AP
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Lottery says time is running out for the winner of a $1 million prize to cash in. The person who bought the winning ticket in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle still hasn’t claimed the prize. The deadline is 5 p.m. June 30. Ticket number 092069 was purchased at a 7- Eleven on Occoquan Road in Woodbridge. It was one of three $1 million prizes in the Jan. 1 drawing. The other two prizes were promptly claimed by John Humphries of Danville and Amy Lloyd of Martinsburg, West Virginia. Unclaimed lottery winnings go to the state Literary Fund, which is used for public school projects and teacher retirement.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) _ The University of Virginia is launching an effort to keep the university affordable. The work begins Friday in northern Virginia when a Board of Visitors charged with that task meets. Rector George K. Martin has said the goal is to have a new tuition and financial aid plan to bring to the full board in the fall. The Daily Progress reports that U.Va.’s tuition and fees have nearly doubled in the last 10 years. The Charlottesville school is one of the most expensive public institutions for out-of-state students in the country. Part of the upward tuition spiral has been driven by a decrease in state appropriations. They fell about 32 percent, or $51.5 million, from 2007 to 2012, according to the school.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Temporary highway lane closures will be suspended across Virginia to help Independence Day travelers reach their holiday destinations. The Virginia Department of Transportation says lane closures in temporary work zones will be lifted from noon Thursday until noon Monday. Travelers can check road conditions and traffic incidents on VDOT’s travel information website, ww.511Virginia.org, or the mobile version for handheld devices, mobile511virginia.org. The service also can be accessed by telephone calling 511. Officials are encouraging Virginians to plan for a safe trip by avoiding distractions, wearing your seat belt, obeying the speed limit and being courteous to other travelers.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Fewer Virginia inmates are being sent back to prison for new crimes committed after their release. Gov. Terry McAuliffe says the state’s recidivism rate has dropped to 22.8%, the state’s lowest rate on record. He says this means Virginia’s prison system is returning offenders to their communities better prepared to be productive citizens. Virginia calculates its official recidivism rate as the percentage of offenders who return to prison within three years of being released. The latest figure counts inmates who were released in 2009 and were back in prison in 2012. The previous year’s recidivism rate was 23.4%.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia lawmakers are returning to the Capitol to consider Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s line-item budget vetoes. Most prominent is the Democratic governor’s veto of a Republican-backed amendment aimed at preventing him from expanding Medicaid without legislative approval. The House GOP majority blocked McAuliffe’s top legislative priority, leading to a protracted budget stalemate that threatened to shut down government. Now the governor is examining ways to expand Medicaid on his own. It takes a two-thirds vote of both legislative chambers to override a governor’s veto. Republicans hold more than two-thirds of the House seats but have only a one-seat advantage in the Senate. The House convenes at 5 p.m. Monday, the Senate at 7.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ An elected official says federal officials are scrapping plans to shelter hundreds of Central American children in rural Virginia amid fierce local opposition. The elected official spoke on condition of anonymity because U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials were still delivering the news to officials in Lawrenceville, Virginia. He says he was briefed about the decision in a phone call with the health department. A health department spokesman said an announcement was expected Friday but would not elaborate. The decision came after a public meeting in Lawrenceville, where hundreds of people attended and an overwhelming number spoke out against the proposal. The Administration for Children and Families had planned to temporarily shelter the Central American children and teenagers at St. Paul’s College, which has been closed for one year.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has scheduled a news conference to outline his plans for the state budget recently passed by the General Assembly. McAuliffe is set to address reporters Friday at the Capitol. The governor has not indicated whether he’ll sign, veto or try to amend parts of the budget. He has until Sunday to decide.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ North Carolina officials say Advance Auto Parts will relocate some top managers and support jobs to Raleigh and employ 600 workers at a corporate support center by the end of 2017. The Roanoke, Va.-based company says the Roanoke Store Support Center will remain the hub for most corporate functions, but there is no word yet on how this may affect Roanoke employment numbers for Advance.
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) _ A congressional committee is taking a hard look at the renovation of a federal building in Roanoke. The Roanoke Times (http://bit.ly/1pJbtCJ) reports that the House subcommittee will conduct a hearing Thursday on the Poff Federal Building. It houses regional branches of the federal court system and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Commonwealth Transportation Board has approved a final six-year, $13.1 billion transportation blueprint for Virginia. The board met Wednesday in Richmond and heard from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Earlier this year, the board staked out a plan that includes $9.9 billion earmarked for highway construction. The board allocates funding for essential highway, bridge, rail and other transportation projects, starting July 1. The program is updated annually to reflect the latest revenue projections and other priorities. Besides highway construction, the plan allocates $3.2 billion for rail and public transportation.
(Continue reading for the list of major Salem District projects funded under the plan.)