VaNews
March 6, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia's Member-Owned Electric Cooperatives
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As the GA session concludes, we offer thanks and best wishes to the 140 citizen-legislators, and staff, who serve our Commonwealth so well. ([link removed]) www.vmdaec.com ([link removed]) ; www.co-opliving.com ([link removed])

Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
Top of the News


** VPAP Visual 'Super Tuesday' Superlatives ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

A locator map showing precincts where each candidate performed best during Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary. There's also fun facts such as locality with the lowest turnout and Joe Biden's best college precinct.
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** Virginia lawmakers face tight deadlines on major issues ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN AND SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Virginia lawmakers were in a mad scramble Thursday to finalize passage of several top priorities for the new Democratic majority. Lawmakers have only a few days left to pass legislation before this year’s legislative session is set to end but are at an impasse on a number of high-profile bills, including legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, give local governments the ability to remove Confederate monuments and expand collective bargaining rights to at least some public workers.
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** House opponents launch late bid to block amendment on redistricting ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Democrats opposed to a constitutional amendment that would reform Virginia’s redistricting process are seeking to block it by introducing their own language — which would kill the chance for constitutional reform ahead of the 2021 reapportionment process. News of the effort came after a nearly hourlong meeting of the House Democratic Caucus on Thursday , and it came as a surprise to some Senate Democrats, who have overwhelmingly supported the current amendment.
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** Virginia Confederate monuments: ‘We’re going to hold hands on this journey as brothers and sisters’ ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

State Sen. Mamie E. Locke took to her feet, ready to tangle with the freshman Republican who had just called a bill to allow the removal of Confederate monuments "divisive and not healing." “What was divisive and not healing,” the veteran Hampton Democrat, Black Caucus member and college professor began, “was the erection of monuments that were not necessarily erected immediately following the Civil War. . . .
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** Virginia set to raise gas taxes, keep safety inspections ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Virginia lawmakers have announced an agreement on transportation funding proposal that will double the gas tax in some parts of the state. But lawmakers are rejecting Gov. Ralph Northam’s request to do away annual vehicle safety inspections.
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** Sweeping renewable energy bill poised for final passage ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

A sweeping energy bill that supporters said would make Virginia a national leader in addressing climate change passed the state House Thursday amid warnings by critics that it will carry a steep price tag. The legislation, called the Virginia Clean Economy Act, moved to the Senate for its expected final passage.
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** How beachfront salsa dancers almost derailed an anti-prostitution bill ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Lawmakers voted this week to tighten the state’s anti-prostitution laws to include illicit massage parlors, but not before attaching a last minute-amendment to assuage concerns the legislation might unintentionally outlaw an annual beach-front Latin dance festival. “We had a little bit of a challenge working with how to incorporate Latin dances — whether it’s salsa, bachata, merengue — into this,” Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, told his colleagues on the Senate floor earlier this week, noting Virginia Beach hosts an annual Latin Fest and organizers worried bathing-suit clad dancers and dance-instructors might be swept up in the new rules.
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The Full Report
39 articles, 22 publications

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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Bernie (2020) vs Bernie (2016) ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won 23% of the vote in Tuesday's Democratic primary, down from 35% in Virginia four years ago. Here's a look at where he did a little better and a lot worse this year.
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** From VPAP Meet the VPAP Super Tuesday Pundit ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Sensing the future doesn’t just happen in a galaxy far, far away. It also happens in Roanoke. Matt Jones, a 24-year-old Star Wars enthusiast and Roanoke native, correctly predicted the outcomes of Virginia’s Super Tuesday primary and won VPAP’s pundit crown.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Virginia Attorney General Slaps Veterans Charity Founder with $100,000 fine ([link removed])
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By SARAH KLEINER, The Center for Public Integrity

The Virginia attorney general’s office has shut down two veterans charities that allegedly misused $13 million in donations from unsuspecting Americans. The Circle of Friends for American Veterans and the Center for American Homeless Veterans were the focus of a 2017 Center for Public Integrity investigation, along with Put Vets First! PAC, a related political action committee all based out of the same Falls Church office.
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** New Va. law protects transgender students ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Transgender students attending public school in Virginia can expect more comprehensive safeguards against harassment from peers, teachers and administrators under a measure signed Wednesday by Gov. Ralph Northam (D).
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** Northam signs bill mandating transgender student policies ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia schools will soon be required to have policies related to the treatment of transgender students. Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday signed House Bill 145 from Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, and Senate Bill 161 from Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax. The bills require the Virginia Department of Education to create model policies for transgender student treatment.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Deal reached on gas tax increase to fund transportation improvements ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

