VaNews
May 22, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Network of Private Providers, Inc
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Recognizing and appreciating the DD and BH providers and their dedicated staff who have met the challenge of COVID-19 protecting their clients’ health and safety.

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Top of the News


** Gov. Northam signs bill to decriminalize marijuana in Virginia ([link removed])
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WHSV

On Thursday, Governor Ralph Northam officially signed Virginia's biennial budget, as well as eight other bills from the General Assembly for which he had requested amendments in the General Assembly's reconvened April 22 session. Among the bills formally signed was a bill to decriminalize marijuana in the commonwealth.
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** 1 in 5 people filed jobless claims in hardest-hit Zip codes of Virginia and Maryland, analysis shows ([link removed])
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By JOHN D. HARDEN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

More than 1-in-5 workforce-age residents filed for unemployment benefits from mid-March through Thursday in some of the hardest-hit communities in the greater Washington region as the coronavirus pandemic takes a devastating economic toll. Nearly 1.4 million residents of the District, Maryland and Virginia have filed jobless claims in the past 10 weeks — more than 11 percent of the region’s population age 16 and older. That percentage doubles in areas that rely heavily on visitors, as stay-at-home orders have limited mass gatherings and shuttered thousands of businesses deemed nonessential.
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** Issues persist with antiquated Virginia unemployment system ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

More than two months after the coronavirus pandemic started forcing Virginia businesses to slash their workforces, the state’s unemployment system still can’t keep up with the unprecedented deluge of calls and emails from laid-off workers needing help.
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** State’s official Eastern Shore virus data still doesn’t show hundreds of poultry worker tests ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

A week after the results of widespread testing at the Eastern Shore’s Tyson and Perdue poultry plants revealed about 18 percent of workers were positive for coronavirus, state health statistics still don’t reflect the full case numbers and local officials have not been provided updated figures. Following nationwide outbreaks of COVID-19 at meat processing plants, Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods tested some 2,875 workers at their plants in Accomac and Temperanceville in Accomack County during the week of May 4.
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** Parking spaces all over Norfolk become restaurant patios ([link removed])
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By MATTHEW KORFHAGE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Nicole Seretis didn’t know who to call May 15 when she wanted to add patio dining to her family’s Norfolk restaurant, Orapax. Gov. Ralph Northam had announced that restaurants could open up patio seating that day, at half capacity — and that dining rooms would have to stay closed. But the Chelsea District mainstay did not, strictly speaking, have a patio.
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** County: Pools won't open this summer due to pandemic constraints ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Prince William Times

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the opening weekend for Prince William County’s public pools and waterparks. But most of those facilities won’t open at all this season because of constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic. The county’s department of parks, recreation and tourism made the announcement in a press release Thursday.
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** Friday Read The Children Are Swearing More During Quarantine ([link removed])
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By RUMAAN ALAM, The New Yorker Magazine

...[M]y kids have been swearing a lot since schools and everything else shut down. I’m reassured when other parents confirm that it’s an issue in their quarantined households, too, even if there’s no consensus on why. A friend in California jokes, of her daughter, “I think she’s hanging out with the wrong crowd—me.” I ask if she feels she’s being lenient. “I’ve been more lenient with myself,” she said. “I feel like parenting is in large part hiding from your children what a monster you actually are. Now that there’s nowhere to hide, I am more often modelling who I really am.”
The Full Report
59 articles, 38 publications

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** FROM VPAP
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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 before 11:00 am.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam signs $135B two-year state budget ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Gov. Ralph Northam signed the amended 2021-22 state budget Thursday, which paused $2 billion in new spending initiatives to instead respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s economic crisis.
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** Northam vetoes three bills intended to expand insurance access ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam vetoed three bills intended to expand access to health insurance this week as he wrapped up work from this year's regular General Assembly session, expressing concern that the measures could have weakened the Affordable Care Act. The vetoed bills were sponsored by fellow Democrats and passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support.
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** Federal judge rules against Eastern Shore church in challenging Northam's executive order ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A federal judge has again denied an Eastern Shore church’s effort to immediately hold large gatherings. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen denied a request Thursday from Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Accomack County for an emergency injunction that would have allowed the church to hold services with more than 10 people in attendance.
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** Supervisors await Northam’s response to request for outdoor restaurant seating this weekend ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, the Prince William board of supervisors has sent a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam asking that Prince William restaurants be allowed to open their outside patios at 50% capacity beginning tomorrow, Friday, May 22. Supervisors voted 5-3 during their meeting Tuesday to make the request.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** 7th District Republican candidates call for ranked-choice voting at convention ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Three Republican candidates seeking the nomination to run against Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, in November want ranked-choice voting to decide the nominee. Del. John McGuire, R-Goochland, Chesterfield nonprofit leader Tina Ramirez and Army veteran Andrew Knaggs issued a joint statement Thursday saying that at the 7th District GOP’s nominating convention in July, the party should use ranked-choice voting to decide a candidate.
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** A Campaign Milestone: ‘I Was Drugged and Raped,’ Heard in a Candidate’s Ad ([link removed])
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By LISA LERER AND GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

