VaNews
June 4, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia's Member-Owned Electric Cooperatives
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In memory of Bill Sherrod: outstanding editor, wonderful colleague, and strong supporter of VPAP’s mission. www.vmdaec.com ([link removed]) ; www.co-opliving.com ([link removed])

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


** Northam to announce plans to remove Richmond’s iconic statue of Robert E. Lee ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER AND LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) plans to announce Thursday that he will remove the towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from its site on Monument Avenue and put it into storage, according to an official in his administration. Word of the pending announcement set off jubilant roars among thousands gathered at the foot of the edifice Wednesday evening for a sixth straight day of marches protesting police brutality against African Americans.
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** Protesters Demand More than Removal of Confederate Monuments ([link removed])
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By YASMINE JUMAA, WCVE

Hundreds of protesters were gathered around the Robert E. Lee statue when the news broke on Wednesday about the intentions of Governor Ralph Northam, Mayor Levar Stoney and Councilman Michael Jones to take action to remove confederate statues on Monument Avenue. One of them was Naomi Isaac who wants to see more concrete action.
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** As Richmond prepares to remove monuments, a small-town mayor is ready to take them ([link removed])
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By K. BURNELL EVANS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

As protesters celebrated the state's impending removal of the Robert E. Lee memorial on Richmond's historic Monument Avenue on Wednesday, Col. Greg Eanes made his move. The outgoing mayor of the tiny town of Crewe, in consultation with his successor, sent a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam offering to take in the Confederate general.
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** VPAP Visual GOP Voters Turn to Mail Ballots ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

The coronavirus pandemic has Virginia Republican voting by mail in a June 23 U.S. Senate primary at higher numbers than they did in a similar election two years ago. The GOP Mail Vote dashboard, which VPAP will update daily, includes the total number of ballots and a map comparing the number in each locality.
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** Virginia lags most states in making sure nursing homes have proper infection-control measures ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Only two states have done a worse job than Virginia in surveying skilled nursing homes to ensure that they have necessary infection-control measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the federal government. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services directed the states in March to survey all nursing homes for focused infection-control practices. Virginia had completed just 43 of 287 homes as of Monday.
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** Virginia to launch COVID-19 antibody study ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health launched a study this week to gauge how many adults in the state have so far contracted COVID-19, including those who never showed symptoms.
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** Regal Potomac Yard has probably shown its last movie ever ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN CAPRIEL, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

The Regal Potomac Yard movie theater appears to have shown its last picture. Regal Cinemas has scrubbed the 16-theater multiplex at 3575 Potomac Ave. from its list of Virginia locations on its website. Couple that with the fact Virginia Tech and JBG Smith Properties plan to redevelop the North Potomac Yard site on an accelerated timeline, it's likely the theater showed its last film months ago — when Disney's "Onward" was No. 1 at the box office.
The Full Report
46 articles, 26 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

VPAP has redesigned its COVID-19 dashboard to include timeline showing tests performed and charts with statewide hospital capacity. Also includes a timeline of COVID-19 cases, a statewide map showing the number of cases per 100,000 people and an exclusive per-capita ZIP Code map. Updated each morning around 10:00 am.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam to take down Lee monument; mayor wants other Confederate statues removed ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Growing demonstrations against racism and police brutality in Richmond have unfolded beneath the country’s most iconic Confederate monuments. Protesters decrying white supremacy have chanted for city leaders to tear them down. Gov. Ralph Northam and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney heeded their calls Wednesday.
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** Virginia governor to announce removal of Lee statue ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN AND SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to announce plans Thursday to remove one of the country’s most iconic monuments to the Confederacy, a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee along Richmond’s prominent Monument Avenue, a senior administration official told The Associated Press. The move would be an extraordinary victory for civil rights activists, whose calls for the removal of that monument and others in this former capital of the Confederacy have been resisted for years.
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** Virginia Governor Plans to Order Robert E. Lee Statue Removed ([link removed])
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By NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia plans to order the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond to be removed, an administration official said on Wednesday, the same day Richmond’s mayor said he would propose removing additional Confederate monuments from the state capital. Demonstrators in at least six cities have targeted symbols of the Confederacy in recent days after George Floyd was killed while Minneapolis police officers arrested him, marring some statues and monuments whose presence has long ignited controversy.
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** Northam places Hampton under 8 p.m. curfew through Saturday ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam issued a curfew Wednesday afternoon for Hampton at the request of local leaders in the city. The curfew will remain in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Wednesday and lasting through Saturday.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** First Virginia body camera law coming soon; several departments don’t have them ([link removed])
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By JACKIE DEFUSCO, WFXR

