Here’s what Virginia’s federal elected officials (and some others) have said about the U.S. military action in Iran:

U.S. Senate

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East? Is he too mentally incapacitated to realize that we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran that was keeping its nuclear program in check, until he ripped it up during his first term?

“For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war—especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective. These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives. The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

Vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

“Overnight, the president conducted expansive U.S. strikes – not limited to nuclear or missile infrastructure but extending to a broad set of targets, including senior Iranian leadership – marking a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the United States into another broad conflict in the Middle East.

“Iran’s leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions, and brutally repressed its own people. But acknowledging those realities does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy, and with Congress.

“The American people have seen this playbook before – claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building.

“We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past. The president owes the country clear answers: What is the objective? What is the strategy to prevent escalation? And how does this make Americans safer?

“By the president’s own words, “American heroes may be lost.” That alone should have demanded the highest level of scrutiny, deliberation, and accountability, yet the president moved forward without seeking congressional authorization.

“The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations – particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States – raises serious legal and constitutional concerns.

“Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state, and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war.”

U.S. House of Representatives

1st District: Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland County

Vice chairman, House Armed Services Committee

“For decades the Iranian regime has oppressed and murdered its citizens, supported terror groups that have killed countless Americans, and destabilized an entire region. In recent years, the regime has aggressively pursued a nuclear weapon and long-range missiles capable of striking American interest and our partners and allies. A secular, democratic, non-nuclear Iran is good for the United States, the Middle East, and the people of Iran who wish to enjoy the same freedoms we cherish as Americans. I am grateful for the brave men and women of our armed forces who have put themselves in harm’s way for the good of our nation and the world.”

2nd District: Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach

Member, House Armed Services Committee

“Today’s actions against Iran are a direct response to the escalating global threat the regime poses to democracy, the United States, and our allies throughout the region. For decades, Iran has sponsored terrorism, destabilized the Middle East, and openly called for death to America. As it moved closer to obtaining nuclear capabilities, the risk to global security has become too great to ignore. The United States does not seek conflict, but we will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran or continued aggression against our interests and our allies. Today’s decisive military action sends a clear message: threats to the safety and security of the American people and the free world will be met with strength and resolve. As a former Navy helicopter pilot, I understand the weight of sending American servicemembers into harm’s way. The men and women of our Armed Forces represent the very best of our nation. They deserve our full support, the resources necessary to accomplish their mission, and the unwavering gratitude of a free people. I stand firmly behind our troops and remain deeply grateful for their courage and commitment as they defend the freedoms that make the United States a beacon of strength and opportunity around the world. May God bless our servicemembers and may God bless the United States of America.”

3rd District: Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News

“President Trump was elected on a promise to end forever conflicts and regime change wars. He has done the opposite. Early this morning, he announced a major military operation against Iran without authorization from Congress. By the President’s own admission, this operation will endanger U.S. personnel and this action risks drawing the U.S. and our allies into a wider conflict.  
The Iranian regime brutalizes their own people and funds many terrorist groups throughout the Middle East. However, we know from the failures of the 2003 War in Iraq what can happen when we lack a clearly defined endgame that prevents the U.S. from being drawn into another quagmire. We previously reached a diplomatic solution that would have avoided war and prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon when President Obama successfully negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. This agreement was broadly supported by the international community and Iran was complying until President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA in 2018. We would not be in this mess now if the President had not withdrawn from that agreement.”   There were renewed talks with Iran that showed a diplomatic path remained open which President Trump abandoned in favor of military hostilities that put American lives in danger. The Constitution is clear. The decision to go to war requires Congressional authorization.”

4th District: Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond

Without evidence of an imminent threat, the Trump Administration should refrain from major military action. These latest strikes in Iran without Congressional approval risk throwing the region into chaos and put our servicemembers in harm’s way without a clear long-term strategy. 

“Under no circumstances should Iran have nuclear weapon capabilities. This regime has inflamed and extended conflicts throughout the region through its state-sponsored terrorism and proxies and brutally suppressed the Iranian people. However, the Trump Administration’s erratic military actions could have profound consequences for our national security and the international community. This escalation of force could further destabilize the Middle East, pull the United States into another long-term conflict in the region and threaten American lives. The next few days will be pivotal in determining the stability and future of the region and its people.

“We can support the democracy movement in Iran without sending our troops into a volatile environment with little to no information about the plan going forward. I call on the Administration to immediately hold a Congressional briefing to provide a clear justification for the strikes, de-escalate the situation and return to the negotiating table to reach an agreement that will ensure peace and keep our servicemembers safe. My prayers are with our servicemembers and diplomatic staff serving in the Middle East.”

5th District: Rep. John McGuire, R-Goochland County

Member, House Armed Services Committee

“Our Commander-in-Chief, Donald J. Trump, pursued diplomacy and issued clear warnings to the Iranian regime: abandon the pursuit of nuclear weapons and cease the killing of innocent civilians. Despite these warnings, Iran, the number one sponsor of terror, has continued destabilizing actions across the region, attacking several of its neighbors and escalating tensions. As the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran grew, the United States, alongside its ally Israel, have launched a series of targeted strikes. This moment may represent a critical opportunity for the Iranian people to confront the oppression of their government and pursue a future defined by freedom and self-determination. President Trump has expressed support for the Iranian people in seeking change. The United States is acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, to protect American interests at home and abroad, and to stand with those who desire a more peaceful and stable future. Stay vigilant and let’s keep an eye on each other. Please keep the brave men and women in our military in your prayers.”

6th District: Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt County

Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and longstanding state sponsorship of terror have threatened our allies and targeted American interests for decades. Their continued aggression cannot be allowed to continue to threaten America’s national security.

Iran’s oppressive regime has brutalized its own people, targeted Americans, and fueled terror and instability across the Middle East for decades.

@POTUS did what others refused to do. He confronted Ayatollah Khamenei’s ruthless rule and put America First by defending our citizens and restoring strength on the world stage. I stand with the people of Iran as they seek freedom from tyranny.

7th District: Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Prince William County

“This morning, President Trump again broke his promise to the American people to stop pursuing wars of choice in the Middle East.  

“The President ordered “major combat operations” in Iran attacking targets including senior Iranian leadership with the apparent goal of regime change. This war has no legal justification under domestic or international law.  

“As an Army veteran who served in Iraq, I’m left asking one question: How does this war end?

“President Trump doesn’t know, and, worse, he doesn’t care. He and his team are incapable of a sound strategy to succeed. 

“He said in his speech justifying the strikes, “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost.” He is too eager to make a sacrifice that service members and their families will bear.

“It should never be the case that the United States puts our sons and daughters in harm’s way without a clear purpose, path to victory, and exit strategy.  

“I have said before that wars are easy to start and hard to finish, and regime change from the air is very unlikely to succeed. President Trump has exposed our troops, citizens, and allies to great risk from Iran in the form of ballistic missiles and terrorist attacks. Make no mistake, American blood and treasure will be consumed in this war of choice. 

