VaNews
May 15, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Megan Rosenfeld
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In honor of Duncan Spencer’s birthday. Journalist, author, athlete extraordinaire.

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Top of the News


** Most of Virginia begins gradual reopening ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Most of Virginia is beginning the first phase of a gradual reopening plan put in place by Gov. Ralph Northam. The governor is allowing some nonessential businesses to reopen Friday in most of the state. Northern Virginia, Richmond and Accomack County were all granted two week delays after elected leaders there expressed concern it was too early to open amid the coronavirus.
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** State revenues down by $700 million in April, as COVID-19 crisis hits budget ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia tax revenue fell by $700 million in April compared with April 2019, a 26.2% drop that is a foretaste of financial losses expected to approach $1 billion by June 30 as the state feels the economic shock from the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought business to a near standstill in the past two months.
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** Even with governor's blessing, many Danville area churches waiting, evaluating ([link removed])
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By CALEB AYERS, Danville Register & Bee

For the first time in two months, Virginia churches will be allowed to have in-person services inside on Sunday. But not all places of worship are going to be opening doors just yet. Many area churches have decided to wait — even as Gov. Ralph Northam officially gave churches the green light with some restrictions on Wednesday.
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** Northam grants Richmond and Accomack County’s requests to delay reopening due to COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE AND SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that he would delay phase 1 of reopening in Accomack County and Richmond at the localities’ requests. “As I have said previously, Virginia’s Phase One guidelines represent a floor, not a ceiling,” Northam said in a news release. “I have encouraged local leaders to request exemptions when appropriate, and I am pleased to grant the delays for both Accomack County and the City of Richmond.”
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** Chirilagua in Crisis ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL LEE POPE, Connection Newspapers

Azucena Esquival lives in a cramped apartment in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria, where the problem of community spread isn’t just theoretical. The pandemic is in her household. Earlier this month, she tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Another adult in her household paid $300 to get a test, which was also positive. They are living with two people who have not been tested. None of them are currently working, and they have no source of income.
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** Facing criticism, Virginia health officials say they will no longer combine 2 types of test results in daily virus count ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health on Thursday said it would provide clearer testing reports by disclosing how many tests in the daily count were used to diagnose someone with a COVID-19 infection and how many were used to determine if someone has had the virus. The department said it was counting both diagnostic and antibody tests all along, but until recently, only a few hundred antibody tests were in the mix.
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** Virginia courts can begin hearing non-emergency, in-person hearings starting on Monday ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Virginia courts can begin hearing non-emergency matters in-person starting Monday — provided it is deemed safe to do so — as case backlogs grow rapidly. The Virginia Supreme Court gave the go-ahead in an order earlier this month, but noted that hearings conducted by video conferencing or telephone are still the preferred means and courts are encouraged to increase the use of such technology. Jury trials are still barred.
The Full Report
64 articles, 29 publications

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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual The Digital Divide of Census Response Rates ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

More than 64 percent of Virginia households have responded to the 2020 Census, but the response rate varies widely ranging from a high of 76 percent in Poquoson City to 13 percent in Bath County. This interactive map shows so far most households have responded online, which leaves rural counties with spotty internet access to rely on mail and phone. The coronavirus pandemic has hampered Census field operations and could delay completion of the 2020 population count.
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** From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Data from the Virginia Department of Health includes a timeline of when COVID-19 cases were confirmed, a statewide map showing the number of cases and deaths by locality and per-capital cases by ZIP Code. VPAP has added daily hospital utilization numbers from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. Updated each morning shortly after 9:00 a.m.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Two more local governments in Virginia to delay reopening ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN AND SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Virginia’s capital city and a rural county on the Eastern Shore are opting out of beginning to reopen Friday, saying it is still too soon to ease restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Ralph Northam granted requests from the city of Richmond and Accomack County on Thursday afternoon to delay a gradual reopening of some nonessential businesses just hours ahead of when those areas were set to start reopening.
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** Northam grants Phase One exception to Richmond, delaying city's reopening ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON AND JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Richmond will not start easing COVID-19 restrictions on Friday like most of Virginia after Gov. Ralph Northam granted Mayor Levar Stoney’s request to delay the city’s entry into Phase One. Stoney made the formal request to Northam on Thursday, breaking with surrounding localities, after obtaining state data showing that the city’s “percent positive” rate — a key metric that public health officials are monitoring — is rising, not falling.
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** Three Loudoun supervisors urge governor to allow western districts to reopen ([link removed])
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By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times

