Author
Churchill Downs faces tough election night in Virginia
Tuesday was a tough night for Churchill Downs in Virginia. The multistate gaming and horse-racing company, best known for its ownership of the Churchill Downs racetrack where the Kentucky Derby is held, put millions of dollars this campaign season toward getting voters to back two ballot measures that would further expand its gambling operations in […]
Madison County wildfire spreads to nearly 2,500 acres, including part of Shenandoah Natl Park
A Madison County wildfire that broke out near the community of Syria Oct. 24 has now spread to almost 2,500 acres as state and local firefighters work to contain it. While no structures have been damaged by the blaze to date, Madison County officials have issued a voluntary evacuation for residents north of Finks Hollow […]
Richmond casino promoters make racially inflammatory remarks on local radio
Radio entrepreneur Cathy Hughes may have upended her push to build a casino in Richmond by letting her opinions fly on the radio. Just days before Richmonders head to the polls to vote a second time on a proposed casino partly owned by Urban One, the media company Hughes founded, casino opponents published a series […]
Energy tech testbed to develop projects on 65K acres in Virginia’s Wise Co.
A public-private initiative that aims to test out emerging energy technologies on Southwest Virginia lands formerly mined for coal has signed an agreement to develop its projects on 65,000 acres primarily located in Wise County that are owned by a major natural gas and pipeline company. The deal, announced by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office […]
Four takeaways from the last campaign finance reports of Virginia’s 2023 elections
Election Day is one week away in Virginia, where all 140 General Assembly seats are on the ballot in a high-stakes year that will determine whether Republicans seize full control of state government, Democrats resurge to hold onto the Senate and take back the House or divided power continues for another two years. Virginia’s off-year […]
Madison County wildfire expands to 425 acres near Shenandoah National Park
A wildfire that began a week ago on 20 acres in central Virginia’s Madison County has expanded to 425 acres near Shenandoah National Park and is expected to grow while firefighters construct a broader containment line to stop the blaze’s spread. “The objective is to burn out the fuel (leaves, fallen trees, branches, etc.) between […]
Winchester man sentenced for embezzlement from regional community services board
The former information technology manager for the Harrisonburg-area community services board will serve 15 years in prison for embezzling almost $1 million in public funds between 2019 and 2021, when he was arrested. Winchester resident Andrew Hahn agreed to plead guilty to five counts of embezzlement and one count of money laundering. Investigators found that […]
Virginia’s (rescheduled) sales tax holiday is this weekend. Here’s what you can buy.
After the General Assembly forgot to renew the state’s typical August sales tax holiday during a chaotic and drawn-out budget process, Virginians used to stocking up on tax-free school supplies and other products in one weekend were out of luck. Until now. Budget amendments passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this […]
Va. man imprisoned for 9 years over beer and sandwich theft can pursue malpractice suit, court says
The Virginia Court of Appeals is allowing a legal malpractice suit to go forward in a case brought by a Rockingham County man who served almost nine years in prison for his involvement in the 2012 theft of sandwiches and two cases of beer from a grocery store in Harrisonburg. The ruling, handed down Tuesday, […]
State report finds child care is unaffordable for most Va. families with young kids
Child care is unaffordable for the majority of Virginia families with young children and nearly all low-income families with young children, a study by the state’s legislative watchdog found. According to the report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, child care is unaffordable for 85% of Virginia families with infants, 82% of families […]
Supreme Court of Virginia rejects challenge to 2022 narrowing of sentencing reforms
The Supreme Court of Virginia rejected a Virginia inmate’s argument that last-minute changes in the state’s 2022 budget rolling back earlier sentencing reforms had wrongly blocked him from being let out early for good behavior. In a decision that touched on the finer points of how policies become law, the court ruled that language in […]
Multiple Virginia school districts targeted with hoax bomb threats
More than half a dozen Virginia school districts received bomb threats Tuesday and Wednesday in what could have been a coordinated effort to disrupt schools. “The Virginia State Police is aware of and tracking the various local law enforcement agencies that responded to bomb threats called in to local schools across the commonwealth yesterday and […]