“The Iranian regime is evil. They have brutally suppressed their own people — most recently murdering tens of thousands of their own citizens demanding freedom — and long sponsored terrorist attacks across the world. My twin brother, Alex, was wounded by an Iranian IED while serving in Iraq.  

“There is no love lost between me and the Iranian regime, and the world would be better off without them. 

“But the decision to go to war rests with Congress because the Founders knew such consequential decisions require the assent of the people. President Trump has ignored that obligation again, and I dread it will lead to another war in the Middle East that the American people do not want. 

“Trump is not a President of peace. He is a President of chaos and war. 

“My thoughts are now firmly with American service members who will bear the brunt of President Trump’s ill-advised adventure.” 

8th District: Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria

“The American people rightly do not want a war with Iran. President Trump’s war is not smart, it is not legal, it is not morally right, and it is not in our national interest. The risk to our servicemembers, citizens, and allies which it creates is not justified by Iran’s threat to our own security, and the threat of a wider conflict that destabilizes the region is significant. Recent history has shown repeatedly that wars in the Middle East are far easier to begin than they are to finish.

“The President has not made the case for a conflict he himself calls ‘war’ to the country or to Congress, nor has he gotten congressional approval for such a step, which means this war is plainly illegal and unconstitutional. The only justifications given for war have been Trump’s failure to conclude a deal like the one he inherited and foolishly tore up, along with the goal of destroying a nuclear program he declared ‘obliterated’ a few months ago. This does not inspire confidence in the incoherent strategy of an increasingly erratic president.

“The Iranian regime has been brutal and repressive, and the human rights and self-determination of the Iranian people deserve our care and consideration. But there is no evidence that President Trump cares about the people of Iran any more than he does about the people of Venezuela, or about the people of other countries repressed by the autocrats and dictators Trump counts as friends. On the other hand, many civilians have reportedly already been killed, and many more are likely to be.

“I have always supported diplomacy to achieve our national security aims with Iran as an Ambassador and in Congress, and continue to believe that diplomacy is the only good path forward. The Constitution is clear that only Congress has the power to declare war. I call upon House leaders to immediately bring the House back into session to vote on the Khanna-Massie War Powers Resolution, which I strongly support.”

9th District: Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem

No statement.

10th District: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun County

“When we put American servicemembers’ lives at risk, we must ensure the cause is worthy and the objective is clear. We must ask whether it truly makes our country safer and whether all diplomatic options have been exhausted. It is not clear to me that a protracted war with Iran fits that criteria. Last year, we were told that Iran’s nuclear capability was obliterated and it would take years to rebuild. Now we’re told it poses an“existential threat to the United States and requires war to destroy it.

“I support our troops and their families, and I support the Iranian people’s efforts to fight their oppressive government for a free, fair, and secular future But the American people are tired of forever wars, regime change with unintended consequences and spending trillions on war abroad.

“And once again, President Trump, the ‘Peace President,’ began this military action without congressional authorization. The authority to declare war rests with Congress. As these events unfold President Trump must seek congressional authorization. My thoughts and prayers are with American troops and their families, the Iranian people, and people in the region, at this time.”

11th District: Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Fairfax County

“The American people want and need affordable health care and lower grocery prices, not another war in the Middle East that risks the lives of young Americans.

“I condemn the Iranian regime’s repression, hostility toward its neighbors, support for terrorism around the world, and ambitions to develop nuclear weapons. But the President has presented no evidence of an imminent threat to the United States and no plan to prevent escalation.

“Once again, President Trump has ignored the Constitution and engaged in an act of war without Congressional authorization. Both the House and Senate should convene immediately to debate and pass a War Powers Resolution to rein in this out of control President and remove the United States from hostilities in Iran.”

“Today, we pray for our brave men and women in uniform and for all in harm’s way.”

Congressional candidates

Dan Helmer, Democratic candidate in the 7th District (if redrawn)

“My thoughts today are with US Service Members, who deserve a better President, and the people of Iran, who have been dealt a raw hand.”

He also posted this extended video statement.

My thoughts today are with US Service Members, who deserve a better President, and the people of Iran, who have been dealt a raw hand. pic.twitter.com/GHKNRFPHXz

— Dan Helmer (@HelmerVA) February 28, 2026

Beth Macy, Democratic candidate in 6th District

“President Trump’s attack on Iran is a colossal, dangerous blunder that threatens global security, underscores his own ineptitude as a self-proclaimed dealmaker and intends to distract us from his incompetence and corruption.

Not coincidentally, this attack comes at the end of a week that saw more bad inflation numbers, more fallout from the Epstein scandal and an incoherent State of the Union speech that flopped before America’s eyes. Congress must restrain the president, who is just trying to distract us from the terrible economy and Epstein files by endangering our troops and launching the United States into another forever war in the Middle East.

Once again, an unpopular Republican president has led us into a forever war which will only result in devastating consequences for the United States and the world. And Republicans in Congress appear set to fail once again to stand up for the Constitution and rein in this reckless presidency.”

Tom Perriello, Democratic candidate in 5th or 6th District (if redrawn)

“Trump is choosing to drag our country into a war of choice that we do not need, cannot afford, and could be paying for over a generation.”

He also posted this extended video statement.

Trump is choosing to drag our country into a war of choice that we do not need, cannot afford, and could be paying for over a generation. pic.twitter.com/pQksJ371g4

— Tom Perriello (@tomperriello) February 28, 2026

State legislators

Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke

“The United States has joined Israel in launching an unconstitutional and illegal regime change war with Iran that threatens our national security interests and makes a mockery of international law. Over 50 Iranian school-children were killed in an airstrike this morning.

“It is clear that Donald Trump wants to send American troops to die overseas to appease Benjamin Netanyahu. This attempt to topple the Iranian government does not have the support of the American people and will have disastrous consequences that will make those of our forever wars in Iraq and Afghanistan pale in comparison.

“Diplomacy was working until Donald Trump sabotaged the negotiations with Iran, just like when he tore up the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that was put together by President Obama. It is past time for Congress to pass the Khanna-Massie Iran War Powers Resolution, and the Kaine-Paul Iran War Powers Resolution, because the President does not have the authority to send our troops to war overseas without congressional authorization.

“Let us also be clear-eyed about the fact that the Democratic leadership in Washington showed weakness in the lead-up to this military action and is complicit in allowing Donald Trump to set us down this dangerous path.”

State Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax

“My generation has grown up in the shadow of endless wars and economic instability, from the Great Recession to a global pandemic to rising costs that strain working families every single day. 

“Another reckless conflict will only deepen that instability. It will drive up energy prices, disrupt global markets, divert public resources, and once again ask young Americans to bear the human cost of political decisions made without their consent. 

“Let me be clear: the United States should not be entering into another illegal war, whether on behalf of Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government or anyone else. Only Congress has the power to declare war. Not the President. Not through backdoor authorizations. Not through unprovoked unilateral strikes. 

