Dogwood Daily: News-to-Go

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all the Virginia news that’s been happening coming right up.
 

But First…

Despite a chaotic, rain-plagued opening day, Pharell’s Something in the Water festival was largely successful and a follow-up is already being planned next year.

We’re jealous of anyone who got to go, but hey, at least the rest of us got to enjoy Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones. And don’t worry, we won’t spoil anything for you in this newsletter. Not today.

5 Things you need to know today…

1. Immigration countering population loss in Virginia — As the local population shrinks across swaths of Virginia, several localities turned to immigrants to either cut population loss by at least 10% or prevent it altogether, according to a new analysis by Stateline, a project of the Pew Charitable Trust. The analysis also explores how President Trump’s hard-line stance on illegal immigration has negatively impacted some towns that want more immigrant workers to fill jobs and prevent population loss.
    
2. James Madison University freezes tuition rates — James Madison University is the latest public university in Virginia to freeze its in-state tuition rates, thanks to the education incentive package passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. In exchange for maintaining its current rates, the school will receive $6.1 million in general funds from the state.
    
3. I-395 weekend closures to continue — Some lanes on I-395 will be closed for “at least four consecutive weekends, depending on weather,” according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The closures will allow crews to do work on five bridges between the Springfield Exchange and the D.C. border. The shutdowns will alternate between the southbound and northbound sides and will run from Friday nights through Monday mornings, but express lanes will still be available, according to VDOT.
    
4. Senators Warner and Kaine listen to constituents — On Thursday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) listened to military families’ problems with military housing, while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) hopscotched around the state to discuss education, visiting Virginia Tech and UVA.
    
5. UVA basketball team foregoes visit to White House — The Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team will not be visiting the White House as part of their championship celebration. Coach Tony Bennett explained the reasoning in a statement released by the school: “With several players either pursuing pro opportunities or moving on from UVA, it would be difficult, if not impossible to get everyone back together. We would have to respectfully decline an invitation.”