Feeling ‘the love’ for Assad; DOC contests solitary confinement allegations; More pipeline treesitters and other headlines

NEWS TO KNOW
Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere.

• State Sen. Dick Black, R-Loudoun, made another trip to Syria, where the state news service reported “he sensed the love of the Syrian people for [Assad’s] army and leadership.” – The Washington Post
• The Virginia Department of Corrections said allegations that a mentally ill inmate has been kept in solitary confinement for 12 years are false. – Richmond Times-Dispatch
• The owners of Colonial Downs plan to open a gambling parlor at the New Kent County race track in March. – Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Two women climbed trees in Montgomery County to block recently-resumed construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. They said they plan to stay for months. – The Roanoke Times
• A woman who says her signature was forged on a disputed ballot petition for Shaun Brown filed a $2.4 million lawsuit against the member of U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor’s staff who filed the petition. – The Virginian-Pilot
• Virginia officials are debating whether capping carbon emissions would encourage the development of renewables or just raise the cost of electricity. – Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Beginning in July, the state Supreme Court will now require prosecutors to provide defense attorneys with witness lists, expert reports and access to police reports in a change to pre-trial discovery rules that one attorney called “a watershed thing.” – Richmond Times-Dispatch
• A federal grand jury is investigating a loan guarantee made by the Peninsula Airport Commission to start-up airline that collapsed almost immediately, costing taxpayers $4.5 million. – Daily Press
• The tourism industry generated $25 billion in spending last year, the largest amount ever, state officials said. – Associated Press
• A member of the governing council of the Miller Center at UVA resigned after Politico uncovered an email in which he belittled women. Fred W. Scott Jr., whose family is a major donor to the school, tried to take women at the center shoe shopping and, following a backlash, complained that women “don’t like to be put into groups” unless they involve “Lunch, coffee, Children, etc.” — Politico
• A judge denied Paul Manafort’s request to move his second trial to Roanoke. He had wanted to move the first one to Roanoke, too. – Associated Press
• Culpeper County reported its real estate tax collection rate was 99.72 percent, largely because they started blocking people with delinquent accounts from renewing their vehicle registrations at the DMV. – Culpeper Star-Exponent
• A Henrico County man put an electric fence up around his yard to keep out kids waiting for their school bus. The county determined it was actually on their property and ordered him to remove it. — WWBT