From PTRC Transit:
The lot at the Gainesville United Methodist Church will be unavailable for parking by Gainesville OmniRide and Linton Hall Metro Direct passengers on Friday, March 10, 2017 due to a Boy Scouts mulch sale.
Press Release
From Virginia Railway Express:
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is holding a series of public hearings throughout the next two weeks to solicit comments on a proposed increase to its fares. A three percent fare increase is being proposed in order to pay for increased operations costs and the Amtrak Step-up tickets would increase from $5 to $7.
Charles P. “Chuck” Wilson has been elected to the Board of Directors of The Cold War Museum. The Board of Directors provide the oversight and direction for The Cold War Museum. The Cold War Museum is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to education, preservation, and research on the global, ideological, and political confrontations between East and West from the end of World War II to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. “We welcome Chuck to our board and look forward to using his diverse expertise in enhancing our museum endeavors,” said Ambassador Charlie Ray, Chairman of the Board.
Chuck Wilson posseses diverse experience in Politico Military Affairs, National Security Policy, Defense Acquisition and Business Development. Wilson is a retired Air Force Senior Officer who was a U-2 Pilot, and U-2 Instructor Pilot, and held operational Commands at multiple levels. He also served in key positions on the Joint Staff; in Office of the Secretary of Defense; and at the Department of State where he led US delegations to facilitate diplomatic arrangements for US Forces to deploy Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The assignment at State was a key position following the 9/11 attacks upon the US. Wilson retired from the Air Force to look after his parents and became a business executive with both Raytheon and L-3 Communications specializing in intelligence systems. Currently he a Consultant with the Goyak Group.
In the 2017 General Assembly session, which ended on February 25, we were able to make some progress in spite of a $1.1 billion budget shortfall.
First, we approved amendments to the state’s biennial budget. After drawing on a $560 million Rainy Day Fund, the budget funds the state share of a long-overdue two percent salary increase for teachers, a three percent raise for state employees, and a $7,000-per-year increase in starting salaries ($36,000) for state troopers. As always, we met our constitutional obligation to balance the budget.
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The Bull Run Civil War Round Table in Centreville, Va. offers a $1,500 scholarship to a high school senior who resides in Fairfax or Prince William County and will attend college in the fall of 2017.
The applicant can be from a public or private school and plans to attend a college or community college. The deadline is April 1.
We have one week to go in session and negotiations are rapidly reaching conclusion as we push to finish out work so we can get back to our families and our jobs.
This past week, my legislation to raise Virginia’s threshold between misdemeanors and felonies from $200 to $500 failed. Virginia’s threshold has not changed since 1981. Our existing system unnecessarily focuses police and prosecutors on minor crimes instead of violent crime while tainting thousands of Virginia’s suffering from depression or drug addiction with felony charges for life.
The House of Delegates passed my legislation requiring Dominion to provide better information on coal ash pollution, disaster preparedness, and recycling. I am not happy that a permitting moratorium was removed, it is better than no bill at all and the Governor will also have a chance to amend the legislation.
Crossover week of the 2017 Session came to a close as we finished initial action on over 3,000 bills. Twenty-two of my bills of were passed by the Senate and moved on to the House of Delegates.
My two Saturday Town Hall meetings had the largest crowds I have seen in eight years. There was significant concern regarding federal immigration raids on U.S. 1. On Friday, I received alarming reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had arrested numerous Latinos in a raid on U.S.1. While the deportation of convicted felons has been consistent policy, random street sweeps and arrest or deportations of law abiding residents is unprecedented in our community. I will work to get better information and seek to stop these actions.
From Delegate Mark Dudenhefer:
Hello from your state capitol in Richmond. As of February 3rd, the House has completed 24 of the 45 days of the 2017 session. On Sunday, February 5th, the committees responsible for the budget bills unveiled their complete proposals. Two important deadlines are happening this week. One of the deadlines is called “Crossover” the deadline with which each chamber must complete work on bills that originated in their chamber. Thursday the House will vote on their version of the budget.
The last week of January was especially busy as the General Assembly approached February 7th – Crossover – the day we are required to complete all work on bills originating in our chamber. The bills saved for last usually involve the hardest issues to resolve.
Out of the 40 bills I introduced twenty-two have passed the Senate or are poised for passage before Crossover.