Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1606, the Virginia Company of London put out detailed instructions for colonists to follow. The Company expected settlers to set up a port 100 miles up a navigable river from the ocean, and it wanted them to begin searching for a “Northwest Passage” to Asia.

Today, the Commonwealth’s high school graduation rate is on the upswing, while gas prices keep dropping. More on those stories in our Around Virginia and Business sections.

Do you love Virginia? So do our 50,000+ readers. Advertise in The Virginia Flyover and connect your business with passionate locals! Learn more.

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Reps Discuss Ways to Clean Up The Bay

Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, including the governors of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, will meet today to set new goals for cleaning up the waterway.

“The Chesapeake Bay Agreement has really been a conversation that’s been going on since the early 80s when the governors got together and said we really needed to do something to turn around the tide on bay health,” said Jay Ford, the Virginia policy manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

One way states are cleaning up the Bay is by improving the quality of water that flows into it. The Commonwealth met its recent sediment runoff targets but fell short of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus levels.

The DEQ set up a $20 million grant program this year to reward businesses or individuals that reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution reaching the Bay’s watershed.

“Virginia remains fully committed to our Chesapeake Bay efforts,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced ahead of today’s meeting.

Getting Rid of the Lead

The federal government provided $1.4 million in new federal funding to help identify and mitigate lead risks in buildings across Virginia.

This is in addition to the $35 million appropriated earlier this year to replace lead pipes throughout the state. Exposure to lead can keep children from developing properly and can cause internal injury in adults.

The federal EPA suspects there are some 187,000 lead service lines in the state. That includes the Richmond and Henrico areas, where residents got letters warning them about possible lead pipes on service lines.

Recent testing indicated lead in the water in some Washington County schools. Some fixtures there have been turned off as remediation gets underway.

Christmas Markets to See This Season

Christmas is just weeks away, but there is still time to visit one of many seasonal markets, no matter where you live in the Commonwealth.

In Northern Virginia, the Old Town Alexandria Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show is coming up on Dec. 14. It promises crafts to buy, food to eat, and seasonal music to enjoy.

The Carytown Holiday Artisan Market is coming to Richmond on Saturday and Sunday at City Stadium. Santa will make an appearance at 11 on Saturday.

The 5th Annual Williamsburg Christmas Market runs through Dec. 22. Check the schedule for exact dates and times.

As part of Illuminights, Roanoke offers the Artisan Market at Explore Park on weekends through Christmas. It promises “unique hand-made gifts from over 30 local artisans.”

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➤ Statewide: Virginia’s high school graduation rate is 89.1%, the tenth-highest in the nation and 2.5% higher than the federal rate, according to a report from the GRAD Partnership. The graduation rate has improved 7.1% since 2011. (Details)

➤ Hampton: The school board voted unanimously to give its superintendent a 50% raise after the district’s graduation rate hit 97.9% last year. Raymond Haynes will make $305,000 annually with a contract that runs through 2029. (Details)

➤ Petersburg: The Federal Trade Commission settled a lawsuit with Evolv Technologies, which makes weapon scanners used in many Virginia schools. Evolv agreed to stop making unverified claims about the scanners, which studies show were effective 92% of the time. (More)

➤ Gainesville: Opponents of the proposed Prince William Digital Gateway data center, including the nonprofit American Battlefield Trust, appealed the Oct. 31 dismissal of their lawsuit against the county board of supervisors that approved the project. (More)

➤ Henrico: Community members, including state Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, attended a meeting to speak out against a proposed off-track betting parlor that they say skirts recently enacted restrictions. (Details)

➤ Augusta County: Rainy weather across the state may help quell a fire in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. As of Monday, the blaze covered some 600 acres. (More)

➤ Washington Commanders wide receiver Jamison Crowder came off injured reserve. He has been sidelined since Oct. 2 with a calf injury. (Details)

➤ The Washington Capitals are off until Thursday after completing a successful swing north of the border, where they took down both Toronto and Montreal. (More)

➤ UVA’s football team got an unexpected boost: a multi-million gift from an anonymous donor. It’s the largest one-time cash contribution in program history. (Details)

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➤ Gas prices statewide dropped to $2.92/gallon last week, according to AAA. That is the lowest price in three years and nine cents less than the national average. (Details)

➤ Johns Hopkins Medicine opened a center in Arlington, its second facility in the Commonwealth. JHM’s facilities in Maryland and D.C. already provide health care to some 50,000 Virginians. (More)

➤ Cambridge Pavingstones with ArmorTec of New Jersey will build a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Pittsylvania County. The $50 million investment is expected to create 55 new jobs. (Details)

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➤ A police officer from Dumfries grew up without knowing he had any siblings. As an adult, he’s met two half-sisters and a half-brother. (Details)

➤ Beer is best served cold, and it was at the outdoor Crozet Winter Brews Festival featuring beverages from Virginia cideries and breweries. (More)

➤ A holiday-themed exhibit at Virginia Tech runs through Dec. 20 and features presidential memorabilia collected by a woman who worked with First Families for 25 years. (Details)

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