The first body camera law in Virginia takes effect on July 1 but advocates say the state should go further. Protests surrounding the death of George Floyd have reinvigorated conversations about police accountability in the commonwealth. Virginia NAACP State Conference President Robert Barnette says body cameras are part of the answer.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** County students protest, send message to state senator ([link removed])
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By KRISTI K. HIGGINS, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

The leaders of a group who protested the death of an African American man while in Minneapolis Police Department custody Monday night said they did not appreciate warnings from a county state senator that they were expanding the riotous activity from Richmond into the county. “Amanda Chase, seriously, what you did today was disgusting,” said Riley Johnston, a Chesterfield native and Shenandoah University student who helped coordinate the demonstration.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** State labor officials inspecting some businesses amid reports of COVID-19-related deaths among workers ([link removed])
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By SEAN GORMAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

State officials are probing the workplace safety practices of at least a half-dozen employers in connection with deaths of workers related to COVID-19. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has opened seven inspections of employers based on those companies’ reports of an employee’s death, Jay Withrow, the agency’s director of legal support, said in an email last Friday.
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** During pandemic, Restaurant inspections have gone virtual ([link removed])
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By MATTHEW KORFHAGE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

When the coronavirus pandemic began, restaurants were among the first to see the effects. Dining rooms initially were limited, and then shut down entirely. Laid-off service-industry workers flooded the unemployment rolls. Much less visible was the effect on how restaurants are regulated.
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** District court resumes “nonemergency” cases ([link removed])
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By DON DEL ROSSO, Fauquier Now

When Fauquier County General District Court last month resumed conducting in-person “nonemergency” hearings, Judge J. Gregory Ashwell had doubts about whether he could require people to wear face coverings to help deter the spread of the coronavirus during the proceedings. Erasing uncertainty over the matter, Virginia’s highest court on Monday issued a six-page order that among other things states “all persons aged 10 or over entering the courthouse must wear a face covering that covers the nose and mouth.”


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Virginia restaurants prepare for Phase Two ([link removed])
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By ANN TAYLOR, WDBJ

Restaurant owners in Roanoke are getting ready as Virginia enters Phase 2 of reopening, which means restaurants may have indoor dining at 50 percent capacity. Restaurant owners are beaming with excitement and said this is something they've been hoping and praying for ever since they had to close their doors months ago.
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** Columbia Pike Businesses Say Outdoor Dining Vital to Survival ([link removed])
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By VERNON MILES, ArlNow

As Arlington’s restaurants try to return to some semblance of normalcy during the first phase of reopening, some local restaurants are anxiously awaiting Arlington County approval of temporary outdoor seating permits. Owners of two eateries along the Columbia Pike corridor, Ethiopian restaurant Dama Pastry & Cafe (1505 Columbia Pike) and Ididos Coffee and Social House (1107 S. Walter Reed Drive) said getting access to outdoor dining is a crucial part of getting business back to normal.
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** Armada Hoffler deal that fell apart with the pandemic comes through after all ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Armada Hoffler, the Virginia Beach-based commercial developer and property owner, had announced in early April that a deal to sell seven of its grocery-anchored shopping centers for $106.5 million had fallen through because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the company said a new deal with the same buyer had closed, this time selling the properties for $90 million.
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** Cash Crops from the Woods; Forest Farming Economy to Shoot Up ([link removed])
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By ROBBIE HARRIS, WVTF

