AC repair in Richmond, GA

Lawmakers have hashed out the latest attempt to launch Virginia’s retail cannabis market – and all it needs now is the governor’s signature.

The General Assembly on Saturday signed off on legislation that would make it legal to sell marijuana for recreational use in the commonwealth starting early next year.

The initiating legislation, which establishes a regulatory framework for the industry to take root in Virginia, merges similar House and Senate bills into a proposal to be reviewed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who would potentially take the final step of signing it into law.

Del. Paul Krizek, one of the architects of the legislation, said the proposal would establish a regulated marketplace that aims to replace the black market that has continued to thrive since marijuana was legalized in the state several years ago.

“We came out with a bill that really protects public safety, creates a well-regulated marketplace and finally really moves beyond the chaos of the unregulated system we have today,” Krizek told his colleagues ahead of a floor vote on the latest proposal over the weekend.

If Spanberger gives it her blessing, recreational cannabis sales would be legal starting Jan. 1, 2027, which is the date that was proposed by Senate legislation. A House bill had proposed an earlier start date.

The state’s Cannabis Control Authority, the regulator that would award and revoke the licenses needed to operate in the market, would be able to start to accept and process applications starting on Sept. 1, 2026.

Initially there would be a statewide limit of 350 licenses for recreational marijuana stores and five licenses for “Tier V” cultivation facilities, the largest allowable such facilities that wouldn’t exceed 35,000 square feet of canopy, or the area where marijuana plants would be grown. After Jan. 1, 2028, the CCA board could determine how many retail and Tier V licenses will be available.

Retail locations would be limited to sales floors of no larger than 2,500 square feet. Stores would be able to offer delivery service. They wouldn’t be allowed to have a drive-thru, or offer online sales through third-party websites. The stores couldn’t sell more than 2.5 ounces of pot in a single transaction, according to legislation.

Legal products would be limited to a THC level not to exceed 10 milligrams per serving or 100 milligrams per package.

No longer on the table is a requirement that marijuana stores be spaced out at least 1,000 feet away from each other, as had been floated in the bills filed earlier this year. Cannabis stores would be required to be 1,000 feet away from schools and hospitals.

There would also be licenses for wholesalers, manufacturers, growers and testing facilities, and the CCA would decide how many of those would be available.

The legislation proposes five tiers of growing licenses that would allow permit holders to cultivate marijuana on varying amounts of indoor or outdoor space. The lowest tier, Tier I, would allow a canopy area that doesn’t exceed 5,000 square feet.

The legislation doesn’t set any specific geographic constraints regarding how and where licenses are awarded throughout the state.

One business owner would be able to hold multiple licenses. The legislation also establishes microbusiness licenses, which would effectively combine the ability to conduct retail, growing and processing operations under one license. Growing operations for microbusinesses would be limited to indoor canopies not to exceed 5,000 square feet and outdoor grow areas that do not exceed 10,000 square feet.

The legislation would create a business accelerator program and offer business planning and support aimed at people negatively affected by marijuana enforcement policies and who have lived in economically disadvantaged communities. Military veterans and farmers who have sought federal aid would also be eligible for the program.

Individual localities wouldn’t be able to prohibit recreational dispensaries from opening, despite unsuccessful legislative attempts in previous years to allow local referendums on the presence of dispensaries in a given municipality.

There would be a 6% state sales tax specific to recreational cannabis, and a local sales tax of between 1% and 3.5%, which is what was proposed in the House. Krizek estimated that the overall tax on cannabis products, including existing sales taxes, could be around 12% to 15%. The nixed Senate approach featured a higher state sales tax rate.

The legislation would also change the makeup of the CCA board. It would grow to seven members from the current five members. Four would be governor appointees, two appointed by the speaker of the House and one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. As things stand, the governor appoints the board’s membership.

Licensing and regulation of intoxicating hemp products would shift to the CCA from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services if the legislation is signed into law. The current proposal would not automatically make the CCA part of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, a measure that was proposed under the Senate version.

Krizek said a formal plan is expected to be created that would outline coordination between the ABC and CCA, including enforcement, and that a merger of the two bodies could still happen in the future. Under the legislation, the ABC would oversee a tip line intended to gather information regarding illegal pot sales.

The state’s existing medical marijuana program will continue to operate with the oversight of the CCA, as it has since 2024.

Saturday’s approval of the combined legislation follows the passage of the chambers’ respective proposals earlier this month and came despite criticism of elements of those earlier bills, with the proposed start date still in the legislation highlighted as an issue by the Cannabis Small Business Association and Marijuana Justice last month.

Cannabis industry representatives have criticized the idea of starting sales on Jan. 1, 2027, saying that would be too soon for small businesses to participate in the market on day one. They said the few large companies already involved in Virginia’s medical marijuana program would get a head start.

