Virginia Department of Corrections says it has been making its annual preparations to keep staff and inmates safe during the extreme temperatures that can occur during Virginia’s summer months, according to a news release.

The fourth gubernatorial debate hosted by the Democratic Party of Virginia will take place Tuesday, June 1, from 7 to 8 p.m., in Newport News. Candidates who will attend are Lee Carter, Justin Fairfax, Jennifer Carroll Foy, Terry McAuliffe and Jennifer McClellan. Two of the candidates have Prince William County ties, Carter is a current Delegate. Foy is a former Delegate.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has launched a new agency website, which includes new and updated content as a resource about forestry in Virginia for landowners, land managers, and forest industry professionals.

PWC Extension Service's popular series "Saturday in the Garden" series will start back up on Saturday, June 5, at 9 a.m. at the Teaching Garden, at St. Benedictine Monastery, Bristow. The June 5 topic is "Turf Weeds."

Virginia Secretary of Finance Aubrey Lee Layne, Jr. will join Sentara Healthcare as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, effective July 1, 2021.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) reports it has detected Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) (Lycorma delicatula) in Prince William County, Virginia, according to Michael Wallace, public information officer. The isolated SLF detection included egg masses and nymphs at one site within the county. SLF has also been found in the city of Winchester and the counties of Clarke, Frederick and Warren, which are all included in Virginia’s SLF quarantine. At this time, Prince William County has not been included in the SLF quarantine.

“We welcome the $7.2 billion in relief for Virginia and are pleased the Biden Administration has listened to our calls to give states, localities, and tribes significant flexibility in determining how best to use these emergency funds,” said the Senators. “These funds will allow the Commonwealth and localities to recover from the economic harm of COVID, promote public health, invest in broadband, make up for lost revenue, and address many of the other impacts of the pandemic."

Virginia Tax is reminding taxpayers in Virginia, if you haven’t yet filed your individual income taxes, the filing and payment deadline is just days away. You have until Monday, May 17, 2021, to submit your return. Taxpayers are encouraged to file electronically because, state tax officials say, COVID-19 protocols may delay paper return processing.