Connect with us

Virginia

'We lost the battle last week:' Virginia Beach business loses some property to Dominion Energy wind project

Published

on

'We lost the battle last week:' Virginia Beach business loses some property to Dominion Energy wind project


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Dominion Energy’s Offshore Wind Project has stirred up mixed reactionsfrom the community. It’s a project WTKR has reported onextensively. Some in Virginia Beach have new concerns as the company’s project has to pass through private property.

“It’s almost like seeing part of you being torn away. I mean I grew up in this building. As a young boy when my father would bring me here I would play with my toys in this room and obviously on the grounds,” said Joseph ‘Frank’ Francis Walton, licensed funeral director, owner and manager of Walton Funeral Home in Virginia Beach.

Watch: Dominion offers up-close look at progress of offshore wind farm project

Advertisement

Dominion offers up-close look at progress of offshore wind farm project

Since 1968, the Walton Funeral Home has called Holland Road home. It was first run by his parents and, now, Frank Walton as a way to help grieving families.

“We’ve enjoyed the privacy, we’ve enjoyed the serenity,” said Walton.

But Walton says the days for serenity are numbered and he’s the one grieving a loss.

Advertisement

“I just don’t know how I am going to respond with those trees going away and those monopoles taking their place,” said Walton. “We lost the battle last week. They’ve got early access to the property.”

Watch: VB residents say Dominion Energy wind turbine project is causing issues

Dominion Energy construction project is causing issues for Virginia Beach residents

Advertisement

Trees on the Walton Funeral Home property will soon be taken down for Dominion Energy to install high voltage transmission lines across the building’s entrance and parking lot. Walton and the company tried to come to an agreement when Dominion Energy sought to purchase an easement across the property. The company said it initially offered more than $20,000.

“This is always the starting point of our negotiations, a third-party market value appraisal,” explained a Dominion Energy spokesperson.

“We have had some offers from them since then and none of them have been close to what we feel is just compensation,” said Walton.

Watch: Dominion Energy addresses concerns about loud noises in wind turbine project construction

Advertisement

Dominion Energy addresses Croatan residents’ concerns about loud noises in wind turbine project construction

When they couldn’t agree, Dominion turned to the courts to mediate a settlement in a process called eminent domain. The company needed to have a public purpose, or use, to take private property and convert it like this.

A spokesperson for Dominion explained that the property was essential to help connect 174 offshore wind turbines to the grid to power 660,000 homes.

“We have to be sensitive to the people whose community and property will be impacted by this project. These property owners are making an important contribution to Virginia’s clean energy transition. They are playing an important role in delivering carbon-free power to more than 660,000 Virginia homes. We believe it’s important to treat them fairly and respectfully,” said the spokesperson.

Advertisement

The spokesperson added that eminent domain is a last resort.

“Our first priority is always to reach a mutual agreement with every property owner, and we make every attempt to do so . . . Through cooperation and good faith negotiations, we’ve reached mutual, voluntary agreements with 95 percent of the property owners along the CVOW transmission route, and every property owner has been fairly compensated,” said the spokesperson. “[In cases of eminent domain] the property owner will be compensated for the right-of-way as determined by a jury, unless the parties decide to settle the matter.”

Four of 68 impacted properties, including Walton’s, are going through the eminent domain process for this project. In a few years neighbors in Sandbridgecould see similar impacts if another Dominion wind farm project connects more offshore wind turbines there.

Watch: New Dominion wind farm that could impact Sandbridge discussed at VB city council meeting

Advertisement

New Dominion wind farm that could impact Sandbridge discussed at VB city council meeting

“What do you think will happen to your business?” News 3 reporter Erika Craven asked Walton.

“I don’t know. We hope for the best,” he replied.

Walton hopes he’ll still be able to reach an agreement with Dominion, but right now that’s not providing much comfort.

Advertisement

“It’s the small business person versus a giant. It feels futile sometimes to try and fight something in that particular vein,” said Walton.

Walton will be compensated for the taking but he doesn’t know how much that will be yet. A compensation trial is scheduled for April.





Source link

Virginia

Honking on the highway: Family of geese escorted off I-66 in Virginia

Published

on

Honking on the highway: Family of geese escorted off I-66 in Virginia


Those honks you heard on I-66? They weren’t from cars.

Police officers in Northern Virginia herded a family of Canada geese off the highway Thursday afternoon, as lanes were shut down to keep everyone safe.

The geese were spotted on I-66 westbound near the exit for Sycamore Street. Metro Transit Police got to them first, and Arlington County officers and Virginia State Police also responded to help, acording to Arlington County Police.

