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Future Navy leaders not served by book removal at academy library
No book can pose a threat to the mighty U.S. Navy. Nevertheless, the Trump administration recently removed 381 books from the Naval Academy library because, apparently, midshipmen need to be protected from knowledge that race relations and the treatment of women and gay people have never been exactly shipshape in America.
Purcellville Residents Submit Recall Petitions for Mayor, Councilmembers
Purcellville residents on Monday submitted recall petitions for the town’s mayor, vice mayor and two councilmembers just five weeks after starting the grassroots effort. The move to unseat Mayor Christopher Bertaut, Vice Mayor Ben Nett and councilmembers Susan Khalil and Carol Luke came after residents repeatedly expressed concerns during council meetings that the council majority was having discussions between the four of them without informing the public or the remaining three members of council.
Lewis: The GOP’s disgraceful bid to sandbag its openly gay lieutenant governor nominee
Things aren’t always what they seem to be, especially in today’s online realm. A “friend request” appeared in my Facebook notifications last week that I immediately recognized as phony. It purported to be from a real-life friend I’ve known for more than a quarter of a century. It used his real name and photo, but it had only 16 friends, not his more than 2,000 online friends, including me. So I reported the sham account to Facebook and texted my friend, who knew about it and had already alerted Facebook. The fake “friendvite” was one of many I reject and report every week. Having a large social media following is not unusual for people like my friend, who spent most of his career in the public eye during decades of distinguished service at top levels in state government. They’re also prime targets for digital impostors.
Rep. Gerry Connolly steps down as top Oversight Democrat and won't seek reelection as cancer returns
Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia announced on Monday he is stepping down as the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee and will not be seeking reelection next year due to his cancer returning, ending his long career in public life. “The sun is setting on my time in public service,” Connolly said in a statement. “With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years.” Connolly, 75, has served in Congress since 2009 and represents northern Virginia, including Fairfax County.
Clark: Lawmakers missed chance to help ELL students
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many, if not all education systems worldwide. In Virginia, recent data indicates that the Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. For example, in the 2023-24 academic year, Virginia’s statewide pass rates were 76% in reading/writing and 71% in math compared to that of the 2018-19 academic year when pass rates were close to 80% for all subjects. What’s especially worrying is that there were groups of students who were already facing difficulties with the SOL’s before COVID-19, primarily English Language Learners (ELLs).
Morgan: Forget DEI. For Spanberger, Earle-Sears, these K-12 issues matter more
Virginia’s gubernatorial election campaign season is gearing up, along with the usual barrage of dark money campaign ads with their grainy, unflattering pictures and histrionic narration. In 2021, Glenn Youngkin rode the hot-button education issues of “parental rights” and “critical race theory” to the governor’s mansion. Upon taking office, he even established a tip line to report the teaching of “divisive concepts” in public schools. Alas, the tip line didn’t generate much.
Norfolk election officials ask judge to remove one of its board members
Several Norfolk election officials have asked a Circuit Court judge to remove a member of the Norfolk Electoral Board, saying she has disrupted the election process and betrayed the nonpartisan nature of the position. Officials are asking a judge to remove Marianne McKay, the board vice chair, according to court documents.
Counties express frustration after Richmond fails to communicate water error
Henrico and Hanover sent press releases on Monday expressing frustration that they were not properly informed by the city about an error at Richmond's water treatment plant last Wednesday. The error resulted in an excess of fluoride being introduced into the water, though the level remained below the maximum allowable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Richmond director of revenue resigns after tax rebate checks bounce
The city’s director of revenue last Monday resigned following additional issues with the city’s real estate tax rebate checks, a city spokesperson told The Times-Dispatch. In March, officials issued thousands of the checks with the incorrect names printed on them. This week, multiple sources told The Times-Dispatch their correctly issues checks had bounced.
Purcellville recall petition filed: Residents seek ‘transparency and trust in town government’
A group of Purcellville residents led by Brian Morgan have taken the next step in seeking the removal of Purcellville's mayor and three Town Council members, delivering recall petitions April 28 to Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Loudoun County Circuit Court. They are seeking to recall Mayor Chris Bertaut, Vice Mayor Carl “Ben” Nett and Council members Carol Luke and Susan Khalil, and filed four recall petitions with nearly 1,200 signatures each.