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Sen. Warner talks technology and intelligence in swing through Western Virginia

By TAD DICKENS, Cardinal News

Biotechnologists and life scientists could be players in the U.S.’s defense and intelligence worlds, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, told a group gathered on Wednesday in Roanoke. Warner was part of a roundtable at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, where he heard a lot about the Roanoke-Blacksburg region’s growth over the past decade. Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told the group that one of his jobs is to try to broaden the definition of national security beyond tanks, guns, ships and planes.

VaNews March 28, 2024


The future of energy in Hampton Roads: Local leaders weigh how to meet rising demand

By KATHERINE HAFNER, WHRO

Hampton Roads officials are discussing how to address energy demand that’s expected to surge in the coming decades — because they say doing nothing is not an option. “We will not keep a status quo if we get no new energy in our region,” Hampton City Manager Mary Bunting said at a recent meeting of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. “We will actually fall even further behind. … ” The ongoing discussions have grown out of a regional analysis completed a couple years ago called the Hampton Roads Long-Term Energy Roadmap.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Nauticus preps for thousands of cruise passengers in Norfolk after Baltimore bridge collapse

By PRESTON STEGER AND ANGELIQUE ARINTOK, WVEC-TV

Nauticus is gearing up for thousands of cruise ship passengers arriving and departing Norfolk on Easter weekend following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Tuesday morning. Amid clean-up and recovery efforts around the bridge, Carnival Cruise Lines announced Tuesday night it will temporarily move its Baltimore-based operations of the Legend vessel to Norfolk. Officials with the Port of Baltimore said incoming and outgoing vessel traffic is suspended until further notice.

VaNews March 28, 2024


UVa. president to meet graduate students and address payment concerns

By THOMAS BAXTER, Cavalier Daily

In what some graduate students concerned with years of late and incorrect stipend payments see as a turning point, President Jim Ryan has agreed to meet with graduate student leaders April 4 to discuss solutions to the payment problems. Ryan agreed to meet with graduate students after members of the University’s chapter of the United Campus Workers of Virginia attended the March 1 Board of Visitors meeting with signs and flyers detailing their concerns and highlighting the importance of graduate workers for the University’s academic success and longevity. The protest did not disrupt any Board activities.

VaNews March 28, 2024


ABC balks at adopting revised revenue forecast in face of shortfall

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority failed again on Wednesday to adopt a revised financial forecast to reflect declining sales revenues that have created an estimated $110 million shortfall in profits that the authority had promised for the pending two-year state budget. Interim CEO Tom Kirby did not ask the authority board of directors to adopt the revised forecast for the second time this month, noting that Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly had not asked for further updates since the scope of the projected shortfall became public on March 19.

VaNews March 28, 2024


‘We are not going to be able to survive’: Business owners urge Youngkin to sign bill allowing regulated skill games

By SIERRA KRUG, WRIC-TV

Since 2020, it’s been a hot and cold, unpredictable ride as the legality of convenience stores operating skill games came into question time and time again. Business owners started unplugging their machines last year after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled electronic, slot-like machines were too close to illegal gambling. Now, new legislation on the table could shuffle the cards once again. On Tuesday, March 26, local business owners and skill game advocates gathered in Capitol Square, pleading for Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign a bill into law that would revitalize what they call a major source of revenue, while adding some regulations.

VaNews March 28, 2024


How central Virginia’s mail delivery imploded

By HAYLEIGH COLOMBO AND LUCA POWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Last summer, United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy laid out what he called a “splendid vision” for the future of the Postal Service. In his vision, one of America’s oldest agencies would shed the shackles of inefficiency and become greener, leaner, and finally competitive with logistics titans like Amazon. DeJoy said his plan — Delivering for America — would save his agency from dire financial straits and give America “the best national delivery system in the world.”

VaNews March 27, 2024


Patrick County hospital sold again

By BILL WYATT, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The former Pioneer Community Hospital property on Jeb Stuart Highway has been sold again and Patrick County officials are seeking partnerships with other providers. Foresight Health purchased the property in 2022 for $2.1 million and, earlier this month, sold it to Wolf of Wabash LLC for $1.6 million, according to records on file at the Patrick County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Both companies are based in Chicago.

VaNews March 27, 2024


Beaudet: Restricting vaping products will only help big tobacco, not consumers

By TOM BEAUDET, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

It can’t be said any clearer than this: Virginia is on the brink of disaster when it comes to helping people quit smoking cigarettes if Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs Senate Bill 550 and House Bill 1609 into law. This legislation effectively bans most forms of vaping products while giving a major carve-out to the same products produced by big tobacco companies. This legislation will drive large numbers of consumers back to cigarettes in stark contrast to the decades spent encouraging people to give up the unhealthy practice.

Beaudet is CEO of Accorto Regulatory Solutions.

VaNews March 27, 2024


Yancey: Students are forced to subsidize college sports. Why?

By DWAYNE YANCEY, Cardinal News

The James Madison men’s basketball team lost its NCAA tournament game against Duke over the weekend, but JMU has still finished first in one national category — just not a good one. A recent report by Sportico, a news site devoted to covering “the business of sports,” said that JMU used more money in student fees to support intercollegiate athletics than any other school in the country. In second place was Old Dominion University.

VaNews March 27, 2024