Video shows police vehicles slowly following the geese — two adults with a cluster of fuzzy yellow goslings — as they waddled along the far right shoulder toward milemarker 69.6.

Advertisement

Lane closures were put into effect about 1:30 p.m., and police were able to escort the geese off the highway within about 15 minutes.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2693381161043880

County police quipped on Facebook: “What’s good for the goose…is probably to stay of I-66. 🪿 Virginia State Police , Metro Forward Police Department, Virginia Department of Transportation and ACPD officers worked together to assist a family of geese off a busy highway in a feat so great it gave us goosebumps!”



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Virginia

More than 300 pounds of marijuana worth $1M seized in Bristol, Virginia State Police says

Published

on

More than 300 pounds of marijuana worth M seized in Bristol, Virginia State Police says


More than 300 pounds of marijuana worth more than $1 million were seized this month in Bristol, according to the Virginia State Police.

Multiple search warrants were executed this month by VSP and the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force in at various areas across the city between May 1 and May 13.

On May 1, a search warrant was executed at a business on Euclid Avenue. Around three pounds of marijuana was seized with a street value of $13,500. The location was within a school zone and a childcare facility.

On May 6, another search warrant was executed at a warehouse in Bristol. Virginia State Police seized 250 pounds of marijuana (street value of $1,135,000), 192 marijuana plants ($576,000), 50 pounds of THC edibles ($22,700). Charges are forthcoming, police said.

Advertisement

Another search warrant was executed on May 13 at a business on West State Street. Around 25 pounds of marijuana was seized with a street value of $112,500. Additional evidence was also seized.

In addition, another search warrant was executed on May 13 at a business on Paulena Drive. About 30 pounds of marijuana was seized with a street value of $135,000. Additional evidence was also seized.

The Office of the Attorney General is reviewing the investigation for any possible applicable civil enforcement actions.

Comment with Bubbles

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (2)

Advertisement

The Holston River Regional Drug Task Force includes the Town of Abingdon Police Department, Bristol Police Department, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Town of Lebanon Police Department, as well as Virginia State Police.



Source link

Continue Reading

Virginia

Va. governor concerned redistricting battle could make voters reluctant to cast ballot this fall – WTOP News

Published

on

Va. governor concerned redistricting battle could make voters reluctant to cast ballot this fall – WTOP News


Days after Virginia Democrats filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court as part of their ongoing redistricting battle, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she’s focused on the fall midterm elections and ensuring voters are motivated to turn out.

Days after Virginia Democrats filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court as part of their ongoing redistricting battle, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she’s focused on the fall midterm elections and ensuring voters are motivated to turn out.

After a bill signing at Inova Schar Cancer Institute on Wednesday, Spanberger made her most extensive public comments about the state’s redistricting plan. She cited the state’s May 12 deadline for any map changes, and said as a result, this year’s elections will proceed under the current map.

Spanberger’s remarks came a few days after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the Democrat-led redistricting push. Primaries in the state are scheduled for Aug. 4, with the November general election to follow.

Advertisement

“What needs to happen is we need to focus on the task at hand, which is winning races in November,” Spanberger said.

“I believe, somewhat doggedly, that we will win two to four seats in the House of Representatives. … That is my goal. That is what I know is possible.”

The map Democrats proposed, experts said, could have resulted in a 10-1 Democratic majority representing Virginia in the U.S. House. But Republicans challenged the process Democrats in the General Assembly used to put the constitutional amendment before voters.

In a 4-3 opinion issued Friday morning, Virginia’s Supreme Court sided with the Republican challengers.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gave Republicans until Thursday evening to respond to Democrats’ request for the emergency appeal.

Advertisement

Spanberger defended the process the General Assembly used, adding: “I think I certainly would have wanted to, and did want to, see a different outcome with the Supreme Court ruling.”

Over three million people participated in the rare April special election, and Spanberger said she’s concerned those voters “have had the experience of casting a ballot in an election that was very important to them, including those on both sides of the referendum vote, only to have it be overturned, essentially, by the Supreme Court of Virginia.”

Elected officials, she said, will have to work to ensure “that people know that their votes do matter, and that when it comes to the ballot they’re going to cast — whether it’s for a primary over the summer or for the general election into the fall — that they shouldn’t feel depleted or defeated, that their votes matter.”

Spanberger called the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court “important, but when it comes to the execution of elections, no matter the outcome in that case, we will be running our elections beginning next month with early voting on the current maps that we have.”

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

Advertisement

© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending