VaNews
March 16, 2020

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** Rosie’s Gaming Emporium
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** VPAP Visual How Each Legislator Fared ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

The Virginia legislature approved 45% of bills introduced this year. What was the success rate of each legislator? VPAP's latest data visualization shows the "batting average" of each legislator, along with filters that show seniority, political party and gender affected success rates.
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** Northam announces ban on events with more than 100 people ([link removed])
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By JOSH REYES AND PETER COUTU, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced a ban of events with more than 100 people and encouraged people on the Peninsula to avoid going out to restaurants, bars, churches and other gathering places. “These are critical steps to reduce and slow the spread of this virus,” Northam said in a telephone briefing with reporters and government officials from Peninsula localities at noon Sunday.
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** Conference at Falwell Church draws thousands despite corona concerns ([link removed])
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By SARAH HONOSKY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Though fear of the rapidly spreading coronavirus has driven many indoors, and caused countless events to cancel across the region, the energy outside of Thomas Road Baptist Church was closer to that of a tailgate. Thousands gathered for the annual Ignite Men’s Impact Weekend on Saturday morning, and the parking lot was teeming with people cooking meat, manning booths and playing a few spirited games of cornhole.
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** For environmentalists, a ‘monumental’ legislative session ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Environmental advocates notched one win after another this legislative session as the new Democratic majority passed their top-priority legislation, including measures long opposed by Republicans who used to be in charge. Legislators sent bills to Gov. Ralph Northam that will remake how Virginia’s utilities generate electricity, remove barriers to rooftop solar, ban offshore drilling and fracking in much of the state and mandate more coal ash cleanup.
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** From early voting to photo ID repeal, Democrats make voting easier ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

In the 2016 presidential election, almost four million Virginians cast a ballot, a solid 72 percent turnout of registered voters. But another 2.5 million people didn’t vote, according to federal estimates of the voting age population, an eye-opening measure of disinterest and disillusionment. If some non-voters think getting registered, presenting an ID and figuring out how to cast a ballot at a specific time and place is too much of a hassle, it’s about to get a lot easier.
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** Norfolk’s biggest effort to address rising seas is over budget and behind schedule. But the city says it has a plan. ([link removed])
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By RYAN MURPHY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

For years, Norfolk’s most ambitious project has just been lines on a map. As the banks of the Elizabeth River encroach just a little more with each passing tide, residents in Chesterfield Heights and Grandy Village have been waiting for the start of a fix that has been framed as revolutionary. Dirt is finally moving on the Ohio Creek Watershed Project, the city’s largest ever effort to protect its citizens against flooding and sea level rise.
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** Purcellville Delays Water Tower Repairs to Protect Ravens ([link removed])
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By PATRICK SZABO, Loudoun Now

Many Purcellville residents will have to wait an extra month for more consistent cellular coverage to return, as town leaders work to protect a family of ravens nesting on the Maple Avenue water tower. The town staff this week decided to postpone the bulk of water tower structural repairs from late April to June 1. That was done to protect the ravens nesting on the tower ...
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** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam bans events with over 100 people ([link removed])
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By SAMUEL NORTHROP, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a statewide ban on all events over 100 people on Sunday as officials announced closure of all public buildings for two weeks in the Peninsula Health District, where the state’s first death from the coronavirus was reported.
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** Virginia bans large gatherings, closes some public offices ([link removed])
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By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

Gov. Ralph Northam on Sunday banned all public gatherings of more than 100 people statewide and ordered a two-week shutdown of municipal offices in an area of southeast Virginia that has been hit by a cluster of coronavirus cases, including the state’s first death from the virus. Northam made the announcement after meeting with local officials in the Peninsula Health District, where eight people have tested positive for the virus ...
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** Northam orders all Virginia schools closed for 2 weeks ([link removed])
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By SARA GREGORY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