The photo could have been taken at any prom or sorority formal. Girls with long hair and fancy dresses, their arms draped around one another’s shoulders, smiling wide. Just five seconds into the campaign ad, a narrator makes clear that the image had not captured a celebratory kind of night. “It was 2004,” says Claire Russo, 40, a former combat veteran running for Congress in Virginia. “I was attending the Marine Corps Ball when I was drugged and raped by a superior.”
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** Lawsuit says absentee voting not needed for coronavirus ([link removed])
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By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

A group of voters is suing Virginia election officials over a loosening of restrictions on absentee ballots for next month’s statewide primary, arguing that the state can’t allow voters to use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to vote by mail.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia Medicaid announces approval of emergency waiver for COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By MONIQUE CALELLO, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services announced in a news release it has received federal approval for an emergency 1135 waiver giving the Medicaid agency the authority to take additional steps to ensure access to care for its members and to address priority needs identified by health care providers.
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** VDH Boosts Contact Tracing Efforts With New Hires and Tracking Technology ([link removed])
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By ALAN RODRIGUEZ ESPINOZA, WCVE

The Virginia Department of Health told reporters Thursday they have received over 6,000 applications from people who want to help with statewide contact tracing efforts. VDH officials say there were roughly 130 contact tracers on staff before the pandemic. Now they have about 470, most of whom had to be reassigned from other areas. They say the department’s goal is to bring over a thousand new hires on board in the next few weeks.
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** State's COVID-19 education work group seeks input from teachers, parents ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

An education work group formed by the state to work on recommendations and policies related to reopening schools and continuing learning will hold more than a dozen forums over the next three weeks to gain input from school employees and families.
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** Housing Advocates Urge Governor to Freeze Evictions ([link removed])
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By YASMINE JUMAA, WCVE

Virginia housing advocates are asking the governor to freeze evictions statewide, in an effort to keep people in their homes and prevent the spread of COVID-19. This comes after the state Supreme Court denied their request to delay eviction hearings in Petersburg General District Court. Attorneys with the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Central Virginia Legal Aid Society argued that a lack of clear guidance to courts and tenants could lead to wrongful evictions.
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** SCC approves broadband pilot program in Grayson County ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Independence Declaration

Partnership between Appalachian Power, Gigabeam and Grayson County will transform the county to one of the most digitally connected rural areas in U.S. Appalachian Power’s request to implement a pilot program that will deliver broadband technology in rural Grayson County has received initial approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC).
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** Judge holds first driver’s license ceremonies held via WebEx ([link removed])
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By MAURA MAZUROWSKI, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Judge Gilbert Berger decided Culpeper residents shouldn’t have to wait to be given their driver’s licenses while the rest of the world is on hold. “We were shut down, so to speak, by the first orders of the Supreme Court, and we were unsure as to how to do anything, let alone issue licenses during this time,” Berger said.
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** State Supreme Court agrees to hear local oyster case ([link removed])
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By TRACY AGNEW, Suffolk News Herald

The Virginia Supreme Court said Monday it would hear an appeal in a lawsuit filed by local oystermen against the city of Suffolk and the Hampton Roads Sanitation District. A decision in the case either way could have far-reaching, precedent-setting implications, perhaps nationwide, at the intersection of environmental caselaw and caselaw pertaining to inverse condemnation — the taking of private property for a public purpose without just compensation to the owner.
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** Solar Caps in SW Virginia ([link removed])
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By ROBBIE HARRIS, WVTF

For the first time in history, the U.S. is on track to produce more electricity from renewable energy than from coal, according to a new government report. States around the country have been passing clean energy laws and Virginia did so earlier this year. But in southwestern Virginia coal country, there are caps on the amount of solar power that can be produced.
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** Virginia's first African-American commissioner of agriculture dies at 76 ([link removed])
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By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

Dr. Clinton Vassett Turner Sr., the first African-American to serve as Virginia commissioner of agriculture, has died. A longtime Richmond resident, Dr. Turner’s death was reported Friday, May 15, 2020. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 76.


