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Spanberger fires Rocovich from Virginia Tech Board of Visitors
In a letter notifying Rocovich of his firing, Spanberger accused him of conduct that violated the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics, the code of conduct for state appointees and governing statutes “requiring board members to act in accordance with the best interest of Virginia Tech.”
Politics
5th District will have both a Democratic and Republican congressional primary in August
Republican John McGuire and Democrat Don Beyer are the only House members in Virginia to draw primary challengers.
Local
Why a building remains vacant in the busiest part of downtown Blacksburg
Decades after the building last had business, town officials continue to incentivize prospective business owners and issue maintenance violations in the process.
Culture
American Aquarium, Rhonda Vincent among headliners for this year’s Floyd Small Town Summer series
Local acts Hoppie Vaughan & the Ministers of Soul and JStop Latin Soul also will be featured, along with family-friendly movies on some nights.
education
Roanoke school division reconsidering online platform after recent data breach
A cyberattack left the platform offline for days and thousands of students’ information exposed.
eCONOMY
Tech Briefs: A Blacksburg with no Hokie stone? AI imagined it.
Plus: Virginia Tech researchers modify “Call of Duty” to train Marines.
OPinion
Richmond physician: Griffith is right to demand greater transparency in little-known federal program
What was meant to be a patient-focused program is now a hospital markup program where large, tax-exempt hospital systems buy discounted drugs, mark them up by as much as 1,000% or more and bill patients and insurers the list price.
Health Care
The Pulse: Carilion announces plan for new rehab hospital
Plus: New laws strengthen addiction recovery services, state launches maternal mental health awareness campaign
news briefs
Headlines from across the state: Kratom product sales to be regulated in Virginia; more …
From elsewhere: Former Martinsville commonwealth’s attorney contradicts registrar on failed petition to remove mayor from office. Henrietta Lacks marker next to statue unveiled in South Boston. Scenic Virginia hosts contests to find the best views in the commonwealth.
Sports
‘Martinsville Missile’ sets a new land speed record for a stock car
With a Henry County driver behind the wheel, the car designed and built in Martinsville broke the record of 244.9 mph with a top speed of 253 mph.
WEATHER
Why this might be a relatively cool summer in Virginia
Past summers show that a developing El Niño could be a factor in at least somewhat suppressing this summer’s heat.
Cardinal 250
One of Virginia’s most eccentric patriots was John Sinclair, a government-sanctioned pirate
Privateers were an important component of the American war effort. They were something akin to government-sanctioned pirates — armed vessels that chased down and confiscated the cargo of civilian enemy merchant ships. The techniques privateers employed wouldn’t pass muster today. They’d often approach a ship under a false flag and captain and crew would get…
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