A U.S. Air Force commander for medical services at a Virginia base was removed from her post this week, according to Air Force officials.

Col. Tracy Allen, commander of the 633rd Medical Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, one of the largest Air Force bases, was relieved of command on Tuesday because of a “loss of confidence,” a Langley spokesperson told Military Times on Thursday.

Allen was removed by Col. Stephen Anderson, 633rd Air Base Wing commander, “after careful consideration.”

The base did not provide a specific reason for Allen’s removal beyond citing a loss of confidence in her ability to lead.

Until a new commander of the medical unit is chosen, Col. Michael Blowers, the deputy command surgeon at Air Combat Command, has assumed responsibility of the group.

Before taking command, Allen previously led the 436th Medical Group at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. She also served as the chief of the Medical Readiness Division and chief of the Air Force Medical Operations Center, according to her LinkedIn.

The base houses Air Combat Command, one of the force’s 10 major commands. It has 1,150 assigned aircraft with 35 wings and 1,470 units across 248 locations.

The 633rd Medical Group has five squadrons and 1,400 personnel that deliver outpatient, specialty and emergent care and operate an outpatient surgical center.

The unit also supports a local patient population of up to 29,000 active-duty members and their families alongside 426,000 TRICARE beneficiaries in Hampton Roads, the area in which the base is located.

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Urban Baby Beginnings, a nonprofit dedicated to building Virginia’s maternal health hub system, has been recognized as a recipient of a $5,000 grant as part of 8News’ parent company, Nexstar’s “30 Days of Giving” initiative.

On June 14, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced that the Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation had recognized Urban Baby Beginnings as a recipient of a $5,000 grant.

This comes as part of the company’s month-long program recognizing and supporting nonprofit and charitable organizations serving communities across Nexstar’s nationwide footprint.

“30 Days of Giving” is an initiative driven by employees to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nexstar’s founding in June 1996. 

Here at 8News, assistant news director Katie Wells nominated the nonprofit, which is dedicated to ensuring women of childbearing age have access to high-quality, compassionate and culturally relevant maternal care.

Urban Baby Beginnings works to reduce adverse outcomes for families during the prenatal, postpartum and early childhood stages.

The organization’s hubs in Richmond, Norfolk, Newport News, Petersburg and Roanoke, as well as its telehealth platform, connect families with hospitals, providers and community-based organizations to ensure care is accessible and meets families’ medical and social needs.

8News reporter Madison Moore met with Stephanie Spencer, the nonprofit’s CEO and founder, who said that Urban Baby Beginnings’ mission goes far beyond health care — providing mental health support many mothers say they’re missing.

“The reality is most moms are looking for that sense of belonging, someone that can listen to them and help walk through their journey,” Spencer said.

Spencer explained that the funding will go directly back to the community, including an expansion of the nonprofit’s programs that provide diapers to families.

“[It] allows us to expand our access to our social support groups,” Spencer said. “It allows us to expand our access to our diapering programs. These things matter to our mothers.”

Following the organization’s recognition, Steve Blanchard, Vice President and General Manager of 8News, shared a statement with Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

“We are honored to support Urban Baby Beginnings through the Nexstar Charitable Foundation’s ‘30 Days of Giving’ campaign,” Blanchard said. “Our employees selected this organization because of the meaningful difference it makes in the lives of families throughout our community. At WRIC, serving our viewers includes not only telling stories that matter, but also supporting organizations that are creating positive change.”

To learn more about Urban Baby Beginnings, visit its website.

RICHMOND, Va. — A big ridge of high pressure will lock into place over the next few days, keeping temperatures significantly above normal, creating a dangerous combination of heat and humidity.

Highs will be near or above 100° for at least Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the heat index could exceed 110°.

An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect for most of the region Thursday and Friday. Click here for the latest heat alerts.

The highs will challenge records on multiple days. Due to the high heat index values, and the very warm overnight lows, this will be the biggest heat wave since July 2012.

A few isolated storms are possible Friday, especially north and northwest of Richmond.

There is a better chance of a few storms over the weekend.

Rain chances will increase for Monday and Tuesday, and this should allow highs to drop to near-normal levels.

The drought continues for the Commonwealth. Since last week, the severe (level 3 out of 5) and extreme (level 4 out of 5) drought areas have dropped by a few percent, with the area of moderate drought (level 2 out of 5) expanding.

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