U.S. Postal Service: “The Postal Service also announced it will not levy any additional surcharges for customers this holiday season, offering increased predictability in pricing for customers. There will be no additional fees for residential area delivery, for Saturday delivery or for minimum volumes. USPS will continue to be the most affordable way to mail and ship this holiday season.”
“Key Investments Ahead of 2023 Peak Season…Specifically, key Delivering for America investments in the Postal Service’s workforce, package processing, and delivery operations ahead of the 2023 peak holiday season include:”
- Hiring 10,000 Season Employees: The Postal Service has focused on its Delivering for America initiative to stabilize its workforce – converting over 150,000 pre-career workers into career positions since October 2020. Due to this success, USPS anticipates the need to hire only an additional 10,000 seasonal employees.
- Utilizing 348 New Package Sorting Machines: These new machines are strategic investments in local community postal infrastructure enabling postal workers to sort and process packages of all sizes more quickly and reliably. To date, the Postal Service has installed 348 new package processing machines across the nation since the beginning of 2021. This includes 100 new sorting machines since last peak season. USPS will install an additional 47 new machines ahead of this holiday season. This is part of the organization’s $40 billion investment in new technology and facilities under Delivering for America.
Press Release: “On Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, the Commonwealth graduated its 139th generation of Virginia State Troopers. The 31 new state troopers were presented their diplomas during commencement exercises at the State Police Training Academy in Chesterfield County. ”
“The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations. The members of the 139th Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the Academy Feb. 27, 2023.”
“The graduates of the 139th Basic Session are from every corner of the Commonwealth, as well as Arkansas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Saipan. ”
“Upon graduation, the new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments across Virginia the week of Sept. 18, 2023. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a Field Training Officer learning his or her new patrol area.”
139th basic graduating class: Read More
“While lane closures will be lifted in most locations, motorists may encounter semi-permanent work zones that remain in place during this time. Check VDOT’s Weekly Lane Closures and Travel Advisories for the latest travel alerts in your area and around the state.”
“Additionally, VDOT offers several resources to help plan travel ahead of time. VDOT’s online, interactive travel trends map shows peak congestion periods anticipated on Virginia interstates during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period. While it cannot precisely predict when congestion will occur this year, it can help motorists avoid travel when roads have historically been busiest.”
“Based on the historical traffic data: Heavier congestion is expected throughout the state on Friday and Saturday.”
“In the Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg area it is likely travelers will experience heavy congestion on the interstates from morning through evening on Friday and Saturday.Interstate 95 northbound is expected to be heavily congested between Richmond and Fredericksburg throughout the day on Monday.Heavy congestion is also expected on Interstate 64 in the Hampton Roads area throughout the holiday period.”
“All rush-hour tolls on the I-66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway will be lifted on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.”
“Find directional schedules for the reversible I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes, and information for the I-495 Express Lanes at www.expresslanes.com.”
“I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV Diamond Lanes and 64 Express Lanes?– HOV restrictions and Express Lanes tolls will be lifted on?Monday, Sept. 4.”
“Travel to Virginia Beach: ?Peninsula traffic to?Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT). If traveling to Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.”
“Travel to Outer Banks: Traffic?to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT as an alternative to the HRBT to save time. From I-664 south, take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit to I-264 east (exit 15A). Continue on I-264 east through the Downtown Tunnel and take the first exit to I-464 south (exit 8). From I-464, continue south onto the Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168). Continue?south on Route 168 to the Outer Banks.”
Virginia Housing:Â “Today, the Virginia Mortgage Relief Program (VMRP), administered by Virginia Housing, announced that the program is closing to new applicants effective October 1, 2023.”
“The Commonwealth’s federal funding is limited, but VMRP will continue to operate until the program reaches full disbursement of the funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act and the U.S Department of Treasury.”
“Virginia homeowners financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic who may benefit from this assistance are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Eligible applications submitted prior to October 1, 2023, will be processed based on remaining funding availability, with applicants at risk of foreclosure taking priority in the process.”
“Since the program launched on January 3, 2021, VMRP has worked with applicants and participating servicers to offer relief to Virginia’s homeowners to avoid default, foreclosure, or displacement.”
“To date, VMRP has assisted over 10,000 households across the Commonwealth and disbursed more than $171 million in assistance to eligible homeowners.”
