The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed to Potomac Local it has launched an investigation after multiple people fell ill after swimming at Lake Anna over Memorial Day weekend. While the state health agency has not said how many are sick, all have reported gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses. According to agency spokeswoman Brookie Crawford, some have been diagnosed with Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections.
*Update 06/06/24 3:14 p.m.* VDH has confirmed it is actively investigating 10 cases, with several others reported but unconfirmed.
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(The Center Square) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office issued an announcement Wednesday morning that as of next year, Virginia will no longer follow California’s electric vehicle mandates.
“Once again, Virginia is declaring independence – this time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement.
Though Youngkin has fought green energy mandates established by the prior administration – most notably, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – the announcement comes as a surprise, as it was believed that the decision was in the hands of the General Assembly.
Youngkin encouraged state lawmakers at the start of this year’s legislative session to repeal the 2021 law tying Virginia’s vehicle emissions policies to California’s, but the bill never made it out of committee due to the Assembly’s Democratic majority.
But state Attorney General Jason Miyares has issued what is sure to be a highly contested official opinion “confirm[ing] that Virginia is not required to comply with expansive new mandates adopted by the unelected California Air Resources Board (CARB) set to take effect January 1, 2025.”
The governor held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, proudly declaring Virginia’s emancipation from California policy.
“I have the privilege of announcing once and for all the California electric vehicle mandate in Virginia. The idea that governments should be telling Virginians what kind of car they must drive is just simply wrong,” Youngkin said.
Federal law limits state autonomy regarding vehicle emissions: States must adhere to federal vehicle emissions standards, or they can choose to adopt California’s more stringent standards.
In 2021, under a Democratic governor and a Democratic majority in the General Assembly, Virginia passed several bills that dramatically changed the state’s energy and environmental landscape. One was the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which committed to transitioning Virginia’s electric grid entirely to green energy by 2050, and another hitched Virginia’s electric vehicle policies to California’s.
California requires 100% of new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and can fine automakers that fail to comply.
Republicans have bucked against the mandates since they came to Virginia but have been unable to reverse them through the legislative process. But Miyares seems confident that he has found a legal loophole.
In 2012, California adopted its Advanced Clean Car Program I, regulating vehicle emissions standards from 2015 to 2025. In 2022, California adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II.
“Virginia’s air pollution control board has never approved, never adopted these ACCII (Advanced Clean Car Program II) regulations and because there was an explicit sunset provision placed on ACCI, it expires on December 31 of this year,” Miyares said.
Miyares also pointed to “permissive” language in the Virginia law referring to the first program, ACCI, which allowed the commonwealth to abandon California’s clean cars policies in 2025.
“I can reach no other conclusion as the attorney general of Virginia that the provisions tying us to California ACCII are no longer operable and yes, Virginians, yet again, have consumer freedom,” Miyares said.
Republicans are voicing their support for the move, grateful the commonwealth’s environmental policies will no longer be tied to California’s.
“Virginians, not unelected bureaucrats in California, should be able to choose the cars that fit their families needs,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Michael McDougle posted on X.
“Outstanding!! This had to be one of the most ridiculous policy decisions forced on Virginians when the Democrats took complete control of government in 2020/2021,” Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, posted on X.
Virginia Democrats have yet to issue an official response to the news.
By Morgan Sweeney
(The Center Square) — The jury announced its verdict in former President Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial Thursday evening, and social media was set ablaze.
Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records that could have been harmful to his 2016 presidential campaign.
Many of the commonwealth’s prominent government officials and elected representatives took to X, formerly Twitter, joining the chorus of voices weighing in on the verdict.
Most Republicans expressed distrust of the trial and its outcome, including Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Miyares blasted the trial as an illegitimate attempt at eliminating a powerful political opponent, reminding spectators of the case’s beginnings – when formidable American institutions declined to bring charges against Trump.
“In America, we don’t seek to jail political opponents – we seek to defeat them at the ballot box,” Miyares wrote. “To be clear, the FEC declined to prosecute this case. The US Attorneys Office declined to prosecute this case.”
He went on to take shots at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, lead attorney for the prosecution.
“This case was moved forward by a far-left prosecutor who regularly refuses to prosecute violent criminals but chose to move forward because the defendant was named Donald Trump.”
Despite his criticisms, Miyares still conveyed faith in the American justice system and the possibility of another outcome.
“America has the greatest justice system in the world – and that is partly because it has a robust appeals process. There is broad consensus that this case is riddled with potential reversible errors and should be appealed in an expedited manner and resolved as quickly as possible,” Miyares said.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears echoed Miyares’ sentiments while questioning why Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden haven’t been subject to similar legal battles.
“We know that the case was brought by a man bent on destroying another. This was not about justice – this was a mockery of justice,” Sears wrote.
