Investigating Richmond’s Water Crisis

Several investigations have shed new light on last month’s water crisis, which left many in Richmond and surrounding counties without clean tap water for days.

Internal records indicate that a maintenance program manager at the Richmond Water Treatment Plant questioned a “power bump” two-and-a-half hours before the issue was reported to Dominion Energy. An engineering expert said that if the problem had been reported sooner, it “more than likely would have prevented the flooding of the clearwell, which shut down the entire plant.”

Hanover County officials also reported that Richmond was slow to notify them about potential problems. Henrico County’s director of public utilities highlighted one reason the information wasn’t shared quickly: “The public utilities director of Richmond was trying to text my desk phone.” 

To prevent problems in the future, Henrico is considering purchasing Richmond’s facilities and managing both service areas, along with other options.

Virginia Is Last in Math Recovery

According to the Education Recovery Scorecard from Harvard and Stanford universities, the nationwide drop-off in student achievement since the pandemic has been especially deep in the Commonwealth.

Virginia ranked 51st in math recovery between 2019 and 2024, behind every other state and the District of Columbia. The state ranked 46th in math improvement from 2022 to 2024. In reading recovery, Virginia ranked 41st.

Virginia schools received an average of $2,500 per student in federal pandemic relief funds. That was less than what D.C. schools received ($6,800 per student) and less than the average for schools nationwide ($3,700 per student).

Much of the burden for raising test scores falls on local schools. “The rescue phase is over. The federal relief dollars are gone,” Harvard’s Tom Kane warned. “It is time to pivot from short-term recovery to longer-term challenges such as reducing absenteeism and addressing the slide in literacy.”

Virginia’s Most Beautiful Attractions

Southern Living Magazine has sorted through all the beautiful spots in Virginia and narrowed it down to a list of the 20 “Most Beautiful.”

The top spot goes to the Molly’s Knob overlook at Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, with a vista reached by a “fairly steep” 1.8-mile hike.

Other parks on the list include Breaks Interstate Park, home to the “Grand Canyon of the South,” Grayson Highlands State Park, and Natural Bridge State Park.

The list also names cities and other locations, such as Middleburg, Cape Charles, and Old Town Alexandria, as well as attractions such as the Roanoke Star, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, and Smith Mountain Lake.

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➤ Richmond: The FBI and the state police have launched an investigation after a sophisticated cyberattack targeted the Virginia Attorney General’s office earlier this week. Officials stated the attack was detected promptly, but details have not been disclosed. (More)

➤ Henrico: Erin Strotman, a former nurse at Henrico Doctor’s Hospital, was granted a $25,000 bond under the conditions that she remain at her parents’ home and stay away from children. She is charged with child abuse and malicious wounding in connection with a boy who was injured while in the NICU. (Details)

➤ Annandale: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested seven illegal immigrants during a targeted operation last week. (The List)

➤ Williamsburg: Willliam & Mary Law School mistakenly sent welcome letters to over 400 applicants who had not been accepted. “We recognize the emotional impact of such an error, and we are taking immediate steps to prevent it from happening again,” a school official said. (More)

➤ Richmond: A House subcommittee voted unanimously to set aside a Senate measure that would have allowed Fairfax County to consider building a casino in Tysons. The Senate sponsor insisted that “the bill can be brought back and passed through [on] Tuesday.” (Details)

➤ Haynesville: A family member of an inmate at a correctional center was charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into the facility during an event. (More)

➤ UVA’s men’s tennis team, ranked No. 5 in the nation, opens play in the ITA Indoor Championship today against Michigan. (Schedule)

➤ College baseball season opens today, with UVA in the Puerto Rico Challenge against Michigan and VT at home against Bucknell. (Schedule)

➤ George Mason’s men’s basketball team, on a 10-game winning streak and leading the A-10 Conference, hosts Saint Joseph’s tomorrow. (Preview)

➤ Virginia Tech hosts UVA in a Commonwealth Clash men’s basketball rematch tomorrow. The Hokies prevailed by a point the last time they met. (Preview)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis | NHL | PGA

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➤ The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at UVA projects that, over the next year, Virginia’s unemployment rate will remain lower than the national average, its GDP will grow by 2.4%, and inflation will moderate. (Details) 

➤ Akers Fire Protection of Lorton, which installs state-of-the-art fire sprinkler protection systems in Northern Virginia, has been acquired by Sciens Building Solutions. (More) 

➤ Cathie Vick will take over as president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce on April 1. She succeeds Barry DuVal, who has held the position since 2010. (Details) 

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➤ Travelers have until May 7 to upgrade their Virginia driver’s license to Real ID status if they want to use it when they fly. Just over half of all state driver’s licenses currently comply with Real ID standards. (Details)

➤ The North End Run Club in Virginia Beach does more than host weekly runs. Members also give back to the community by operating a food pantry and an annual toy donation drive. (More)

➤ Virginia State Parks campgrounds that have been closed since December are scheduled to reopen on March 7. However, open fires are prohibited from midnight to 4 p.m. (Details)

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Are you dining out for Valentine’s Day?

1. Yes
2. No
3. It’s more romantic to prepare a meal at home!

Thursday’s Results:

Have you ever attended a Renaissance fair? 

1. Yes: 48%
2. No: 52%

How many times has George Mason’s men’s basketball team won the Atlantic 10 Conference championship?

Show me the answer