News
NOVA’s last Republican delegate draws a challenger and other news to know
NEWS TO KNOW Our daily round-up of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. MAJOR FLOODING IN LYNCHBURG Heavy rain has prompted evacuations in Lynchburg over fears that a dam is about to fail. A flood warning in the Lynchburg area is in effect until 11:30 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Follow The News & […]
Virginia’s Board of Elections struggling with ‘Stand by Your Ad’ law
On Election Day in 2017, Ned Gallaway realized 50 of his campaign signs were missing something: A sentence about who paid for them. Gallaway, running unopposed for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, found each sign and added the phrase “Paid for and authorized by Ned Gallaway for Supervisor,” by hand. “It was embarrassing,” he […]
Many Virginia nursing homes are short on staff, new federal data shows
In some Virginia nursing homes, residents see a nurse for about nine minutes every day. If they don’t see a staff member often enough, they could develop pressure sores because they weren’t turned over in bed. Or they might not get the right medication or help with food and hydration. “So many of our individuals […]
The enemy of my enemy is my friend in the 2nd District; more headlines
NEWS TO KNOW Our round-up of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. Campaign workers for U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor, a Republican, helped get an independent candidate facing fraud charges on the ballot, presumably to siphon votes from his Democratic opponent, Elaine Luria. — The Virginian-Pilot. Richmond school officials are recommending that 10 educators, including the principal, involved in a […]
If GRTC doesn’t speed up Pulse, VCU can bail under $1.2M deal
A $1.2 million deal to get VCU students, faculty and staff on city buses in Richmond includes a contractual requirement that GRTC Transit System increase the frequency of its new bus rapid transit line, the Pulse. And under the contract, if GRTC doesn’t pull it off, VCU can walk. As launched on June 24, the […]
Can Richmond get the middle class back on the bus?
Bus service in Richmond has long been treated like a form of welfare for the very poor, says Ben Campbell, a longtime transit advocate who now sits on the board of GRTC Transit System. And, as a result, he says it’s been funded and operated as such — largely neglected, rarely improved. With the rollout […]
Federal court upholds Virginia’s water-quality review for Mountain Valley Pipeline
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond has upheld Virginia’s much-criticized water quality review for Mountain Valley Pipeline, one of two large natural gas pipeline projects proceeding in the state. The panel of judges rejected arguments from the Sierra Club and other organizations that the State Water Control Board incorrectly found […]
Speaker sets special election for Roanoke-area House seat
The special election to fill a Virginia House of Delegates seat vacated by the resignation of Del. Greg Habeeb, a Republican from Salem, will be Nov. 6, the same day as the general election for U.S. House of Representatives, Senate and local races. The Republican Speaker of the House, Del. Kirk Cox of Colonial Heights, […]
Meth, cocaine overdoses climbing; bringing ‘Dixie’ back and other headlines
NEWS TO KNOW Our round-up of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. Meth and cocaine overdoses are climbing The Roanoke Times reports that 398 people died last year from overdoses related to cocaine and 88 people died after using meth. The numbers started rising in 2016, the paper reports, and fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, figured in […]
Nurse practitioners worry opioid-prescription rules will interfere with treating pain
Doctors began doling out opioid prescriptions in the 1990s under the guidance of pharmaceutical companies who promised the painkillers weren’t addictive. Now, a key part of tackling the drug epidemic sweeping the country is reining in the prescription pad. But in Virginia, some nurse practitioners say the state’s opioid prescription regulations are too strict and […]
State launches program to flag ‘high utilizers’ of hospital emergency departments
Dr. Bruce Lo sees these cases all the time, he said. A patient comes into his emergency department at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and they’ve already been to a different emergency room dozens of times in the past few months. In the past, emergency physicians would essentially have to treat the patient in the dark, […]
Report: More than 150,000 Virginia families don’t claim tax credit
About 150,000 households in the state are missing out on getting thousands of dollars more back during tax season, a new report from The Commonwealth Institute found. The Richmond-based, nonpartisan research organization found only about 80 percent of Virginians who are eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit — for low-to-moderate income taxpayers and […]