“Where was the case against Hilary for ‘wiping’ her server? Where is the case against Pres Biden to determine his involvement in Hunter Biden’s business dealing with China and Russia?”
But Sears ultimately took the same hopeful note that Miyares did, turning to the appeals process.
“So the president will appeal and we will pray that righteousness and justice will prevail,” Sears said.
Though Gov. Glenn Youngkin did not comment on X by the time of publication, the Democratic candidate for governor for 2025, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7, did.
“We are a country of laws. Today, our justice system held someone accountable for his crimes,” Spanberger said, challenging her peers to trust the legal process and accept the verdict.
“In the wake of this verdict, responsible lawmakers must lead by example and not deny the truth or stoke anger. We must demonstrate principled leadership and uphold the rule of law,” she wrote.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-8, delivered a slightly more measured response.
“It is tragic that an American president has been convicted of crimes, but Donald Trump is responsible for his own actions. If a jury finds those actions were criminal after due process in a court of law, he must be held accountable. In the United States no one is above the law,” Beyer wrote.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied at 42% each in a head-to-head matchup in Virginia. According to a Roanoke College Poll, Biden holds a slight lead (40%-38%) when other candidates are included. The survey of 711 likely voters conducted by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research between May 12 and May 21, 2024, shows that the economy is the top issue for 44% of respondents, followed by immigration (14%) and abortion (13%).
The latest poll shows Virginia voters could choose Trump, a state Biden won by 10 points in 2020. The tide has been turning for Trump in Virginia, as he won the state’s March 5 Republican Presidential Primary by nearly 30 points, a victory that many would go to then-challenger Nikki Hayley, the former South Carolina governor.
Locally, Haley won over Republican voters in deep blue Northern Virignia. However, for the first time since Trump began running for president in 2015, Trump posted a win in traditionally-blue Prince William County.
More from Roanoke College:
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied (42%-42%) in a head-to-head matchup in Virginia, while Biden holds a two-point lead (40%-38%) when other candidates are included, according to the Roanoke College Poll. The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research (IPOR) at Roanoke College interviewed 711 likely voters in Virginia between May 12 and May 21, 2024. The survey has a weighted margin of error of 4.24%.
Memorial Day Events
Prince William County: On Friday, May 24, members of the community are invited to join the Board of County Supervisors and others in a commemoration to honor and remember those who served in our nation’s armed services. The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. at the Sean T. Connaughton Community Plaza, located at the Prince William County Government Center, 1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge.
The ceremony will include the Presentation of Colors, brief remarks by Board of County Supervisors Chair At-Large Deshundra Jefferson, Prince William County Veterans Commission Chair Dr. Vanessa Gattis, County Executive Chris Shorter, as well as the presentation of a wreath by members of the Veterans Commission and a performance by the Marsteller Middle School 8th Grade Bass Select Choir. The ceremony will conclude with the playing of taps.
All are welcome to attend.
Potomac Region Veterans Council: As it has done for the last five decades, the Potomac Region Veterans Council (PRVC) will host the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27, 2024. The event will feature remarks by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and will be hosted by the PRVC in partnership with Marine Corps Base Quantico and the National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico.
Originating in the years following the Civil War and becoming an official federal holiday in 1971, Memorial Day honors the memory of those Americans who have given their last full measure of devotion in uniform in the service of their country. As in years past, military and veteran officials will join with members of the general public in this annual observance.
The ceremony will begin promptly at 11 a.m. and conclude by noon. The Potomac Region Veterans Council extends a warm invitation for all to attend.
Transportation Notes
OmniRide: In observance of Memorial Day OmniRide will operate the following service on Monday, May 27:
- Express, Metro Express, and Local North-B (65B) – NO SERVICE
- Prince William Metro Express, and East-West Express – WILL RUN ON SATURDAY/WEEKEND SERVICE SCHEDULE
- Local – WILL RUN ON SATURDAY/WEEKEND SERVICE SCHEDULE
Regular service will resume Tuesday, May 28.
Transurban: I-95 Express Lanes Summer reversal schedule will begin on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Daytime reversal will begin at 10 a.m.; overnight reversal will begin at midnight.
- For the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 27, 2024, the 95 Express Lanes will operate on a weekend schedule, with no reversal and the facility remaining open northbound.
- Regular summer reversal schedule (outlined above) will resume on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Government Closings
Stafford County: Stafford offices, departments, facilities, and all courts will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 27, 2024. Both locations of the R-Board/Regional Landfill (Eskimo Hill and Belman Road) will be closed.
The following offices and facilities will remain open:
- Fire and Rescue Information (540) 658-7200
- Emergency 911
- Sheriff’s Office Information (540) 658-4400
- Emergency 911
- Magistrate (540) 659-2968
- All outdoor parks are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m
By Morgan Sweeney
Many districts ban student cell phone usage at elementary schools, and some ban them at their middle schools, but until recently, high school policies have often been more permissive.