“When Trump attacked Iran in 2025, he claimed to have obliterated Iran’s nuclear program. Now he is telling the American people Iran is weeks away from nuclear strike capability. As with Venezuela, Cuba, and Greenland, the only danger to the American people is the reckless leadership of our own President. 

“Working families need affordable healthcare, lower costs, and economic security, not another pointless war that drains our resources and sends young Americans into harm’s way. 

“Congress must immediately reclaim its constitutional authority over war powers, demand transparency from the administration, and pursue urgent diplomacy to prevent a catastrophic regional war. 

“The American people were repulsed by Israel’s unchecked violence in Gaza. They do not want American troops participating in exporting that violence to Iran. The path forward must be de-escalation, accountability, and peace.”

The post What Virginia’s congressional delegation has to say about U.S. attack on Iran appeared first on Cardinal News.

The Fluvanna County Planning Commission denied Tenaska, a Nebraska-based energy company, a special use permit for its proposed second gas plant near Scottsville, adding another roadblock for the project.

At a Feb. 24 special meeting regarding requests from Tenaska, the Planning Commission took two votes.

The first was on whether to change the county ordinance to allow construction of smokestacks that are up to 230 feet in height. This, Tenaska representatives said, will meet the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s air modeling standards and allow for emissions to be distributed over a wider distance instead of concentrating around the plant. The commission approved that request in a 3-1 vote, with one member abstaining.

The second vote was for the special use permit required for the proposed plant. Commissioners unanimously rejected the request.

The denied permit is another blow to the project, following the commission’s Jan. 13 decision that the proposal is not aligned with the county’s comprehensive plan. 

Some attendees at the January meeting said parts of the proposal fit with the county’s plan, such as the additional tax revenue the plant would bring, which is estimated to be $247 million in its lifetime. Some Fluvanna residents argued during the public comment period that the proposal did not align with other parts of the plan, such as the preservation of rural areas and clean air. Ultimately the commission voted 3-1 against.

Tenaska appealed the commission’s January decision, which will now be considered by the Board of Supervisors in March. The most recent votes will also be sent to the supervisors for final consideration.

Take action

Share your thoughts on the proposed Tenaska plant with the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors

The next Fluvanna Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 18. The location is still to be determined, but it will be posted on the county’s website.

Ahead of the meeting, you can submit your comments to the Board of Supervisors by using this “Two Cents” form.

Unlike the commission’s vote on the “substantial accord” in January, these votes are recommendations that will now move to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration, explained Mike Goad, a Board of Supervisors member and former member of the Planning Commission. Now all three requests, he said, will be decided at the board’s March 18 meeting.

“I would rather not speculate about anything with regard to the upcoming meeting, but that I appreciate the due diligence my former colleagues on the Planning Commission put into this and trust the BOS will do the same,” said Goad.

While we can’t cover every story that’s important to you, we do our best to be responsive to your needs. We use tips from readers to choose which stories to cover, to incorporate information into broader reports or to help us decide how to grow Charlottesville Tomorrow. Here’s where you can tell us what you think we should be covering.

More on the proposed gas plant in Fluvanna County

The post Fluvanna County Planning Commission denies Tenaska’s special use permit for proposed gas plant appeared first on Charlottesville Tomorrow.

Crunch. 

With a bit of mud splatter and a lot of smile, Bo Frazier dismounted onto the gravel parking lot. “Fantastic. You’d think the trails would be kind of wet and soggy, but it was really good. Really good,” he said, one palm on the handlebars of his thick-wheeled bike.

For the last month and a half, Frazier, a 58-year-old resident of Hiwassee, has been mountain biking two to three times a week up Stonecutters Hollow, one of three properties that make up the 778-acre Brush Mountain Park.

In a press release on Feb. 17, the New River Land Trust, a Blacksburg-based nonprofit conservation organization, announced “the successful transfer of ownership of the 239-acre” Stonecutters Hollow property to the Town of Blacksburg “for permanent conservation and public access.”  

The Stonecutters property provides the public with 6-plus miles of multi-use trails over a natural space that is roughly the size of 181 football fields.

The ownership transfer is a significant milestone in the ongoing Brush Mountain Park project. According to the NRLT’s press release, the project “combines two important aspects of conservation: permanent legal protection of the land and public access” to that land. 

The project “preserves [the land’s] ecological benefits and its social benefits, and trails are increasing economic drivers for communities,” NRLT Executive Director John Eustis said in a phone interview.

The Brush Mountain Park project: a short biography

Eustis explained the Brush Mountain Park project in a phone call with Cardinal News.

Brush Mountain Park is made up of three properties with names that relate to the area’s history of mining: McDonald Hollow, Stonecutters Hollow and Millstone Ridge. 

In 2018, the NRLT purchased McDonald Hollow and Stonecutters Hollow with a $1.2 million grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. In 2021, the NRLT transferred ownership of McDonald Hollow to the town of Blacksburg. In 2023, the NRLT used community donations to purchase an additional 20 acres for Stonecutters Hollow, the property that was transferred last week. 

The third parcel of land, Millstone Ridge, was purchased by the NRLT and the town of Blacksburg with funds from a variety of sources, including a $210,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Conservation in 2021. Eustis estimates that it will be two or three years before the NRLT conveys its ownership stake in the Millstone Ridge property to the town of Blacksburg.

“Once the trails on each of the three properties are almost or all built-out, then one-by-one we transfer the properties to the town, and at that time, the town has to sign a conservation easement with the Virginia Outdoor Foundation to ensure that the town can’t just decide in 20 years to break it up and sell it to a developer. It can’t ever be divided. It has to be maintained as forest and open to the public,” said Eustis. 

Blacksburg Mayor Michael Sutphin expressed the town’s dedication to the land in an emailed statement: “We’re grateful to the New River Land Trust and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation for their leadership in permanently conserving this land while also ensuring public access. The Town of Blacksburg takes seriously the responsibility of stewarding this property so residents and visitors can enjoy its natural beauty for decades to come.”

Years of community collaboration in land stewardship

“[The Stonecutters Hollow transfer] represents years of thoughtful work and partnership to protect a special part of Brush Mountain for future generations,” Sutphin wrote.

The NRLT has been the fulcrum of the combined effort. “The land trust [NRLT] being able to acquire the land has been the key to getting all of this done,” said Poverty Creek Trails Coalition president and lifelong New River Valley resident Lucas Weaver in a phone interview. 

Eustis highlighted the “hard work” of the PCTC, a nonprofit organization with 1500+ volunteers, in helping build and maintain Brush Mountain Park’s trail system. 

“We’ve been boots on the ground from the early days of the project,” said Weaver. The PCTC’s contributions to Stonecutters Hollow span the technical work of planning trails to the physical work of digging them. Weaver calls the work a “labor of love” and is particularly proud of the “bike-optimized” trails.

