Students Push W&M to Divest from Israel, JCC Residents Protest Tax Increases, and More

Historic Triangle News Roundup April 7 - 13

Apr 14, 2024

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Enough chit-chat, here’s last week’s headlines

W&M Students Ramp Up Calls to Divest from Israel on DFAS

A banner calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was seen on the Crim Dell bridge on the Day for Admitted Students at the College of William & Mary. Other messages were spotted around campus demanding the school divest from Israel.
On March 28, the Student Assembly passed an Apartheid Divestment referendum which called on school administration to audit its endowment portfolio and to cut any ties with companies that “uphold The State of Israel’s system of apartheid.”
President Katherine Rowe responded a day after the vote, stating that investment decisions were made by the 1693 Partners Fund Board, “a separate entity from the university” but did not comment on the request for an audit.

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JCC Residents Express Anger over Tax Increases at Public Hearing

Last week several James City County residents spoke out during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting in protest of rising taxes following an increase in real estate property assessments announced in February.
Residents accused the county of squeezing taxpayers to foot the proposed 2025-2026 county budget and not doing enough to cut other costs. Some residents said they were on fixed incomes and couldn’t afford higher taxes.
State law requires counties to do property reassessments every four years, but JCC does them every two years like many other counties. More info on real estate assements can be found here. The BOS will vote on the proposed budget May 14.

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Colonial Parkway renovations entered their 2nd phase this week with new detours, photo: VDOT

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Other Headlines

This week it was revealed that former Richneck Elementary assistant principal Ebony Parker has been charged with felony child neglect in the case of the Jan. 2023 school shooting. It’s possible more admin. officials could be indicted.
A VCIJ report this week dives into the new Virginia law that gives the state more authority to investigate police officers accused of misconduct but also keeps parts of that process from the public, to the dismay of govt. transparency activists.
Thanks to the work of prison reform advocates, the state established a new oversight office for the VA prison system this week, which includes a prison ombudsman office and a 15-member oversight committee.