The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of May 18, 2023:
Envision Hanover plan enters next phase
Reported by VPM News’ Lyndon German
The county’s comprehensive plan is updated every five years, per Virginia state code, with the goal of identifying the best-use case of properties within a given locality. Following the 2018 update, Hanover officials began the county’s public engagement process in 2022 with hopes to hold a public hearing and adopt the revised plan in September 2023.
“We've had a substantial amount of public touchpoints and engagement and quite honestly, that’s where all our work begins,” said County Administrator John Budesky. “The feedback that we received from those residents throughout Hanover, determine our long-term investments.”
With that input in mind, Hanover’s planners and an appointed committee of constituents — representing the seven magisterial districts — added two new chapters to this year's draft reflecting residents’ growing concerns on housing developmentand rural/agricultural growth.
Mountain Valley Pipeline gets new permit to build in SWVA national forest
Reported by The Associated Press
A controversial and long-delayed natural gas pipeline got the green light for construction on national forest land in Virginia and West Virginia Monday night. The U.S. Forest Service reissued its approval for a permit, despite past federal appeals court rulings determining developers had "inadequately considered" the project's environmental impact.
The decision will allow the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline to be built — for now — across a 3.5-mile (5.6-kilometer) corridor through the Jefferson National Forest.
Forest Service officials said the amended plan will permit the project to move forward while "minimizing environmental impacts to soils, water, scenery and other resources." Environmental groups, however, have threatened legal action over the permit.
In other news:
- Though critiques persist, many agree Virginia’s new political maps are ‘quite balanced’ (Virginia Mercury)
- Charting Richmond's history through signage at The Valentine (Style Weekly)
- Ukrop’s crumb cake picked up by Kroger nationwide (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In case you missed it:
- 'This should be saved': Willa Cather birthplace purchased by local preservationist (The Winchester Star)