** CONGRESS
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** McEachin cites prisons for COVID-19 safety concerns ([link removed])
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By SEAN JONES, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Rep. A Donald McEachin, D-4th is asking the Federal Bureau of Prisons to change its practices at two Virginia correctional facilities. A letter addressed to BOP Director Michael Carvajal cites health and safety concerns at Federal Correctional Institute Petersburg and the United States Prison in Lee County.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Nearly 39 million have sought US jobless aid since virus hit including about 725,000 in Virginia ([link removed])
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Associated Press

More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession. The number included 44,699 people in Virginia, according to the state Employment Commission, slightly less than an earlier estimate reported by the U.S. Department of Labor of 45,788 people. The figures for the week ending May 16 represented the sixth consecutive seven-day period that the number in the state had declined.
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** 403K+ Virginians unemployed ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

More than 403,500 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims in the commonwealth continues to decrease. About 44,000 Virginians filed initial claims for unemployment last week, down from roughly 52,000 initial claims the prior week, according to the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC).
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** Most Colonial Williamsburg operations closures extended into June ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Colonial Williamsburg is extending the closure of most of its historic properties, restaurants and other hotels into June because of the coronavirus. But the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which runs the living history museum and hotel properties, said Thursday that it expects portions of the Historic Area and art museums to reopen after Virginia moves into Phase Two of reopening businesses during the pandemic.
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** Pandemic leads to meat and poultry shortage, higher prices for region ([link removed])
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By LEIF GREISS, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Mountain Empire and Tri-Cities residents preparing to grill this Memorial Day will walk out of stores having paid more for meat than in previous years and may find they can’t buy as much of it as they wanted. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shortage of meat and poultry and stores in the region have raised their prices.
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** The OTHER Meat Processing Plants: Small, Local Farms ([link removed])
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By ROBBIE HARRIS, WVTF

Large, industrial meat processing plants are now ‘hot spots’ for spreading Coronavirus. Some have closed while the industry grapples with how to provide safety for workers, causing shortages at supermarkets. But sales at some small, local farms in southwestern Virginia are booming like never before. “It’s been just astronomical," says Daniel Salitan, operations manager at Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley.
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** “Micro” grants helping businesses survive crisis ([link removed])
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By DON DEL ROSSO, Fauquier Now

For The Plains’ store owner, the $2,000-grant came in the nick of time. “It was a wonderful surprise to get it and was very, very much appreciated,” said Sally DeLuca, owner of Crest Hill Antiques & Tea Room at 6488 Main St. “It was a nice infusion of cash when we really needed it, because we had gotten behind in some things.”
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** $4.5M Allocated for Virginia Fishermen; Where’s the Excitement? ([link removed])
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By CONNIE MORRISON, Eastern Shore Post

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced earlier this month the allocation of $300 million of CARES Act funding for fisheries and the seafood industry, with just over $4.5 million headed to Virginia. The funding was ballyhooed by Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in a press release. But eligible recipients don’t seem excited about the news. “I have no faith in that system,” said Gloucester waterman Daniel Knott, vice president of the Virginia Watermen’s Association.
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** COVID-19 costing local hospitality businesses millions ([link removed])
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By BRIAN BREHM, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated tourism-related revenues last month in Winchester and Frederick County. The impact was amplified in early May with the cancellation of the 93rd Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. "It's been felt across the board," Justin Kerns, executive director of the Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said on Thursday.
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** Department of Health testing Smithfield Foods employees ([link removed])
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By STEPHEN FALESKI, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Smithfield Foods has confirmed that Virginia Department of Health personnel were on-site this week at the company's meatpacking plant in town testing employees for COVID-19. According to Keira Lombardo, Smithfield's executive vice president for corporate affairs and compliance, the company has been working closely with a combination of local health departments and private labs to make testing available for free to all employees nationwide.
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** Kass USA not coming to Lawrenceville ([link removed])
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By SYLVIA ALLE, Brunswick Times-Gazette

