Sickle darter. Courtesy of Conservation Fisheries Inc.
Sickle darter. Courtesy of Conservation Fisheries Inc.

Here are some of the top headlines from other news outlets around Southwest and Southside:

Politics:

House panel votes to restrict state contracts with Chinese companies. — Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Democrats’ push for tax credit refund bill dies in Republican-controlled committee. — Richmond Times-Dispatch.

General Assembly to weigh proposal to turn college savings surplus into scholarships. — Virginia Mercury.

Rep. Ben Cline talks border security, Speaker election, inflation. — WSLS-TV.

Economy:

Portsmouth casino opens; is first permanent casino in Virginia. (The one that opened in Bristol last summer is a temporary facility while the permanent one is built.) — Virginia Business.

Cardinal’s Megan Schnabel talks about the redevelopment of the American Viscose plant in Roanoke. — Blue Ridge PBS.

Cumberland County is a food desert. — The Farmville Herald.

Education:

Roanoke County approves tentative funding plan for new career and tech center. — The Roanoke Times.

Alleghany Highlands seeks feedback on possible student cellphone policy. — WDBJ-TV.

Health care:

Sovah Health returns to normal visitation policy. — WDBJ-TV.

LewisGale Medical Center in Salem marks 100th robotic-assisted spine surgery. — WSET-TV.

Want more health care news? There’s no full-time health care reporter anywhere in Virginia. Help us fix that. You can help us fund this position.

Culture:

Church to bring refugee family from Ukraine to Halifax County. — Halifax Gazette-Virginian and South Boston News & Record.

Homelessness is a problem in Southside. — South Boston News & Record.

U.S Fish and Wildlife Service proposes more than 50 miles of rivers in Southwest Virginia be designated as “critical habitat” for the sickle darter. — WJHL-TV.

Weather:

For more weather news, follow weather journalist Kevin Myatt on Twitter at @kevinmyattwx and sign up for his free weather email newsletter. His weekly column appears in Cardinal News each Wednesday afternoon.