Virginia
Dems reintroduce bill to let Virginia localities fund school capital projects through sales tax – Virginia Mercury
Democrats are again pushing for legislation that would allow local governments to hold referenda on increasing their sales and use tax to pay for school capital projects such as construction and renovations.
The party hopes the effort, which has been tried twice before but defeated by Republicans, will be successful now that Democrats are set to control both the House of Delegates and the Senate following the November elections.
Virginia Explained: Why can just nine localities impose a sales tax for school capital projects?
“We think with the change in the dynamics in the House that this bill has a very good chance,” said Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, adding that a similar version of the bill passed with bipartisan support last year in the Democratic-controlled Senate before dying in the House.
Under current law, only nine localities can impose a 1% sales tax to fund school construction and renovation projects. They are the counties of Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick and Pittsylvania and the city of Danville.
Local governments have control over adjustments to their property tax rates — but aren’t allowed to change the sales tax rate without explicit permission from the General Assembly.
In 2021, Virginia invested nearly $1.3 billion into programs distributing grants and loans for school construction after a survey found over half of Virginia’s schools are more than 50 years old, with replacement costs for each in the millions.
“It’s really about empowering localities to make their own decisions about how they want to fund schools, and this is a new tool in the toolbox,” McPike said.
[Read more: School divisions, facing buildings in disrepair, tap into new buckets of money]
Lawmakers have already set a “precedent of permitting localities to impose a sales tax increase for school capital projects through the referendum process,” he said, “but what the bill would do is essentially allow all localities to make that choice and figure out if that’s the right fit for their community and their community needs.”
Former Republican Del. James Edmunds, R-Halifax, introduced a bill last session to add Prince Edward County to the list of localities allowed to impose a 1% sales tax for school capital projects. However, a House Finance subcommittee failed to hear the proposal.
In 2019, Edmunds successfully carried legislation to add Halifax County to the list of permitted localities.
Republicans have been reluctant to support changes to the law that could allow the raising of taxes, outgoing Sen. Tommy Norment, R-Williamsburg, told the Mercury last session.
If the legislation can make it out of both chambers, the bills will still require approval by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who could sign them into law, veto them or suggest changes.
Virginia
2026 RB Kory Amachree discusses offer from West Virginia
Haslett (Mi.) 2026 running back Kory Amachree hadn’t spoken with West Virginia prior to making contact with running backs coach Chad Scott.
And that conversation led to a scholarship offer.
Amachree, 6-foot-0, 205-pounds, added the offer from the Mountaineers following a good discussion with Scott who let him know that his skill set was impressive on the field.
“He liked how explosive I am, and he liked how I am a dual threat,” he said.
Amachree was naturally excited to add West Virginia to an offer list that includes Michigan State, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and Cincinnati, among others.
“I am happy they offered me since they are a great school,” he said.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect is coming off a season here he had 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns and is being targeted at the running back position due to his athleticism and versatility.
The plan is for Amachree to take a visit to Morgantown in order to get a more up close look at what the football program has to offer, and he also plans to visit UCLA, USC, Indiana and Northwestern.
There is no timeline for when a potential decision could come but he is looking for a school that’s going to provide the right environment.
“What’s important to me in a school is a family-like bond,” he said.
Virginia
Snowstorm bears down on Virginia, will hit Petersburg, Tri-Cities hardest late Friday
Nashville snow time lapse: Watch as snow falls in downtown
In this time lapse, snow showers pass through downtown Nashville as a winter storm blows through Middle Tennessee Friday, Jan. 10, 2025
PETERSBURG – Winter is coming. Again.
A massive winter storm encompassing a large swath of the central and southern U.S. should be arriving here sometime after 7 p.m. Friday. Precipitation is expected to be light but steady until around 11 p.m. That is when the snowfall will pick up, and we will see most of the anticipated 4-6 inches that the National Weather Service office in Wakefield expects for us.
Snow will start to taper off after dawn Saturday and should be out of here completely by Saturday afternoon.
NWS said snow began falling around 5 p.m. in far southwestern Virginia.