Three members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors are urging the governor to amend his executive order to allow part of Loudoun to reopen as soon as possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of Virginia will begin to reopen its economy on Friday after two months of having social distancing restrictions in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
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** Montgomery's Republican supervisors seek to push pace of reopening ([link removed])
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By YANN RANAIVO, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Republicans on the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors want Gov. Ralph Northam to consider granting their locality more flexibility during the first phase of the state’s reopening, which begins Friday, from the restrictions placed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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** Governor asks for more COVID-19 testing in two federal detention facilities ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday asked that the federal government perform more screening and testing for COVID-19 at the Farmville and Caroline County detention centers. Northam offered state help to do so in a letter to Virginia’s congressional delegation that was copied to the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights and the Legal Aid Justice Center. The centers are run by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
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** Northam expands provider immunity in pandemic ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a governor’s order may limit, but not eliminate, virus liability exposure for some health care providers. Responding to a bid for broader and more specific liability protection for medical professionals in the pandemic emergency, Gov. Ralph Northam last month offered new, particularized examples of immunity protection. Northam’s immunity expansion does not cover anyone other than “health care providers” and may not help assisted living facilities and other elder care services.
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** Accused of ‘juking stats’, Virginia says it will change the way it reports COVID-19 tests ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Questioned earlier this week about Virginia’s practice of sweeping still-questionable antibody tests into its total count of COVID-19 tests preformed, Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration claimed it was using the same methodology as several other states. That’s not true, according to The Atlantic, which checked with the three jurisdictions the Department of Health said Virginia was following: Arizona, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
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** Virginia says it will stop counting antibody tests as coronavirus tests in daily reports ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia officials said Thursday they will no longer include the results of antibody tests in their daily counts of who has been tested for the novel coronavirus, a practice that had been criticized as exaggerating the state's efforts to control the virus's spread.
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** Virginia department of health releases data broken down by test type ([link removed])
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By SALEEN MARTIN AND MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health released data broken down by diagnostic and antibody tests Thursday after previously combining those two types of tests into one number. In a news release, the department said antibody tests made up less than 9% of overall tests, and that splitting them off from the total number didn’t affect the trends the state has been monitoring.
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** Criticism mounts as Virginia includes 15,000 antibody results in COVID-19 testing data ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Virginia’s count of COVID-19 tests to date includes results from 15,000 as-yet unreliable antibody tests, skewing the state’s testing capacity and its outlook on the spread of the virus, albeit to a small degree.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Local lawmakers urge state officials to reject natural gas pipeline project ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

A cohort of 12 Virginia lawmakers, including four representing areas of Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, are pressing Gov. Ralph Northam and the State Corporation Commission to reject permits for a Virginia Natural Gas expansion project that will bring gas from Prince William to a new power plant in Charles City County.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Republicans to decide Spanberger challenger at July 18 convention ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Republicans in central Virginia will decide in July who will run against Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, in the November general election after initial plans for an April convention were scrapped because of the coronavirus. The 7th Congressional District Republican Committee voted Thursday to hold its nominating convention July 18 at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, where the State Fair of Virginia is held.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia’s revenue drops 26% in April ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The state lost about $700 million in April as the coronavirus pandemic forced people to stop working and stay inside, Virginia’s finance secretary said Thursday. General fund revenues dropped 26.2.% in April, but that decline is consistent with what Finance Sec. Aubrey Layne predicted last month.
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** Virginia State Parks release their reopening timeline ([link removed])
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WHSV

