Much of the state is on high-heat alert today and there's no relief in sight.Preview: The state of Virginia is expanding a website that tracks the status of permit applications at several state agencies. The Virginia Permit Transparency website was launched earlier this year and included tracking for applications to the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Energy and the Marine Resources Commission. The expansion announced last week adds the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The state says the expansion will give the public access to more than 100-thousand permit applications that are filed with the six agencies every year.
A teacher and school board member who worked to desegregate the Arlington County school system has been honored with a historical marker. The marker for Evelyn Reid Syphax was dedicated in a ceremony yesterday at the school system's administration building. Syphax began working as a teacher in Arlington in 1951 and later became the chair of the Arlington County School Board. She was praised for her leadership on a desegregation plan district, as well as her work to improve reading and math programs. She was also active in other community groups and helped create the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.