Steven A. Paranto
- Virginia localities weigh 1% sales tax for school construction as voters decide on expansion
A view from the front entrance of the renovated Gloucester County High School, which opened in September 2025.
- Early voting begins in Virginia, as Trump mail-ballot restrictions remain blocked
Early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections begins Friday, with a U.S. Senate race, all 11 congressional seats, three proposed constitutional amendments and numerous local referendums on ballots across the commonwealth.
- Spanberger presents slate of data center regulation proposals, puts first directives in motion
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 22 on Friday, Sept. 18 to kick off her data center regulation package.
- Zoning Request Filed for Proposed 200-Acre Nunnally Village Project in Western Chesterfield County
A conceptual plan of the Nunnally Village project.
- Henrico Faces About $5 Million Power-Cost Jump as VEPGA Rates Rise 24.9%
County manager asks employees to conserve electricity after Dominion-territory localities lock in a steep contract-year increase.
- Richmond Secures 32.8 Million in State Funds for Water Plant Filter Upgrades
A regional water workgroup boosted the city's treatment-plant project by $12.8 million over the baseline grant.
- Virginia House Candidate Sheila Bynum-Coleman Sentenced in PPP Loan Fraud Case
A former candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in obtaining and misusing more than $225,000 in federal Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sentence follows a guilty plea to charges of making false statements on loan applications and failing to file […]
- Virginia launches new unit targeting illegal vapes and intoxicants
Virginia is creating an enforcement unit to oversee the rapidly expanding market for vaping products, hemp-derived intoxicants, THC and kratom, consolidating several regulatory responsibilities within the attorney general’s office. Attorney General Jay Jones announced the Regulated Products Enforcement Unit on Thursday, saying it will handle civil enforcement, retail compliance, product directori
- Shoosmith Landfill Enters Closure Phase Amid Bankruptcy and Regulatory Adjustments
The Shoosmith landfill, situated at 11520 Iron Bridge Road in Chester, Virginia, within the Dale District of Chesterfield County, has ceased accepting waste and is preparing for closure. The facility, permitted under solid waste permit SWP587, opened in 1976 and encompasses approximately 335 acres with a disposal boundary of 203.5 acres. Its total capacity reached […]
- Statistics Highlight Age Demographics in Virginia Juvenile Facilities
Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice recorded 39,882 juvenile intake complaints in fiscal year 2025. The same period saw 6,354 detainments along with 2,241 probation placements. Committed youth admissions totaled 173 which accounted for less than one percent of the population served by the department. These numbers provide a snapshot of the volume handled across various […]
- Virginia legislature grants emergency funds to help close leaking, bankrupt landfill in Chesterfield
The Virginia General Assembly allocated $10.6 million in the two-year budget lawmakers passed this week for the Department of Environmental Quality to help contain toxic leachate spilling from the bankrupt Shoosmith Landfill in Chesterfield County. The emergency funds will be used “to prevent it from becoming a catastrophe”, according the Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield. It […]
- Kratom product sales to be regulated in Virginia
Del. Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg, never expected social media posts about a recreational drug would inspire a new consumer protection law, which he sponsored and was approved by Gov. Abigail Spanberger last month. Spanberger ceremonially signed Cole’s House Bill 360 on Tuesday, which creates new safeguards for the sale of kratom, a legal substance often used […]
- SELC appeals to state supreme court over SCC approval of Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant
The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the Chesterfield County branch of the NAACP, Appalachian Voices, and Mothers Out Front, on Wednesday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Virginia over state regulators’ approval of Dominion Energy’s Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC), a gas peaker plant fiercely opposed by the groups and residents that’s slated […]
- Virginia Senate District 15 Special Election Looms as Battleground Against Democratic Power Grab
As Virginians prepare to celebrate the holidays, a critical special election in Senate District 15 threatens to reshape the state’s political landscape—and potentially hand Democrats the keys to a dangerous redistricting scheme that could entrench their power for years to come. With early voting kicking off tomorrow, December 27th, and Election Day set for January 6th, voters in this Richmond-area
- Survey finds gaps in use of top-tier teaching tools across Virginia
Some Virginia classrooms are embracing top-tier teaching tools — but others are barely touching them. A new statewide survey finds wide disparities in how English and math teachers use high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), underscoring the challenge of lifting student performance.
- Lego plans massive distribution center for Prince George
The Danish toymaker has announced this week plans to build a warehouse and distribution facility worth $366 million in the Crosspointe Business Centre of Prince George County.
- Chesterfield’s indoor farming startup Plenty declares bankruptcy after multiple lawsuits
The operator of an indoor farming facility that was highly praised in Chesterfield declared bankruptcy.
- Charles City County to get 500-acre campus for data center
Diode Ventures, a Kansas-based company, recently submitted plans to county Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for rezone 515 acres approximately 20 miles east of Richmond in order to create a datacenter campus named Roxbury Technology Park.
- Overdose crisis spurs school notification bills, but key details still up for debate
With drug overdoses continuing to strain Virginia communities, a proposal requiring schools to notify parents of overdose cases is gaining momentum in the General Assembly.
- Doctors who provide abortion, transgender care could get legal protections under Virginia Democrat bill
Virginia moved closer Monday to shielding doctors from extradition if they provide abortions (killing babies) or gender-affirming healthcare (chemical castration) to out-of-state patients, advancing legislation that underscores the deepening divide over healthcare access and state sovereignty.
- Richmond Kickers reveal new logo and branding in 2025 season
The Richmond Kickers are the professional men’s soccer club in the Richmond region. They have unveiled a new brand identity and logo for their season 2025. Rob Ukrop, Team Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said that the club had been working on a rebranding for eight months. He explained that the effort was partly motivated […]
- Richmond Company Haleon R&D to See $54M in Upgrades
A global consumer healthcare company is injecting tens of millions of dollars into its R&D facility in Richmond’s Northside.
- Subcontractor sued for $8M of unpaid work on the Plenty Indoor Farm project in Chesterfield
A legal battle over the construction of the facility has erupted shortly after California-based Plenty Unlimited planted the first strawberries in its new indoor farm, located in Chesterfield.
- Ronald McDonald House plans $32M facility for Richmond
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond secured land to build a 50-room facility that would house families of children who are being treated at local hospitals.
- Virginia housing groups look to 2025 for legislative, funding solutions
The number of Virginians who are unhoused has been on the rise, according to various data sources. A report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that in 2023, roughly 7.8 per 10,000 people in Virginia were experiencing homelessness. Recent point-in-time counts in the greater Richmond area showed an increase in unhoused citizens over the past year.
- Civica Inc. to Expand in Greater Richmond-Petersburg Region, Investing $27.8 Million for a New Testing Facility
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that non-profit Civica Inc. (Civica) will invest $27.8 million to establish a new laboratory testing facility at Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County. The company will construct a 55,000-square-foot facility to support Civica’s Petersburg pharmaceutical manufacturing operation through quality testing and development of new produc
- $5.4 Million in Growth and Opportunity Virginia Grants to accelerate economic growth and job creation efforts
Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced $5,482,330 in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant awards for two projects focused on creating a critical talent pipeline to support the emerging advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and expanding middle-mile broadband infrastructure to increase access and service quality to existing industry, as well as key economic development