State legislators have reached an agreement on a transportation funding package that will raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon over two years and authorize nearly $1 billion in bonds to go toward improving Interstate 81.
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** Va. House, Senate seal deal on transportation funding ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia would raise the state gasoline tax by 10 cents a gallon over two years as part of a tentative agreement by negotiators for the House of Delegates and Senate on a sweeping transportation funding package that also includes regional gas taxes to pay for projects outside of major urban areas that already have a way to pay for their priorities.
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** General Assembly unanimously passes legislation to end surprise medical bills ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

It took weeks of negotiations to settle on an end to balance billing, a much-loathed feature of Virginia’s medical system that’s been locked in a legislative deadlock for years. Lawmakers were jubilant on Thursday as both the House and Senate unanimously passed identical legislation to remove the risk of surprise hospital bills for some Virginians.
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** House, Senate Disagree on Higher Ed Funding Priorities ([link removed])
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By MEGAN PAULY, WCVE

It’s unclear if Virginia lawmakers will reach a budget deal in time to adjourn Saturday. As of Thursday morning, there were still key disagreements between members of the House and Senate about higher education priorities.
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** In the final days of session, funding school construction remains a budget debate ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Less than a month ago, school construction seemed like a unifying issue, with lawmakers from both chambers and both parties publicly gathering to urge support for needy school districts. But that’s changed in the final days of the General Assembly session, as the construction grant fund remains a point of disagreement in ongoing budget discussions.
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** Newly Empowered Virginia Democrats Pass Progressive Agenda ([link removed])
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By SCOTT CALVERT, Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

Virginia Democrats used their newfound control of the state legislature to pass several progressive bills, including new gun restrictions, during the annual session that ends Saturday. In addition to gun measures, the legislature passed bills banning employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; easing abortion restrictions; and allowing no-excuse absentee voting.
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** Deadline Set for Richmond to Stop Dumping Sewage Into James River ([link removed])
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By ROBERTO ROLDAN, WCVE

Richmond will need to work aggressively to stop dumping sewage in the James River under a bill passed by the General Assembly. The bill, sponsored by Senators Richard Stuart (R-Fredericksburg) and Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico), sets a 2035 deadline for Richmond to finish upgrading its combined sewage and stormwater system. When heavy rain overloads the system, raw sewage leaks out into rivers and creeks. Richmond spewed more than 3 billion gallons of sewage into nearby waterways in 2018.
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** Va. House OKs energy bill with amendment for Wise plant ([link removed])
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Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

The Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday approved the controversial Clean Economy Act legislation with an amendment to allow a Wise County power plant to remain open until 2045. The 51-45 vote followed a conference committee review of amendments, including one by Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Lebanon, to delay the closure of the Dominion Energy hybrid energy center in Virginia City...
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** Virginia Beach to get its first black Circuit Court judge ([link removed])
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By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia Beach’s Circuit Court will get its first black judge in its history later this year. The General Assembly this week appointed Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Judge Kevin Duffan to the Circuit Court bench.
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** Snow, Sinclair Elected to District Court Judgeships ([link removed])
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By RENSS GREENE, Loudoun Now

Every partner at the now-shuttered Leesburg law firm of Biberaj, Snow & Sinclair has now won election to public office in the court system. Buta Biberaj was the first to be elected to a spot in public office, taking the Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney race in November. She was the only Democrat to unseat one of Loudoun’s otherwise Republican constitutional officers.
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** Loudoun County will soon have its first black judge ([link removed])
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By TREVOR BARATKO, Loudoun Times

The Virginia General Assembly has approved two new General District Court judges for Loudoun County, including the county's first black judge, Lorrie A. Sinclair Taylor. The Senate unanimously approved Sinclair Taylor and Matthew P. Snow for the bench on Tuesday...
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** Del. Dawn Adams, former aide, reach confidential settlement in lawsuit ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

A lawsuit accusing Del. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond, of hacking into a former aide’s online accounts was settled in court Wednesday under a confidential agreement. A former legislative aide sued Adams in July, accusing her of hacking into her email and social media accounts.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Why Floyd County burned bright for Bernie ([link removed])
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By MASON ADAMS, Virginia Mercury

On Super Tuesday, only three Virginia localities voted for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders over former Vice President Joe Biden in Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary: Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Floyd County. For observers, the first two make sense: Charlottesville and Harrisonburg are home to the University of Virginia and James Madison University, respectively, and Sanders has proven especially popular among young people. Floyd County seems like more of a conundrum: it’s a Blue Ridge Mountains county that’s reliably voted Republican for decades.
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** Virginia Wesleyan security director charged with assaulting Trump supporter outside Sanders rally ([link removed])
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By PETER COUTU, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A supporter of President Donald Trump filed a misdemeanor assault charge Wednesday against Virginia Wesleyan University’s director of security following an incident outside a Sen. Bernie Sanders rally at the school. Markus Gohring, 57, claims Victor Dorsey threw him to the ground ...


