Cover Story
The New Dominion
After nearly 30 years, Democrats take the reins of state government.
When the 2020 Virginia General Assembly is gaveled into session at noon on Jan. 8, for the first time in the state legislature’s 401-year history, the person wielding that gavel will be a woman. The ascension of Del. Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax to speaker of the House of Delegates will likely be the most visible of
Opinion
Advice for Dems from “America’s Dad”
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine has “a little window” into what it looks like when the balance of power shifts in a Virginia legislative body. He was Virginia’s governor in 2007 when Democrats took control of the state Senate. That wasn’t nearly as seismic a change as Virginians will witness this General Assembly session when Democrats
From This Issue
A new voice
Virginia’s first female speaker prepares to gavel in the GA session
For the first time since 1993, Democrats are in charge of Virginia’s legislative and executive branches. Back then, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder was serving the last year of his four-year term and Thomas Moss Jr. of Norfolk was the speaker of the House of Delegates. Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, faces a totally different landscape as
Projects vie for federal abandoned mine grant funds
Every year, Virginia receives $10 million from the federal government for projects to redevelop land that was home to abandoned coal mines. This fall, 18 different projects applied for funding — all seeking to become models for coalfield communities recovering from the industry’s slow collapse. The applications received by Virginia’s Department of Mines, Minerals and
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Virginia Tech prepares to grow computer science grads
The state is investing nearly $1 billion in technology education, and Virginia Tech will be the largest recipient — along with bearing responsibility for producing more than 16,000 computer science degree-holders over the next two decades. Gov. Ralph Northam announced in November that 11 state colleges and universities will receive $961.5 million through the commonwealth’s
States join forces to battle Beltway bridge bottleneck
When the governors of Virginia and Maryland announced plans in November to replace the aging American Legion Bridge, it may have sounded like a chorus of angels to woebegone commuters who make their way across the Potomac River each weekday. “A new bridge means commuters will get to work and back home faster,” said Gov.
Approaching equality
2020 marks a record year for female legislators in Virginia
Women may make up more than half of Virginia’s population, but their presence in the statehouse has always fallen far short of parity. This year’s election brought a seismic change, however. Rachel Bitecofer, assistant director of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, says that women now hold 41 of the General
Henrico indoor arena heads for goal line
Updated Jan. 20 The proposed replacement of the Richmond Coliseum is stirring up strong feelings among elected officials and residents in the city, but a dozen miles up Interstate 95, a smaller arena in Henrico County is quietly moving forward. Filling a need for indoor space to host high school basketball and other indoor sports
Online pioneer becomes powerhouse
Liberty now has more than 111,000 students
If colleges and universities have a golden age, then this may be Liberty University’s. Founded in 1971 by televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr., the Lynchburg-based institution will mark its 49th year in 2020. For decades, the school battled debt — at one point in the triple-digit millions — and was threatened with losing its accreditation. Today,
Growth spurt
Robust economy has driven yearlong hotel boom
As the economy has been on the rise, so have hotels in many parts of Virginia. During the past 12 months, Virginia’s hotel industry has seen more than a billion dollars invested in hotel construction and renovation — everywhere from Richmond to Bristol. “The bulk of that is new construction,” says Eric Terry, president of
Pharrell Williams-backed surf park on its way
After almost a year of negotiations, Virginia Beach City Council has struck a deal with Venture Realty Group to develop a mixed-use surf park and entertainment venue covering three city blocks near the oceanfront. Called Atlantic Park, the $325 million project will be built on the 10-acre site of The Dome, the geodesic concert venue
New Sim Lab gives nursing students real-life experience
If you thought simulators were just for pilots and astronauts, think again. Nursing students at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) can now train on complex, real-life patient-care scenarios inside the Clinical Simulation Lab for Nursing Education at Sovah Health’s Martinsville campus. The Sim Lab, which opens this month, features sophisticated, high-tech “patient simulators” that respond