Deadline to Sign New Laws Approaching

Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a law on Wednesday that prevents governments in Virginia from passing or enforcing laws that restrict the obtaining of contraceptives, one of many bills on her desk.

Spanberger has until Monday night to either sign, veto, or amend more than 1,000 bills passed by the Virginia General Assembly this year. She has called a special session of the legislature for April 23 to finish the two-year budget.

Spanberger responded to a recent poll that showed her approval rating at 47%, asking, “I would say if everybody hated me, why is everybody putting my face on the mailers for the referendum?” 

She added that while she supports the April 21 constitutional referendum, which would allow congressional redistricting this year, she has been too busy to spend much time campaigning for the measure.

Homan Warns of More ICE Presence

The General Assembly passed a package of bills this year that would prohibit, among other things, state and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents unless those federal agents stop operating in courthouses and schools and stop wearing masks.

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman called on Gov. Spanberger to veto that bill. “You’re going to have ICE out here more, in the streets, conducting raids and doing that sort of thing when it’s really not necessary,” he warned.

Federal border czar Tom Homan has said he will send more ICE agents into Virginia. “We’ll just send more teams into the streets, into the neighborhoods,” Homan said.

Spanberger insisted, “Virginia is not a sanctuary state. Full stop.” She said the state police will cooperate with federal immigration agents if they have an arrest warrant, but that troopers will not act under the direction of ICE agents.

Fourth Arrest in Dumfries Shooting

Authorities arrested a fourth suspect in connection with the shooting death of 18-year-old Louis Boone, who was killed on a basketball court last month.

Kennsington Duane Adams of Dumfries was detained at his home and charged with second-degree murder and other offenses.

Four people were wounded in the shooting incident on March 9, including a 17-year-old who is one of the suspects. The victim was a freshman at Norfolk State University.

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➤ Oakwood: Jesse Leroy Matthew, who is serving life sentences for the murders of two Virginia college students, was transferred from the supermax Red Onion State Prison to Keen Mountain Correctional Center. Officials haven’t given a reason for the move. (More)

➤ Richmond: Dominion Energy asked regulators to allow it to boost electric bills to help pay for cleaning up coal ash at power plants. The move would cost the typical customer 53 cents per month. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Superintendent Col. Jeffrey S. Katz, appointed to lead the state police, shot down an internet rumor that troopers might go door-to-door seizing weapons. “There is no legislative proposal seeking to do this, and there will not be,” Katz insisted. (Details)

➤ Loudoun County Supervisors signed off on a request to consider whether George Washington University’s Ashburn campus can be redeveloped with data centers. Amazon Data Services agreed to buy the site last month. (More)

➤ Botetourt County: Residents hosted a community meeting to discuss a proposed Google data center in the region. “They’re not even through the permitting process yet, so one of the things that these kind of meetings do is let people know who are against it that they’re not alone,” organizer Ben Verschoor said. (Details)

➤ Lynchburg: Police arrested 73-year-old Effie Wynn, a school bus driver, and charged her with strangulation and child neglect. She is being held without bail. (More)

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➤ Virginia Tech softball player Bre Warren filed an injunction against the NCAA seeking immediate eligibility for the rest of this season. She said South Carolina’s compliance staff gave her incorrect transfer guidance that cost her the 2025 season. (More)

➤ Matoaca 11th grader Kaylee Hodges was named Virginia Gatorade Softball Player of the Year for the second straight season. A Tennessee commit, she’s the nation’s No. 1 softball recruit for 2027. (Details)

➤ The Jackalope Action Sports Festival returns to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront over May 29-31, featuring skateboarding, BMX, BASE jumping, and live music. The event drew more than 47,000 spectators last year. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: Masters | NBA | MLB | NHL | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis

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➤ The minimum wage is set to increase incrementally until it reaches $15 an hour in 2028 under a law signed by Gov. Spanberger. After that, the law mandates that it will be tied to inflation. (Details)

➤ The U.S. Department of Energy contracted with SURATech, LLC to manage and operate the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News. (More)

➤ CACI International, based in Reston, inked a seven-year technology contract to modernize the U.S. Army’s Integrated Personnel and Pay System. (Details)

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➤ The Virginia Beach City Council agreed to purchase five parcels of land at Pleasure House Point to preserve environmentally sensitive property. The move is expected to cost more than $2.5 million. (Details)

➤ The Virginia Student Film Festival returned to Charlottesville for the second straight year. (More)

➤ Arlington will introduce a microtransit program next week to serve residents in areas without mass transit access. “Service will be provided on demand, based on when and where people need to travel,” a spokesperson said. (Details)

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Do you use your phone while driving?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I’ll never tell

Thursday’s Results:

Have you ever been to a minor league baseball game in Virginia? 

1. Yes: 47%
2. No: 33%
3. Not yet: 20%

Where was ChapStick invented?

Show me the answer