“‘To the homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage or other homeownership-related expenses during these challenging economic times, VMRP provides valuable support and assistance to help ease the financial strain and keep families in their homes,’ said Malika Mickey, VMRP Manager. ‘We encourage those who have not applied and need assistance to do so now as funds are limited.'”
“Virginia homeowners in need of assistance with past due mortgage and/or other qualified home ownership-related delinquencies can find more information on program eligibility and apply online.”
“Or by contacting the VMRP Call Center at 833-OUR-VMRP (833-687- 8677), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
“Homeowners who do not qualify for VMRP and need assistance with their mortgage and other housing-related expenses, should contact a HUD approved housing counselor and/or their mortgage servicer.”
The Center Square: “Virginia’s price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline has risen nearly 30 cents in a month, half of that in just the last week. The American Automobile Association’s daily tracking put the state average at $3.59 on Monday, up from $3.42 a week ago and $3.30 a month ago.”
“The national average is $3.75, AAA says.”
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger: “U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger is leading bipartisan legislation to make sure children can be seated next to their parents on flights for no extra fees.”
“Congress passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill in 2016. This law included language that required the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to establish a policy — if appropriate — requiring airlines to seat young children with their family members on flights without charging them additional fees. However, families across the country continue to be separated from their children during air travel.”
“The Fly Together Act would direct the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring airlines to seat young children with their family members on flights to the greatest extent practicable — and at no additional cost within the same class of service. Specifically, this rule would direct airlines to seat children under 14 years old next to a family member at no extra charge.”
“The nation’s oldest transportation-related construction group recognized the innovative partnership between I-66 Express Mobility Partners, FAM Construction, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The announcement was made at ARTBA’s 35th annual P3s In Transportation conference, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington, D.C.”
“The Innovation of the Year award recognizes projects and organizations which demonstrate outstanding achievement in establishing, delivering, and operating P3 transportation projects in the United States.”
“The $3.7-billion multi-modal Transform 66 mega-project – among the largest P3 infrastructure projects in the US this century – won the competitive annual award for its innovative methods throughout the procurement and construction phases. Construction of the Transform 66 project is slated to be fully complete by the end of the summer of 2023.”
Some of the engineering innovations in the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project include self-propelled modular transporter systems, advanced Lidar technology developed by Ferrovial Construction, and the rubblization of more than one million square yards of concrete pavement – one of the largest rubblization projects ever in the US – reducing the project’s carbon footprint by reusing rubblized concrete.
“The Transform 66 Outside the Beltway has required some smart innovations and out-of-the-box thinking,” said Luis Vazquez, CEO of I-66 EMP. “We’re proud to receive this P3 award from ARTBA, and we look forward to continuing a long, beneficial partnership with VDOT.”
“The guidance, Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools, provides clearer input for school boards regarding the role of parents in decisions relating to their child’s gender identity, as well as restricting transgender students from participating in sex segregated extra-curricular activities that don’t align with their biological sex.”
“In addition, the new directive requires students to use bathrooms or locker rooms that correspond with their biological sex; while recognizing federal law may override such policy, it provides parents the right to opt their children out from using those facilities and must provide private, alternative facilities.”
“The U.S. General Services Administration said Friday it has updated the site selection plan for the new FBI headquarters site to increase the consideration of cost to taxpayers and to reflect the Biden administration’s commitment to sustainability and equity.”
“In its announcement on Friday, the GSA said it revised its site selection plan process for the new FBI headquarters after meeting with officials from Virginia and Maryland. The three final sites under review — in Greenbelt, Maryland, Landover, Maryland and Springfield, Virginia — were selected in 2014 by the GSA.”
AP: “Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s main fundraising apparatus will soon report raising $5.75 million in this year’s second quarter, a sum that surpasses what any previous governor of the state has raised over an entire year, according to the group’s accounting.”
“The haul will bring to $8.5 million the total Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia political action committee has raised in the first six months of 2023, according to details provided to The Associated Press ahead of a Monday reporting deadline. And it will leave Spirit of Virginia with $6 million in cash on hand just over two months before the start of early voting in this year’s legislative elections that will decide political control of the currently divided General Assembly.”