One day out from Virginia's plan for most of the commonwealth to enter Phase 1 of reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia State Parks have announced more details on their plan to gradually reopen state parks. Governor Ralph Northam, when announcing the plans for Phase 1, said Virginia State Parks, which have been open for day use throughout the pandemic, will gradually open up overnight facilities with a phased approach beginning with park campgrounds during Phase 1.
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** Virginia DMV locations in Virginia Beach and Hampton to reopen for appointments only ([link removed])
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By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia DMV will reopen 11 customer service center locations across Virginia beginning Monday, including locations in Hampton and Virginia Beach, according to the DMV website. The locations, located at 8109 Roanoke Avenue in Hampton and 3551 Buckner Boulevard in Virginia Beach, will be open to appointments only from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, the website said.
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** Some Virginia DMVs will reopen Monday ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Spread-out chairs. Plexiglass barriers. By appointment only. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles will reopen nine customer service centers across the state Monday with extensive precautions as most of the state starts easing some restrictions put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** Virginia won’t require people to search for jobs to get unemployment checks in Phase 1 ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Businesses from shopping malls to barber shops are making plans to reopen Friday under Gov. Ralph Northam’s loosened stay-at-home restrictions. But for now, the more than 300,000 people receiving unemployment benefits through the state won’t have to go out every week looking for jobs to continue receiving weekly checks.
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** Virginia ABC will temporarily allow restaurants to expand patios ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Two days before Virginia was set to reopen in Phase One on Friday, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority announced that businesses can temporarily accelerate the process of expanding their outdoor dining areas to sell alcohol, which could boost revenue for restaurants whose sales have plummeted due to the pandemic.
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** Grayson County gets approval for pilot project to expand high-speed internet ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Grayson County is on its way to significantly improving its broadband access through a new project aimed at narrowing the digital divide in rural areas. The Virginia State Corporation Commission gave initial approval for a pilot project in Grayson County to allow Virginia’s two largest electric utilities — Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Co. — to install cables that would carry broadband into hard-to-reach areas.
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** NTSB: Pilot may not have been trained for condition that possibly contributed to Charlottesville helicopter crash ([link removed])
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By LORI ARATANI, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A Virginia State Police pilot may not have been trained to handle a dangerous aerodynamic condition that possibly contributed to a fatal helicopter crash during the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, according to a report released this week by federal safety investigators.
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** Commonwealth sells prime northern Virginia site along Loudoun-Fairfax line for $45M ([link removed])
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Loudoun Times

Virginia has sold the Center for Innovative Technology property that straddles the Loudoun County-Fairfax County line and was once floated as a potential site for Amazon's HQ2. Affiliates of Origami Capital Partners and Timberline Real Estate Partners purchased the property from the commonwealth for $47.35 million, Gov. Ralph Northam's office announced today.
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** CIT complex sold for $47.35 million to help fund high-tech research ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Center for Innovative Technology complex, a visible symbol of Virginia’s commitment to high-tech research, has been sold for $47.35 million, with the proceeds dedicated to new state investments in research for a technology-driven economy.


** CONGRESS
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** Rep. Cline talks COVID-19 response ([link removed])
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By AILA BOYD, Fincastle Herald

Rep. Ben Cline (R-6th) participated in the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce’s new virtual series called Botetourt Community Conversations with government officials last Wednesday. During the event, Cline spoke about the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s a challenging time for everybody, especially for businesses,” he said. “Government has done its part to try to eliminate the virus and lessen the number of future lives lost, while urging practices that contradict many of the characteristics that make America great.”


