Recent News
Virginia AG launches voter protection unit ahead of midterm elections
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones on Tuesday announced a new Voter Protection Section, creating a team of dedicated lawyers to investigate voting rights violations and enforce state election laws three...
Should a Virginia jail be exempt from state standards just because it contracts with ICE?
Harsh practices used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue to make news across the country, with detainees including U.S. citizens describing agents kneeling on their necks, holding them in...
Trump administration appeals judge’s order blocking White House ban of 3 news outlets
WASHINGTON — A federal judge late Tuesday extended a block on a Trump administration ban of press passes for three news organizations, which will allow them to continue to enter...
Subramanyam questions Loudoun transmission line route process, offers new paths for SCC to consider
The debate over the final path for Dominion Energy’s controversial high-voltage transmission line project in Loudoun County continues, with U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, now urging the State Corporation Commission...
Study provides a remedy for coal dust in Newport News. Good luck getting terminal operators to pay.
Coal dust, a decades-long scourge for thousands of residents of Hampton Roads cities where mammoth coal terminals operate, could be less of a menace in Newport News if local officials...
Measles cases reach 4,080 for the year — the highest in decades
Measles cases for the calendar year surpassed 4,000 for the first time in decades, with as many as five deaths in Pennsylvania, as the federal government steps in with financial...
US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal
The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan...
Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections
In the course of a single election cycle, the backlash against data centers has grown from an issue at local planning commission and city council meetings to become a flashpoint in...
Vindman faces crowded field and economic pressures in Virginia’s 7th District Congressional race
U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Woodbridge, is seeking a second term in one of Virginia’s most politically astute and competitive districts, where five challengers — including Republican Douglas Ollivant — are...
Here’s where doctors diverge on Va.’s pending reproductive rights constitutional amendment
As OBGYN Dr. Christina Francis stood in Virginia’s General Assembly Building earlier this month to speak against a proposed reproductive rights constitutional amendment, she said that voters “should not look...
In capital punishment, failure is a feature
In his 1975 book, “Systemantics,” John Gall hypothesizes that complex systems tend to fail, and not because of bad intentions, incompetent operators, or a few correctable defects. Organizations and other...
Virginia teachers balance AI innovation with student creativity amid rising academic pressure
Students face pressure to do well from family expectations, peer competition, college admissions, and a broader achievement-focused culture. Some Virginia education experts say it is leading them to rely on...
Constitutional: The amendment that could permanently protect reproductive rights in Virginia
Kacia Kriener Putman credits abortion access with her ability to grow her family. Three weeks before first pregnancy’s due date, the Alexandria resident developed pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening high blood...
Proposed Head Start changes would eliminate slots for Virginia children experiencing homelessness
Pending changes to Head Start initiated by President Donald Trump’s administration could make it harder for Virginia families to utilize the program, including those whose families lack permanent shelter. A...
Warner, Mizusawa outline competing approaches to disability policy
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., called for federal artificial intelligence regulations and stronger healthcare funding Wednesday as he and Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa outlined competing approaches to protecting Virginians with...
Recent News
Board to discuss solar ordinance at Monday meeting – The Enterprise
By Taylor Boyd The Patrick County Board of Supervisors will consider a draft solar ordinance proposed by the Planning Commission at its Monday, Feb. 9 meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in the third-floor courtroom of the Patrick County Administration Building. The ordinance was sent to the board more than four months ago, on Sept. 16. Kurt Bozenmayer, then chairman of the commission, asked the board to take action on the proposed solar ordinance at the...
Read moreDetailsLocal volunteers go above and beyond for Fincastle shelter animals – Fincastle Herald
By Matt de Simone When a winter storm threatened the League for Animal Protection in late January, the shelter’s safety depended not on equipment, but on people willing to step in at a moment’s notice. As freezing temperatures and icy conditions approached, shelter officials learned that the facility’s backup generator had failed — a discovery that raised immediate concerns for the dogs and cats in their care. “We realized the generator wasn’t working the very day the storm was...
Read moreDetailsSupervisors approve confidential retail deal, elect new leadership at January meeting – Fincastle Herald
By Matt de Simone In a surprise move during its January meeting, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a performance agreement tied to a proposed major retail development, an item added to the agenda as a walk-on without advance public notice. County Administrator Gary Larrowe presented the agreement, describing it as a preliminary step to allow a developer to seek financing for a “confidential” national destination retailer proposed for the Gateway Crossing area near the Interstate 81...
Read moreDetailsBuchanan Theatre to close for long-awaited renovations – Fincastle Herald
The Buchanan Theatre will close following this Saturday’s final screenings as the historic venue begins a long-anticipated renovation project aimed at improving accessibility, comfort and long-term efficiency while preserving the theater’s beloved character. The project is being funded largely through grants from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, awarded two years ago. Theater officials said the timeline was extended as architects, engineers and contractors were secured and detailed plans finalized for the complex renovation of the aging building. Once construction...
Read moreDetailsCommunity invited to shape future of Greenfield Recreation Park – Fincastle Herald
Botetourt County Parks and Recreation has unveiled the first two conceptual designs for the Greenfield Recreation Park Master Plan, marking an important early step in a long-term vision for one of the county’s most beloved outdoor spaces. The concepts, released last week, are the result of community survey feedback gathered over recent months. According to Parks and Recreation officials, resident input played a central role in shaping the preliminary layouts, amenities, and overall direction of the proposed park improvements. “We’ve...
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