“We have great debates about turn radius and where the best place to change directions is. Oh, man, we could argue for hours on a matter of three feet on a switchback,” said Weaver, who bikes on Stonecutters at least weekly. 

Those fervent debates may explain Bo Frazier’s elation with the trails. “Used to be that Carvins Cove was my favorite, but now Brush Mountain is my favorite — it’s gotten so good.”

Brush Mountain Park has been NRLT’s first land acquisition project and first public access project. “It’s been a learning process. We very much think that public access is a conservation value, and we are looking to do more projects like this,” said Eustis. 

Accessing Brush Mountain Park

All three properties comprising Brush Mountain Park are currently open to the public.  Parking is available at McDonald Hollow and at Heritage Park at 2701 Meadowbrook Drive with access to Stonecutters Hollow via a recently completed spur of the Huckleberry Trail and via the Chimney Trail starting at the Rotary Mountain Skills Bike Park.

The post Brush Mountain Park project reaches another major milestone in protecting the land and public access forever appeared first on Cardinal News.

A tire manufacturer will lay off 392 employees at its Salem plant as it reduces production there and considers permanently closing the facility.

Yokohama Tire said in a news release Friday that the lowered production will begin in March and “is in response to the expiration of certain product lifecycles and reduced demand for other products manufactured at the Salem facility.”

“In light of rapidly-changing customer requirements and dynamic market conditions, the Salem facility is not well equipped to manufacture Yokohama’s required product mix or achieve the company’s manufacturing objectives in the future,” the company said.

The plant employs about 571 people all together. The 392 being laid off include salaried and hourly workers.

Plant employees have been told that all tire production could end in July followed by a plant closure on Sept. 17, Yokohama said.

Yokohama said that possible closure date would coincide with the end of its collective bargaining agreement with the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union and the union’s Local No. 1023.

“Because hourly employees at the Salem plant are represented by the USW, Yokohama is under obligation to consult with representatives of USW Local Union 1023 prior to finalizing any closure decision, and such conversations are underway,” Yokohama Tire said.

Union officials did not immediately respond to a message Friday seeking comment, but the union local posted on its Facebook page that it plans to meet with Yokohama about the announcement.

In a letter from Yokohama that the union local posted online, the company said, “It is possible but unlikely that discussions with the Union could modify or delay the Company’s restructuring plans.”

Yokohama Tire is a North American arm of Tokyo-based The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. The Salem plant has been operating since the 1960s, and Yokohama acquired it when it bought Mohawk Rubber Company in 1989. At its peak in 1996, the Salem plant employed 1,050 people, according to the city.

Salem’s economic development director, Tommy Miller, said in a statement that city officials “are still learning more details and working to better understand the scope and timeline of the company’s decision.”

“Our priority is supporting the employees and families who are impacted. In coordination with regional and state partners, we’re focused on making sure those affected can connect to available resources, workforce services and support programs during this uncertain time,” Miller said.

Salem Mayor Renee Turk said that Yokohama has “played a major role in shaping Salem” for nearly six decades and that “it feels like almost every family has a connection to the plant.”

“Unfortunately, manufacturing facilities across Virginia and the nation have encountered difficult challenges in recent years,” Turk said. “While this news is painful, it’s not entirely unexpected, as companies like Yokohama have had to adapt their operations and staffing due to changing conditions.”

City Manager Chris Dorsey noted that employees and their families “may be facing a lot of uncertainty in the months ahead.”

“This won’t just be a financial impact on the City, but it is also a personal impact on the community and families who depend on these jobs,” Dorsey said in a statement.

The post Yokohama Tire to lay off 392 in Salem, considers closing plant appeared first on Cardinal News.

One Friday in early November, a bus carrying Appomattox County students was involved in a crash. By the following Monday, several elementary school students who had been on board told school staff they needed to talk to someone. They were shaken and scared. One of their classmates had been flown to a hospital by helicopter. 

That same day, the students met with a licensed therapist on campus through a school-based partnership with a local mental health provider. 

The Appomattox County school district recently expanded access to mental health care on its four school campuses where about 2,375 students are enrolled. With new funding from the Virginia Health Care Foundation, the district has broadened a long-standing partnership with the local community services board and local providers to bring mental health services into the elementary school and preschools, addressing growing needs in rural communities where access to care is limited.

Since 2007, the district has partnered with a local provider, FIVE18, to bring mental health services into Appomattox County High School. The new grant money, totaling $312,000 in the first year, supported the salaries and benefits of two licensed professional counselors from FIVE18 to serve the younger children. The school will receive a second year of grant funding to continue the services through 2026.

The funding came through a new Virginia grant program called Nurture Now, launched by the Virginia Health Care Foundation in 2024 to help communities integrate schools and mental health services. The two-year grants were awarded to local community services boards, local public agencies that provide mental health substance use disorder and disability services to residents across Virginia. The boards then worked with schools to bring services onto the campus.

Rockbridge Area Health, Tri-Area Community Health in Carroll County, ChildSavers in Colonial Heights and FIVE18 in Appomattox County all received funds to try out the new program.

In total, the Virginia Health Care Foundation distributed $1.2 million in 2024 to help these school divisions cover salaries for mental health professionals. 

In the first year of the program, 1,200 students received mental health services at school.  Foundation CEO Rachel Rees said Nurture Now has been successful in each locality, largely because of strong partnerships between community services boards, school systems and other local providers.

“They’ve all done extremely well because they’ve had a champion within the school who has propelled the program forward,” Rees said. 

Virginia’s youth mental health struggles

The Virginia Health Care Foundation made expanding children’s mental health services a top priority after Virginia ranked 48th in the nation for youth mental health last year, according to Mental Health America. 

The national nonprofit publishes annual state rankings that have fluctuated for Virginia. The state ranked 32nd for youth mental health in 2023 and 17th in 2022. In the organization’s 2025 rankings, Virginia again placed 32nd.

Workforce shortages remain a major barrier to improving access to care. In a 2022 study, the foundation found that 93 of Virginia’s 133 localities don’t have enough mental health professionals, based on federal guidelines. About 3.2 million Virginians, roughly 37% of the state’s population, live in those communities. 

Although Virginia has about 40 graduate-level behavioral health programs that collectively graduate nearly 800 students each year, too few go on to become licensed in the state to meet demand.

School-based programs make a big difference in rural communities 

Having mental health providers in the schools is especially important in rural communities, said Cortnie King, a student family support specialist for the Appomattox school district. 

King is a licensed social worker, but the district changed her title when parents mistakenly associated her with the Department of Social Services. She works closely with school guidance counselors to connect students with therapists from FIVE18. 

There aren’t a lot of health services in Appomattox, let alone mental health care providers, King said. The nearest area with robust health care options is Lynchburg, about 30 minutes away.

Many parents in the area lack reliable transportation, King said. Others work in Lynchburg and don’t want to drive back to Appomattox only to turn around and drive back to the city for an after-school appointment. 