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Retailers and mall operators see Friday's reopenings as 'promising news' ([link removed])
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By GREGORY J. GILLIGAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Jeff Wells is eager to reopen his two Fleet Feet stores to customers in the Richmond region on Friday morning. “We are ready, we are excited and we are nervous. It is a gumbo mix of those three feelings,” Wells said Thursday afternoon.
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** Pork, chicken parts fuel the rise as processing companies struggle with COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

U.S. meat exports are soaring, paced by chicken and pork, even as packing plants struggle to contain the coronavirus while filling orders placed months earlier. Pork-packing plants in the Midwest and chicken plants on the Eastern Shore have been hotspots for the virus. Even so, pork exports in March rose 12.5% from November’s pre-epidemic levels, while chicken parts climbed by 45%, a Daily Press review of U.S. Department of Agriculture data found.
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** Survey: Local business owners expect lasting disruptions from pandemic ([link removed])
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By TREVOR METCALFE, Inside Business

A majority of Hampton Roads business owners think the coronavirus pandemic will affect their operations for at least another six months, and around 38% say impacts could last a year or more. The expectation of an enduring economic fallout from COVID-19 is just one of the findings from a recent survey of 469 local business leaders conducted by the Richmond research firm SIR.
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** Richmond barbershop nicked as hair salons elsewhere prepare to cut again ([link removed])
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By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The phones had been ringing often this week at the John Marshall Barbershop in downtown Richmond. Customers have gone weeks or months without haircuts, so appointments were picking up in anticipation that pandemic restrictions on hair salons and barbershops would loosen Friday. Then things changed quickly Thursday — and the wait goes on, at least in the city.
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** Martinsville Speedway spring race rescheduled for June 10, to be run without fans ([link removed])
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By CARA COOPER, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

NASCAR announced on Thursday the rescheduled date for the spring Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway will Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 will be the first Cup Series night race at Martinsville. No fans will be in attendance for the race. It will be broadcast live nationally on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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** Coronavirus shuts down most of Virginia’s TV, film industry ([link removed])
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By KYLE COOPER, WTOP

Virginia’s film and television production industry, which generates million of dollars annually in the state, has been mostly closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Andy Edmunds, director of Virginia’s Film Office, said while some post production work is still happening in Northern Virginia, production workers across the state are taking a hit.
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** 'We got fried pretty hard': Area wineries worried about frostbitten grapes and vines ([link removed])
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By BRYAN MCKENZIE, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Some hired helicopters to beat down warmer air, others fanned their grapes with turbines and still others lit candles to keep the cold away from Central Virginia vineyards as a bit of polar vortex swept into the region over the weekend and lingered into Tuesday morning. The arctic cold dropped temperatures into the 20s for the Mother’s Day weekend, with some frost hitting Monday and Tuesday mornings as well. The cold didn’t just frost winemakers’ grapes, it also froze their fruit.
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** Big Technology Coming to Prince Edward County? ([link removed])
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Southside Messenger

The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors allocated $1.5 million to the Prince Edward County Industrial Development Authority for the purchase of property suited for a data center site, which has the potential to generate high tax revenues and high-paying jobs, along with many other positive indirect impacts on the local economy.
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** Solar farm proposed in Apple Grove ([link removed])
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By DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian

The next solar panel farm in the county is planned on 225 acres near the corner of Jefferson Highway (Route 33) and Apple Grove Road. Reston-based SolUnesco plans a 20-megawatt solar installation on the property, which was recently timbered. The company is trying to organize a virtual neighborhood meeting to inform people who own adjoining parcels.
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** California-based solar developer eyes South Boston for new solar farm ([link removed])
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By MIRANDA BAINES, Gazette Virginian

A solar energy farm may be on the horizon in the town of South Boston. The town council at its Monday evening business meeting unanimously voted in favor of a resolution to add a text amendment to the town ordinance to allow solar energy facilities in the town’s agricultural districts, by special use permit only.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro to require all passengers to wear masks beginning Monday ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Beginning Monday, all Metro and Metrobus riders will be required to wear masks or face coverings to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the agency’s chief safety officer said Thursday.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Public universities on the Peninsula gear up for budget cuts ([link removed])
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By ALEXA DOIRON & JULIA MARSIGLIANO, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

