RICHMOND, Virginia, March 12 -- Gov. Ralph S. Northam, R-Virginia, issued the following news release:

Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Virginia was been selected as a recipent of a 2018 Readiness Challenge Grant. The grant program, administered by the Smart Cities Council, sought applications from across North America and selected communities that are looking to apply new smart technologies to improve community livability, workability, sustainability, and resilience.