As some state lawmakers seek action to address troubling allegations regarding conditions at Virginia’s only youth prison, the state’s juvenile justice director is raising questions about how one legislator obtained information about the facility through youth formerly incarcerated there. In a letter she sent to the Chesterfield Commonwealth’s Attorney and Chief Public Defender and filed in the court records system, Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice Amy Floriano said her department “immediately began an investigation” after learning about the conversation [between Del. Carrie Coyner and two inmates]. However, Floriano said her team was unable to locate any visitation records documenting Delegate Coyner’s visit to the jail and that it was “unknown” whether her visit was “sanctioned” by the defendant’s counsel or parent. Floriano said Chesterfield authorities confirmed that since this was a visit from officials, it would not be documented. Floriano said Chesterfield authorities confirmed that since this was a visit from officials, it would not be documented.

Mineral Town Council (MTC) member Rebecca “Becky” McGehee introduced a motion to censure Chairman of the Mineral Planning Commission (PC) Ed Kube at their April 14 meeting, citing inappropriate behavior at the January and March PC meetings. … While the January 16 PC meeting ended in conflict, the March 27 PC meeting started in conflict. The incident involved Hempstead choosing to sit at the table and not in the audience, however, this incident was not captured on video. During public comment at the April 14 meeting, Kube criticized the forthcoming discussion of his censure, noting he was never notified. He also took issue with the last PC meeting in March and the fact that four MTC members were present, with one of them (MTC liaison to the PC Ron Chapman) present via zoom. Chapman addressed his concern of an “illegal meeting” held by the MTC at the PC meeting, stating the “three council members in one place” rule does not take effect for anywhere that would be considered generally open to the public. “Now, if those three members of council had sat at this table, then that excludes the general public, because the general public does not have access to this table,” Chapman said. “So the whole council can come to a planning commission meeting and sit in the audience and observe…”

The Spotsylvania County School Board meeting on Monday involved no high-profile decisions. But chaos still broke out, again highlighting problems among members. The meeting started on a rocky note and nearly spiraled out of control before the board chair made the move to stop public comment time so the board could address its agenda. Nearly half of the four-plus-hour meeting was consumed by arguments over a personnel hiring package and actions of audience members. Another argument broke out during public comment time after a board member and resident started arguing.

The Virginia Tech tragedy remains a source of tremendous pain and sorrow each year, but it also imparted colleges with powerful lessons about how to improve their emergency plans, better secure their campuses and protect their students. The UVa. tragedy could provide similarly important information were critical details made available for the public to review.

Avelo’s CEO told the Connecticut attorney general that he can see a copy of the budget airline’s deportation contract — if he submits a Freedom of Information Act request to the relevant federal agency. Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy offered that advice in a one-page letter he sent to state Attorney General William Tong Tuesday. Levy’s letter comes a week after Tong sent Avelo a public letter of his own slamming the airline for agreeing to run deportation flights for the Trump administration out of a new base in Arizona starting this May. In addition to stating that the DHS contract is available via a FOIA request, Levy wrote to the attorney general that ​“we do believe from the tone of your letter that there is a fundamental misunderstanding how the federal government contracts the flights that are the subject of your letter.”