As Virginia reconsiders its budget with impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, public universities brace for the potential millions in lost funding. Wendy Kang, director of finance policy and innovation for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, said the potential budget changes mean approximately $340 million to $370 million of additional money the General Assembly had originally planned to allot to higher education will most likely be removed from the budget.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** More UVa survey results: Study shows area support for face masks, social restrictions ([link removed])
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By BRYAN MCKENZIE, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A vast majority of Central Virginians surveyed say they have not been tested for COVID-19 and have no symptoms, but a third say they have friends or family who have tested positive for the disease, according to a recent survey by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The survey queried 683 residents of Charlottesville, and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties between April 28 and May 5.
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** With plans to enter Phase 1 in Virginia, is Tidewater ready? ([link removed])
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By EMILY HOLTER, Tidewater Review

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia will begin to enter Phase 1 of reopening the state by the end of the week while still dealing with COVID-19. Northam said Virginia has flattened the curve and plans to begin Phase 1 on Friday, which includes opening hair salons by appointment only and allowing fitness classes outside. According to the governor’s office, the pandemic is estimated to cost Virginia up to $3 billion in lost revenue and expenses over this fiscal year and the next.
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** Many churches will stay closed even as restrictions ease ([link removed])
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By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Even though Virginia will relax restrictions on gatherings at houses of worship, many pews will remain empty this weekend. Several mainline denominations across the commonwealth are instructing members to hold off on in-person services for the time being, as Virginia begins allowing some business and civic activity to restart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** Fourth COVID-19 outbreak reported in Fredericksburg region ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Nine people at an “agricultural workplace” in the Fredericksburg area have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the region’s fourth outbreak of the disease. The Rappahannock Area Health District doesn’t provide any other information about where outbreaks happen “in the interest of protecting patient privacy,” said Allison Balmes–John.
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** Page County ranks No.1 in Virginia in pandemic deaths per capita ([link removed])
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By RANDY ARRINGTON, Page Valley News

In a statistical breakdown created by the Virginia Public Access Project that compares COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 residents, Page County currently leads the Commonwealth. With 16 deaths reported within the county in the last 16 days, Page’s fatality rate related to the current pandemic has reached 11.2 percent (based on deaths as a percentage of total cases).
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** Riverside Regional Jail has first inmate case of COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By MARK BOWES, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Riverside Regional jail is dealing with its first case of the coronavirus, an inmate who tested positive before being transported to the facility and was immediately quarantined from the 1,300 other inmates upon his arrival, jail officials said.
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** Death toll climbs as virus spreads to nearby facility ([link removed])
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South Boston News & Record

The spread of COVID-19 in area nursing homes has raised the death toll in the Southside Health District to 13 people and driven up the caseload in Mecklenburg County, Southside Virginia’s hardest-hit locality, to 138 people. Following an outbreak of the virus at Sentara MeadowView Terrace in Clarksville, the latest long-term care facility in Mecklenburg to report multiple infections is Chase City Health and Rehab, located in the Town of Chase City.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Judge dismisses lawsuit that contested Mountain Valley's power of eminent domain ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Legal action has failed, once again, to undo the taking of private land for a natural gas pipeline through Southwest Virginia. “This case presents the latest trickle in a veritable flood of litigation” against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg wrote in an opinion last week dismissing the lawsuit.
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** Fiddlers’ convention cancelled for first time since World War II ([link removed])
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By SHANNON WATKINS, Galax Gazette

For only the third time in its 85-year history, the Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention has been canceled....The annual event, which draws tens of thousands of people to Galax from all over the world each August, began in 1935. It was cancelled only twice before, in 1943 and 1944, because of travel restrictions during World War II.


