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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Tuesday, October 26, 2021:
The trial underway in Charlottesville this week is a civil case. That means no criminal charges will be brought against the white nationalists who planned the Unite the Right rally in 2017 -- at least for now. Whittney Evans reports.
The Virginia Redistricting Commission has missed a final deadline to draw new state legislative maps, kicking the process to the Virginia Supreme Court. Ben Paviour has more on how that process will work.
Hampton Roads’s stake in offshore wind just got a lot bigger. As Sam Turken, from our partner station WHRV reports, the region will become the home of America’s first factory for offshore wind turbine blades.
If you’re calling someone locally with an 804-phone number, you’ll now have to include the area code when dialing. Virginia is one of dozens of states that must start using 10-digit dialing, to accommodate the new number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline launching next year. The change does not impact an individual’s phone number. It just requires using the area code when making local calls. Places this mandate affects include the Richmond region’s 804 area code and southwest Virginia’s 276 area code.
Willow Lawn may get about 600 new apartments. According to Richmond BizSense, two real estate firms are proposing to replace 5 outdated office buildings near Willow Lawn Drive and Byrd Avenue that are currently facing increased vacancies due to the pandemic. The developments would consist of two 7-story apartment buildings. The project is currently awaiting approval from the Henrico County Planning Commission.
A transit provider in Charlottesville owes the state nearly one million dollars. Jaunt, which provides transportation services to people with disabilities, owes the Department of Rail and Public Transportation just under 970-thousand dollars. A recent state review found that Jaunt under-reported costs and over-reported ridership, according to The Daily Progress. The company, which provides transportation services to people with disabilities, will also have its funding from the state reduced due to the review. Company officials say the reduction simply brings the funding total in line with their actual costs, and that it will not affect service for customers.