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Nephew of slaying victim feels betrayed by new Va. law restoring parole for juvenile offenders ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Scott Campbell’s aunt, Anna Jean Anderson, was raped and murdered in her Smyth County home in 1996, just a few days before her 69th birthday. The retired teacher had taught fifth grade to one of her two killers, 17-year-old Joshua David Widener. Legislation that could benefit juvenile offenders like Widener was before the Virginia General Assembly during this year's session...
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** Virginia man sentenced as teen to life without parole in 1998 hopes for release under new law ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Travis Garr arrived at Red Onion State Prison just months after Virginia's first "supermax" penitentiary was opened for violent criminals deemed the "worst of the worst." Corrections officers with dogs and riot gear waited for the handcuffed, shackled inmates.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Some Virginia seafood processors can’t get visas for seasonal workers ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia’s watermen head out for crabs in about two weeks, but the firms that buy from them and supply their bait still don’t know whether they can get the workers they need. They’re the seasonal employees from other countries who work in a couple of choke points on the chain that brings crabs and oysters from the Bay to the table
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** Peet’s Coffee puts ‘pause’ on construction of plant in Suffolk ([link removed])
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By GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Suffolk calls itself the caffeine capital of Virginia, but the city will have to wait for its next cup of joe. The West Coast-based Peet’s Coffee has “paused” construction on its $58 million investment of a roasting facility, a company spokeswoman confirmed in an email to The Virginian-Pilot.
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** With promise of jobs for Dan River Region, Morgan Olson hosts event to build workforce ([link removed])
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By CALEB AYERS, Danville Register & Bee

Carlton Hutson is working two jobs to make ends meet. “My bills just kinda went up and my pay went down,” he said. Right now, Hutson is working at EBI and night shifts at a hotel. In hopes of getting a job as an operator, on Thursday he attended a job fair for Sturgis, Michigan-based Morgan Olson — the delivery van company that announced in October that they will be filling the former Ikea building...
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** Omega Protein relocates corporate headquarters to Reedville ([link removed])
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Rappahannock Record (Paywall)

As the final step in a multi-year process, Omega Protein has officially moved its corporate headquarters from Houston, Texas, to Reedville. As part of the move, additional employees have been added to the workforce following a major renovation and reinvestment in the company’s Reedville facilities. “Moving our headquarters to Reedville is part of our long-term commitment to Virginia and the region,” said chief executive officer Bret Scholtes.
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** Omega Protein headquarters return to Reedville ([link removed])
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Northern Neck News

Reedville was at the epicenter of the menhaden industry for almost 100 years but, since the 1970s it has seemed an outpost to Texas corporations. Now, it's moved back into the center. Omega Protein has relocated its corporate headquarters from Houston to Reedville.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Silver Line still troubled ([link removed])
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By LORI ARATANI, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Numerous construction problems must be resolved before the second phase of the Silver Line rail extension can begin carrying passengers, but efforts to resolve issues have been hampered by a lack of follow-through by the agency overseeing the project and its contractors, according to a report released Thursday by Metro’s inspector general.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Militia musters to take place in Amherst and Nelson counties ([link removed])
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By NICK CROPPER, Amherst New Era Progress

As militias form across Virginia in response to the General Assembly’s push on gun regulations, Amherst and Nelson counties will see calls to muster unorganized militias March 7 and March 21, respectively. The formation for the Nel-STAR Team/Militia, which is to take place at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Grape Lawn and Thomas Nelson Highway in Nelson County, will consist primarily of a registration for volunteers and call to formation for an inspection of arms, according to a flyer advertising the muster.


