Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring called for the legalization of marijuana (in small amounts) in a Daily Press op-ed on June 15. Herring claims that the criminalization of the drug is “needlessly creating criminals,” and costing Virginians millions in tax dollars due to drug charge imprisonments. (Daily Press)
The newly released “Crime in Virginia” report with 2018 data found that homicides across the state dropped 14%, and overall violent crime dropped by 2%. Hate crimes dropped about 20% to 161 total, and motor vehicle thefts increased by 2.4% with roughly 10,500 vehicles stolen in 2018. (WTOP)
Arlington Superintendent Patrick Murphy has announced his retirement, effective at the start of the 2019 to 2020 school year. His tenure started in 2009 with the economic recession, and Murphy led the way as the population of Arlington grew from 19,000 to over 27,000. (Inside NoVA)
An Arlington-based nonprofit, Read Early and Daily (R.E.A.D), received a $50,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation to start its “Book Bus” initiative. The mobile bookstore will allow families to “shop” for new, quality, culturally diverse and inclusive children’s books across the area. (Inside NoVA)
