Virginia
FOIA Friday: Unsealed cannabis warrants and ‘highly variable’ transparency policies • Virginia Mercury
One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in practice take the opposite stance, acting as if records are by default private and the public must prove they should be handled otherwise.
In this feature, we aim to highlight the frequency with which officials around Virginia are resisting public access to records on issues large and small — and note instances when the release of information under FOIA gave the public insight into how government bodies are operating.
Unsealed warrants shed light on Southwest Virginia cannabis sweep
Last fall, officials announced a large-scale drug operation in nine Southwest Virginia counties targeting businesses involved in the cannabis industry.
Many of those search warrants were sealed for 180 days, according to Cardinal News, and some recently unsealed documents “detail weeks of undercover buys and catalog the seizure of ATMs, thousands of dollars in cash and containers of plant materials bearing labels like ‘Grease Monkey’ and ‘Stomp Purple.’”
Other documents related to the operation remain sealed however, and officials gave Cardinal News conflicting information about whether any charges have been filed. A spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police said there were no charges, but an investigator with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office said charges had been filed in that county but refused to provide names.
Several officials didn’t respond to inquiries from Cardinal News seeking more information about the results of the law enforcement searches described as part of an “extensive, ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of money laundering and illegal narcotic distribution network by retail establishments.”
Martinsburg reverses course on compensation for former city attorney
After documents released under FOIA showed that Martinsville’s former City Council majority approved a plan to boost the compensation of the departing city attorney in 2022, the current City Council voted to settle the matter by paying him $110,000, according to the Martinsville Bulletin.
The former attorney, Eric Monday, had “initially demanded that the city pay him $3,025 every month for the rest of his life,” the paper reported.
Modifications to Monday’s employment contract in late 2022 gave him full time credit for years he had spent working part time.
“While this dispute was unfortunate and could have been avoided, we made a decision that was in the best interest of the residents of the city of Martinsville,” Councilman Lawrence Mitchell said as he read from a prepared statement. “As we move forward to solidify and strengthen the city with fiscal and policy best practices, it is our belief that this settlement of $110,000 is in the best interest of our community.”
RVA Dirt digs into differing FOIA responses
The activist watchdogs at RVA Dirt, a site that covers local government in the Richmond area, filed FOIA requests throughout the region to gauge the responsiveness of various agencies.
A blog post reporting the findings notes that the results were “highly variable,” with some agencies responding within hours and the city of Richmond blowing the full five-business day window for legally acceptable response times.
The exercise also revealed major differences in how local governments process FOIA requests and what kind of fees they charge for their time.
Even though FOIA seems like something only journalists and activists care about, RVA Dirt opined, it affects citizens too.
“It’s tempting, then, to dismiss this as someone else’s problem,” the post reads. “But FOIA hits local media’s headlines the way your car hits potholes: both are easy to ignore, both reveal a level of government failure. It’s only after you hit too many that you know you’ve got a real problem on your hands.”
Have you experienced local or state officials denying or delaying your FOIA request? Tell us about it: [email protected]
4 things to know about the weather:
- A much more comfortable day is ahead with highs only in the lower to middle 80s across the DMV.
- Most of the day will be dry, but a few spotty showers or thunderstorms could pop up during the afternoon.
- Humidity will be a tad lower than recent days thanks to an easterly breeze and slightly drier air moving into the region.
- Monday looks even better with comfortable temperatures, lower humidity before hotter weather returns later in the week.
A welcome change is finally settling into the DMV. Sunday won’t be perfect with some clouds around and the chance for some showers, but most areas should stay dry. Cooler temps than we’ve been used to lately, with afternoon highs staying in the 80s.
Great days to start the week as Monday and Tuesday are shaping up to be comfortably warm with noticeably lower humidity (thank goodness) bonus days for summer. Enjoy it while it lasts because heat and humidity arrive by Wednesday with temperatures climbing back into the 90s and continuing to build late in the week.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
SUNDAY
Mostly cloudy with a few showers and thunderstorms
Brief downpours remain possible, especially during the afternoon
Humid, but noticeably cooler
Wind: East to northeast 5–10 mph
Chance of rain: 20-30%
Highs: 84°–89°
SUNDAY NIGHT
Mostly cloudy with a few lingering showers
Mild and muggy
Light winds
Lows: 71°–74°
MONDAY
Humidity levels lower than the past several days
Cooler than average for mid-July
Sun & Clouds; looks dry
Highs: 82°–86°
TUESDAY
Sun and clouds and the humidity stays in check
Close to normal temps
Highs in the upper 80s to around 90°
WEDNESDAY
Mostly Sunny & HOT!
More humid with Heat Index 100+
Highs in the upper 90s
THURSDAY
Staying HOT!
Humidity sticks around and the Heat Index stays above 100
Isolated afternoon thunderstorms possible might cool it off a bit late day
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
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At WSLS, we are committed to informing and delighting our audience. In our commitment to covering our communities with innovation and excellence, we incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our news gathering, reporting, and presentation processes. Read our article to see how we are using Artificial Intelligence.
MIDDLEBURG, Va. – Vice President J.D. Vance is eyeing a multimillion-dollar estate in Middleburg, Virginia, to serve as a part-time home for his family, according to a report from the Washington Business Journal.
The second family is leasing two of the four properties at Wolver Hill Farm, a sprawling, nearly 500-acre estate situated about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Washington, D.C.
What we know:
The historic property was acquired five years ago for nearly $9 million by Chuck Kuhn, the owner of J.K. Moving.
According to Michael Neibauer with the Washington Business Journal, there are four homes on the 500-acre property which backs up to the Salamander Middleburg Resort and Spa.
“I wouldn’t be shocked if the Vance family maybe takes advantage of some of those spa facilities that are celebrated out there,” Neibauer added.
Requests for comment regarding the lease agreements were sent to Kuhn’s company, which has not yet responded.
The potential move comes at a busy time for the Vances, as Second Lady Usha Vance is currently expecting the couple’s fourth child.
The news has quickly traveled through the heart of Middleburg, a historic town known for its vibrant strip of mom-and-pop shops and popular resorts along East Washington Street.
What they’re saying:
Business owners along the main thoroughfare were universally aware of their potential new neighbor, though several declined to talk on camera.
The reaction to the Vice President’s potential arrival has been mixed.
“Well, I figure J.D. is going to—the vice president, excuse me— is going to want to play some golf, and I’m a member of Creighton Farms. So, Mr. Vice President, if you’re watching, you’re always welcome on my tee time,” Upperville resident Luke Mahoney said.
When asked if he has concerns about having a potential Secret Service presence in the community, Mahoney said, “No, it can’t be worse than the people that drive 35 miles an hour on Route 50 during commute times. I think they’re very professional; they do a great job. I’m not really that worried about it.”
The Source: This information is from the Washington Business Journal and FOX5 DC reporting.
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