More than four dozen refugees are now in the U.S. after departing from South Africa Sunday night. The 49 white Afrikaners who were granted refugee status by the Trump administration were greeted by a top-ranking U.S. diplomat upon their arrival at Dulles International Airport in Virginia yesterday.Preview: NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports President Trump signed an executive order earlier this year saying minority Afrikaners were unfairly treated in South Africa.Preview: The group will now have a pathway to U.S. citizenship and be eligible for government benefits.
Richmond is ready to spend millions to improve its water treatment plant. The city council passed the Fiscal Year 2026 budget yesterday. The three billion dollar budget includes over 60 million dollars for upgrades at the water treatment plant. The budget also includes an extra nine-and--a-half million dollars for public schools. There's also 50 million dollars for affordable housing and raises of 10 percent, on average, for firefighters and police officers.
Congregation Beth Israel Charlottesville wants to build a new school on some donated land in Albemarle County but they need a special permit. Jill Abbey-Clark, the group's Director of Education, says they want to build a Jewish preschool, elementary school, and daycare - all-in-one building - on land rural zoned, donated on Dudley Mountain Road. She says the land's vegetative field, hardwood forest, and stream are perfect for their nature-based curiculum. WVIR reports some neighbors have expressed concerns, citing traffic and environmental impacts. The Albemarle Planning Commission meets tonight/Tuesday night at 6pm to discuss the request for the special permit.