“It takes 18 to 36 months to produce retail-ready product. Medical operators converting to the adult-use market don’t face any of this time. They already have the facilities and brand recognition,” said Max Jackson of consulting firm Cannabis Wise Guys, who spoke along with other industry representatives at a press conference last month.

Michael Carter, an Orange County hemp farmer, echoed concerns about the market rollout timeline, saying it would shut out small farms in Virginia. He proposed a start date of late 2027 or 2028 to allow time for cultivators to be part of the industry from the jump.

“It’s not giving our farmers a chance to grow and take advantage of these marketplaces,” Carter said at the event.

Companies that operate medical cannabis dispensaries and facilities would have to pay a $10 million fee to allow their facilities to operate in the recreational market.

A recreational pot market has been years in the making. Though personal consumption, limited cultivation and possession of recreational pot were legalized in 2021, it remains illegal to sell recreational marijuana in the state. Currently, only the several state-sanctioned medical marijuana companies are able to sell pot legally.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County School System board

All facility changes will take effect at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Haley LaCuesta, Director of Media and PR for the Richmond County School System, outlined immediate steps following the board’s decision.

Jenkins White Elementary School will close at the end of the school year. “That’s a pure closure,” LaCuesta said. “Those students will go to different schools at the end of the school year.”

Barton Chapel Elementary School will consolidate with Glen Hills Elementary while a new school is built on the Barton Chapel site. “Those schools will combine at Glen Hills Elementary while a new school is built on the Barton Chapel site,” LaCuesta said.

Josey High School students and staff will move to the Murphey campus at the end of the school year while construction takes place on the Josey site. Murphey Middle School students will also be rezoned as part of the plan.

“Josey High School will remain whole, so all of those students and all of those teachers at the end of the school year will move to the Murphy campus,” LaCuesta said.

New construction for the College and Career Academy will take place on the Josey site.

“The new construction will take place on the Josey side, building those spaces for CTAE and industry level classes that we have to tear down walls for and really adjust and improve the space for,” LaCuesta said.

Construction is projected to begin this summer and last until at least 2029.

LaCuesta said the district has more buildings than its student population requires, which affects state funding.

“We do have too many buildings for our student body,” she said. “The reason why we care about that so much is because our state funding is dictated by how many students we have in those buildings, to be able to provide those quality programs, to make sure everybody has equitable programs in their school and curriculum for every student.”

Parents of students being rezoned will receive a letter with details about their child’s new school within the next two weeks.

The name of the College and Career Academy has not been finalized. The public can join a naming committee to have a say in the decision. LaCuesta said the district intends to preserve community history through the process.

“We want to work with our community to make schools that are spaces for everybody,” she said.

Rezoning information is available online through the Richmond County School System.

RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WSAV) — Every classroom has that one teacher who leaves a lasting mark on students’ lives. In Richmond Hill, that teacher is Carly Taylor.

Georgia Southern University is honoring the Richmond Hill Middle School educator for her excellence in the classroom and her outstanding contributions to students in Coastal Georgia.

The surprise recognition was presented with the help of WSAV-TV reporter Genevieve Lund, catching Taylor off guard in a moment she says happened faster than she could process.

“Well, I’m just so surprised and wanted to know a little bit more about what this means,” Taylor said moments after learning she had received the university’s Teacher Excellence Award.

After years in the classroom, Taylor’s impact continues to shape the lives of her eighth-grade students as they prepare to make the important transition to high school. A proud alumna of Georgia Southern, she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degrees from the university – a journey she says deeply influenced the educator she has become.

“It means so much to me because Georgia Southern has obviously been such a huge part of my life,” said Taylor. “There’s a reason why I wanted to keep going back to Georgia Southern, getting my bachelor’s, my master’s and specialist. I just absolutely love it.”

At Richmond Hill Middle, Taylor serves not only as an eighth-grade teacher but also as a department chair. Although her students say what makes her exceptional goes far beyond titles and credentials.

“She’s a very great teacher,” said eighth-grader Mallika Lester. “Everybody sees her not only as a teacher, but a great friend and someone to talk to and someone we greatly appreciate having.”

For university leaders, that kind of feedback reflects the true meaning of the award.

“It feels amazing to honor such incredible teachers in our community,” said Amy Lingo, Dean of the College of Education at Georgia Southern University. “It’s great for Georgia Southern University to know that we’re preparing teachers that make a difference in the community, in this school and with students.”

While the recognition is an honor, Taylor says what matters most is the positive environment she strives to create for her students every day.

“Their reaction definitely makes me happy,” she said. “Any time that I can tell they’re enjoying the space and they feel like they’re in a more positive environment, I think that makes it just a better day overall.”

Georgia Southern University says it plans to continue recognizing alumni educators across the region who are making a difference in their communities.

As for Taylor, she already knew the first person she wanted to share the news with – her mother, who has already dedicated more than 30 years to teaching.