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 Sept. 19, 2024:
Expert tentatively IDs source of Orange County water’s odor
Reported by VPM News’ Patrick Larsen
According to the Virginia Department of Health, a submerged water pump experienced a “catastrophic” failure on Aug. 20 at the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant, releasing “food-grade” mineral oil into water at the treatment plant. The pump showed signs of overheating.
Components of mineral oils were discovered in water samples from the stagnant wells earlier this month — and now, an expert in Texas has matched those samples to the same mineral oil used in the Wilderness plant’s pumps.
J. Hunter Adams simulated the conditions the oil was under in the overheating pumps and determined the odor heated mineral oil produced was “identical” to the WD-40–like scent found in water samples from the treatment plant.
Hanover court dismisses transgender model policy suit
Reported by VPM News’ Whittney Evans
The ACLU of Virginia’s lawsuits challenging Virginia’s model policies for transgender public school students have now been tossed out by two state judges — for procedural reasons. Attorneys for the Virginia Department of Education successfully argued state law shields the agency from being sued under the sovereign immunity doctrine.
Circuit courts in Hanover and York counties also agreed with VDOE’s attorneys that the ACLU missed an administrative deadline when it filed the lawsuits in February.
The ACLU’s complaint asked the court to strike down the policies Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s VDOE issued in July 2023 and replace them with policies issued in 2021 under Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat.
LGBTQ+ students, parents and organizations were consulted during the formation of the 2021 policies.
In other news:
- UVa hires international law firm to investigate hospital complaints (The Daily Progress)*
In case you missed it:
*This outlet utilizes a paywall
