The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will begin accepting applications for the Beehive Distribution Program on July 1. The program provides free beehive equipment to Virginia residents. The 2019 General Assembly approved $125,000 for the program for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The program provides up to three beehive units to Virginia residents who are 18 or older. Individuals who receive equipment will be registered as beekeepers with VDACS and are required to maintain the beehives in Virginia. To learn more or submit an application, go to vdacs.virginia.gov and search for “Beehive Distribution Program.”
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Joe Morrissey, on right, is pictured on the campaign trail earlier this year. (Facebook)Waylin K. Ross (LinkedIn) Should he be the new senator for state Senate District 16, Joe Morrissey – who last week won the Democratic Party nomination – wants to be known as “Senator Pothole.” Morrissey – a controversial former state delegate who has twice lost his law license and was convicted of a misdemeanor for a relationship with a 17-year-old woman whom he later married and had three children with – defeated incumbent state Sen. Rosalyn Dance in the June 11 primary. Morrissey said that WJFN 100.5…
The June 11 primary election is Tuesday. Since Virginia has “open” primaries, most voters in Chesterfield County will be able to vote for at least one race, depending on where they live. Senate District 16 voters will most likely choose their next senator on June 11, since no Republican filed, although the deadline for independent candidates to file is also June 11. Incumbent Rosalyn Dance is nearing the end of her first complete term. She was initially elected to the state Senate in 2014 to serve the remainder of former Sen. Henry Marsh’s term and followed by winning again in…
Rosalyn Dance Joe Morrissey Senate District 16 residents will likely decide their next senator in the June 11 Democratic primary, as no Republicans filed for the seat. The independent filing deadline is June 11. Incumbent Democrat Rosalyn “Roz” Dance is being challenged by former Del. “Fighting Joe” Morrissey. Both are running as Democrats. Although the candidates had not agreed to a formal debate by press time – having exchanged emails on the subject over the past few weeks that were copied to local media – they have spoken to various citizens groups over the past several months. Dance, 71, is…
Wayne PowellAmanda Pohl Two Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination on June 11 in state Senate District 11, with the winner set to challenge first-term Republican incumbent Amanda Chase on Nov. 5. Chase defeated incumbent Stephen Martin and challenger Barry Moore in the Grand Old Party’s primary in 2015 and defeated Democrat Wayne Powell in the 2015 general election, 63 to 36 percent. Now, Powell is running again but is being challenged by Amanda Pohl, who is the data systems and evaluation coordinator for the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, 1118 W. Main St. in Richmond. Powell…
Those who want to vote in the Democratic Party’s House District 62 primary June 11 will have a choice. Local NAACP official Tavorise Marks and Chesterfield County budget official Lindsey Dougherty are running. Marks has worked for the state Department of Health for six-plus years, he said, noting that he began as regional coordinator of the Virginia Family Fatherhood Initiative in January. The program is geared toward men ages 16 to 24. Marks is also a member of the Army Reserve and is pursuing a doctorate in organizational leadership from Regent University of Virginia Beach. “I don’t want to be…
By Caitlin Morris RICHMOND – The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill to expand “revenge porn” laws to include realistic fake images. In 2014, Virginia outlawed the dissemination of explicit photos or videos without the consent of the person seen in the images. The images may have been originally shared in agreement between both parties, but in cases of revenge porn, get posted online by people seeking to embarrass the victim. “They put them on a website with the intent to coerce, harass or maliciously hurt those folks,” said Del. Marcus B. Simon, D-Fairfax. Simon introduced HB 2678 to protect…
Del. Riley Ingram speaks and Sen. Amanda Chase listens during a meeting between Chesterfield County Public Schools and local legislators late last year. The recently concluded general session was Ingram’s last. A coal ash bill that went through a number of changes in the final weeks of the recently-concluded General Assembly’s general session is waiting action from Gov. Ralph Northam. He has until midnight March 25 to sign, veto or amend the bill. SB1355 was approved 37-2 in the state Senate and 96-2 in the Assembly. It requires Dominion Energy to excavate some 28 million cubic yards of coal ash…
By Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights The 2019 General Assembly just adjourned sine die Sunday. Over the course of the 46-day legislative session, the House and Senate considered thousands of bills on a wide range of issues. Despite the distractions taking place elsewhere on Capitol Square, the General Assembly was laser-focused on getting our job done in a timely and responsible manner. State budget passed The final action of the legislative session was the passage of amendments to the state budget. As is required by the Virginia Constitution, the budget is balanced and does not spend more than we bring…
The times, they are a changin’, and no more so than in politics. A new redistricting map drawn by a court-appointed special master will result in five Republican state House seats becoming “lean Democrat” and one becoming “swing,” and one Democrat seat becoming “swing,” unless the U.S. Supreme Court – which is scheduled to hear arguments in mid-March – tosses the map. Proceeding with a new map will mean that House Speaker Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, will run in a district that is 32 percent more Democrat. Party registration in the new House District 66 favors Democrats by 6.5 percentage…