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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Friday, November 12, 2021:
Virginia's governor elect, Republican Glenn Youngkin, will be getting help from four former governors, including one Democrat as he prepares to take on that job. As Ben Paviour reports, Youngkin's transition team will be a led by a former Treasury Department official who served in the Trump administration.
The Urban One casino project could be getting a second chance in Petersburg. After Richmond voters rejected the proposed casino in last week’s referendum, some Petersburg officials have expressed interest in the project. According to NBC12, Mayor Sam Parham says he has already met with Radio One representatives to show off potential development sites. State Senator Joe Morrissey, who represents the city, says it would be a prime location for a casino. The governor and General Assembly still need to authorize a gaming license for the city. Then the project would go to voters for approval.
The amphitheater at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond was packed yesterday, as people gathered to honor the commonwealth’s veterans and service members. Ian Stewart has more. Virginia Capitol Police detained two men near the event who got into an altercation over free speech issues.
A regional food service distribution site will soon be built in Ashland, bringing 125 new jobs to the area. State officials say Performance Food Group Company is investing more than 80 million dollars to set up an operation in Hanover County. Part of the project is constructing a 325-thousand-square-foot facility. Governor Ralph Northam said in a statement that the development will be instrumental in advancing supply chain management and logistics industries. Virginia competed with Pennsylvania and North Carolina for the project.
A reunion between tobacco giant Altria and its former subsidiary, Philip Morris, is no longer in the works. At a summit earlier this week, the CEO of Philip Morris International announced the deal was over, according to the Richmond-Times Dispatch. The company was spun off as an independent in 2008. A potential merger previously fell through in 2019 amid declining tobacco sales. Altria still operates Philip Morris USA and other subsidiaries within the United States. When reached for comment by the newspaper, Altria officials said they do not comment on speculations about mergers and acquisitions.
While state elections have wrapped up in Virginia, campaign season is just around the corner for the members of Congress. Representative Abigail Spanberger will be running for her third term in Virginia’s 7th District. VPM News’ Ben Paviour caught up with her yesterday.