Some school districts like Virginia Beach City Public Schools have updated their policies within the past few years. The district revised its cell phone policy for the 2022-23 school year. The school board determined that students could have their phones with them during the day, but they needed to be off or silent, not on the student’s person, and not used in the bathroom or elsewhere during class. They are allowed to use them in the hallways during passing time or during lunch.
The city of Hopewell also updated its phone policy for its middle and high school students for the same school year, though it went a step farther than Virginia Beach. The district used federal COVID-relief funds to purchase locking pouches at a discounted price to hold students’ phones during the day; students cannot use them at all while at school.
“While we have attempted to accommodate student phones over the years and limit their use, we are finding that they are causing much more harm than help during the school day,” the district announced in a press release before the start of the school year.
Students are to store their phones in the pouches once they enter the school and can remove them when they leave. The pouches can only be unlocked using a magnetic unlocking base, which students can access at the end of the school day. If students’ pouches become damaged or go missing, they’re responsible for replacing them.
Richmond adopted a similar policy for three of its middle schools and three of its high schools in January for a trial period.
Fairfax, Franklin, Hanover and Stafford counties all have policies allowing at minimum older students to use their phones between classes and at lunch. But all of these districts are now considering stricter policies.
Fairfax and Hanover are considering the widespread use of locking pouches, as Hopewell has done and Richmond is piloting. Stafford, too, is looking at locking pouches, but only as a disciplinary measure for students who have violated its policies. Otherwise, it may adopt a similar policy to Virginia Beach – that students’ phones must be off or on silent and stored in a backpack or locker during class.
At its most recent board meeting, the Hanover County School Board listened to a presentation on the pouches for elementary and middle school students, revealing that Yondr pouches would cost the district $30 per student.
It’s obvious where Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine stands on abortion access. And that’s not just for the fact that his party has been outspoken in support of access and other reproductive rights. Kaine has also co-sponsored the bipartisan Reproductive Freedom For All Act — an attempt to codify abortion protections into federal law.
By Morgan Sweeney
(The Center Square) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive directive Thursday to assemble a task force to help address some controversial changes in the state’s latest budget to a decades-old educational assistance program for qualifying military families.
The task force would include veterans, families of service members killed in the line of duty, General Assembly members, and state public colleges and universities, who help fund the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program and approached the General Assembly due to rising program costs.
The program was established in 1996 to make higher education more accessible to spouses and dependents of those killed in military service, missing in action, prisoners of war, or who had sustained service-related injuries that left them 90% or more disabled by waiving tuition and mandatory fees. However, program participation has skyrocketed in recent years after eligibility was broadened, according to Youngkin, to a degree that may be unsustainable.
The just-passed budget narrows eligibility for the waiver component of the program to undergraduate programs, and people domiciled in Virginia, taking advantage of other benefits they might be eligible for and reaching specific academic benchmarks, jilting some military families and resulting in pushback from some lawmakers “on both sides of the aisle,” according to Youngkin.
“I am issuing this executive directive because it is vital that we study this issue and address it in a future budget to avoid any unintended consequences,” Youngkin said in a statement. “It is important that lawmakers review this issue so that we can provide a better path forward.”
The task force is to issue guidance on the changes to the program and make recommendations to the General Assembly on how it might be able to change eligibility language in the future while “balanc[ing] the need for long-term program sustainability with eliminating unreasonable barriers to the VMSDEP waiver or a survivor of dependents’ educational goals.”
As gates open promptly at 11 a.m., eager spectators flock to the site, advised to arrive well before 1 p.m. to beat the rush.
The airshow kicks off at 2:30 p.m., and audiences are treated to a 90-minute display of aerial feats and acrobatics.
Following the main event, attendees have the unique opportunity to mingle with pilots and performers for a 30-minute meet-and-greet session.
Payment options include cash, checks, Visa, and MasterCard all accepted for entrance fees, gift shop purchases, and airplane rides.
While the onsite snack bar, Fifi’s Café, currently operates on a cash-only basis, plans are underway to introduce credit card payments later in the season.
To streamline entry, organizers offer separate lines for cash transactions and those using credit cards or checks. And for those wondering about inclement weather, cancellation notices are posted between 9 and 10 a.m. on the day of the show, ensuring attendees stay informed.
With rides commencing at 11 a.m. and continuing until about 1:45 p.m., there’s ample opportunity for thrill-seekers to take to the skies. While ride reservations aren’t available, all rides operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Spectators are encouraged to bring their own refreshments or buy from the cafe, with shaded seating areas.
Leashed pets are welcome, though owners are reminded to be mindful of their behavior, especially during the show’s louder moments.
Restroom facilities are clean, spacious, and handicap-accessible, ensuring the comfort of all attendees.
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