1/9/24 - Virginia's oyster harvest hits milestone; Norfolk casino plans; and other stories

Why are cities independent from counties in Virginia?

With a $1 billion manufacturing plant still in the offing in Chesterfield, Lego Group recently kicked off operations at a temporary product packaging facility elsewhere in the county; As the General Assembly prepares to convene for its 2024 session in its brand new building in Richmond next week, the state government is taking a closer look at the overall layout and development potential of Capitol Square; and as design work continues on its anchor baseball stadium, efforts to tee up the first phase of Richmond’s Diamond District project are getting a funding boost from the city’s Economic Development Authority.

Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer addressed complaints Thursday from local restaurant owners who claim they were not being properly notified of meals tax payment issues; Community Health Workers are public health workers who come from the communities they serve; The new RSV vaccine for babies is in short supply.

Several Richmond-area restaurant owners are objecting to penalties, they say the city’s finance department has unfairly charged them in connection with the meals tax; On Tuesday, the Charlottesville City Council unanimously voted to elect Councilor Juandiego Wade as the new mayor; On Tuesday, Richmond’s City Council elected a new president and vice president.

How “healthy” is any Richmonder’s access to what’s needed to survive and thrive in 2023?

Exploring how Richmond's neighborhoods promote — or hinder — residents' well-being.

More residential units are in store for Regency; The home of a longtime West End bakery is being eyed for redevelopment; A Short Pump site once floated for a car vending machine tower is now slated for a slightly shorter hotel; and other local business stories.

Also: Candidates are set for Senate District 9's special election, that RVA–RAL train is years off and some Central Virginia holiday resources.

Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed his two-year budget on wednesday; The Arlington County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to continue ranked choice voting in all future County Board primary elections; The Richmond Police Department has launched its version of a powerful surveillance network known as a real time crime center.

Governor Glenn Youngkin will propose $50 million dollars in the state budget for the city of Richmond’s Combined Sewer Overflow projects – city leaders say that’s not enough; The United Network of Organ Sharing says a recent data breach may impact up to 1 point 2 million patient records; The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has named a suspect in its investigation into the death of a well-known Richmond buck.

A new state inspector general report has been released about the incorrect removal of 3,400 eligible voters from Virginia’s rolls; Gov. Youngkin announces proposed mental health bill in honor of Irvo Otieno; and other stories

The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services has withheld funding from local agencies for most of 2023, pending an investigation.

Henrico County honored three outgoing supervisors this week; 449 million dollars in federal funds for Hampton Roads are safe in this year’s national defense spending bill; An FBI official testifying before the U.S. House Oversight Committee Tuesday raised questions about the General Service Administration's site-selection process for the new FBI Headquarters.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin won’t roll out his next budget proposal until December 20th; Delegate Les Adams of Martinsville resigned from the Virginia house of delegates Tuesday. Adams is a Republican who ran unopposed in the November election; Chesterfield County resident Darlene Dragavon came across a granite marker in a community field with the words “In Memory of Joan C. Hall.”

Virginia congressman Bob Good will be the House Freedom Caucus’ next chairperson; The U.S. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing Tuesday on the site selection process for a new FBI headquarters; $90 million dollars will be included in Governor Glenn Youngkin's upcoming budget proposal to create a collaborative network among Virginia Tech, The University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University.

A state regulatory commission announced last year that Richmond’s 804 area code is running out of numbers; Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin appeared in Washington D.C., on Bloomberg Television Monday to discuss a range of topics, including the economy and Virginia’s recent elections; The research arm of Virginia's legislature recommended MONDAY that the state shut down its lone public psychiatric hospital for children.

Public space can be hard to come by in a city – and when it’s there, it doesn’t always serve the community’s needs.

The mixed-use redevelopment of Regency mall could spill across the street with an additional project envisioned at the site of what used to be an entrance ramp under Parham Road; As an income-based apartment project gets going across the street, a local church led by a state delegate-elect is looking to add to Chesterfield’s housing stock through a collaboration with a national homebuilder; and a storied Fan restaurant space in line to house an Italian restaurant is now set to be the next destination for a Chesterfield restaurateur who’s flying north into the city limits.

Virginia activists delivered a letter to the offices of Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine demanding they support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War; Virginia Democrats have introduced a constitutional amendment aimed at protecting abortion access — permanently, but it could be a lengthy process; and other stories

The Town of Kilmarnock has plans to double in size; Three families asked the Supreme Court in late November to pause construction on a natural gas pipeline in Southwest Virginia; Virginia has extended its contract with the state’s only privately run prison until mid-20-24

12/06/23 - As newly elected lawmakers head to Richmond, lobbyists remain; Richmond City Council speaks with potential 9th District candidates; The Life and Legacy of Enslaved Virginian Emily Winfree; and other stories

The mayor of Petersburg has stepped down from the city’s Democratic committee after appearing in campaign material for a Republican House of Delegates candidate; The State Board of Elections on Monday certified the results of November's general elections; Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has announced his bid for Virginia governor in 2025; and other local news stories.

Listen to the latest story in our Healthy City series.