nearly a half century. The newest addition to the Topps Now pantheon: Liz McGuire, a 40-year-old project manager from Toronto. Her achievement: getting drilled with a 110 mph foul ball during Friday night’s Toronto Blue Jays game and, despite a baseball-sized knot on her forehead, staying until the last pitch.
Immigration, drug trafficking take center stage in 7th District GOP primary
In a crowded field of Republican candidates, Derrick Anderson is trying to break away from the pack in a second TV advertisement laser-focused on illegal immigration and the cross-border trafficking of the lethal drug fentanyl. The Spotsylvania County native is among six candidates seeking the GOP nomination for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, which spans from Albemarle County to Fredericksburg and is now held by Democrat Abigail Spanberger.
U.S. Park Service reverses course, will allow Mass at Petersburg cemetery
Facing a lawsuit and pressure from Virginia officials, the National Park Service on Thursday agreed to allow the Petersburg council of the Knights of Columbus to hold a Memorial Day Mass at Poplar Grove National Cemetery — a reversal from the NPS’ earlier decision to bar the group from observing religious ceremonies on the grounds of the cemetery. Attorneys for the Petersburg chapter of the Catholic fraternal organization on Tuesday filed a motion seeking a restraining order against the NPS, alleging that the service was violating the organization’s First Amendment rights by blocking the Mass, court records show.
Filler-Corn pushes back on attacks from Democratic PAC, accuses them of using antisemitic tropes
With unknown funding, Virginia Democratic Action PAC is attacking former Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn as she seeks the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 10th congressional district. Filler-Corn is responding to the attacks, calling them lies and baseless accusations. Connor Farrell, the PAC’s executive director, says she “is a good lobbyist for them, but a bad Democrat for us.” … Farrell founded Left Rising, a Democratic fundraising firm. The firm’s website says its mission is to bring “exceptional fundraising to a new generation of organizations and candidates—younger, more diverse, more progressive.” His social media feed shows support for candidates who are pro-Palestine. Filler-Corn, who is Jewish, says the attacks rely on antisemitic messaging.
Henrico County-based Altria seeks approval for lockable e-cigarette and flavored vaping pods
Henrico County-based tobacco giant Altria Group‘s vaping unit is asking federal regulators to let it sell a device that locks out users unless they can verify that they are old enough to legally use it. At the same time, Altria’s NJOY unit is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve watermelon- and blueberry-flavored nicotine vaping pods. The FDA does not currently allow fruit- or candy-flavored vapes.