Kass USA, LLC notified the Town of Lawrenceville, Brunswick County, the Brunswick County Industrial Development Authority and the Southside Planning District Commission that the company has succumbed to the relentless pressure of COVID-19 and will not open the new business at 409 West 5th Avenue, the former Southern States building.
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** Advance America closes Altavista, all Virginia locations ([link removed])
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By JEFFREY WESTBROOK, Altavista Journal

Advance America’s Altavista office, along with the other branches throughout the Commonwealth, is closing its doors. Governor Northam's regulations strangled the company's business viability, according to the company's closure notification. A sign on the door of the Main Street business explains the situation. “The state of VA recently passed a law that caps the interest rates of the loans we offer. We cannot profitably operate under these new rates and will no longer be in operation.
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** Workforce cut as Bassett Furniture prepares for ‘new reality’ ([link removed])
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Henry County Enterprise

Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., on May 11 announced that the company will cut 25 percent of its workforce and extend the furlough of another 42 percent until May 31 in response to the economic impacts of the coronavirus. The reduction in permanent workforce amounts to approximately 600 employees according to the company’s press release. Senior Vice President J. Michael Daniel said that most of the cuts will not be in the Henry County area.
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** Jobs safe for Omega Protein employees ([link removed])
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Northern Neck News

Omega Protein is no longer threatened with a moratorium on its menhaden fishing operations. Thursday, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission notified the U.S. Secretary of Commerce that Virginia is now in compliance with the menhaden catch limits set by the commission and exceeded by Omega last year. Thus, the Reedville operation is no longer facing a possible closure.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Weekend road and rail: Metro’s summer shutdown begins Saturday ([link removed])
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By MARY DEPOMPA, WTOP

Metro will close nine Metrorail stations on the Orange and Silver lines through the summer starting Saturday in order to begin its platform reconstruction projects. All stations west of Ballston-MU will be closed — Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church, McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** More than 1,200 new coronavirus cases, 25 deaths in Virginia reported Thursday ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Data released Thursday morning showed 1,229 new cases of the coronavirus were reported overnight, the largest one-day increase since the pandemic began in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health. It brings the state tally to 34,137 cases.
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** National Guard Conducts Mass Testing at Local Senior Care Facility ([link removed])
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ArlNow

A contingent of National Guard members, some in camo and others in full protective gear, descended on the Sunrise at Ballston Park senior living center today for mass testing of staff and residents. The coronavirus testing comes amid a worsening outbreak at the facility, located at 5910 Wilson Blvd. While Sunrise had for weeks avoided the kind of large outbreak that has sickened dozens at Regency Care of Arlington in Pentagon City and Brookdale Senior Living in Virginia Square — and possibly others — on Tuesday the facility’s executive director informed families that it had just confirmed the first cases among residents.
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** Local COVID-19 testing has increased, but hasn't reached prescribed benchmark ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

When local hospitals first started screening patients for possible COVID-19 infections in mid-March, test kits and guidelines were so limited that doctors tested only the desperately ill. For instance, on March 18, only six people were tested in the Rappahannock Area Health District, which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. That number changed considerably over the weeks that followed and on May 9—the high point to date—387 local residents were tested for the virus.
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** Virginia hopes to launch app that can help determine if you were exposed to COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By BRETT HALL, WAVY

You may soon be able to help fight the spread of COVID-19 by downloading an app on your phone. On Wednesday, members from the Virginia Department of Health announced plans to launch a proximity tracking app to help supplement the efforts already underway by human contact tracing.
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** COVID-19 outbreak at local jail sickens 29, including 7 staff, 22 inmates ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

Despite efforts to reduce inmate numbers and screen new arrivals, the Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center is contending with an outbreak of COVID-19 that as of Tuesday had sickened 29 people, including seven staff members and 22 inmates. The outbreak was first acknowledged by jail officials on Friday, May 15.
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** As testing ramps up, Virginia's daily COVID-19 case count sets new record ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Prince William Times

As testing ramps up around the state, Virginia set a new record Thursday in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in a 24-hour period: 1,229. But the percent of positive COVID-19 tests ticked down slightly, from 14.5% to 14.4%. Prince William Health District, meanwhile, continues to report the highest percent-positivity rate in Virginia at 25.9%. But that's also on the decline from Wednesday's 27.3%.
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** 19 deaths now attributed to COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By RANDY ARRINGTON, Page Valley News