In an unprecedented move, Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday ordered all schools in Virginia to close for at least two weeks to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Northam said he didn’t make the decision lightly but the state must “do everything we can” to keep people healthy. The announcement, which will close schools starting Monday until at least March 27, follows his Thursday declaration of a state of emergency.
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** Northam signs bill allowing town of Altavista to offer discounted rates on water, sewer ([link removed])
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By SARAH HONOSKY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Altavista now is one of two towns for which state code has been amended to allow discounted water and sewer rates for certain customers, following the approval of Governor Ralph Northam earlier in March.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Some local officials back collective bargaining power as state legislation advances ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia teachers don’t have the power to collectively bargain. That could soon change. The General Assembly approved legislation to let localities pass ordinances granting collective bargaining authority for public sector employees, including teachers, who say the move could lead to improved learning conditions and higher pay. The change was the biggest related to education that the legislature made this year.
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** Reporting of misdemeanors at school would be optional ([link removed])
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By MAURA MAZUROWSKI, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Lawmakers are proposing to eliminate the requirement that school leaders report certain criminal offenses to law enforcement, legislation that some Republicans say could make schools “significantly less safe.” Supporters include a number of education advocacy groups and teachers’ associations;... The bills now sit on the governor’s desk waiting for approval.
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** Lawmakers: Study vacant properties at CVTC before committing to paying off outstanding debt ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN FAULCONER, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

A push from two area lawmakers for a state budget amendment to secure money in the upcoming state budget to begin the process to pay off the outstanding debt of the Central Virginia Training Center fell short in the General Assembly. However, a study is planned to inventory those buildings and bring cost estimates for potential future action.
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** Vacant judge's seat goes to former Lynchburg prosecutor Doucette ([link removed])
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By RACHEL MAHONEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Former Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Doucette will soon be donning the black as the newest judge sitting in the 24th Judicial District. Virginia legislators voted to elect him and a host of other judges across the state to vacant circuit court seats on March 2. The 24th Judicial District includes Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell and Nelson.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Warner delays reelection announcement tour ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., announced Friday he had filed to run for reelection in November but would delay his planned campaign announcement tour due to public health concerns. Warner said he’d filed with state election officials qualifying petitions with 33,275 signatures from across Virginia, well above the 10,000- signature requirement.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** State orders $2.7 million in respirator masks, but arrival date is still a mystery ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said the state ordered $2.7 million in respirator masks as part of its ongoing effort to respond to the growing spread of COVID-19 — the disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. The catch? The state isn’t sure when the shipment will arrive. Virginia was one of dozens of states to place an order for the masks as the country scrambles to respond to the spreading viral outbreak.
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** Chesterfield to remove nearly 200 inmates housed at Riverside Regional Jail because of poor medical care ([link removed])
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By MARK BOWES, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Through attrition and direct transfer, Chesterfield County has begun a process to remove nearly 200 inmates from Riverside Regional Jail because of what the sheriff and other county leaders describe as a lack of adequate medical care at a facility dogged by controversy and allegations of mismanagement.
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** DEQ accepting comments on consent decree for violations at Fones Cliffs ([link removed])
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By PAMELA A. D’ANGELO, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

It’s been three years since Virginia True Corp. illegally cleared 13 1/2 acres atop environmentally sensitive Fones Cliffs along the Rappahannock River for a proposed golf-course resort. A year later, Virginia’s attorney general filed a lawsuit that charged the company with “significant and repeated environmental violations at its development project.” Now, the commonwealth has filed a consent decree in Richmond County Circuit Court ...


** CONGRESS
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** Warner leads request for more data options during outbreak ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Northern Virginia Daily

