Dogwood Daily: NRA makes $200,000 donation to Virginia’s Republican House Majority Leader

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…

Is Flavortown, U.S.A. located right here in Virginia? Celebrity chef Guy Fieri, famed for his love of greasy diner fare and all things deep-fried, has been spotted in Richmond.

5 things you need to know today

1. Hurricane Dorian expected to hit Virginia on Friday– Hurricane Dorian increased in intensity late Wednesday to become a Category 3 storm. The storm is expected to pound the coastal areas of Virginia on Friday with the western edge of the storm possibly hitting Richmond. Meteorologists say coastal communities should anticipate flooding and intense winds. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has published a breakdown of what you can expect in your region. -Richmond Times-Dispatch.
   
   
2. Trump’s border wall money grab will take $77 million from Virginia military projects– Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, say Trump’s push to fund a border wall with Mexico will divert $77 million away from four military projects in the state. The four Virginia projects set to lose money are a cyber operations facility, a ship maintenance facility, and two projects to replace hazardous materials warehouses. –The Virginia Mercury
   
   
3. NRA makes $200,000 donation to Virginia’s Republican House Majority Leader- The National Rifle Association made a $200,000 donation to Virginia House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah). Gilbert himself isn’t facing a real risk of losing his seat in November’s upcoming election, but will be able to distribute the donation funds to other Republicans in tight races. NRA spokesperson Catherine Mortensen told the Daily Press the NRA is “fully engaged” in Virginia’s election. Meanwhile, Everytown for Gun Safety, has vowed to spend $2.5 million in the election to help elect Democrats who support gun safety legislation. -Daily Press
   
   
4. Tom Leahy named interim city manager in Virginia Beach— The Virginia Beach city council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve Tom Leahy as its interim city manager. Dave Hansen, the previous city manager, resigned last week amongst a flurry of criticism over his response to the Virginia Beach shooting that left 12 dead. Leahy previously worked for the city as a water resources manager on the Lake Gaston Pipeline, and as Deputy City Manager under Hansen where he had been working to make the city less susceptible to flooding. –Wavy.com
   
   
5. Richmond-area schools start year off with fewer teacher vacancies— Schools in Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond started the school year on Tuesday with 58 teacher vacancies, down from 77 at the same time last year. All of the school districts improved their numbers, but Richmond made the most gains, going from 54 vacancies last year to only 13 this year. Still, the situation remains less than ideal as the school districts make do by either bringing on long-term substitute teachers or combining classes. “It’s fair to say our recruiting efforts are ongoing, and we’re reaching out to the best of our abilities to fill these positions,” said Henrico County Public Schools spokesperson Andy Jenks. -Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
   

From the Gram