VT’s $1 billion NoVa campus to start up next year
VT Concept Drawing
Virginia Tech plans to create a $1 billion campus in Alexandria to accompany Amazon’s construction of a Virginia headquarters a few miles away in Arlington. Tech’s “Innovation Campus”, as it will be called, will focus on graduate degrees. The first 100 students will begin their studies in temporary buildings next year. WLNI’s Evan Jones has more:
Someone is tagging downtown Lynchburg with “SLIZ”
LPD photo
News release: The Lynchburg Police Department is investigating reported vandalism in downtown Lynchburg. On November 3, 2018 a security representative from Pacific Life reported their property located at 700 Main St was vandalized with spray paint overnight. Officers responded and found multiple locations on the property had been tagged with “SLIZ” . While continuing the investigation, officers located the same tag on property belonging to Amazement Square, 27 Ninth St. Later in the day, a representative for the Academy of Fine Arts, 600 Main St reported their building had also been tagged with “SLIZ” in spray paint. Video surveillance shows what appears to be a slender male, wearing light colored clothing and black and white tennis shoes tagging the Pacific Life building at the corner of Commerce St. On November 4, 2018 Pacific Life reported their building was tagged again with “SLIZ”. This time it appeared there were two individuals who were involved in the tagging of the building. On November 7, 2018 Anthony and Company also reported the tag of “SLIZ” painted on their building. Anyone who may know the identity of these subjects is asked to contact the Lynchburg Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
Amazon splits HQ between New York and northern Virginia
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon, which has grown too big for its Seattle hometown, said it will split its much-anticipated second headquarters between New York and northern Virginia.Each will get 25,000 jobs. In addition, the online retailer said it will open an operations hub in Nashville, creating 5,000 jobs.Its New York location will be in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, while its Virginia offices will be in a part of Arlington that Amazon is calling National Landing, a made-up moniker for an area around Reagan National Airport that encompasses Crystal City and Potomac Yard.
The decision ends intense competition between North American cities to win Amazon and its promise of 50,000 new jobs. Some locations tried to stand out with stunts, but Amazon made clear that it really wanted incentives, like tax breaks and grants. The company received 238 proposals before narrowing the list to 20 in January. With Long Island City and National Landing, the company is choosing two waterfront communities away from overcrowded business districts, giving Amazon space to grow. New York, already a financial and media powerhouse, has been trying to attract more tech workers. And northern Virginia has been looking to fill its 1980s-era buildings after thousands of federal employees moved elsewhere.
Supreme Court to hear Virginia GOP’s districting appeal
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Supreme Court will hear an appeal by Virginia Republicans who are trying to preserve state legislative districts that have been struck down by a lower court as racially discriminatory. The court’s action Tuesday comes in a case involving 11 districts in the Virginia House of Delegates. Democratic voters accused majority Republicans of packing black voters into certain districts to make surrounding districts whiter and more Republican. A three-judge federal court in Virginia ruled 2-1 in June in favor of the Democratic voters and has appointed a redistricting expert to draw a new legislative map. The Supreme Court already has ruled once in the case. Last year, the justices voted 7-1 to throw out an earlier ruling that had upheld the challenged districts.
Warner unsure President understands House and Senate relationship
Sen. Mark Warner
President Trump’s post-mid-term comments are drawing words of caution from Virginia’s Senior Senator. WLNI’s Ian Price has more:
Lynchburg’s Police Department and Living Word Ministries Church working together
LPD Sgt. Jeff Rater and Pastor James Camm talk about One Community, One Voice and the bicycle campaign that is underway.
