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VPM Daily Newscast: Aug. 23, 2024

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VPM Daily Newscast

The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.

Listeners can subscribe through NPR One | Apple Podcasts | Megaphone | Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Aug. 23, 2024:

Chesterfield sheriff endorses Donald Trump, prompting ethics questions
Reported by VPM News’ Billy Shields

Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election over the weekend while in uniform, highlighting a murky area in Virginia campaign law. In a video posted online, Leonard referred to Trump as the “law and order candidate” and directed viewers to visit a pro-Trump website.

Legal scholars told VPM News overlapping gray areas of federal and state law make it difficult to determine whether the endorsement was ethically problematic.

Political science professor and RVA’s Got Issues host Rich Meagher said that law enforcement officials are generally prohibited from “’official’ political activity.” Others pointed to Leonard's status as an elected official and the fact that he has endorsed candidates while in uniform before.

Hanover opens Ashland elementary to start the school year
Reported by VPM News’ Lyndon German

Hanover County Public Schools kicked off the 2024-25 school year by celebrating the completion of Ashland Elementary School, the first new school building in the county since Laurel Meadow Elementary School opened in 2008. Ashland brings together students from the former Henry Clay and John M. Gandy elementary schools.

“This facility not only strengthens our school community but provides our students with enhanced resources and opportunities for growth,” Principal Kristin Haas said at a ribbon cutting earlier this month. “Together, we are building a brighter future for all our students for generations to come.”

Hanover supervisors has committed nearly $120 million to replace three more elementary school buildings — Battlefield Park, Beaverdam and Washington-Henry — over the next five years.

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VPM News is the staff byline for articles and podcasts written and produced by multiple reporters and editors.