Fantasy sports could be Virginia’s next battle over gaming
A fast-growing corner of the booming gambling business wants more Virginia regulation – and for at least some companies, to be taxed – but exactly how state law should treat fantasy sports could be shaping up to be the state’s next big battle for gaming interests. That’s on top of the still-open question of whether the General Assembly will legalize electronic skill games, the slot machine-like devices that convenience store owners say have been business savers in recent years.
Dominion moving proposed Chesterfield gas plant
Dominion Energy is moving the controversial gas-fired power generators it wants to set up in Chesterfield County to the site of its existing power station by the James River from an adjacent industrial park. Dominion initially proposed building the new facility on land next to its Chesterfield Power Station in the James River Industrial Park site on Battery Brook Parkway. The utility said it decided to change the location of the plant based on its interactions with the community, where it faced strong objections to both sites.
More UVa protesters see charges dismissed
Cases have been dismissed against nearly all the 27 protesters who were arrested at a pro-Palestine encampment on University of Virginia Grounds on May 4. Each was charged with trespassing after police declared an unlawful assembly, but over the course of the past several months, those cases have been dropped. A handful of the defendants, however, plan to fight the charges, claiming that UVa and the state violated their First Amendment rights.
Calls for investigation, resignation follow report that Chesapeake mayor asked city attorney for personal help
One Chesapeake councilman is calling on Mayor Rick West to resign, while others have ordered a probe of the city’s former attorney. This all comes in the wake of a WHRO investigation that found West asked Chesapeake’s former city attorney to look into a private legal matter for his stepbrother two years ago. Ahead of Chesapeake’s City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilman Robert Ike said West should step down, likening West’s wielding of city resources for personal purposes to theft. “With his time on council and being mayor, especially, he knows better,” Ike told WHRO. “It undermines the integrity of local government.”
VPAP Visual Back to School: SOL Pass Rates
Pass rates for Virginia's Standards of Learning continue an uneven recovery after declining during the pandemic. Nearly all test scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, but most subject areas have slowly improved from the lowest pass rates reported in 2021.
This week, VPAP’s series of data visualizations focuses on education, celebrating students returning to classrooms throughout Virginia and the launch of our new Civics Navigator tool on September 3.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Virginia one step closer to creating single gaming agency
Legal gaming has surged to new heights in Virginia, transforming into a multibillion-dollar annual market as the state’s expanding casinos, sports betting, and online gaming sectors fuel economic growth and reshape the entertainment landscape. But the industry is currently overseen by multiple state agencies, and splitting those duties has created oversight and enforcement gaps in the rapidly expanding industry. … On Wednesday, the newly created Joint Subcommittee to Study the Feasibility of Establishing the Virginia Gaming Commission for the first time reviewed a proposal that would put the numerous agencies under one roof.
State delegate discusses prospect of new gaming commission
The last five years have brought a major expansion of gambling in Virginia, but oversight falls to a patchwork of state agencies. Now, lawmakers are considering creating a state agency to regulate the industry. Virginia has had the lottery and pari-mutuel betting for over 30 years, but in the last five, the options for Virginians interested in placing wagers have exploded. Regulation of the industry remains fragmented. “I think oftentimes maybe we get complacent, and things grow and we don’t acknowledge the growth. We don’t acknowledge the value that they can bring and sort of we lose control,” said Del. Terry Austin (R-Botetourt Co.). “So now, we’re reeling all of this back in.”
Isle of Wight hopes to revive school sales tax option in 2025
When Virginia’s General Assembly reconvenes in January, Isle of Wight County will again push for legislation that would authorize cities and counties to raise their sales tax 1% by voter referendum to fund school construction. The matter remains included in a list of 2025 legislative priorities county supervisors discussed at their Aug. 15 meeting.
FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Parents of hostage with Richmond ties address Democratic National Convention
The parents of a former Richmond resident who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7 delivered an emotional address Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where they called for a cease-fire and return of those being held captive. Wednesday marked 320 days since Hersh Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage by Hamas militants. For Hersh’s parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, those 320 days have been marked by “anguish and misery,” Goldberg told the crowd ...
STATE GOVERNMENT
State approves Appalachian Power’s request to reduce bills slightly
The State Corporation Commission approved a request this week from Appalachian Power Co. to reduce the transmission costs of electricity delivered to its Virginia customers. Starting in October, an average residential customer will see a reduction of $2.12 in their monthly bill, according to the SCC order issued Monday. Appalachian made the request to adjust for lower transmission costs it pays to PJM, a regional organization that coordinates the movement and price of wholesale electricity in Virginia and 12 other states.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Dominion changes location of planned Chesterfield gas plant
Dominion Energy announced Wednesday that it’s relocating the proposed Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center to the adjacent site of the retired Chesterfield Power Station. The new site, which sits northwest of Dutch Gap Conservation Area, comes with a 2010 conditional use permit that the county says would apply to the proposed gas plant — allowing the project to continue without public hearings and notices that are part of the county’s permitting process.