Page County saw two more deaths reported on Thursday related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but only one is attributed to an outbreak at a local nursing home. The Virginia Department of Health now reports a total of 19 deaths related to the novel coronavirus in Page County, along with 19 hospitalizations. Jill Irby, the administrator of Skyview Springs Rehab and Nursing Center in Luray, confirmed on Thursday that the facility has now seen 18 fatalities attributed to COVID-19 — one more than was reported on Tuesday. At least one resident of Skyview remains hospitalized at Winchester Medical Center.
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** Pandemic dries up Memorial Day tradition as swimming pools forced to follow restrictions ([link removed])
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By ADAM ZIELONKA, Washington Times

Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of the season for outdoor pools, but, as it has with just about every other aspect of American life, the COVID-19 pandemic has clouded the waters ahead of this long holiday weekend. Most pools in the Washington region will remain closed because of government restrictions and guidelines intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Rain prompts evacuations, concerns about a dam in Roanoke ([link removed])
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By BEN FINLEY, Associated Press

Heavy rains and flooding prompted the evacuation of dozens of residences in southwestern Virginia on Thursday, including 13 homes near an earthen dam in Roanoke. The dam-related evacuations were done “out of an abundance of caution” and the structure was never under imminent threat of failure, Trevor Shannon, Roanoke’s battalion chief of emergency management, said at news conferences.


** LOCAL
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** The petit goatee, and other peculiarities of local governance during a 21st-century pandemic ([link removed])
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By ANDREW JENNER, Harrisonburg Citizen

It was the kind of content made for a city spokesman’s Twitter account. Early in the city council’s pandemic-induced exile to virtual meetings, Councilman George Hirschmann’s cat jumped up onto his lap and, for all we know, into local history as the first cat to participate in Harrisonburg public policy-making. Perhaps, this was just Ernie being Ernie. Then again, perhaps Ernie (who shares Hirschmann’s affections with another cat, Bert), had noticed the Sesame Street lunchbox perched on the bookshelf behind Councilman Chris Jones.
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** Bristol casino to include large indoor, outdoor concert spaces ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

The proposed Hard Rock Bristol Casino and Resort is expected to include a luxury hotel of up to 750 rooms, an outdoor concert venue for 20,000 and an indoor concert venue for 3,200 according to a proposal submitted to the city of Bristol Virginia.
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** Richmond restaurants look to mayor for help ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Chef Ida Mamusu doesn’t let anyone step foot into her restaurant without a mask. If customers enter wearing gloves, she has disposable ones at the ready to switch them out. Choosing not to is a health risk she won’t take, she said. “I grew up in Africa. I saw how contagious viruses can be,” Mamusu said. “This is not a joke.”
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** Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Will Be Illegal In Richmond ([link removed])
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By ROBERTO ROLDAN, WCVE

Having a phone in hand while behind the wheel will become illegal in Virginia starting next year. But in Richmond, the ban will go into effect next month. Richmond City Council passed the distracted driving ordinance back in December. Starting on June 9th, all handheld cellphone use while driving will be illegal within Richmond city limits. The only exceptions are calling emergency services or when stopped at a stop light.
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** Richmond to use some federal COVID-19 relief money for hotel stays ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Richmond plans to use a portion of its COVID-19 relief funding to pay for hotel rooms for residents who are infected with the coronavirus and unable to isolate safely. Mayor Levar Stoney announced the initiative Thursday during his weekly COVID-19 briefing. The city will pay for rooms on behalf of residents who cannot self-isolate because of their living situations.
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** Zurn Warns Loudoun Faces Historic Economic Downturn ([link removed])
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By RENSS GREENE, Loudoun Now

When Loudoun County Treasurer H. Roger Zurn warns members of the Board of Supervisors they could be facing historic economic declines as a results of the COVID-19 pandemic, he is speaking from decades of experience.
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** Supervisors appoint 3 to jail board, setting up debate over county’s ICE agreement ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted along party lines early Wednesday morning to appoint three new citizen members to the Prince William-Manassas regional jail board, setting up a debate over whether the jail board will renew the county’s 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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** Will Public Pools Open In The D.C. Region? Maybe, But With Notable Changes ([link removed])
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By MARTIN AUSTERMUHLE, WAMU

At this point during any normal year, Nathan Darling would be putting the finishing touches on opening the Cheverly Pool in Prince George’s County. Lifeguards would have been scheduled, pool furniture fixed and laid out, and the snack bar stocked for the summer pool season that stretches from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But this is no normal year, and Darling and the community pool’s members — more than 1,000 of them, including his sons, aged 15, 11 and 8 — are instead in a holding pattern, like kids impatiently awaiting the end of an adult swim session that’s dragging on.
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** What happened in Staunton? Massive turnout flips Queen City from blue to red ([link removed])
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By CHRIS GRAHAM, Augusta Free Press

