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 July 18, 2023:
Virginia’s litter tax needs an overhaul
Reported by VPM News’ Patrick Larsen
The commonwealth has been taxing producers and retailers of commonly littered goods since the 1980s and spending those taxes directly on pollution cleanup, education and recycling programs — but researchers say inflation has left those charges in the dust.
According to a new CVW report authored by Zachary Huntington, associate director of the Ocean Conservancy–affiliated nonprofit Clean Virginia Waterways at Longwood University, Virginia has the lowest per capita litter tax revenue of any state with such a policy.
And that’s just not enough to keep pace with plastics.
Charlottesville judge rules Lee statue lawsuit can use FOIA claim
Reported by VPM News’ Whittney Evans
A Charlottesville judge has thrown out most of a civil lawsuit filed to stop a Black cultural center from melting down a statue of Robert E. Lee that was removed in 2021.
Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Paul M. Peatross Jr. ruled Friday that Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation did not have standing to sue the city — in part because its offer was submitted too late. However, the judge let Trevilian move forward with a claim that the city violated Virginia open records laws with a late-night resolution gifting the statue.
In other news:
- A mother saw her son’s fatal shooting — at his high school graduation (The Washington Post)*
- USL W League welcomes Richmond as expansion side for 2024 (Richmond Kickers)
In case you missed it:
- The Virginia wine country is growing. The local labor pool is not. (The Daily Progress)*
- Underwater grass in the Chesapeake Bay continues to recover, report says (The Virginian-Pilot)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