** LOCAL
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** No. 2 county administrator resigns after suspension ([link removed])
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Fauquier Now

Fauquier County government’s second-ranking administrator has resigned almost five weeks after getting placed on administrative leave for an undisclosed reason. Deputy County Administrator Catherine M. “Katie” Heritage worked 24 years in Fauquier government.
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** New residency requirement for Richmond City Council members to take effect in July ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

A new residency requirement for Richmond City Council members will take effect in July. Under the new rule, members of the council must live in the district they are elected to represent for the duration of their four-year term. If a council member moves out, the change authorizes the council to remove that member from office.
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** Justice Department sues Caroline County Commissioner of the Revenue's office ([link removed])
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By ADELE UPHAUS–CONNER, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the office of the Caroline County Commissioner of the Revenue for alleged disability discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The suit was filed Feb. 27 in the Eastern District Court of Virginia on behalf of Anita Newchok, who served as master deputy commissioner of the revenue until she was terminated in March 2015...
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** ACPD partners with Ring to use doorbell surveillance footage ([link removed])
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By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Albemarle County Police Department is partnering with Ring, the doorbell-camera company, to get video from county residents who have the surveillance cameras. In a meeting with local media Thursday morning, Police Chief Ron Lantz said the department started thinking about partnership opportunities when the victim of a burglary brought a photo from their Ring app to police.
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** Potential voting law changes could seriously affect county registrar’s office ([link removed])
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By HEATHER MICHON, Fluvanna Review

Representatives from the county registrar’s office told the Board of Supervisors during a work session on Wednesday (Feb. 26) that a potential change to state voting laws could have serious impacts on the office and its budget. Registrar Joyce Pace and Catherine Hobbs, chair of the electoral board, said that the legislature was likely to pass a 45-day “no excuse” in-person voting law.
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** Wythe supervisor's Facebook post sparks feedback ([link removed])
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By JASMINE DENT FRANKS, Wytheville Enterprise

A Wythe County supervisor came under fire last week after he made a controversial statement on his Facebook page comparing Christian and LGBTQ tolerance in the county’s school system. In the Wednesday post to his at-large supervisor Facebook page, Stacy Terry said Wythe County schools were less tolerant of Christianity than they are of the LGBTQ community.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia's Member-Owned Electric Cooperatives
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As the GA session concludes, we offer thanks and best wishes to the 140 citizen-legislators, and staff, who serve our Commonwealth so well. ([link removed]) www.vmdaec.com ([link removed]) ; www.co-opliving.com ([link removed])


** EDITORIALS
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** Parole for juveniles, but not for Malvo ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The name Lee Boyd Malvo will forever live in infamy in Virginia. The possibility of the notorious sniper ever breathing anything but prison air is abhorrent. Late last month, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law legislation that makes Malvo and others who killed when they were juveniles eligible for parole once they serve 20 years.
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** The state Senate is working the way it's designed to work ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

James Madison never rode around his estate with an AR-15 strapped across his chest so we don’t know what he’d have thought of such a fearsome weapon. However, we do know what he’d have thought about the Virginia state Senate nixing a bill the House of Delegates passed to ban assault weapons. Institutionally speaking, at least, he’d have said the Senate was doing exactly what it’s supposed to do in a bicameral system — slow down a legislative rush to judgment.


** OP-ED
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** Howard: Make school construction a priority in Va. ([link removed])
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By ZACK HOWARD, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The standard of education in this country needs to be changed. Access to a quality education for all — no matter their race, ethnicity, or economic class — is paramount to the future success of our nation. The lack of equal opportunity in this country mainly stems from the deprioritization of education, which further widens the achievement gap.

Zack Howard is a senior at Norfolk Academy.
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** Warner: Virginia families deserve better military housing ([link removed])
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By MARK WARNER, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

America’s military families make enormous sacrifices in support of the men and women who keep us safe. Part of our nation’s commitment to service members is that the military will provide safe, affordable homes in which to raise their families. However, in recent years, the military and the private housing contractors it relies on have failed to make good on that bargain. In Virginia, far too many military families have been forced to live in dangerous housing conditions, plagued by mold and other hazards.

Mark Warner, a Democrat, represents Virginia in the U.S. Senate.


** THE FRIDAY READ
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** We are all irrational panic shoppers ([link removed])
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By HELEN ROSNER, The New Yorker Magazine

...At eight-forty-five on a recent Monday morning, fifteen minutes before Costco’s official opening time, the crowd waiting to get inside the warehouse in Brooklyn was already about a hundred strong. Bodies and carts were jammed together inside the store’s open vestibule, pressing up against the still-locked doors; outside, spilling into the parking lot and blocking the flow of traffic, nearly twice as many shoppers fanned out around the vestibule entrances, aiming their carts with the tense energy of bobsledders waiting for the starting gun.
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