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State Sen. Stella Pekarsky joins race to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly
Another Democrat is angling to potentially succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly. State Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-36) will campaign for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District seat, stating in an announcement video first shared with FFXnow that she wants to run to provide not just a voice, but also action for those “terrified and angry” about the currently Republican-led federal government.
Death of Virginia Beach Autistic Boy Renews Questions About the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Schools
The week before he died, Josh Sikes had problems at school. He overturned his desk and broke a teacher’s glasses on Halloween. Amid a long behavioral episode on Oct.31, he was restricted to a “safe” or “calming” area in a classroom overseen by Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, a regional consortium serving eight communities in Hampton Roads. What happened in that area is now the subject of multiple investigations. Josh was 11, a fourth-grader on the autism spectrum, with ADHD and an intellectual disability. He attended Pembroke Elementary School in Virginia Beach, but he was a student within a SECEP classroom, taught by special education teachers and learning among other children.
Petersburg sent out 500 incorrect real-estate tax bills
A mistake made in processing Petersburg’s fourth-quarter real-estate tax bills made 500 of them incorrect and is prompting a do-over for the affected property owners. ... The error happened because Petersburg’s customer care and collection department used the wrong data instead of the updated report sent to them by the assessor and commissioner of the revenue. These bills were sent to both current property owners and ones who sold their property in fiscal year 2024.
China no longer ‘viable’ for Smithfield Foods exports due to tariffs, executives say
President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with China has made the country a nonviable export market for Smithfield Foods, CEO Shane Smith and other executives said during an April 29 conference call with shareholders to discuss the company’s first quarter financials. . . . Smith said exports to China account for roughly 3% of Foods’ sales, which totaled $14.1 billion as of Dec. 29, 2024, according to the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. “With China no longer essentially being available we’ve really had to pivot our business,” Smith told shareholders.
A Salacious Saga Engulfs the Virginia G.O.P. and Weakens Youngkin
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia found out that Republican research had linked the G.O.P.’s nominee for lieutenant governor to a blog featuring photos of naked men, he tried to save his party from an embarrassing situation. Mr. Youngkin called the candidate, John Reid, a longtime conservative talk radio host in Richmond, and told him he needed to abandon his campaign because the website was certain to be discovered and would tank the party’s entire ticket. ... Then a funny thing happened. Mr. Reid did not quit. Instead, he posted a five-minute video to social media noting that he is gay and explaining that he had watched pornography and had one-night stands in the past. The Republican base in Virginia quickly rallied around him.
New James Madison University president talks DEI, research funds in first interview
JMU’s soon-to-be President James “Jim” Schmidt will inherit a university still raw from uncertainty stemming from the federal level — including diversity, equity and inclusion cuts and changes to federal funding. Schmidt, who’s the current University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire chancellor, sat down with The Breeze to discuss JMU’s current state and the responsibilities he will take over with his title come July 1. When discussing JMU’s decision, Schmidt referenced the Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter released by the Department of Education, which affirmed U.S. schools’ commitment to nondiscrimination based on race. Schmidt said this letter provided a framework for many public institutions’ decisions to dismantle their DEI divisions.
Armed Forces Brewing Co. didn’t tap state grants offered for Norfolk relocation
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that a military-themed brewery was coming to Norfolk’s Railroad District in July 2023, the state offered the company more than $300,000 in grants and tax breaks. But Armed Forces Brewing Co., which closed its Norfolk taproom and production facility in March, never completed the grant process or received those funds, according to state agencies. And it’s unclear whether the brewery, which is facing debt and a lawsuit threat, used the tax breaks either. . . . When the brewery left earlier this year, CEO Alan Beal blamed what he called the “local woke mob” for undermining efforts to successfully do business in Hampton Roads.
Former Henrico NICU nurse now facing 20 charges
Eight new charges have been handed down to former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital nurse Erin Strotman, meaning the former health professional now faces a total of 20 charges in the ongoing investigation into the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The charges were issued by the Commonwealth, which also motioned in a court hearing on Wednesday, May 7 that Strotman’s current bond be revoked. Prosecutors argued they were in a different place in their investigation as of Wednesday, now that Strotman faces 18 more charges than she did at the time of her arrest in January.
Pamunkey Reservation listed as one of the nation’s most endangered historic places
Some of the highest rates of sea level rise in the country are in the Chesapeake Bay region where it’s twice the average annual global rate. Wednesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s reservation, on a peninsula in King William County, among its eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in America.
State watchdog to audit Bon Air juvenile facility
A state watchdog agency plans a special review of Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, the place judges send youth convicted of felonies when they think there are no less restrictive places to house them. The Office of the State Inspector General said it would review the Bon Air facility at the request of the Commission on Youth, a legislative agency that has been concerned about reports from advocates and families that the center does not have enough staff.