Getting ready
Around the area, state and local officials prepped for the storm’s arrival. In Petersburg, a city statement said the main roads through town were treated in advance Friday. Petersburg’s first-responders and public-works department will be on duty all through the storm to keep the scene as safe as possible.
The city also issued the typical advisory for citizens to stay off the roads as much as possible, and travel only if necessary.
“With less traffic, road crews can better cover the streets,” the statement read. “Residents are also asked to use off-street parking when available.”
Central, southern Virginia expected to feel brunt
Unlike last weekend’s storm that dumped as much as a foot of snow on northern Virginia, this weekend’s storm appears to be targeting central and southern Virginia.
The dividing line between 3-4 inches of snow and 4-6 inches of snow is between Richmond and Petersburg, maps from NWS indicate. The further north you go, the less accumulation you can expect.
Snow bands stretch from Louisa County to the Virginia-North Carolina line. The largest of those bands extends from Farmville through Petersburg and on up to Accomac on the Eastern Shore.
Projected totals fall off a bit as you move toward Tidewater and down into North Carolina.
If you must drive, the Virginia Department of Transportation recommends checking 511Virginia first, either online or through the app.
This is a developing story.
Virginia
Virginia Tech Football: Where do Hokies Finish in Final ACC Power Rankings?
Just a few months ago, before the 2024 season ever officially kicked off, Virginia Tech seemed like a program that was trending up. They finished the 2023 season strong and were returning a ton of starters from that team and seemingly had a favorable schedule in front of them. They were talked about as the dark horse to win the ACC and make the college football playoff, but it wasn’t long before that was proven to be false.
The Hokies started the season with an upset loss to Vanderbilt, lost to Rutgers a few weeks later, and had the controversial loss to Miami to drop them to 2-3. After rallying to win three straight to get to 5-3 and still have a shot at the ACC Championship, the Hokies collapsed, losing four of their last five, including the bowl game to Minnesota last Friday. Not only was this season very disappointing, but the Hokies are losing most of their contributors from this team to the transfer portal or the draft. RB Bhayshul Tuten, OL Xavier Chaplin, Braelin Moore, and several members of the secondary. They are working to fill those holes in the portal and quarterback Kyron Drones is coming back, but there is not as much optimism heading into this offseason as there was for last season
While all eyes might be on moving forward to the 2025 season, where did Virginia Tech finish in the final ACC Power Rankings From 247Sports analyst Grant Hughes?
“Bowl Result: Lost Duke’s Mayo Bowl to Minnesota, 24-10
“Virginia Tech entered the 2024 season with ACC championship aspirations but failed to live up to expectations after dropping three of its first five games. A 1-4 finish to the campaign secured the Hokies’ fourth losing season in the last five years. The good news is that starting quarterback Kyron Drones is returning for the 2025 season, and the Hokies have already replaced star running back Bhayshul Tuten via the portal with former top-100 recruit and Tennessee transfer Cameron Seldon.”
All of that has led to speculation about head coach Brent Pry being on the hot seat going into 2025. Pry has gone 3-8, 7-6, and 6-7 in his three seasons in Blacksburg. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg listed Pry as a coach on the hot seat going into 2025 and listed him in the “Don’t backslide” category alongside Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, Florida’s Billy Napier, and Cal’s Justin Wilcox:
“The hot-seat talk bubbled up around Pry in November, and if the Commonwealth Cup had gone differently, Virginia Tech could have had a decision to make after a disappointing fall. Pry’s second consecutive 6-6 regular season got him to a bowl game, but he will enter Year 4 with a new defensive coordinator and a staff that will include former longtime Hokies DC Bud Foster as an advisor/analyst.
Pry is halfway through his contract and Virginia Tech isn’t in the best position to eat a seven-figure buyout. Virginia Tech should be more competitive in a very winnable ACC, especially with quarterback Kyron Drones back. The Hokies have eclipsed seven wins just once since 2017.”
Will Pry need to improve upon his record in 2025 to be ensured of another season in Blacksburg? Virginia Tech opens the season against South Carolina in Atlanta and the Gamecocks are likely going to start the season with a lofty ranking. They also face Miami, Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Louisville next season, but it is not a murderers row of a schedule. Needless to say, the Hokies need to see some progress next season.
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