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VaNews

Most Read Articles March 28, 2024


1

Yancey: The Alexandria arena is dead: Potomac Yard claims a second governor

By DWAYNE YANCEY, Cardinal News

There must be something magical about Potomac Yard that, like mythical sirens calling out to sailors, lures unsuspecting governors to their political doom. More than three decades ago, then-Gov. Douglas Wilder looked at the old railyard in Alexandria and saw a football stadium. He negotiated a deal with Jack Kent Cooke, then owner of Washington’s National Football League team, and in July 1992 announced with great flourish a plan to move the team to Virginia. “The announcement at Potomac Yard was a media extravaganza,” The Washington Post reported. “Local television carried the event live. There was a large model of the 78,600-seat stadium on display, as well as signs declaring the site the home of ‘Jack Kent Cooke Stadium at Potomac Yard.’” The NFL commissioner was on hand, and so was the team’s legendary coach, Joe Gibbs.


2

Schapiro: Apparently, third time wasn’t the charm

By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Glenn Youngkin said his proposed $2 billion sportsplex for Alexandria — now dead — would produce 30,000 jobs and pump $12 billion into the local economy over 40 years. In other words, he argued, the arena was a game changer. The Republican governor, fast running out of time to fashion a legacy founded on compromise with Democrats, rather than combat, had already changed two other games — to the dismay of communities on opposite ends of the state.


3

Alexandria declares $2 billion arena project dead; Youngkin blames legislature

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The city of Alexandria declared the $2 billion Monumental arena project dead on Wednesday, expressing disappointment in the acrimonious political stalemate between the Virginia General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who had championed the project as his top legislative priority. Instead, Ted Leonsis, owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, announced a deal with Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to keep the teams in Washington until 2050.


4

A look at who Youngkin pardoned in 2023

By RYAN NADEAU, WRIC-TV

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) pardoned nearly 100 people between Jan. 16, 2023 and Jan. 16 of this year. This is Youngkin’s second year issuing pardons as the Governor of Virginia. In his first year, Youngkin granted substantially fewer pardons — 30 in total. In his four years serving as Governor of Virginia, former governor Ralph Northam (D) granted over 1,200 pardons. Of Youngkin’s total 98 pardons, the vast majority of them were simple pardons — which the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia describes as a “statement of official forgiveness.”


5

Governor’s VCU, Mason course review requests reflect a pattern

By NATHANIEL CLINE, Virginia Mercury

George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth Universities have submitted their syllabi for courses about diversity, equity, inclusion and race to Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera for review at the request of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a move that sparked frustration among some of the schools’ students and staff who said political influence has no place in classrooms. The administration previously reviewed and rescinded similar materials related to racism, discrimination and equity from Virginia Department of Education teacher training and classroom resources, following Youngkin’s 2022 executive order to eliminate “inherently divisive concepts” from being taught in Virginia public schools.


6

ABC balks at adopting revised revenue forecast in face of shortfall

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority failed again on Wednesday to adopt a revised financial forecast to reflect declining sales revenues that have created an estimated $110 million shortfall in profits that the authority had promised for the pending two-year state budget. Interim CEO Tom Kirby did not ask the authority board of directors to adopt the revised forecast for the second time this month, noting that Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly had not asked for further updates since the scope of the projected shortfall became public on March 19.


7

A lack of child care can be a barrier for community college students. Virginia is looking for answers.

By LISA ROWAN, Cardinal News

When Taneisha Mathews went back to school, her daughters went with her. It was Mathews’ second attempt at working toward an associate degree. When she first enrolled at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg in 2014, she was a teen mom who felt that going to college was what she was supposed to do — but she didn’t know yet what she wanted her career to look like. “I ended up flunking out because I mentally was forcing myself to do it,” she said.


8

Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing Digital News Sites to Post Public Notices

By OLIVIA DILEO, VCU Capital News Service

Lawmakers passed bills during the 2024 General Assembly session that impact the press, including online public notices, FOIA costs and government transparency. The session was more promising for the press than some past sessions, according to Mechelle Hankerson, president of the Society of Professional Journalists Virginia Pro Chapter. ... Local governments are currently required by state law to advertise certain public notices in newspapers. ... Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, introduced House Bill 264 to allow online-only publications to also post the public notices – and generate revenue from them ...


9

Virginians react to news that Monumental Sports won’t be moving to Potomac Yard

By KATIE LUSSO, WUSA-TV

It’s official. Northern Virginia will not be home to the Washington Capitals or Wizards anytime soon. At a news conference Wednesday night, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Monumental Owner Ted Leonsis announced that Monumental Sports had reached an agreement to keep the teams at Capital One Arena in D.C. until 2050. Their announcement, just three hours after an announcement from the City of Alexandria, that they had “ended negotiations related to the Potomac Yard Entertainment District opportunity and the proposal will not move forward.” Outside of Wednesday’s news conference, members of the Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard celebrated.


10

Soil & Water Conservation district to pay state $300,000 for unauthorized approvals

By CHARLIE PAULLIN, Virginia Mercury

A group responsible for managing soil and water conservation efforts in Appomattox incorrectly authorized state payments for farming practices to reduce pollution entering waterways, an investigation found, and will have to pay back about $300,000 to the commonwealth. The Virginia Soil & Water Conservation Board voted Wednesday to direct the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District, based in the Appomattox area, to make the payment after a former employee, John Wooldridge, approved the state funds to be used for several water- and soil-saving practices without having the authority to do so.