** LOCAL
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** Loudoun United seeks rent deferral, citing pandemic; county treasurer says ‘not fair’ ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

In what would have been its first full season in its new Leesburg, Virginia, soccer stadium, Loudoun United says the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to pay its rent. But the county treasurer says a proposed deferral prioritizes the team over small local businesses, and “is not fair to the citizens of Loudoun County.” The board of supervisors’ finance committee voted 4-1 Tuesday to recommend the board amend the team’s lease agreement, which would allow the team to defer paying the $621,000 it owes in 2020, and spread the amount over six years.
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** Federal judge dismisses NAACP lawsuit challenging Confederate school names in Hanover ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit the Hanover NAACP filed in August that sought to strip Confederate names from two county schools, saying its claims were too broad and a time window for alleging damages had closed.
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** Rosie’s in Chesapeake still up in the air after planning commission ends in split recommendation vote ([link removed])
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By GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Chesapeake planning commissioners voted 4-4 Wednesday night on whether to recommend approval of a satellite wagering facility in a vacant retail store in Greenbrier Mall, after some said they were still on the fence about the effects of such a deal. Traffic concerns were at the top of most minds, as was how long Rosie’s Gaming Emporium could sustain economic activity in the space Sears once used at the mall.
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** Pier fishing catches on as coronavirus limits other activities in Hampton Roads ([link removed])
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By STACY PARKER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A smile washed over Kaylee Scott’s face as she felt a twitch on the end of her fishing line hanging over the wooden rail of the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier. She slowly reeled in a Norfolk spot, her second one of the day. Her father, Jason Saniano, couldn’t have been prouder.
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** Hampton Roads cities are overwhelmed with trash ([link removed])
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By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

While the coronavirus pandemic has prompted runs on hand sanitizer and toilet paper, one thing hasn’t been in short supply the past couple of months: Trash. Yard debris, old furniture and other unwanted items also have been piling up at the curb, as stay-put orders and layoffs have forced residents to spend their days at home instead of at the office.
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** City of Williamsburg workers tested for COVID-19 ahead of Phase 1 reopening ([link removed])
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By MARTY O'BRIEN, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)

With Phase 1 of state reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic set for Friday, the city of Williamsburg is doing its part to ensure the safety of city employees and the public. Williamsburg has required all city workers to be tested for the virus and encouraged them to take an optional antibody test to show if they had COVID-19. By doing so the city will establish a baseline of its workers infected, and those with COVID-19 antibodies, prior the reopening.
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** Customers ready to shop inside stores, survey finds ([link removed])
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By CATHY JETT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A new Fredericksburg VA Main Street survey is providing insights into how customers will respond when the state’s stay-at-home orders lift, and what downtown businesses can do to attract them. It found that a majority of the 1,780 respondents indicated they’d feel comfortable shopping inside retail stores when that happens, and a little over half said they’d feel comfortable dining inside restaurants at that time.
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** Nonessential area business begin gradual reopening Friday ([link removed])
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By CATHY JETT AND ROB HEDELT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Customers longing to finally get a professional haircut at The Barber Shop & Company at Cosner’s Corner will have to make an appointment, now that restrictions in place for nearly two months are starting to ease. That’s just one of a number of changes that the formerly walk-in business has had to make in order to comply with Phase I of Gov. Ralph Northam’s Forward Virginia guidelines for nonessential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** Churches, business react to reopening ([link removed])
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By DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian

Numerous Louisa County barber shops, beauty salons, campgrounds and religious institutions will be back in operation this weekend. For restaurants and gyms, the immediate future is less certain. Governor Ralph Northam’s directive to start the first phase of reopening came with detailed guidance for businesses and houses of worship to puzzle over. Nevertheless, there were audible sighs of relief around the county at the prospect of even a limited return to normal.
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** Frederick County officials: COVID-19 a barrier to protective services ([link removed])
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By JOSH JANNEY, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Frederick County Department of Social Services has seen a drastic drop in referrals to Child Protective Services (CPS) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistant Social Services Director Linda Gibson told the Social Services Board during a Tuesday meeting that the total number of CPS calls have dropped by 70% from February to April. She attributed the drop to the stay-at-home orders put in place by the governor.
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** COVID-19 economic response team urges optimism ([link removed])
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By MATT WELCH, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Northern Shenandoah Valley COVID-19 Economic Response team urged residents and business owners to stay positive as the coronavirus runs its course. On a Zoom conference call Tuesday with about 100 people tuning in, economic development and tourism officials outlined the impact that COVID-19 has had on the local economy and answered questions about how to move forward.
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** Webb resigns, county asks for financial investigation ([link removed])
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Carroll News

