Goochland County is prepared to spend $250,000 from its general fund to fight a lawsuit concerning the county’s controversial plan to allow the construction of data centers within a corridor along Route 288. This week, the county’s Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to transfer the money from the unassigned general fund to the county attorney’s office. Thanks to its insurance policy, Goochland has another $100,000 at its disposal to defend against the litigation. Goochland leaders approved a so-called technology overlay district in November, despite significant pushback from the public. … The suit was filed by four residents — Cynthia Haas, Peggy Knisley, Virginia H. Reed and Gail A. Minnick — whose properties abut the district. They say the county made changes to the composition of the district without sufficiently notifying residents or allowing them to comment. After Goochland planners released the initial design, they added another 900 acres near the Mosaic neighborhood.

Richmonders will get an extra two weeks to comment on the second draft of the city’s proposed rezoning. On Thursday the city announced the comment period will remain open until March 1, citing the impact of recent winter storms. It previously had been set to close Feb. 15. “The recent and persistent winter weather has been challenging for our community engagement efforts,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “Shifting the timeline ensures that community members have the time and space to continue sharing thoughtful feedback that is essential to creating a zoning code that reflects the needs and priorities of our many diverse neighborhoods.”

A former Waynesboro police officer’s appeal of a $1.85 million lawsuit against the city and his former chief over his termination from a drug task force he once led will not be proceeding to trial. Michael Martin, a 28-year police veteran who once led the Skyline Drug Task Force, has claimed he was wrongfully terminated in 2022 from the force after blowing the whistle on corruption within the task force and a controversial testimony he provided in Augusta County court. … In 2018, the task force board voted Martin out of the organization after he claimed some of its Augusta County agents lied under oath, used excessive force, falsified affidavits and stole evidence.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was designed to help keep the federal government transparent by allowing anyone to request unreleased information and documents. Increasingly, though, federal agencies have been overwhelmed, in part because a wave of automated systems is flooding FOIA offices, funded by right-wing money. Federal FOIA requests have nearly doubled in the past five years, according to a Justice Department report, rising to 1.5 million in 2024. In that same time period, the number of FOIA officers at the federal level hasn’t budged. Last year, Dave Levinthal wrote for CJR about the problem this presents for journalists, who have found their requests routinely denied or ignored. … According to a new Tow Center investigation, Metric Media, a right-wing network of media outlets, has filed thousands of public records requests, targeting voter rolls, school curricula, and transgender inmates. … In 2023, the group was reprimanded by New Mexico for selling voter data obtained through its FOIA operation. The same year, Brian Timpone, one of the founders of the network, told VoteBeat that his group was only interested in keeping the government accountable.