SNAP cuts coming for a lot of Virginians
Virginia SNAP receipts have been getting emergency benefits on top of their regular benefits for almost three years. But that additional assistance is coming to an end. Virginia Department of Social Services announced that the final round of emergency benefits will be loaded onto EBT cards on February 16.
Read full storyGot a bachelor's and want to be a teacher? RCC hosting Career Switcher event
Virginia has already been struggling with a serious teacher shortage, and it appears that more people are flowing out of the profession than into it. Some 10,900 teachers left the workforce ahead of the current school year, while only 7,208 teachers with first-time licenses were hired, according to data from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, Virginia Mercury reported.
Read full storyResidents oppose plans for rehab center coming to King George
Pyramid Healthcare is developing a 2-story, 100-bed rehab facility in King George off of Owens Rd. Members of the community who live nearby not only expressed strong opposition at last week’s board of supervisors meeting, but they wanted to know why county leaders hadn’t publicly disclosed and discussed the project.
Read full storyI-95 North in Spotsylvania shut down by crash, detour underway
Drivers take note: All lanes of I-95 North in Spotsylvania County remain closed due to a multi-vehicle accident. The crash occurred at the 117.4 mile marker, which is near Exit 118, Thornburg.
Read full storyRep. Spanberger aide says they're here to serve King George, just call
After Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission failed to complete its mission of creating a map, the state Supreme Court stepped in and appointed two special masters to do the job.
Read full storyDrivers expect delays on Warrenton Rd. in Stafford next week + other traffic alerts
Next week, drivers planning to use Rt. 17, Warrenton Rd., in Stafford during the day should prepare for delays. The southbound side of Warrenton Rd. will be reduced to a single travel lane between Heartfields Ln. and Washington St. starting Tuesday, January 24.
Read full storyVirginia's 1st case of bird flu confirmed: what you need to know
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) confirmed the Commonwealth’s first case of bird flu, a serious threat to poultry owners and farming operations.
Read full storyDel. Anderson's bill to cut 'nickel & dime' pet tax in VA stalls
It remains to be seen what, if anything, will become of Delegate Tim Anderson’s bill to eliminate pet licensing fees and the crime of not paying them. For Virginians who aren’t aware, the law allows governments to charge pet owners a licensing fee, which Anderson calls “a nickel and dime tax.” And if pet owners don’t pay, not only can they be charged with a misdemeanor but their pets can be seized and killed, the delegate explained in a Facebook post Wednesday morning before he presented HB 1406.
Read full storyMcDougle bill making it a felony to vote as non-US citizen or help register to vote is dead
On Tuesday, Senator Ryan McDougle attempted to push forward SB 878, a voter registration bill that noted that a person who isn’t a U.S. citizen isn’t entitled to vote and anyone who helped a non-citizen register to vote could be found guilty of a Class 6 felony.
Read full storySenator McDougle's photo ID voting bill, SB 794, fails
Senator Ryan McDougle’s attempt to bring a photo ID requirement back to Virginia elections failed to make it out of the Privileges and Elections Committee yesterday. SB 794 would have required a photo ID to vote using a normal ballot. It would have also repealed the portion of the current law that allows people without a photo ID to vote after signing a statement attesting to their identity.
Read full storyVirginia boosts mortgage relief assistance to $50,000
Virginia Housing announced changes to the Virginia Mortgage Relief Program (VMPR) that are designed to deliver more help to more people who were financially impacted by the pandemic.
Read full storyFairfax's first case of chronic wasting disease confirmed, traced to Vienna
The first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Fairfax County has been confirmed in an adult male deer, the Department of Wildlife Resources announced. CWD is an incurable neurologic disease spread through the urine, feces or saliva of infected animals. It’s slow-acting meaning that an infected animal may not show signs for months, but ultimately the infection kills the animal.
Read full storyRiver Realm Restaurant Week in Lancaster and Middlesex coming this month
Foodies in Virginia mark your calendars. If you want to eat like they do in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, you’re about to get the chance. River Realm Restaurant Week will be underway from January 21 – 31. This 11-day event takes place across 8 small towns in Lancaster and Middlesex counties.
Read full story2 Stafford Co. traffic projects starting Sunday: delays & detours
The week ahead will bring two roadway projects in Stafford County that will significantly impact traffic. Starting Sunday, January 8, drivers should expect overnight delays and intermittent full traffic stops on Rt. 17 that will last through early March.
Read full storyMost Virginia State Police systems knocked offline now restored, 2 databases still down
The Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry, also known as SOR, is back online. Other databases maintained by Virginia State Police, including Computerized Criminal History (CCH) and the Virginia Firearms Transaction (FTC) V-Check system are also now back in service and fully-operating.
Read full storyMan arrested for stabbing 2 people in King George
Less than one week into the new year and King George has already had its first stabbing. Christopher Michael Hash, a 31-year-old who is listed as a King George resident, has been charged with two counts of malicious wounding for the incident.
Read full storyAmerican Legion Rd. overpass in Stafford now open
The new American Legion Rd. overpass in Stafford County was scheduled to open this morning. The new bridge allows drivers on Rt. 628, American Legion Rd., to cross over I-95. With the new overpass now complete, it eliminates the need for a detour that had been in place since April 4, 2022, a span of 9 months.
Read full storyNew Tappahannock Pizza Hut offering free pizza for a year
*This is not a sponsored post. Watchful Eye is not receiving any third-party compensation for this report. Do you like pizza? If so, there’s a new Pizza Hut location in Tappahannock, and it will be offering free pizza for a year to the first 25 guests in line on Friday.
Read full storyDominion asks customers to cut down heat due to strain on power grid
Amid days of abnormally bitter winter weather, Dominion Energy is asking customers in Virginia and North Carolina to turn down the heat for the sake of the power grid. In a notice sent to customers on Christmas Eve, Dominion acknowledged that as the evening hours approach, “temperatures drop to record lows.” Still, the company proceeded to ask customers to “help reduce strain on the electric grid by conserving energy.”
Read full storyTrucks, large vehicles advised not to cross Norris Bridge, other Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula bridge under watch
Robert O. Norris Bridge aka White Stone BridgePhoto byVDOT. Winds have picked up and VDOT has issued a high wind advisory for the Robert O. Norris Bridge, commonly called the White Stone Bridge.
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