ROANOKE, VA – Standing alongside veterans, faith leaders, and educators at a VFW post in Roanoke, Republican gubernatorial candidate River Bytheway today announced the cornerstone of his public safety agenda: a two-part, community-driven plan to stop political extremism before it starts, with zero new taxes. “Virginians are tired of watching our country tear itself apart on TV and online,” Bytheway said. “I know that real strength comes from bringing people together, not driving them apart. Today I’m rolling out a plan that prevents violence by investing in the people and places we trust most: our veterans, our young adults, and our neighborhoods.” The two major initiatives Bytheway unveiled are: - Virginia Veterans & Youth Resilience Program A statewide partnership with VFW posts, American Legion halls, community colleges, and Virginia-based tech companies to offer veterans and young adults (ages 18–30) free job training, leadership workshops, and civic education courses. The goal: give those who feel left behind or angry a real path forward through good-paying careers and renewed purpose. People who feel left behind need to be given a path forward; slamming doors in their face will only drive radicalization further. - Common Ground Virginia Network A locally led, voluntary network of faith communities, schools, nonprofits, and neighborhood groups trained to spot early warning signs of radicalization and connect at-risk individuals with peer mentors, family counseling, and community support. Fully funded through existing public-safety grants and federal homeland-security dollars with no new state taxes. Every program will be designed and run at the county level, respecting local values and privacy. “These aren’t top-down clunky programs,” Bytheway emphasized. “These are Virginia solutions built by Virginians for veterans who’ve served our country, for young people searching for meaning, for families who just want their communities to feel safe again, and for socioeconomically disadvantaged folks looking for a way forward.”