The school-based program removes those obstacles by allowing students to meet with mental health providers on campus during the school day. When a student asks to talk to someone or a teacher suspects a student needs additional support, the student is referred to the guidance counselor. From there, school employees work together to contact parents for permission to treat the child. Then a session with a provider from FIVE18 is set up. Sessions are scheduled to avoid core academic classes, often over lunch. 

“Many of our kids don’t like to eat lunch in the lunchroom because of anxiety,” King said. “Our providers have given them a safe space to come in and eat lunch with them.”

Heightened awareness since the pandemic

FIVE18 has helped with suicide assessments and other threat evaluations in the county’s elementary and primary schools. 

In recent weeks, one elementary school student said they had thought about driving their go-kart into a tree more than once, King said. Other students have told providers that they feel like a burden to their families or blame themselves for their parents’ divorce. 

After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more children across the country began presenting with mental health concerns. The trend was so widespread that the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in children’s mental health. 

King said she thinks the pandemic led to greater awareness, but not necessarily more chronic mental illness. Now, there’s better identification and earlier intervention. 

“Because of the pandemic, we have more attention and we are able to identify and support what is going on. We’re giving kids the skills to say that they need these things. …They’re really trying to navigate and find healthy ways to express themselves,” King said. 

Rees, with the Virginia Health Care Foundation, hopes to continue offering Nurture Now grants in the future, though the foundation relies on donations to sustain the program.

The Nurture Now grants and other behavioral health initiatives were funded by organizations including the Collis Warner Foundation, Humana, Sentara Healthcare, the Anne Mullens Orrell Charitable Trust, Bank of America N.A. Trustees, Carilion Clinic, Dominion Energy and the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.

[Disclosure: Dominion, Carilion and the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation are among our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]

The post New mental health program meets kids where they are: at school appeared first on Cardinal News.

Two to three new premature deaths a year. About six new asthma cases and 1,100 asthma symptom cases annually. Two more emergency room visits and one non-fatal heart attack a year.

These are the predicted health effects that Tenaska’s proposed 1.5 gigawatt gas plant would have on Fluvanna County and the surrounding area, according to a study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Tenaska, a Nebraska-based energy company, has proposed building a second, $2 billion gas plant as an expansion of its existing facility near Scottsville. The company said the project will bring jobs and an estimate of $247 million in tax revenue for the county. The company has also proposed paying $5 million to homeowners who live within two miles of the site over four years, according to reporting from the Fluvanna Review.

The proposal has been facing pushback from the community on the grounds of environmental and health impacts it could have. (Read more about community concerns in this November 2025 article from the Fluvanna Review).

The Fluvanna County Planning Commission has not yet agreed to approve zoning changes or a special use permit requested by Tenaska. The commission will meet on Jan. 13 to consider whether the proposed project is consistent with Fluvanna’s Comprehensive Plan for future development.

Take action

Have your say on the proposed second Tenaska gas plant in Fluvanna County

The Fluvanna County Planning Commission is meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. to consider whether Tenaska’s request to build a second gas plant in the area aligns with the county’s Comprehensive Plan. The commission will also review Tenaska’s requests for zoning changes and a special use permit.

Residents throughout central Virginia can submit comments ahead of the meeting through Fluvanna’s “My Two Cents” portal. You can also attend the meeting in-person at Carysbrook Performing Arts Center, 8880 James Madison Highway, Fork Union, 23055.

The Harvard study was commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center after Tenaska “refused to provide health impact data before seeking approval of its Special Use Permit (SUP), signaling that any health analysis would occur only after permits were granted,” according to a news release by Fluvanna Horizons Alliance, a community-led organization focused on protecting Fluvanna County’s health and environment.

The study, which was presented during a Jan. 8 webinar organized by Fluvanna Horizons Alliance, found that emissions from the plant would cause public health harms estimated to generate up to $50 million in health-related costs annually. Over the plant’s estimated 30-year lifespan, those costs could total between $500 million and $1 billion. The impacts would extend beyond Fluvanna County, affecting communities across Virginia, as air pollution levels are expected to increase in neighboring counties and cities, including Charlottesville, Albemarle, Cumberland, Louisa, Scottsville, Keswick, Richmond and others.

Michael Cork, a Harvard scientist and the study’s lead author, spoke about how the plant, if approved, would increase levels of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter produced by combustion and industrial processes — and worsen health outcomes for Virginians.

While the estimated PM2.5 emissions in Fluvanna County are projected to remain within federal, state and local air quality standards, the study found they would still have measurable health effects.

“There is no safe level of PM2.5,” Cork said. Especially for vulnerable groups. “Being in attainment of the National Air Quality Standards, which is the legal requirement, is not the same as that there’s no health risks. Being in attainment doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a trade-off that we deserve to understand and have an opinion on.”

Teneska said on its webpage devoted to environmental issues that they stay within the requirements adopted around the U.S. as safety standards and operated their first plant responsibly.

“If you want to know what sort of impact a new plant will have on Fluvanna County, take a close look at the county’s air and health statistics after more than 20 years of operating a natural gas-fueled power plant,” the website says. “Fluvanna County’s PM2.5 concentrations are well below federal health-based standards based on data collected from the closest regional monitor. Fluvanna County’s rates of adult asthma, COPD and all types of cancer are in line with surrounding counties without natural gas-fueled power plants.”

According to national studies, including those from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PM2.5 particles pose significant health risks because they can bypass the body’s natural defenses, penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream. Exposure has been linked to asthma, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, bronchitis and premature death.

The study estimated an increase in PM2.5 concentrations of 0.07 micrograms per cubic meter in Fluvanna County, while Louisa, Goochland, and Powhatan counties would each experience increases of 0.03 micrograms per cubic meter. While these changes may sound small, air pollution accumulates over time.

“It’s like smoking,” said Cork. A smoker might not feel the negative health effects immediately, but they accumulate over years.

While we can’t cover every story that’s important to you, we do our best to be responsive to your needs. We use tips from readers to choose which stories to cover, to incorporate information into broader reports or to help us decide how to grow Charlottesville Tomorrow. Here’s where you can tell us what you think we should be covering.

More about public health in central Virginia

The post Proposed Fluvanna gas plant could lead to new premature deaths and rising asthma rates, study finds appeared first on Charlottesville Tomorrow.

“It’s not typical for a small town to have a 10-acre park system right off Main Street,” said Gordonsville resident Peter Hujik.

But the Town of Gordonsville is in the midst of a multiyear, multimillion dollar project to build just that.

The project takes place in Verling Park, which is just a block from downtown and home to Orange County’s only public swimming pool, Dix Memorial.

But until recently, the future of the pool — and the park — was uncertain. The pool was crumbling and outdated, but fixing it would be a dauntingly expensive task for the town of 1,400 people. However, the community took on the challenge. A grassroots campaign followed, raising millions and turning a decaying facility into the centerpiece of the expanded park. Along the way, the project pushed Gordonsville to reckon with the pool’s segregated past — and gave the town a chance to rebuild something more inclusive in its place.

