Changes Coming to Commonwealth Schools

Local school districts across Virginia are making changes this year. In Loudoun County, students previously could retake tests if they scored below 80%. Under new standards approved by the school board this week, only those scoring below 70% will be allowed a retest. 

Henrico Schools officials want to require middle- and high-school students to put away their phones during all educational hours of the school day. At the moment, students are allowed to use phones during lunch and in between classes.

Fairfax County Public Schools will begin placing weapons detectors in randomly selected high schools next week. The machines will employ low-frequency electromagnetic fields instead of traditional X-ray technology.

The city of Suffolk appropriated funding to pay for school resource officers (SROs) in elementary schools starting this fall. Each of the city’s middle- and high schools already has an SRO on site.

Spending Cuts Across Virginia

Federal spending cuts are being felt across Virginia.

At Virginia Tech, 25 federal funding awards have been terminated, and 12 more are under full or partial stop-work orders, costing the university $21.2 million in support. 

Virginia Commonwealth University launched a formal appeals process to allow researchers to challenge the cancellation of federal funding. The university has been directed to halt work on roughly 20 projects, cutting its funding by more than $10 million. 

Statewide, the federal Department of Health and Human Services shut down more than 20 programs that were supporting Virginia’s Department of Health and state universities. By one estimate, the spending cuts could cost the state $238 million and more than 1,000 jobs.

Weekend Activities

Easter weekend will be filled with religious services across Virginia and plenty of springtime events. The 24th Annual Blue Ridge Kite Festival takes place Saturday in Salem, and Natural Bridge State Park will host an Earth Day cleanup you can help with.

In Central Virginia, Dominion Energy’s family Easter celebration features the Easter bunny, food trucks, and games at Richmond’s Maymount Park on Saturday. The annual Easter parade down Monument Avenue will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Live music fans can head to Culpeperpalooza 2025, happening tonight and tomorrow. All proceeds will be donated to SAFE, a nonprofit that provides Services to Abused Families.

In Norfolk, Old Dominion University has sports. The Monarchs baseball team hosts Louisiana for a three-game series at Harbor Park, while the football team plays its spring game at 2 p.m.

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➤ Statewide: Candidates running for office this fall have raised more than $20 million in the first quarter of the year, led by $6.7 million for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and $3.1 million for Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. (Details)

➤ Fredericksburg: The Rappahannock River—the state’s longest free-flowing river, running from Front Royal to the Chesapeake Bay—was listed as one of American Rivers‘ 10 most endangered waterways in the country. (More)

➤ Newport News: U.S. Marshals worked with local officers to arrest Dimair Jones, a 26-year-old suspected of carrying out a triple murder in 2023. (Details)

➤ Washington, D.C.: Federal housing officials made a criminal referral about New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of mortgage fraud for listing a Norfolk property as her primary residence while reportedly living in New York. (More)

➤ Richmond: The Virginia Department of Transportation expects its emergency response costs to reach $640 million this year—nearly triple the $220 million it originally budgeted. Federal aid may help make up the shortfall. (Details)

➤ Harrisonburg: Meat raised in the Commonwealth will soon be labeled “Virginia Verified Beef.” (Details)

➤ The Washington Nationals visit Denver for a three-game series against the Rockies this weekend after losing three of four in Pittsburgh. (Schedule)

➤ UVA baseball’s three-game series at Florida State this weekend was canceled because of an active shooter on campus. (More)

➤ JMU women’s lacrosse brings a four-game winning streak into Saturday’s home match against South Florida. (Details)

➤ UVA women’s golf advanced to the weekend’s match play at the ACC Championship in Greensboro. Virginia Tech finished 7th. (Leaderboard)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer | PGA | LPGA 

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➤ Trophy properties in Northern Virginia are expected to retain their value amid federal spending cuts, according to a report by Savills US. “Tenants continue to value properties with premium amenities and prime locations,” the report said. (Details)

➤ 117 businesses in Richmond can collect money from the Small Business Recovery Grant Fund, which was created to support those affected by January’s water outage. (More)

➤ Attorney General Jason Miyares joined 38 other state attorneys general in signing a letter encouraging Congress to ban pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies. The letter asserts that PBMs are driving up drug costs. (Details)

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Easter reminds us that through Christ, all things are made new—and together, we can bring that renewal to families in desperate need.

You can follow His example today: the Easter Global Gift Guide is filled with opportunities to share His love in tangible, life-changing ways.

Here are some items that can change the whole world for a family in need:

• Goat: Provides nutritious milk and an income from the goat’s offspring to feed the family and send the children to school. Also includes training in animal care and vaccinations.

• Solar Audio Bible: Gives families who can’t read the ability to hear God’s Word in their own language. Recharged in the sun.

• Clean Water: Clean water solutions for families and villages that are at risk because of lack of drinking water.

• More options

➤ The NOVA Wild zoo in Fairfax County is seeking help identifying vandals caught on surveillance video trespassing on the property this week. (More)

➤ The JP Jumpers Foundation will host a festival trail ride on April 27 at Richmond’s Science Museum to raise money for Autism Awareness Month. (Details)

➤ Carpenter bees may be drilling holes in your deck, but they’re also helping to pollinate your tomato plants. “They can vibrate their wing muscles without vibrating their wings, causing pollen to be released,” a Virginia Tech professor who studies the insect explained. (Details)

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Will you attend Easter services on Sunday?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Perhaps

Thursday’s Results:

Do you like oysters? 

1. Love them: 37%
2. Not really: 35%
3. Never tried them: 28%

Where was Virginia’s first English capital?

Show me the answer