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, is leading 16 other senators in asking the nation’s eight largest internet providers to “adopt practices that will better accommodate the use of remote technologies that students, workers and public health officials will rely upon” during the COVID-19 outbreak.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Dominion agrees to pay $1.4 million in settlement for alleged environmental violations ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Dominion Energy on Friday agreed to pay $1.4 million as part of a settlement over alleged environmental violations at its power plants in Chesterfield County and Possum Point in Prince William County. Most of the alleged violations are connected to coal ash ponds near the two sites operated by Dominion, which regulators and environmental groups say may have contaminated nearby water sources.
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** Coronavirus is a ‘disaster’ for Hampton Roads hotels, tourism businesses, officials say ([link removed])
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By STACY PARKER AND KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A cheer competition, a wrestling tournament and the Shamrock Marathon were cancelled or postponed this week. And that was just at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. As organizers call off or delay dozens of events across Hampton Roads out of concern for the coronavirus, the area’s tourism businesses are taking a hit. “Those are all major sellout weekends at the Oceanfront,” said Russell Lyons, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association. “March is gone, at least from a budget standpoint.”
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** Virginia tourism chief confident industry will rebound from virus ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Virginia’s chief tourism officer offered an optimistic perspective Friday in looking beyond the current coronavirus that is gripping the nation.
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** AEP temporarily suspending disconnections during COVID-19 pandemic ([link removed])
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By ROBERT SORRELL, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Appalachian Power reports that it is temporarily suspending all disconnections for non-payment as the COVID-19 continues to spread in our communities. "We know our customers are concerned about their families and ensuring they have reliable electric service allows them to focus on staying healthy and well," AEP said in a statement.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro to reduce transit service in response to the coronavirus outbreak ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Metro will reduce transit service starting Monday to help its workforce stay safe while it begins even more stringent disinfecting of its rail cars and buses because of the coronavirus pandemic. The transit agency said Friday it is moving into the third phase of its pandemic flu plan, the highest level of response that includes increased disinfecting of cars and buses, and ordering all administrative employees to work from home.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Falwell: Liberty University will resume in-person classes after spring break ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Liberty University will continue to hold in-person classes when students return from spring break March 23, even as a wave of other colleges across Virginia and the nation have closed their campuses due to the growing coronavirus threat, President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced Friday.
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** Liberty University says in-person classes to continue ([link removed])
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By JOE HEIM, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Even as many colleges and universities closed in response to the coronavirus threat, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. went on Fox News on Friday morning to suggest the virus was a plot to undermine President Trump and to say his school would open as usual when students return from spring break on March 23.
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** Students create petition in response to Liberty University’s decision to keep school open ([link removed])
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By ASHLEY CURTIS, WSLS

A group of students is speaking out in opposition after Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced Friday that students will to return to campus after their spring break ends.
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** Virginia Tech to offer housing, dining rebate with in-person classes canceled ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Virginia Tech will give students who live on campus $1,000 if they don’t return to student housing, the university announced Friday. As universities around Virginia are beginning to close residence halls to students without special permission to remain, Tech is the first to announce that it will offer rebates if they do not return to campus housing this spring.
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** William & Mary staff member tests positive for coronavirus ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A staff member at William & Mary tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a memo posted Saturday on the university’s website. “This is the first and only case of COVID-19 involving a member of the W&M community. That is very likely to change in the near future as more cases are diagnosed in the surrounding Williamsburg area,” the update said.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia reports state’s first death from coronavirus ([link removed])
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Associated Press

Virginia health officials on Saturday reported the state’s first death from the coronavirus, a man in his 70s who died of respiratory failure after acquiring the virus through an unknown source.
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** Virginia reports first coronavirus death, 41 positive cases ([link removed])
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By SARA GREGORY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia reported its first death due to the coronavirus on Saturday and said it was likely a result of community transmission. The patient was a man in his 70s who contracted the virus from an unknown source, according to a press release from the Virginia Department of Health. The man’s cause of death was respiratory failure.
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** Loudoun's third coronavirus case has no known contact with another confirmed case ([link removed])
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By TREVOR BARATKO, Loudoun Times

Loudoun County Health Director David Goodfriend says the county's third coronavirus case has no identified contact with a known coronvavirus case and has not traveled to a high-risk location, meaning community transmission is possible. Community transmission is regarded as an instance where the infected person has had no known contact with another confirmed case and did not travel to a country significantly impacted by the pandemic.
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** Second virus case reported in Chesterfield County ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

A second case of novel coronavirus has been reported in Chesterfield County, this time an employee of the state Department of Emergency Management’s headquarters in the northern portion of the county.
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** Officials identify possible case of community spread ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, STEVE ROBERTS JR AND ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Several Hampton Roads localities announced a state of emergency Friday as additional cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed in the Williamsburg area and around the state. Hampton, Williamsburg, York, Gloucester and James City County declared states of emergency with plans to close facilities to the public with hopes of slowing the spread of the virus. In South Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk made similar declarations.
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** Mary Washington Healthcare system confirms first virus case ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Mary Washington Healthcare reported its first confirmed case of novel coronavirus Sunday night, with a patient at Stafford Hospital. The health care system didn’t release any information about the patient, as it had just informed staff Sunday evening of the results, said Marketing Director Lisa Henry.
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** Schools announce deliveries of meals and course materials during COVID-19 closures ([link removed])
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By NEIL HARVEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

