Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here.
But First…
We’re not crying, you’re crying.
5 Things you need to know today
- Health officials identify three workplace cafeterias in gastrointestinal illness outbreak – The Virginia Department of Health has identified three workplace cafeterias in Northern Virginia and Richmond in connection with the recent outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne intestinal illness. While a specific source of the outbreak has not yet been identified, there have been 39 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1, with 27 of them being in Northern Virginia. – Inside NoVa
- Federal executions to resume; 7 inmates from Virginia sentenced to be executed – The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it would resume executing the federal government’s death row inmates for the first time since 2003. The news is particularly relevant for the Commonwealth, as 7 of the 62 inmates on federal death row were sentenced to death in Virginia. –Richmond Times-Dispatch
- D.C. officials to crack down on guns coming from Virginia – As Washington D.C.’s homicide rate continues to spike, Mayor Muriel Bowser and other city officials promised to prosecute the purchase and possession of illegal guns. Washington D.C. police have found more than 1,000 illegal guns this year and more than one-third of illegal firearms in the district come from Virginia, according to the ATF. Bowser said she was hopeful that putting “an intense focus on Virginia” would help reduce gun violence in the District. – The Washington Post
- More than 600 Virginia bridges are ‘structurally deficient’ – 646 of Virginia’s 13,000-plus bridges are structurally deficient, according to the most recent report from the American Road Transportation Builders Association. The issue is particularly glaring in Pittsylvania County, where 18 of the county’s 212 bridges (8.5%) are structurally deficient. – The Danville Register & Bee
- Hampton University fires nine police officers over “misogynistic, racist and other offensive remarks” on social media – Hampton University has fired nine of its police officers over “misogynistic, racist and other offensive remarks” shared on social media. The university said the officers violated the university’s code of conduct and that the decision was made after a thorough investigation. – Daily Press
From the Gram