Goochland-based CarMax lays off more than 400 employees in recent weeks
Locally based used car giant CarMax has shed hundreds of employees nationwide in recent weeks in two rounds of layoffs. The Fortune 500 firm, headquartered in Goochland’s West Creek area, confirmed this week that the first round of cuts occurred last month, when approximately 400 drivers in its logistics division were let go. The second, smaller round occurred this week, affecting 15 corporate positions.
Lawsuit contends Greenbrier Hotel took out a $35 million pandemic relief loan and has paid nothing back
The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation, owned by Gov. Jim Justice’s family, faces yet another financial strain — a $36 million lawsuit filed over a defaulted loan that was part of the federal government’s response to the economic threats of the covid-19 pandemic. First Guaranty Bancshares filed the lawsuit last month in federal court for the Middle District of Louisiana, where the bank is headquartered. The bank has a West Virginia connection through the chairman of its board, Marshall Reynolds, the Huntington businessman who owns Chapman Printing.
TRANSPORTATION
New union contract limits hours Metro bus and rail operators can work
Metro workers will have to take at least 10 hours off between shifts and see some caps to their raises, under the terms of a new union contract signed Wednesday. The contract, which will be in place until 2028, was negotiated over the past seven months. The changes address long-standing concerns over worker exhaustion as well as high labor costs.
HIGHER EDUCATION
JMU policy revisions raise concerns for campus public expression
[James Madison University’s] University Policy Committee (UPC) has made controversial changes to its public expression policy, with the most recent being published Friday … On Aug. 1, the new version of Policy 1121: Public Expression on Campus contained 73 changes. The most significant of these limited student and faculty use of “outdoor non-controlled” university spaces and prevented signage posted on the exterior facing windows of on-campus buildings. … The latest version includes limitations on Wilson Hall’s lighting policy, on-campus distribution of literature and who can wear masks on campus.
VCU introduces interim policies for free speech, expression
[Virginia Commonwealth University] Division of Student Affairs released a new revision of the Reservation and Use of Space policy on Aug. 9. The new interim policy contains new regulations regarding events as well as forms of expression, such as chalking. This is the first revision of the policy since it was initially released in 2017. This is the policy VCU said was violated by the pro-Palestine encampment erected last semester on April 29. The day after the encampment, students gathered in the same grassy area in front of Cabell Library when student affairs representatives and police distributed a flyer about the policy.
VIRGINIA OTHER
Virginia labeled as rising sanctuary state for illegal immigrants
Sanctuary jurisdictions are exploding across America and Virginia has emerged as one of the leading states, according to a new watchdog report Wednesday. Nearly every jail in Virginia now limits cooperation with deportation authorities at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. North Dakota, Nebraska, New York and Minnesota have also seen significant rises in the number of jurisdictions the center labels as sanctuaries, based on new data from ICE.
Virginia military veteran pleads guilty to illegal possession of ricin
A Marine Corps veteran who authorities said tried to fake his own death after a falling out with a Virginia-based militia group pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegal possession of ricin, a biological toxin. Russell Richardson Vane IV, 42, of Vienna, Virginia, had been in jail since his arrest in April. At a plea hearing Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria, Vane admitted that he used castor beans to create ricin at his home.
LOCAL
Loudoun election board eliminates one Saturday of early voting
Loudoun County voters will have one fewer day to cast their ballots in November’s election, after the county’s Electoral Board voted to remove a Saturday of early voting from the county’s schedule. The board voted 2-1 along party lines at its Aug. 15 meeting to remove Oct. 19 as one of the county’s three Saturdays for early voting for the Nov. 5 election.
Errant voicemail raises questions on whether Warrenton housing plan can get fair hearing
Two Warrenton Town Council members are under fire after a voicemail sent accidentally to the wrong person raised questions about whether a proposal for a new veterans’ housing project can get a fair hearing. Council member Bill Semple, who thought he was leaving a message for council member Eric Gagnon, seemed to accidentally reveal to Molly Brooks, CEO of Hero’s Bridge, that Gagnon planned to vote against Hero’s Bridge Village, a 44-unit housing project the group has proposed in partnership with Warrenton United Methodist Church.