New information was released this weekend regarding how individual localities plan to address the statewide school closures that go into effect Monday. These new details come fast on the heels of Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement Friday that all K-12 schools across Virginia will shut down for at least two weeks, through Mar. 27, in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
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** $100K donation jump-starts COVID-19 Local Response Fund to help citizens in need ([link removed])
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By JEFF SCHWANER, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)

The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge announced the establishment of a COVID-19 Local Response Fund — and a $100,000 donation to jump-start it. The initial donation came from a Staunton couple, according to a press release. The new fund will provide resources to charitable organizations supporting the residents of Staunton, Waynesboro, and the counties of Augusta, Highland, and Nelson impacted by COVID-19.
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** Coronavirus expected to continue spreading in Virginia as leaders declare state of emergency ([link removed])
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By ALI ROCKETT AND BRIDGET BALCH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The coronavirus will continue to spread despite significant measures — including shutting down every school in Virginia — taken by state and Richmond region officials, state and local leaders said Friday.
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** Lack of virus test kits a 'national disgrace,' says McDermott ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A national disgrace—that’s how Dr. Michael McDermott describes the lack of test kits available for people who have symptoms of the novel coronavirus. McDermott is president and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare and he’s also taken a statewide role in helping hospitals across Virginia develop their plans in treating victims of a global pandemic.
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** Virginia nursing homes restrict visitors, families worry about separation ([link removed])
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By BRIDGET BALCH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Ted Reiff, a 90-year-old physician from Hampton, thinks of himself and his 87-year-old wife, Brenda, as one person. He visits her every day at the nursing home where she lives. He makes sure she gets the care she needs and speaks to her, even though he has chronic laryngitis that makes it painful for him to talk. He writes letters to the nursing home’s administrators every night advocating for her care.
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** Job losses, evictions and utility cutoffs: Being poor amid COVID-19 outbreak ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Demetrice Taylor works as a clerk at 7-Eleven in downtown Richmond, but with schools around the state closed for at least two weeks, she said that’s about to change. “Yeah I’m quitting,” she said as she walked down the street with her 4-year-old daughter who attends a public pre-school, “because my kids come first.” Her job provides no paid sick days, no family leave and no alternative to care for her daughter, she said.
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** Misdemeanor cases, naturalization ceremonies postponed in federal courts ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Federal courts in the Eastern District of Virginia, which includes Richmond, have suspended all non-case related events, tours and other gatherings in courthouses, including naturalization ceremonies, as well as misdemeanor cases. Chief Judge Mark S. Davis, in Norfolk, noted in a special order posted Thursday that there have been confirmed or presumptive cases of coronavirus within the Alexandria, Richmond and Norfolk divisions of the court and there have been reports of people scheduled to appear in court who are under self-quarantine based on possible exposure.
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** Live updates on coronavirus in Hampton Roads: Here’s what’s happened Sunday ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam urged people to stay at home as much as possible and avoid gatherings, restaurants and bars. He also announced a ban on events of 100 people. There are now 45 confirmed cases in the state, Northam said in a teleconference Sunday afternoon, up from 41 a day before. Numbers reported by the Virginia Department of Health show one of the new cases is in Virginia Beach.
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** A bit of fear, even the run on toilet paper, will help cut coronavirus off at the pass ([link removed])
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By JOANNE KIMBERLIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Faced with a mysterious new virus, scary headlines and mixed messages, it’s easy to become alarmed no matter how many experts say there’s no need. Add in a cascade of ominous-sounding responses from officials and organizations — closings, quarantines, roiling stock markets — and concern can escalate to panic.
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** Shelves and streets bare as coronavirus fears spread to Williamsburg ([link removed])
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By STEVE ROBERTS JR, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Walk into any of the grocery stores in Williamsburg and one of the first things you may notice is that it’s busier than a Sunday after church. There’s no toilet paper or paper towels. Soap is hard to come by and the ramen aisle has been ransacked. Williamsburg residents began their run on the grocery stores Wednesday and hadn’t stopped Friday as the Virginia Department of Health confirmed five more coronavirus cases in James City County by midday.
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** 'It will get here eventually.' It took only a few days to turn life upside down in the Dan River Region ([link removed])
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Danville Register & Bee