Phase one of the project, the complete pool renovation, wrapped up over the summer. The town has since embarked on phase two, which includes a new event pavilion, playground and winding walking paths that connect Verling Park with Gordonsville’s other green space, Fireman’s Fairgrounds. That brings the park footprint from less than a block to almost 10 acres.

The whole project is estimated to cost $6.5 million, for a town with an annual budget of $7.7 million. The pool alone cost $3.9 million.

“It’s a hard balance, being a small town taking on big expenses,” Gordonsville Mayor Ron Brooks admitted.  But he believes the town has struck that balance pretty well. The town government “has not had to spend a dollar,” because Gordonsville has significant grassroots support, he said.

“The project wouldn’t get done without a group of persistent citizens,” agreed Hujik, an early advocate for the project.

Original funding for the project traces back to the early twenty-teens, when swim team parents hosted bake sales to raise money for a new pool.

By then, Dix Memorial was beginning to languish.

Originally built in 1956, the pool was “a cinderblock, four-lane rectangle,” according to Town Clerk Janet Jones. At almost 70 years old, it was leaking, inefficient and expensive to maintain. The swim team eventually left because it was not regulation size.

Mason Brooking, who started lifeguarding as a teenager in 2022, remembers lifeguards had to check the pool’s chlorine levels every hour, sometimes closing it entirely due to unbalanced chemicals.

“The water would get so cloudy, you couldn’t see people when they went under,” Brooking said.

But because Dix Memorial is the only public pool in Orange County, families didn’t have many options on the days it closed. Some opted for the Orange Country Town Pool, where a family membership costs $525 per year. Others drove half an hour to Charlottesville’s public pools.

Community donations to fix the pool trickled in over the years. By 2017, the town held around $70,000 in escrow for a potential pool project.

But the catalyst for the project was the creation of Town to Trail. Founded by Gordonsville residents in 2017, Town to Trail was originally a working group under the Piedmont Environmental Council before becoming its own nonprofit in 2022.

Throughout 2017, Town to Trail hosted community feedback meetings to hear what residents wanted, before petitioning the town to get the park project on the docket.

“The whole town came together to figure out a vision for the park,” said Liz Samra, who was one of Town to Trail’s original members. Again and again, residents emphasized renovating the pool.

It would be a big lift, but it wouldn’t be the first time Gordonsville residents have pulled something like this off. Decades ago, residents ran and maintained an all-volunteer swimming pool, without any government funding. Though, the circumstances then were a little different.

When Dix Memorial opened in 1956, Black residents could not swim there.

Instead, Black residents went to a pool on Charles Street, on land donated by the Calvary Seventh Day Adventist Church. The pool went by many names. Originally called the Gordonsville Community Swimming Pool when it opened in 1959, it was later renamed the Charles Street Recreation Center. Vice-Mayor Emily Winkey grew up calling it the Neale Pool.

Funding for the pool came from Charles Neale, who had opened Dix Memorial three years earlier.

Opinions on why Neale funded a second pool are mixed, depending on who you ask. Bob Coiner, former mayor of Gordonsville, sees Neale as a misguided man of his time. Coiner speculated that Neale may not have been aware that Black families could not swim at Dix. Once Neale realized that, he opened a second pool so that everyone could have a chance to swim.

Others see it differently. Local historian Gloria Gilmore passed away earlier this year, but in a 2024 presentation she said: “This is in the fifties. Separate But Equal is why there were two pools. When the segregation law was outlawed, money came in to build another pool in the Black community.”

Winkey agrees. “Neale financed the second pool to keep us separate,” she said. “That was the purpose of the two pools.”

Desegregation in the United States began in 1954 with the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. However, it took more than a decade for most communities to desegregate. Orange County Public Schools fully integrated by 1969, but Winkey remembers the pool communities stayed separate.

“Dix Memorial did not integrate until the pool on Charles Street closed down [in the 1980s],” she said. “I did not swim in Dix Memorial pool, but spent all my summers in the Neale Pool.”

For Winkey, the Charles Street Recreation Center provided early examples of civic engagement.

“It was a community effort to ensure that children had a place to play and learn to swim,” she said.

Besides the lifeguards, the Charles Street Recreation Center was run entirely by volunteers and sponsored by three local churches. The pool hosted Mermaid Princess pageants to raise funds, with other support coming from a local community service group called The Brotherhood Club.

Neale financed the second pool to keep us separate. That was the purpose of the two pools.

Gordonsville Vice-Mayor Emily Winkey

“When my siblings and I were coming up, The Brotherhood Club had dances year round, and that money rolled over so that we could maintain the pool,” said Winkey. “The men worked with that, and the ladies of the community always volunteered at the pool to run the concessions stand and ensure the children were safe and well behaved.”

Winkey contributed her own part as a child: She was one of the mermaid princesses in the pageant.

“Can you imagine?” she laughed. “We were all so skinny back then! I was probably 5″2′! When we raised $500, we thought that was a whole lot of money.”

As a private pool without town support, funding didn’t always come easily. The pool on Charles St. closed for needed repairs in the early 1970s and almost closed for good a few years later, until The Brotherhood Club spearheaded a monumental effort to keep it open.

First, members of The Brotherhood Club went to Gordonsville Town Council for the money, but the town declined. An Orange County Review article from the time reported that the Council “took no action” on the club’s request, with one councilor positing it was not legal “for a tax-supported governing body such as town council to contribute to a privately owned project.”

So club members did it themselves.

A 1977 Orange County Review article illustrates the undertaking: “After appealing to local businesses and residents for supplemental financial aid and materials, members of the club donated their own time to supply all labor for the project. The amount of labor required was substantial. The pool, concession stands and dressing rooms were cleaned and repainted, new topsoil was spread and re-seeded, the perimeter fence was torn down and rebuilt, and the toilets and plumbing, which had been broken by winter freezing, were replaced.”

Thanks to those efforts, the pool reopened in 1977 and stayed open for almost a decade longer. However, it ultimately closed in the mid 1980s, due to lack of funds, changes in church leadership and aging volunteers.

With that, Dix Memorial became the only pool in Gordonsville — and the only public pool in Orange County. And traces of its segregated past still linger.

“The built environment reflected the history of segregation,” Hujik said.

During Town to Trail’s community feedback meetings, Hujik learned that the park signage faces away from Gordonsville’s historically Black neighborhood. The pool was also blocked from view by an abandoned house surrounded by a chain link fence at the corner of Piedmont Street and Linney Street. 

“People who live in the historically Black neighborhood usually come down Linney Street [to get to the park],” said Hujik. “That’s where the house and chain link fence was. It was a visual barrier. We saw from an integration perspective it was important to have that point of entry welcoming.” 

