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(The Center Square) – The Virginia Senate narrowly passed legislation that requires schools to notify parents of sexually explicit material in the coursework and allow parents to opt their children out of such assignments.

Senate Bill 656, sponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, passed the chamber 20-18 with support from Republican leadership and a handful of Democrats. The legislation will now head to the House, which has a Republican majority. Gov. Glenn Youngkin strongly supports the legislation.


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They were looking for a suspect wanted in Stafford County for attempted malicious wounding and conspiracy. First Sergeant D.F. Purcell, Jr. observed a suspect leave the hotel and travel south on Route 1. With an arrest team in place, deputies stopped the suspect in front of the courthouse.

The suspect was removed from the vehicle and arrested. Deputy F.A. Martinez also went to the scene with K-9 Mija, and the dog found Pringles chips can that had been hot glued, containing an array of suspected controlled substances, a Stafford sheriff’s spokesman said.


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The president is expected to talk about caping the rising cost of prescription drugs, which was in his Build Back Better bill that died in December 2021. He’ll be joined by Rep. Abigail Spanbeger (D), who represents the district and is mounting a re-election campaign despite the district boundaries being redrawn in December and no longer including her home in Richmond’s western suburbs. 

“Addressing this affordability crisis has been one of my top priorities since arriving in Congress. For Virginia’s seniors, the rising cost of lifesaving prescription medications is creating significant uncertainty,” said Spanberger in a press statement.


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A bill in the Virginia Senate gives parents mask choice for their children in public schools advanced on Wednesday and will head to the House of Delegates.

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Neighborhood Notes

Chocolate festival: Occoquan’s events lineup for calendar year 2022 kicks off this weekend with the annual ChocolateFest (previously known as the Chocolate Walk). [Press release]

Senate moves to allow masks: Virginia’s ongoing debate about masks in public schools – and who should decide whether students and staff wear them – took a surprising turn Tuesday when the Democratic-controlled state Senate approved a measure giving parents the power to decide whether their children don masks on school property. [Prince William Times]


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A teenager thought to have been shot actually suffered a pistol-whipping in Woodbridge.

Just after 7 p.m. Monday, February 7, a 17-year-old was taken to a local hospital after someone struck the teen with a gun. The blow caused the teen to lose consciousness, leading police to think he had been shot.


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The region’s commuter bus service, OmniRide, continues to shift its strategy amid a driver shortage and a lack of people commuting to office buildings.

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Virginia lawmakers blocked legislation that would allow school boards to opt out from policies and guidelines developed by the Virginia Department of Education to make K-12 environments more inclusive for transgender and nonbinary students.

Committee votes for the similar House and Senate measures mostly came down to party lines. The Senate bill was defeated 8-5 in committee. The House bill was approved by a subcommittee vote, but in committee the bill’s passage was deadlocked 11-11 when one Republican voted against the measure.


Neighborhood Notes

New interchange: Developers are hoping to soon receive approval for the proposed Quartz District, a large mixed-use project in Woodbridge that will include a major road upgrade as well as Prince William County’s first Whole Foods Market. [Insidenova.com]

800 acres: Data center development company QTS Realty Trust, Inc. is “seeking to acquire” 800 acres of land within the proposed “PW Digital Gateway,” according to a QTS spokesman and Prince William County officials. [Prince William Times]


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