The New Economy Workforce Credential Grant program – a performance-based means of funding noncredit workforce training in Virginia – has seen a 9% increase in student enrollment during the recent fiscal year, reaching an all-time high, according to a report published by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The program rewards community colleges, higher education centers, and Richard Bland College through a pay-for-performance model each time a student completes training and earns a credential in a high-demand field. Students are required to pay one-third of the cost of tuition if they successfully complete the program and financial aid...Article Link

Support the show

Bills that would ban college legacy admissions, promote safer gun storage around minors, and implement more restorative disciplinary practices in schools are among the pieces of legislation that have made it out of committee so far in the Virginia General Assembly. Failed bills include legislation about “outing” transgender students to their parents, restricting addictive social media sites for users under 18, and removing criteria for parents to provide homeschooling. Of the 28 bills involving education introduced by eight different lawmakers that represent parts of Henrico County, 12 have made it through the legislative session so far while 16 have been...Article Link

Support the show

For their ability to provide heart care services deemed to be "world-class," HCA Virginia’s Henrico Doctors' Hospital and Chippenham Hospital and Henrico Doctors’ Hospital have been named two of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the United States by PINC AI, the technology and services brand of Premier, Inc. The study annually evaluates the performance of 940 U.S. hospitals using data from public data sources to assess their clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and patient experience. To qualify for the study, hospitals must provide all forms of cardiovascular care, including open heart surgery. The results of the study indicate that both...Article Link

Support the show

Police tell CBS 6 that one person is dead after a Monday morning shooting at a Henrico County home. The victim has been identified as 18-year-old Jontay Bennett, who was transported to a local hospital following the shooting, where he later died. During a police investigation into the shooting, a suspect, Victor Lamar Douglas, was arrested during a traffic stop on I-95 and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Click here to continue reading on WTVR.com, a Henrico Citizen partner organization.Article Link

Support the show

Lawmakers continued until next session two bills that created penalties for deceptive use of artificial intelligence software, amid a growing number of cases in which fake images and audio of people have surfaced.  Del. Michelle Lopes Maldonado, D-Manassas, a former tech lawyer of 20 years, introduced House Bill 697. Sen. Adam P. Ebbin, D-Alexandria, introduced a similar measure. Both were continued to next year in the Senate Courts of Justice committee.  The lawmakers wanted to expand the penalty for defamation, slander and libel to include synthetic media, which is AI-generated or digitally altered media. Someone found guilty would face a class one misdemeanor...Article Link

Support the show

The Henrico County Division of Public Works is starting a new monthly newsletter to inform residents of upcoming projects and community meetings in an effort to improve public input. The newsletter will be sent out to subscribers beginning in mid-March and will be customized for each of the county’s five magisterial districts. Subscribers can opt to receive as many of the five versions as they would like. The newsletter will include details about improvement projects that could impact their neighborhoods or commutes and information about upcoming community meetings at which residents can provide input before work starts on projects. Residents...Article Link

Support the show

The Henrico 4-H Youth Development program is offering a STEM challenge workshop for youngsters that will focus on renewable energy. The Power Protectors workshop will be held on two Saturdays, March 9 and 23, and is designed for students in third through fifth grade. Each session will last from 9 a.m. to noon, and will take place at Children of God Victory Tabernacle, located at 1146 Wilkinson Road. The Power Protectors workshop will focus on "saving" Energy Island, a fictional island that is in danger of becoming unplugged unless the Power Protectors can use renewable and sustainable energy to save...Article Link

Support the show

For the 10th year, Starling International Day Care held a contest to determine who could come up with the most beautiful and creative boxes to hold classroom Valentines. In past years, only staff members participated; this year, the contest was opened up to parents and grandparents. Judges from the community (including Citizen Managing Editor Patty Kruszewski) came in to cast their votes and choose among 31 entries in the Valentine Box Contest, and the winners took home cash prizes – not to mention an abundance of compliments. The first and second place winners, respectively, were MST Yeasmin, staff member (0)...Article Link

Support the show

Caleb Kenney of Henrico was named to the fall 2023 dean’s list at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher. *** Adam P. Brooks of Glen Allen was named to the fall 2023 dean’s list at Fairfield University in Connecticut. To qualify for the dean’s list, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher. *** Kylie Semo of Henrico was named to the fall 2023 dean’s list at Emerson College in Boston, Mass. To be...Article Link

Support the show

A bill that would require women seeking hysterectomies to go through a detailed consent process, including a recommendation to a controversial hysterectomy foundation, faces an uncertain future following referral to the Senate Committee on Rules. The bill, SB 331, proposed by Republican Sen. Richard Stuart of Westmoreland was nearly identical to a bill proposed by Del. Bobby Orrock (R-Thornburg) that was killed in the Health and Human Services Committee on Feb 13. The original wording of Stuart’s bill included new informed consent requirements, namely showing patients relevant diagrams for the procedure and directing them to the Hysterectomy Educational Resources and Services Foundation. It has...Article Link

Support the show