Staunton City Council incumbents Ophie Kier, James Harrington and Erik Curren all outperformed their 2016 vote totals in their 2020 re-election runs....Democrats got their voters out better than they have in a May cycle in years. Republicans got turnout more akin to, not quite a presidential year, but approaching gubernatorial.
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** Boies wins race for Strasburg mayor, newcomers fill open council seats ([link removed])
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By MAX THORNBERRY, Northern Virginia Daily

Strasburg’s town hall and council chambers will see a wave of newcomers join the town’s leadership on July 1. Brandy Hawkins Boies will enter public service as the town’s new mayor after winning 44.1% of the town’s vote. Boies received 478 of the 1,084 votes cast for mayor, according to unofficial election results from the Virginia Department of Elections. The race for mayor included the incumbent, Richard A. Orndorff Jr., Ray N. Lough and Donald M. Le Vine.
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** Victoria fined by state due to sewer issues ([link removed])
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By ROGER WATSON, Kenbridge Victoria Dispatch

The Town of Victoria has been fined by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for non-compliance with discharge limitations at its two wastewater treatment plants.
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** Dominion’s 85 mile broadband cable will not run through Lancaster County ([link removed])
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Northern Neck News

Lancaster County declined the offer to be part of Dominion’s broadband project, choosing instead to maintain its freedom to pursue all options. Dominion plans to lay 85 miles of broadband cable from Northern Virginia down through the Northern Neck to connect its substations. It’s offering to let All Points Broadband Partners build out a network from that line, and according to the companies’ pitch, this middle mile initiative will bring broadband internet to 100 percent of the households that are currently unserved in counties that participate.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Network of Private Providers, Inc
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Recognizing and appreciating the DD and BH providers and their dedicated staff who have met the challenge of COVID-19 protecting their clients’ health and safety.


** EDITORIALS
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** What do we owe health care workers? ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam has said that we are “fighting a biological war.” President Trump has called himself a “wartime president.” Across the political spectrum, martial metaphors abound when it comes to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** A test of responsibility begins on beaches ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam made the welcome announcement on Monday that he would ease restrictions on beach use in the city of Virginia Beach, effective today. That was the right call — so long as beachgoers act responsibly by respecting the dos and don’ts still in place to keep everyone safe. The governor reminded Virginia that he could reimpose restrictions if those guidelines are ignored.
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** Safer roads, sidewalks must be an integral piece of the outdoor spaces discussion ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

On Wednesday night, four passengers rode an eastbound GRTC Pulse bus along Broad Street in downtown Richmond. As the driver prepared to turn right onto 14th street, life changed in an instant.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Dvorak: A banner segregated graduating seniors by color. White administrators didn’t notice. ([link removed])
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By PETULA DVORAK, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The banner was stretched across the football field fence at Yorktown High School, a collage of senior portraits assembled to create the Northern Virginia school’s logo — unity, strength, pride. It was supposed to be a special tribute to the seniors who lost the best part of their senior year. But then some students from the Arlington school took a closer look at the tiny portraits creating the larger image, and they saw something disturbing.


** OP-ED
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** Haner: Blame for power cost hike falls to lawmakers ([link removed])
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By STEPHEN D. HANER, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia’s General Assembly has not left the State Corporation Commission with much authority over electricity regulation in Virginia, but it retains the power to compel the production of crucial information. As the ink was drying on new state legislation mandating huge investments in solar and offshore wind, the commission asked: Just what will this all cost customers?

Haner retired as a Richmond-based lobbyist and is the senior fellow for state and local tax policy at the Thomas Jefferson Institute in Alexandria.
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** Gibson, Broder and Cassidy: COVID-19 sheds new light on paid family leave ([link removed])
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By TARA GIBSON, DAVID BRODER AND MICHAEL CASSIDY, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Since long before the current public health crisis began, families in Virginia have been forced every day to make an impossible choice between their health and their economic security. The commonwealth has no paid family and medical leave policy, which means that when people need to take time off to care for a pressing medical concern or welcome a new child, many are unable to.

Gibson is the director for the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy. Broder is the president of SEIU 512 Virginia. Cassidy is the president and CEO for The Commonwealth Institute.
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