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City manager’s pending departure sets up complex scenario for Roanoke City Council
A city manager steps down and the mayor replaces him. It’s a rare situation, but not unheard of in Virginia. The most recent example happened in Roanoke this week, when the city council unanimously accepted Bob Cowell’s resignation, effective June 7, then approved a resolution that makes Mayor Sherman Lea the acting manager, starting the next day.
City agrees to state giving Hotel Petersburg developers $2.2 million so project can finish on time
City Council agreed Tuesday night to $2.2 million in state tourism-funded gap financing to push the long-awaited Hotel Petersburg project across the finish line this fall. The $2.2 million equals 1% of the anticipated yearly revenue the hotel and all of its amenities will generate. It would be paid back over 20 years by the developer, Nathaniel Cuthbert of Tabb Street Development LLC.
In rare agricultural land auction, large Suffolk farm near downtown lands in developer’s hands
On a drizzly Wednesday morning in a Suffolk hotel ballroom, hundreds of acres of farmland came up for grabs. For a local developer, it’s a great opportunity for his company in the region’s fastest growing city. For others, the sale represents another swath of prime Suffolk farmland destined for transformation into suburban subdivisions or something similarly clad in concrete.
Virginia Beach’s infamous ‘no-cursing’ signs will be sold to raise money for police charity
Ever wonder what in the @?#!! happened to those old “no-cursing” signs at the Oceanfront? They’ve been sitting in storage since the city took them down in 2019. Now, the Virginia Beach Police Foundation wants to sell the signs to raise money for police-related charitable programs. Mayor Bobby Dyer got the green light Tuesday from his city council colleagues to donate them to the foundation.
Diamond District bonds help Richmond achieve first AAA credit rating from Fitch
Changing its approach to financing the Diamond District has helped the City of Richmond achieve its first AAA credit rating, the highest possible, from one of the big three U.S. bond rating agencies. City officials on Thursday celebrated the upgrade from Fitch Ratings with a news conference and reception in the observation deck atop City Hall.
Richmond receives AAA bond rating for first time
For the first time in its history, Richmond has received a AAA bond rating — the highest possible mark of financial success. Fitch, one of three municipal credit agencies, upgraded the city’s rating this week from its previous general obligation debt rating of AA+. As a result, the city will now be able to borrow more funds at the lowest possible interest rate — saving the city millions in interest on capital projects.
Last city approves sale of Hampton Roads Regional Jail to Portsmouth
Hampton City Council unanimously approved selling the Hampton Roads Regional Jail to Portsmouth Wednesday. It was the final of the five member cities to sign off on the deal. Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Portsmouth approved the sale a week prior. Hampton will receive about $8 million of the $31.5 million sale. City officials plan on using that sum to buy into the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk at a cost of $5.7 million. That facility has already been housing Hampton inmates amid its downtown jail renovations.
Biden administration retreats, allows Knights of Columbus to hold Memorial Day Mass
A local Knights of Columbus council will once again be able to hold its Memorial Day Mass at Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia, after an about-face by the National Park Service. The First Liberty Institute said Thursday that the Petersburg National Battlefield has granted a permit for the Knights of Columbus Council 694 to hold its annual service, a tradition that dates back at least 60 years, after previously rejecting the group’s request.
Facial recognition takes off at Richmond airport
All of Richmond Airport’s security checkpoints now have facial recognition technology as part of a TSA program slated for over 400 airports nationwide. It’s designed to boost security and in some cases, speed things up — which might help as airports brace for a record-breaking travel season this summer. Facial recognition tech is already a part of a pilot TSAPreCheck program in which participating travelers can go through security without presenting physical IDs or boarding passes.
Sen. Tim Kaine says he still has concerns about Mountain Valley Pipeline
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says he hopes government agencies ensure the Mountain Valley Pipeline is safe before granting authorization to begin running gas. On a call with reporters Thursday, Kaine said he’s frustrated Congress fast-tracked MVP last summer. “Congress choosing to weigh in on this one, I think was a big, big mistake,” Kaine said. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin inserted a section into the Fiscal Responsibility Act which put MVP on the fast track to completion, and ordered agencies to grant approval.