New signage has not yet been added. However, within the first year of its creation, Town to Trail raised $30,000 from private contributions that helped the town purchase the abandoned house and demolish it.

In the following years, thanks to community donations and a $100,000 grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Town to Trail bought two other properties that connected Verling Park to Fireman’s Fairgrounds. It donated them to the town in 2022 under an open access easement, ensuring they stay open to public use. 

That same year, the town applied for a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, awarded through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation on behalf of the National Park Service.

Even more community donations, combined with a $1 million donation from the Manning Foundation, meant the town had $1.4 million to put toward the project when it applied. Gordonsville became one of six Virginia recreation projects to get the grant, ultimately receiving $3 million in matching funds from the federal government.

“It was a compelling story because we already had the matching funds and the footprint,” Samra said. “It was shovel-ready, not just a vision.”

The grant also had the support of then-U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (now governor-elect), who wrote to the NPS Agency Director Chuck Sams requesting he “provide full and fair consideration of the application submitted by the Town of Gordonsville.”

But Samra also credits the community support.

“The generosity of people was overwhelming,” she said.

According to Mayor Ron Brooks, the town and Town to Trail had received more than 150 community donations of $10 or more.

The pool is renovated, but the fundraising continues. In September, Town to Trail donated $70,000 to the town for the renovation of the event pavilion. According to Brooks, $35,000 had been private donations, which were then matched by a grant from the Perry Foundation. Once the money was donated to the town, it doubled again, to $70,000, thanks to the NPS grant.

It’s a lot of time and effort, but those involved say it’s a worthy cause.

“This is a public pool, and that’s important,” said Samra. “You should be able to learn to swim, to have recreation spaces, no matter what your economic status is.”

“It builds so much character for a small town to see what we can do when everybody pitches in,” said Vice-Mayor Winkey. “The journey took a long time, but it was a complete community effort.”

The post From bake sales to big checks, this is how the tiny town of Gordonsville raised millions for a new swimming pool and park appeared first on Charlottesville Tomorrow.

Declining numbers of international students coming to study in the U.S. hurts local economies, according to new data released this week. 

International students’ economic contributions declined by $1.1 billion this fall, costing the U.S. nearly 23,000 jobs, NAFSA and JB International found. Those figures are based on a 17% decline in international student enrollment. 

Much of that decline was among graduate and non-degree students, according to the data. A slight increase in undergraduate enrollment this fall bolstered the overall numbers. There are still more than 1 million international students in the U.S.

It’s been a tense time for international students at colleges in the U.S. In the spring, President Donald Trump’s visa revocation and sudden reversal left many reeling, as our Jessica Priest reported in Texas. Trump has also limited visa interviews, told some universities to cap their international student enrollment, imposed travel restrictions on visitors from 19 countries, and made H1-B visas — which allow educated foreign citizens to work in “specialty occupations” — more expensive.

The U.S. must adopt policies to attract and retain international students and realize that job opportunities for them after graduation “are essential to our standing as the top destination for global talent,” said Fanta Aw, NAFSA executive director and CEO. 

“Otherwise, international students will increasingly choose to go elsewhere—to the detriment of our economy, excellence in research and innovation, and global competitiveness and engagement,” Aw said in a release earlier this week. 

Our reporters have been detailing the declines in international students on the campuses they cover — including DePaul University in Illinois and IU Indianapolis. 

[Read more: Case Western Reserve, University of Cincinnati downplay international college student data online] 

A separate report on international students released this week by the Institute of International Education found that their numbers were decreasing even before Trump took office: International student enrollment dropped by 7% in the 2024 school year, according to the report. 

These declines matter — not just for college’s bottom lines, but for the broader economy. International students contributed $42.9 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 355,000 jobs last year, according to NAFSA. 

The pre-Trump slump “suggests colleges face other headwinds, such as a slowing global economy, growing competition from nontraditional education hubs, and lingering unease because of the China Initiative,” in addition to current political turmoil, Karin Fischer, the Chronicle of Higher Education’s international education reporter, wrote in her newsletter this week.

India remains the country that sends the most students to the U.S. Marcello Fantoni, Kent State’s vice president of global education, travelled there last spring to talk with prospective students, our Amy Morona reported at Signal Ohio. He told them Kent State is still welcoming — one of the few things he can control amid the broader federal policy changes. 

Still, he said Trump’s actions influenced how the students he spoke with viewed America.

“There is damage done there, and it will take a long time to be fixed,” he told Amy. “A long time.”  

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Elsewhere on Open Campus

From Fort Worth: McKinnon Rice at our partner Fort Worth Report visited students who received paid, two-year auto technician internships through a partnership between Autobahn Fort Worth and Tarrant County College. 

It’s a growing field in the area and offers opportunities to make good money without much college: “A technician hired after an internship starts out earning $24 to $30 per hour, based on their performance, and the wage grows as skills do — highly skilled technicians can make as much as $250,000 to $300,000 per year,” McKinnon wrote.

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After multiple resignations and months without meeting minutes, the Town of Louisa is finally beginning to rebuild its government — and its relationship with the public. 

Residents and council members alike say the past year has exposed deep cracks in how the town communicates with the public, leading to a growing demand for transparency in how decisions are made.

Staffing shortages increased concerns about transparency. With meeting minutes not posted for six months, and video recordings not posted at all, residents struggled to find out what was happening on Town Council.  

The shortages began just over a year ago. Last September, Garland Nuckols resigned after ten years as mayor, citing health problems in an interview with Louisa-based journalist Tammy Purcell. Nuckols was followed by four others in the ensuing months. 

Town Manager Elizabeth Nelson submitted her resignation in November, while Town Clerk/Treasurer Jessica Ellis and Deputy Treasurer Kellye Throckmorton both resigned in May. They were followed by Interim-Mayor Danny Carter on May 21. Carter had been appointed in November to serve out Nuckols’ term until the following election.

Ellis declined to comment for the story and Throckmorton did not respond to requests for an interview. 

Carter was first elected to town council in 1998 as a write-in candidate.

“The only thing to say on that is that I could not work with the majority of Town Council,” said Carter, regarding his departure. “Not every member of council. There were two long-term members who had been wonderful. But others, I couldn’t.”

The town was left with a skeleton staff. Louisa Police Chief Craig Buckley was appointed as interim town manager in December, but it took two months for the town to appoint a new clerk and treasurer.

“After the departures, we had to scramble to get our books kept up,” said Council Member Roger Henry, whose first term on Council began in January. “We were trying to do it ourselves as best we could. The [interim] town manager [Craig Buckley] was doing the clerk’s work for a while there himself. And our committees, we were keeping our own minutes and turning them in. And so we just all worked together.”

For those trying to stay informed on town decisions, the loss of a clerk was problematic.

When Clerk/Treasurer Jessica Ellis resigned in May, minutes had not been posted to the website since February. After her resignation, there were no minutes posted until September.

