Dogwood Daily: Virginia has spent nearly $2 million on Narcan but officials say it isn’t enough

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…

The National Civic League has named Roanoke an All-American City seven times–so many times that it is the first inductee into the “All-America City Hall of Fame.” The Roanoke Times reports that Mayor Sherman Lea credited the achievement to the city’s work ethic, mentioning “hard work or working hard another 18 times during the course of his hour long rah-rah for Roanoke.”

5 things you need to know today

1. Virginia has spent nearly $2 million on Narcan but officials say it isn’t enough— The Virginia Department of Health has spent more than $1.9 million on Narcan, a drug that can help reverse opioid overdoses, since 2016. However, 2019 is tracking to have the highest number of opioid overdose deaths on record with Virginia on pace to lose 1,296 people to opioid addiction this year. Dr. Laurie Forlano, the Virginia Department of Health commissioner for population health, says Narcan is just one piece of a larger solution, and that there’s still a significant need for more treatment options in the state. –The Roanoke Times
   
   
2. Senator Mark Warner tours Flatwoods Job Corps site— The U.S. Department of Labor had announced plans to shutter the Jobs Corp program in Flatwoods in May, only to reverse course a month later. The move to close the program and others like it across the U.S. was slammed by both Democrats and Republicans, eventually leading the Trump administration to reverse their decision. The Flatwoods facility provides job training for students while working on public projects like sidewalks and baseball fields. Warner visited the site on Thursday, saying, “This facility is a great economic boost for Coeburn and for surrounding communities.” –Bristol Herald Courier
   
   
3. Regulators say Dominion Energy’s earnings are too high— Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest electric company, earned $277 million in excess profits last year according to regulators. The Virginia State Corporation Commission also warned that residents’ bills could potentially increase twenty-six percent in the coming years. Last year, the General Assembly passed an overhaul that makes it unlikely that Dominion will have to set lower rates or give refunds as it has traditionally in the past.-Richmond Times Dispatch
   
   
4. Virginia’s first lady Pamela Northam stresses the importance of early childhood education— Virginia’s First Lady visited several Bedford area facilities on Thursday as part of her “Back to School” tour. Northam, a former teacher, and pediatric occupational therapist, underscored the importance of early childhood care and education, describing the first few years of development as “crucial” for the brain. Northam said the federal government recently gave Virginia a $10 million preschool development grant which the state will use to develop the early childhood education system. -The News and Advance
   
   
5. Stiffer fuel standards cut down air pollution in Roanoke Valley — Fifteen to twenty years ago, temperatures over 90 degrees were usually accompanied by hazy skies in Roanoke Valley. Now that stiffer fuel standards are in place, however, the views remain clear even as the temperatures soar. While 57 days met the federal standard for “bad air days” in 1998, there have been zero such qualifying days since 2012. -The Roanoke Times
   
   

From the Gram