The resignation of Joe Webb as chairman and board member highlighted a stunning meeting of the Carroll County Board of Supervisors on Monday night. Not only did Webb step down from the board at the conclusion of the meeting, Supervisor Robbie McCraw’s motion for an investigation of Carroll County’s finances passed unanimously, and the county also may reconsider some of the cuts it made at its April 27 meeting to the insurance of county employees.

Today's Sponsor:


** Megan Rosenfeld
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In honor of Duncan Spencer’s birthday. Journalist, author, athlete extraordinaire.


** EDITORIALS
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** How to campaign during a pandemic ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

On Tuesday, voters in some Virginia localities go to the polls to — err, scratch that. Many have already gone to the polls in the form of voting absentee. Even before election day, it’s clear we’ll have absentee voting at historic levels. Four years ago in Salem, 1,888 voters cast ballots. So far this year, Salem has had 2,244 voters request absentee ballots — which they have until Tuesday at 7 p.m. to get back to the registrar’s office.
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** Today’s reopening will put more Virginians at risk ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Here’s a few things we know about Gov. Ralph Northam’s three-phase approach to reopening Virginia, scheduled to begin today. There will be fewer restrictions on retail operations, many of which will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity. Restaurants can welcome customers to outdoor seating and hair stylists can again tend to their clients’ needs. Beaches remain closed for lounging but can be used for exercise. Finally — and this is the important part — more people will become infected with coronavirus and die as a result of reopening. It’s inevitable.
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** Where is the urgency? More outreach is needed to close Richmond’s census divide ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Virginians have a reason to be proud: The commonwealth continues to be among the states with the highest rates of 2020 census participation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s data dashboard, as of Tuesday, 64% of households in Virginia had self-responded to the census by phone, mail or internet. That’s five percentage points higher than the national rate of 59%.


** OP-ED
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** Reynolds: Virginia well positioned for a future of clean-energy transportation ([link removed])
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By ELLIE REYNOLDS, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

This March, leaders in the legislature set a course to power the commonwealth with 100% clean energy by 2045 in passing the Virginia Clean Economy Act. With renewable energy steering our climate action plan, it’s time to face the largest source of global warming emissions in Virginia: the transportation sector.

Ellie Reynolds is the clean cars associate for Environment America, an advocacy organization whose Virginia affiliate is located in Richmond.
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** Block: Let's come together for court-involved youth, their families and their communities ([link removed])
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By ANDREW BLOCK, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Times-Dispatch has provided substantial coverage of the impact of COVID-19 on Virginia’s juvenile justice system, and in particular, on youth at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, the Department of Juvenile Justice’s (DJJ) only correctional facility. Most recently, there was a story about the department’s successful population reduction efforts at Bon Air. The article even quoted child advocates who uncharacteristically praised the department’s efforts.

Andrew Block is the founder and former legal director of the JustChildren Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, the former director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (2014 to 2019), and the current director of the State and Local Governmen


** THE FRIDAY READ
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** Virginia Beach man finds a receipt for the sale of four slaves in 1858. He now wants to find their descendants. ([link removed])
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By DENISE M. WATSON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Andy Ott has always loved rummaging through old things, ghost towns, discarded jalopies, battered Tom Swift novels. His Virginia Beach home could probably stand forever by the sheer number of history books he’s bought and stacked on shelves over the years. About 15, 20 years ago, Ott, as typical, bought a couple of volumes from an antique store. As typical, a folded piece of paper remained stuck in its pages.
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