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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.
New rules for ‘forever chemicals’ mean challenges, high costs for Fauquier County
Fauquier County has until 2029 to remove “forever chemicals” from public drinking water to comply with new EPA standards, but it’s going to be a heavy lift. This month, the Environmental Protection Agency released a first-of-its-kind standard for regulating PFAS compounds; it places strict limits on the concentration of chemicals allowed in public drinking water. PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” are man-made chemical compounds that are incredibly difficult to destroy and do not break down naturally.
VCU students upset about school’s handling of pro-Palestine protest
Students at Virginia Commonwealth University that VPM News spoke with Tuesday were upset with the way university officials handled Monday’s student-led protest calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war — and for the university to comply with a list of demands. “Today’s the last day of classes,” said 23-year-old VCU student William Spencer outside the James Cabell Library on Tuesday. “I don’t understand why you don’t let this sit out a week. And then people go home at the end of next week. And so honestly, I think it would have been much better from the university to just tolerate it.” Spencer, who attended Monday’s protest, questioned the university’s decision to get police involved and so quickly. He said he witnessed students get hurt.
Protest continues at Virginia Tech after encampment clearing
Three days after an encampment at Virginia Tech’s Graduate Life Center was broken up by police resulting in more than 80 arrests, pro-Palestinian protesters continue to gather near the area. Everyone arrested has since been released, with court summons for the coming weeks. Some of the people who were arrested have stopped to sit with the current protesters. The newer gathering is much smaller. On Wednesday morning, there were six people sitting outside the Squires Student Center, though Zachary Weiss, a computer science student at Virginia Tech, said the numbers fluctuate throughout the day. “It all depends on when people have classes,” Weiss said. “People come and go.”
Wilderness Battlefield back on list of Most Endangered Historic Places due to development
An influential preservation coalition assembled near a crossroads of history Wednesday morning to announce the Civil War Wilderness Battlefield is back on the list of America’s “11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” The National Trust for Historic Preservation approved the designation due to the massive Wilderness Crossing development envisioned, over 40 years, on more than 2,500 acres … in eastern Orange County. … Allowing developers to build Wilderness Crossing with its thousands of new houses, commercial buildings and data centers threatens the area’s history, environment, natural resources and quality of life, according to the coalition.
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.
Metro budget includes ‘modest’ service cuts, fare increases
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority last week passed its $4.8 billion Metro budget for the upcoming fiscal year with “modest changes” in service and fare increases, avoiding the drastic cuts previously proposed as the transit agency faced a $750 million shortfall. Beginning July 1, a 12.5% fare increase across all modes of transit will take effect to “keep fares in line with inflation,” a Metro press release said. ... This means bus and base rail fares will increase from $2 to $2.25, and maximum rail fares — those that apply to most trips from Loudoun County — will increase from $6 to $6.75.
C’ville residents: Comparing 2017 white supremacist rally to pro-Palestinian campus protests unfair
Rabbi Tom Gutherz of Congregation Beth Israel, Charlottesville’s only synagogue, says it’s “political theater” to compare the campus protests against U.S. involvement in the war in Gaza to the white supremacist rallies that took place in Charlottesville in August 2017 — which is what former president Donald Trump did last week. On April 24, after a day in a felony criminal trial in Manhattan, Trump criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of college protests by comparing them to the violent events in 2017, including the car attack by a neo-Nazi on counter-protesters that killed Heather Heyer and critically injured others.
Mayor defends accusations in Petersburg casino-choice resolution: ‘We told the truth’
Mayor Sam Parham vowed Wednesday that the city was moving forward with getting its casino referendum on the November ballot despite political “sideshows” from one of Petersburg's state legislators and a casino union who he says have tried to derail that progress. Parham’s comments came during an impromptu news conference after City Council amended and re-enacted, Wednesday night, a resolution picking The Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprise to build a multi-use casino-centric resort on 92 acres off Wagner Road. That resolution was originally adopted last week, but Wednesday's meeting was called to correct a clerical error.
Yancey: Here are the numbers that show why Russell County is looking at closing schools
Every day, there are about 55 earthquakes around the world. Most are small, sometimes imperceptible except to seismic instruments, but the ground beneath our feet is always moving as the tectonic plates inside the earth shift back and forth. Our demographics change in much the same way — usually slowly, in ways we barely notice, until the pressure builds up enough that there’s a big ground-shaker and earth-splitter. Across Virginia, particularly the western part, we’re seeing the tremors caused by those changing demographics. Franklin County is closing two schools because there aren’t enough students. Bedford County and Lynchburg have looked at closing schools for the same reason, but so far elected officials there have managed to avoid that unpopular, although sometimes necessary, outcome.