Search
Kaine wants to help immigrant health care workers in U.S.
In Uzbekistan, Dora was a well-respected oncologist with more than 25 years of experience taking care of cancer patients. In the United States, she was told that her medical license would not be accepted, that her English was too poor to work with patients. She was encouraged to get a job in a cafeteria or as a housekeeper. “That was a big humiliation for me because nobody had ever said those bad words to me. After that, I was depressed, I cried a lot,” Dora told The Daily Progress. Dora, who asked to use a different name to conceal her identity, found employment at a large-scale, chain grocery store in Charlottesville. Yet, as a former physician once in charge of an entire medical department, the job is “horrible for me.”
Report shows Va. teachers make less than national average
Educators have long called for higher salaries, and while efforts to achieve that were successful in some parts of the country in the last year, it isn’t enough to keep up with inflation, according to a new report. The National Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the U.S., released its newest data on teacher salaries on Tuesday. On average, teachers in the U.S. are making $69,544.
Virginia offshore wind project hits whale trouble
A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to clarify its plans for protecting endangered whales during construction of one of the nation’s largest offshore wind farms. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has until Friday to file a report on whether NOAA Fisheries approved mitigation plans to protect the North Atlantic right whale. The order from Judge Loren AliKhan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia comes as Dominion Energy prepares to lay the foundation for wind turbines off Virginia’s coast.
Students, faculty arrested at Virginia Tech now face possibility of university discipline
Emon Green was one of 82 people arrested and charged with trespassing on Sunday night at a pro-Palestinian encampment as it was being broken up by Virginia Tech campus police. But dealing with the aftermath with the university could be worse than facing his misdemeanor charge. “I’m more concerned about what the school is going to do, than what the law is going to do,” Green said Wednesday while visiting the protest that had once again formed outside the student center, across the sidewalk from the Graduate Life Center where the encampment had convened for three days.
Hashmi cites record of wins in bid for lieutenant governor
Virginia state Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi will announce Thursday that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in her party’s June 2025 primary. A former literature professor and community college administrator, Hashmi (Chesterfield) became the first Muslim in the Virginia Senate and the first Muslim woman in either chamber after flipping a redrawn suburban Richmond district in 2019.
Virginia should raise its cap on film and TV tax incentives
The artists who make film and television often find themselves attracted to pursue their vision in Virginia, particularly when the subject matter springs from events that took place here. But too often the commonwealth misses out on these opportunities because other states offer more robust incentives to attract productions. Even a modest increase in those benefits would help boost Virginia’s competitiveness, and the return on investment, though not guaranteed in the fickle world of entertainment, can be substantial, making it an attractive area of opportunity that state officials should pursue.
Chesapeake infrastructure projects will cost millions more due to inflation
A new elementary school in Chesapeake will be $15 million more expensive than previously projected. The cost to widen George Washington Highway has increased $12 million. Those are two capital projects Chesapeake city leaders say are being impacted by high inflation rates that have been felt widely among consumers across the nation. As Hampton Roads cities finalize fiscal year budgets that will guide spending over the next year, local governments are feeling the pinch, too.
Petersburg mayor says city ‘told the truth’ about casino pressure from legislature
Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham said Wednesday that he stands by the allegation that his city faced political pressure from the General Assembly to choose a particular casino developer or risk losing the opportunity to have a casino altogether. Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, whom the Petersburg City Council has alleged had a hand in that pressure, has disputed the city’s characterization of events as “revisionist history.” Speaking with reporters late Wednesday afternoon following a closed council meeting on the casino project, Parham didn’t back down.
Number of incarcerated pregnant women increases amid opioid epidemic
Karlee Clements was six months pregnant, “full on into addiction” and begging to go to jail because she was afraid she would kill her child. Soon after, she was incarcerated at Riverside Regional Jail for a violation. Because of her baby’s low heart rate, she was sent to Chippenham Hospital, where she spent the remainder of her pregnancy. Zip-tied to a hospital bed, with a Riverside officer next to her, Clements gave birth to a baby girl and spent three days with her, per Virginia law. Restraints are no longer allowed on inmates during labor, except under certain circumstances.
UVa. student protest remains subdued in its second day
A student-led protest at the University of Virginia remained peaceful as it entered its second day Wednesday, standing in stark contrast to how similar anti-Israel protests have unfolded across the country and the commonwealth. Roughly 80 protesters — a crowd including students, faculty and Charlottesville community members — spent the day on the school’s Lawn ...