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These are the people who will decide Metro’s future

By NATE DOUGHTY, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) have created a task force charged with developing a unified vision for the region’s transportation system and coming up with a sustainable funding model for Metro that is palatable to political leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The task force, dubbed DMV Moves, was unveiled in D.C. Wednesday at the first-ever joint board meeting of two organizations. The 20-person task force will be made up primarily of political leaders across D.C., Virginia and Maryland appointed by the Council of Governments as well as four representatives appointed by Metro.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Luna claws back cash, benefits from former CEO Graeff

By JEFF STURGEON, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Luna Innovations declared this week that its former president and CEO, Scott Graeff, engaged in prohibited conduct in connection with a series of incorrect financial statements — triggering a claw back of severance and stock benefits payable to Graeff for his assisting the company after his March 24 retirement, according to the company. A personnel shakeup continued as Luna leadership also fired Chief Technology Officer Brian Soller for cause Friday … The disclosures appeared in a late Wednesday afternoon filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and triggered a temporary plunge in company stock to near $2 a share.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Virginia Guard, Finland in formal partnership

By DAVE RESS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The connection was forged nearly 25 years ago when soldiers from the Virginia National Guard‘s 29th Infantry Division served alongside soldiers from Finland on a peacekeeping rotation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Now, Virginia’s Guard is the official state partner of Finland’s Defense Forces. Gov. Glenn Youngkin made it formal during a visit to Helsinki on his four-nation trade mission, signing a partnership agreement with Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Yancey: Cumberland County teacher is a model for how he’s led students to research state’s history

By DWAYNE YANCEY, Cardinal News

In March 2023, a historical marker was unveiled at Roanoke College. The subject matter was unusual enough: It recognized Kim Kyusik, a leader in the Korean independence movement, who had been a student at the Salem school in the early 1900s. At a time when segregation was the order of the day in Virginia, Roanoke College had made a concerted effort to recruit students from Korea. Between 1894 and 1930, some 30 Korean students matriculated at Roanoke College. Research by Roanoke College professors Whitney Leeson and Stella Xu suggests that Roanoke College at the time had more Korean students than any other college in the United States.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Police raze pro-Palestine encampment at VCU; students outraged

By ANDREW KERLEY, SARAH HAGEN, JACK GLAGOLA AND THAILON WILSON, Commonwealth Times

Pro-Palestine VCU students protested what they called the ongoing genocide in Gaza on Monday, April 29, by building an encampment on campus. The protest began with song and dance and ended with pepper spray, smoke bombs and 13 arrests by police. The incident comes amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests and consequential arrests on college campuses across the country. In Virginia, at least 94 protesters in total have been arrested at Virginia Tech and the University of Mary Washington over the last week. Students started peaceful protests at the University of Virginia and Christopher Newport University on Tuesday, April 30, and at James Madison University on Wednesday, May 1, according to reports by multiple Virginia newspapers.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Lerch: Va. counties step up to meet solar energy demand

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

There’s been considerable discussion recently regarding county review and approval of utility-scale solar projects. We would like to provide some context to this important conversation on behalf of Virginia counties. Members of the Virginia Association of Counties are accommodating this emerging and intensive land use in a responsible and inclusive manner. Over the past decade, Virginia local governments have approved 260 projects totaling 11,640 megawatts in capacity generation. That’s 69 counties, eight cities and six towns that have said yes to utility-scale solar ...

Lerch is director of local government policy for the Virginia Association of Counties.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Protesters call for VCU president’s resignation, condemn police response to demonstrations

By SAMUEL B. PARKER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Pro-Palestine protest organizers gathered on the lawn outside the James Branch Cabell Library at Virginia Commonwealth University on Thursday afternoon and called for university President Michael Rao’s resignation or removal on the heels of Monday’s violent showdown between police and demonstrators. The clashes, which came after protesters set up an encampment on the lawn outside the library, resulted in 13 arrests and numerous reported injuries to both police and protesters.

VaNews May 3, 2024


VPAP Visual Four Measures of Legislators’ Wealth

The Virginia Public Access Project

Annual disclosures from members of the 2024 General Assembly highlight differences, and similarities, between political parties across four measures of personal wealth.

VaNews May 6, 2024


Conservative groups challenge wind farm project; Dominion says it’s still on track

By DAVE RESS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Three groups that are challenging Biden administration energy policy as climate change alarmism want to block work on Dominion Energy’s offshore wind project. The groups — Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, The Heartland Institute and National Legal and Policy Center — say the Biden administration’s push to develop wind farms threatens the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

VaNews May 3, 2024


Dominion responds to lawsuit over environmental concerns of offshore wind project

By MADIE MACDONALD, WAVY-TV

In the past few months, multiple whales, including a right whale who had recently given birth, died along the Virginia coast, causing some groups to question the advancement of wind energy off the coast. Three public interest groups, as well as two individuals, filed a lawsuit against Dominion Energy and the Biden administration, [hoping] to delay the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW) project.

VaNews May 3, 2024