Investigations requested after Chesapeake mayor tasked city attorney with helping family member
In 2022, Chesapeake Mayor Rick West asked the former city attorney to look into an issue West’s stepbrother was experiencing to help the family member avoid spending thousands of dollars for legal advice. Ultimately, city staff helped the mayor’s stepbrother resolve a sewer-related issue he faced in Nahunta, Georgia, while attempting to build on a 29-acre property, according to emails, memos and text message exchanges obtained by The Virginian-Pilot. Though the city of Chesapeake doesn’t have a written ethics policy for elected officials, one council member and an ethics expert say the mayor’s actions at least raise a red flag.
King George supervisors remove Economic Development Authority members
Beckey Gallamore considered attending Tuesday night’s King George County Board of Supervisors meeting to make a public comment but had a last-minute change of heart. So, instead, the then-King George Economic Development Authority Chair watched a livestream of the meeting at home on YouTube. Gallamore was alarmed approximately 50 minutes into the meeting when Board Chair T.C. Collins began discussing his dissatisfaction with the EDA. She was even more taken aback minutes later when Collins made a motion to dismiss the entire EDA, and the board voted 5-0 to do just that.
King George Board Removes All Members of Economic Development Authority
The King George Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to remove all sitting members of the county’s Economic Development Authority. Chair T.C. Collins made the motion during his member comments, citing the fact that EDA members met with Birchwood Power Partners and the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance earlier this year. “The EDA is working against us,” supervisor Ken Stroud said.
Blacksburg’s Liam Watson, facing election fraud charges, nixes leave of absence from town council
Town Councilman Liam Watson, who faces election fraud charges, declined a request by his council colleagues to take a leave of absence. On Aug. 7, on behalf of the council, Vice Mayor Michael Sutphin sent Watson an email. “Given the nature of the charges that you are facing, the Council believes that it would be in everyone’s best interests if you took a leave of absence while these charges are pending.” ... “After careful consideration, I decline to accept your offer,” Watson wrote. “I will not take a leave of absence from my position as Councilman on the Blacksburg Town Council.
Emergency declared as Eastern Orange County residents told to cease water use immediately
Residents and businesses in eastern Orange County have been told to cease water use immediately. The Rapidan Service Authority says it is investigating possible contamination after customers reported a strange taste in the water and staff reported a petroleum scent at its water plant. The authority issued the advisory around 3:05 p.m. Wednesday for all residents and businesses that pull water from the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant Waterworks. Those people and organizations are advised to not use water for any reason other than flushing toilets.
EDITORIALS
Virginia’s development of an ocean plan holds promise for region
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality wants to make a plan for the ocean. That may sound silly or seem impossible — the Atlantic is a vast and open expanse, after all — but the effort has considerable merit, and it could well ensure one of our region’s most valuable assets is protected and well managed for generations to come. State officials at VDEQ earlier this year began developing a Virginia Ocean Plan focused on balancing commercial, military, private and industrial interests with the need to protect aquatic life and the natural habitat.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Roanoke man marks a rare feat: He was at two Chicago conventions 56 years apart
More than half a century — 56 years, to be precise — separates the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago and this year’s Democratic convention in the Windy City. Much has changed over those years: Back then, there were protests on the convention floor, and what a formal inquiry deemed “a police riot” out on the streets that led to hundreds of injuries and arrests, plus the famous Chicago Seven trial. The mood then was contentious, with eight candidates receiving votes and intrigue surrounding the nomination. By contrast, this year’s Democratic convention serves as a cheerful coronation of the party’s nominee. One thing, though, connects those two very different Chicago conventions, or should I say one person: Richard Pattisall of Roanoke was at both of them.
Yancey: Martinsville and the city of Franklin are growing younger faster than any other place in Virginia
A quarter-century ago, the economies in many communities across Southwest and Southside simply collapsed — textiles and furniture jobs disappeared just like that. In places that once had tobacco jobs, they didn’t have those anymore, either. The twin epicenters of those economic traumas were Danville and Martinsville, but only because they were the biggest communities. We saw similar stories across the southern tier of Virginia, be it Halifax County or Pulaski County or lots of other places. Ever since, they’ve been on a generational quest to reinvent themselves. A new batch of U.S. Census Bureau data shows just how well some of them have succeeded (and highlights some other communities that still have work to do).
OP-ED
Trammell: At Richmond’s airport, a government takeover would be costly
Proposed changes at Richmond International Airport may dramatically increase aircraft fuel prices. Almost double for some. There have been recent discussions regarding nonrenewal of the authority for Richmond Jet Center and Million Air Richmond to operate fixed-based operations (FBOs) at Richmond International Airport. These companies provide aircraft fueling and maintenance. The airport’s chief executive, Perry Miller, wants to shut down these two private companies. He wants to take over their operations, effectively creating a government-run facility and a monopoly.