In just a matter of days, a new way of life has emerged. Country by country. State by state. Community by community. Some fear. A lot of confusion. And even more unknowns. Even though there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 locally, the Dan River Region isn't immune from the dizzying hour-by-hour fallout of preventative measures amid what's now a pandemic.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Wildly distorted data from Virginia’s census could have ‘decade-long consequences,’ warn U.Va. researchers ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Data from the upcoming census is likely to be wildly distorted and ultimately unusable when it’s released, Virginia researchers say. That could impact everything from how voting districts are drawn to how much money government services receive. “This will affect all decision-making for the next 10 years,” said Shonel Sen, a research and policy analyst at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
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** Judges uphold reporter’s privilege ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Citing a First Amendment reporter’s privilege, two Virginia circuit judges have blocked subpoenas seeking information gathered by a Richmond news reporter. One ruling includes written analysis in a two-page order. Both judges held the company seeking the reporter’s information had to show a compelling interest to overcome the “qualified reporter privilege.”


** LOCAL
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** Records: Stoney administration spent $1 million on outside lawyers, advisers for failed Navy Hill project ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s pursuit of the failed Navy Hill project came with a price tag. Outside lawyers, advisers and a consultant the Stoney administration hired to vet the $1.5 billion plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum and redevelop a swath of downtown cost $1 million, according to the results of a public records request.
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** 'Get used to seeing us here' -- Chesterfield students spent day off protesting for teachers ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

On Friday morning, nearly 100 Chesterfield students used their outside voices to protest comments made by the county administrator about teacher pay. The idea to stand at the county administration building’s entrance developed the day before, when students received an email saying Chesterfield County Public Schools would close to students Friday in preparation for the coronavirus — news that foiled teachers’ plan to protest by calling out sick Thursday afternoon
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** Judge overrules Portsmouth’s plan to close city jail ([link removed])
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By MARGARET MATRAY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A judge ruled Friday that Portsmouth cannot close its city jail, effectively canceling a resolution City Council members passed earlier this week to shutter the facility. At a hearing in the ongoing legal dispute over the jail’s future, Circuit Judge Johnny Morrison made it clear the intention of his Jan. 9 ruling was that the city couldn’t condemn — or close — the jail and must repair it.
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** Crackdown On Pedestrians Sends Panhandlers Scattering ([link removed])
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By PETE DELEA, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

For months — if not years — drivers along East Market Street’s shopping corridor routinely passed by panhandlers standing in the medians holding signs begging for money or food. At times, there would be several at every intersection, including Burgess Road and University Boulevard. But in recent weeks, they’ve disappeared, likely a result of the Harrisonburg Police Department’s crackdown on statute 46.2-928, which requires pedestrians to walk on the sidewalk if one is available.

Today's Sponsor:


** Rosie’s Gaming Emporium
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There are more than 1,000 Rosie’s team members across Virginia helping guests every day. Rosie’s values you ([link removed]) - THANK YOU for a great first year!


** EDITORIALS
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** Taking aim at state contract inequality ([link removed])
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Daily Press Editorial (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

It’s been nine years since Virginia published the results of a comprehensive disparity study looking into the awarding of state contracts for goods, services and construction. The results of that 2011 study were disturbing: Only 2.82% of total state contracts went to businesses owned by women and minorities.
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** Virginia Democrats pass sensible measures on undocumented immigrants ([link removed])
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Washington Post Editorial (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

When A young Democratic state lawmaker from Northern Virginia arrived as a freshman in Richmond eight years ago, he approached a top Republican asking why he opposed granting in-state college tuition to undocumented students who had grown up and graduated from high school in Virginia. After all, there were at least a couple of hundred of those “dreamers” in the Republican’s own district — and in many other GOP districts.
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** Open-government laws intended for citizens ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