“For months, they had no minutes and no video. Unless you were at the meeting, you had no idea what happened,” said journalist Tammy Purcell, who covers Town Council and Board of Supervisors meetings for her newsletter Engage Louisa. “It’s been extremely frustrating to follow what’s going on in the town, because it’s difficult to access what’s going on at the meetings on a variety of levels.”

According to Virginia code, local governments have to post minutes of their meetings to their “official public government website… within seven working days of final approval of the minutes.” The approval of minutes typically occurs during the following month’s meeting.

Minutes from May and June were not written as there was no clerk. Councilors say minutes from March and April had been misplaced, which caused their delay in approval.

“Some of the minutes were accidentally put in a file by previous staff and no one could find them,” explained current Interim-Mayor Matthew Kersey.

Things began to turn around over the summer as the town built up its staff. In its meeting on July 15, the town hired Stephanie Dorman as clerk, Franchesca Mall-Padilla as treasurer and appointed Matthew Kersey as interim mayor. Interim Town Manager Craig Buckley retired as planned at the end of August, but the town hired Stuart Turille as town manager in September.

The misplaced minutes were found and approved by August. Clerk Stephanie Dorman listened to audio recordings of the missing meetings to fill in the backlog. As of November, all minutes are posted to the town’s website except for May. Dorman said she hadn’t realized May was not yet on the website.

Now, the town’s leaders are turning their attention to regaining citizens’ trust.

For months, they had no minutes and no video. Unless you were at the meeting, you had no idea what happened. It’s been extremely frustrating to follow what’s going on in the town, because it’s difficult to access what’s going on at the meetings on a variety of levels.

—Tammy Purcell, journalist who covers Town Council and Board of Supervisors meetings for her Engage Louisa newsletter

Experts say lack of transparency, intentional or not, can erode trust between a government and its community.

“It can cause a real disconnect when things are done behind closed doors or it’s hard to get records,” said Megan Rhyne, executive director for the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, which advocates for transparency practices in state and local government.

“If there’s a culture of secrecy, the public will then be suspicious of everything you do,” she said. “Like, oh, well, it’s just another thing they did behind closed doors. And even when they did it the exact right way, people are still going to be skeptical. So it’s a real erosion of that relationship, of the trust between citizens and government.”

Louisa had some run-ins with issues around trust. A particularly contentious moment centered around a special Town Council meeting that was called on Aug. 29, the Friday before Labor Day weekend.

“We had a special meeting moved [from 6 p.m.] to 8 p.m. because some town councilors were working,” said Vice-Mayor Vicky Harte, “but people framed it like they’re hiding the meeting, because it’s at eight instead of six. But they don’t come to the one at six either!”

The day of the meeting, the time was pushed back two hours so that Council Member Danny Crawford could attend after work. Most of the meeting was in closed session to discuss hiring a town manager.

The town followed legal requirements about advertising the meeting, but the last-minute nature was not well-received by the community.

A lot of the commentary took place on Facebook.

Tammy Purcell had posted her take on her public Facebook account that night, saying in part, “After talking with the town clerk, I understand that the meeting was properly advertised, but this isn’t transparent or accessible government.”

The post has 50 comments, mostly expressing disappointment or suspicion about the meeting change.

“Man that’s shady as hell,” read one.

“It would be great if whoever scheduled the meeting for that time explained themself. It certainly does seem to lack transparency and it would help town residents understand their motives. This is the kind of stuff that erodes trust in officials,” said another.

In an interview with a Charlottesville Tomorrow reporter in September, Tammy Purcell said, “You’re at a point where people have a lot of questions about what [Town Council is] doing. People don’t trust institutions anymore, and when you’re having a meeting at 8 o’clock on Friday night on a holiday weekend, people think it’s shady. It’s bad optics.”

Since becoming fully staffed again, the town has begun discussing steps toward improving its communication with the public. However, it’s been slow-going.

For one, some councilors are considering rolling out mass-texting or an app for emergency alerts, according to council members Vicky Harte and John Purcell.

This is something multiple residents have been calling for.

“If there’s a boil water advisory, they post about it on their website and on Facebook,” said Dana Racette, a town resident who regularly attends meetings. “And I don’t find that adequate for the 21st century.”

In an ideal world, Racette said, “I would like text messages the same way I get texts from the county. Snow day, storms, wildfires, the county tells us. I get a text. It exists and is easy to access. I don’t know why the town council can’t do this.”

Racette is not alone.

“That has been something that numerous residents have brought up to me as I’ve been knocking on doors,” said Ashley Michael, who was elected mayor on Nov. 4. Her term will begin in January. “They say, ‘Hey, we get your [campaign] text messages. Is that something the town could do too?’”

Even those on town council say it’s a problem.

“We need to have better flow of information from the town to the citizens,” said John Purcell, who has served on Town Council since 2018. (He said he is a distant relation to Tammy Purcell.)

He said the town has discussed app possibilities over the last year, but has not pursued it yet.

“That’s kind of what we’ve talked about a couple of times since the budget cycle, but we really needed the staffing to carry that forward,” he said.

And before they get to that, the town plans to look at posting video recordings of meetings, something it has never done before. This has made them an outlier in the county. Both the Louisa County Board of Supervisors and the nearby Town of Mineral post video recordings.

“I think that video is an important part of accountability for what they do,” said Racette. “I think: Why, what are we waiting for? It’s not that hard to add a page and drop it in there. If we don’t know how to do it, we can figure it out.”

Council members say they hadn’t recorded videos earlier due to poor internet connection in town hall. After changing internet providers over the summer, the town began video-recording meetings in August. However, they have not posted the recordings online, citing that they are in the process of upgrading their website from a .org to a .gov domain.

In September, Town Clerk Stephanie Dorman estimated that upgrading the website could take two months. Until then, some on town council have reservations about posting the videos onto other sites.

“We want to make sure we’re doing it right before we just put it on YouTube,” said John Purcell. “AI is coming out. We think we know where it’s going, but we’re not quite sure. So I’ve got to be a little safer than sorry… we want to make sure our information is accurate.”

Since then, Louisa had a mayoral election. The winner, Ashley Michael, has made transparency a large part of her platform.

“I do think there are some very small adjustments that could have been made and should be made that can make a very large impact on the way that your community trusts you,” Michael told Charlottesville Tomorrow. “They don’t have to be big, grandiose items. They can be very small things, like posting these videos, getting them updated, getting a text message out, getting a robo call. I feel like that is where we can really start to rebuild that trust within our community.”

Meanwhile, town councilors told Charlottesville Tomorrow they are just excited that they are fully staffed again and the staffing problems can hopefully be put behind them. 

“We’re in that period where everyone’s catching up or learning how to do everything,” said John Purcell. “We’re just making sure there’s nothing else left behind before we spring forward.”

The post The Town of Louisa faced five resignations in less than a year. Now it’s trying to rebuild appeared first on Charlottesville Tomorrow.