It’s hard to remember a time when the free flow of reliable public information was more important than it is today. Communities are desperate for facts from trustworthy sources about the coronavirus outbreak and it’s essential that government sources speed their release and provide regular updates as the situation changes rapidly.
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** Making Metro free is taking a good idea too far ([link removed])
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Washington Post Editorial (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Washington area’s Metro system is already heavily supported by state and local governments, whose subsidies amount to more than half the agency’s annual $2 billion operating budget, far more than passenger fares. Now members of the D.C. Council are considering fattening that subsidy, indirectly, by making subway and bus rides free for most residents of the District of Columbia. That’s taking a good idea too far.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: Even from back benches, ex-speaker is in front of legislative pack. ([link removed])
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By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Republican Kirk Cox does not have to stand at the ornate speaker’s desk to enjoy a sweeping view of his beloved House of Delegates. Indeed, the view isn’t bad from the back benches to which he was dispatched after the House fell to the Democrats in November.


** OP-ED
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** Harvey: Gun deaths we never see ([link removed])
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By TIM HARVEY, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Stories of gun violence that make the news are nearly always of a particular type: they are typically crime/gang-related violence in ours or another city or mass-casualty killings like those at Virginia Tech, Tree of Life Synagogue, or a place of business. With each such shooting — and the media coverage and prayer vigils which follow — we are inclined to feel a little less safe than we did before. What remains unstated in nearly all our conversations about guns and gun violence, however, is how often a gun is used by someone to commit suicide.

Harvey is pastor of the Oak Grove Church of the Brethren in Roanoke County.
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** Lobruglio: Women Veterans: Grit, Grace, and Fearless Leadership ([link removed])
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By MEAGAN LOBRUGLIO, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

March is Women’s History Month — celebrating the progress and historical impact of women in America and around the globe. One particular group of amazing and often quiet women are America’s female veterans. They are part of a band of sisters whose service and sacrifice date back to the Revolutionary War.

Lobruglio is the Southwest Virginia Program Manager for the Virginia Department of Veterans Services’ Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program. A Roanoke native and U.S. Air Force veteran, she served four tours of combat duty overseas providing command and c
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** Gibson: Nine legislators who deserve profiles in courage ([link removed])
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By BOB GIBSON, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

On March 6, nine members of the House Democratic Caucus stuck to their campaign commitments and joined every Republican delegate to approve a landmark constitutional amendment to stop partisan gerrymandering. By a 54-46 vote, the House sent to Virginia voters a Nov. 3 referendum to create a bipartisan redistricting commission of citizen and legislator members.

Bob Gibson is communications director and senior researcher at the University of Virginia’s Cooper Center for Public Service. The opinions expressed here are his own
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** Toscano: Making college more affordable ([link removed])
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By JAMES TOSCANO, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Demonstrating its commitment to ease the cost of a college degree, the General Assembly has adopted a budget that holds the promise of almost $80 million in tuition relief for Virginia’s students and their families. The budget compromise now heads to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, and will allocate specific amounts to each university and the Virginia community college system in exchange for a decision to hold tuition flat for the 2020-21 academic year.

James Toscano of Virginia Beach is president of Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust
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** Owens: Women veterans should seize their opportunities ([link removed])
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By KATHY OWENS, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Calling all women veterans: There has never been a better time to become an entrepreneur in Virginia. For some, the hassles of starting a business can seem more daunting than a night carrier landing in rough seas, but fortunately many nationwide and state programs have been created to assist veterans, and particularly women veterans, navigate and succeed in the world of small business.

Cmdr. Kathy P. Owens is a retired U.S. Navy pilot, commercial airline pilot and president of Beach Development Group. She serves on the Virginia Board of Veterans Services and the Virginia War Memorial Foundation board of directors
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** Morse: Containing coronavirus challenges political leadership ([link removed])
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By GORDON C. MORSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

With hourly announcements of what we better not, should not, may not do — all thanks to the coronavirus — it might be a good time to discover the joys of solitary reading. In that respect, I stumbled across a reference to Montesquieu’s "Persian Letters" and the Occidental habit of locking up an arbitrary number of people as lunatics in order to foster the impression that those people remaining free on the streets were sane.

Gordon C. Morse began his writing career with the Daily Press editorial page in 1983, then moved across the water to write opinion for The Virginian-Pilot. He later joined the administration of Gerald L. Baliles as the governor's speechwriter
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