Harvesting wild food from the forest goes back to the beginning of civilization. But recently, interest in edible and medicinal wild plants has been growing. There’s a movement underway in Appalachia, to create a supply chain of reliably sourced wild plants, for health, well-being and a good living for people doing something called “Forest Farming.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** VCU announces plans for reopening; fall semester to start Aug. 17 ([link removed])
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By WAYNE EPPS JR., Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Virginia Commonwealth University on Wednesday outlined plans for the reopening of its campus over the course of the summer. The school will bring staff, faculty and students back in phases, with the start of the fall semester set for Aug. 17.
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** CNU president apologizes for letter, asks for his name to be added to list of supporters ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Christopher Newport University president Paul Trible Jr. sent a letter to the university Wednesday apologizing for a message he sent Sunday about protests against police brutality. In the earlier letter, Trible cited the burglary of his son’s luxury menswear store in Richmond as an example of destruction of property associated with the protests and condemned violence.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Reopening Virginia’s nursing homes could hinge on sweeping new testing requirements. ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

The key to reopening Virginia’s 287 nursing homes lies in dramatically expanded testing for residents and staff, based on recent recommendations from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The lingering question is who’s on the hook for the cost.
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** Protesters balance push for racial justice with COVID-19's spread ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Overlooking a crowd of hundreds from the steps of Richmond City Hall on Tuesday, Mayor Levar Stoney pulled down his face mask and apologized for the city’s police force using tear gas on peaceful protesters the night before. The megaphone he used passed from one speaker to another. The mayor spoke with people from no more than a couple of feet away. The protests in Richmond since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis have packed city streets, with most people wearing masks but not all.
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** COVID-19 cases in Virginia up by 666; deaths increase by 21 ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

While the statewide total of COVID-19 cases continues to increase as the result of more testing, Virginia Department of Health data show the percent of positive results from that testing continues a decline that started in the middle of April.
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** Warren County sees spike in new cases after mass testing at regional jail ([link removed])
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By RANDY ARRINGTON, Page Valley News

On Friday, the Virginia Department of Health and the National Guard conducted a point prevalence survey at the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren Regional Jail just north of Front Royal. Five days later, VDH is reporting a one-day, 23-percent increase in new cases of COVID-19 in Warren County. The 38 new cases of the novel coronavirus reported on Wednesday, brings Warren’s total to 204. Since the pandemic began, Warren has seen 15 people hospitalized and three related fatalities.
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** Hottest day of the year drives crowds to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to cool off ([link removed])
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By DANA SMITH, WVEC

If you’ve stepped outside on Wednesday, there’s one thing you might have noticed: the temperature! It was a busy day at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront as a lot of people enjoyed the hottest day of the year on the boardwalk, the pier, and the sand. But it’s not just the heat they had to look out for, we’re still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Protests against police brutality expand into the Richmond suburbs ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, ALI SULLIVAN, C. SUAREZ ROJAS, MARK BOWES AND JESS NOCERA, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

As Richmond marked its sixth day of demonstrations against police brutality that has roiled the nation, protests expanded into the city’s suburbs on Wednesday with marches, chants and prayers. The names of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd rang out on Iron Bridge Road in Chesterfield County. Protesters from the Short Pump area shouted “Black Lives Matter” as they wound their way into the city limits.
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** 'This is the beginning, y'all' ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO AND KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Protesters reunited at the 7-11 on Main Street after departing the monument around 8 p.m., with a congregation smaller than Wednesday afternoon that still numbered in the hundreds. Cars tagged along, sending waves of pulsing rap music to amp up the crowd as they marched through a boarded up Carytown, where multiple businesses displayed “Black Lives Matter” along the wooden panels.
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** Protesters rally again in Norfolk to honor black lives, condemn systemic racism ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

More than 200 demonstrators marched through downtown Norfolk on Wednesday night to denounce police brutality, capping their long, hot walk with a surprise brass band performance that threw the crowd into dance.
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** Norfolk’s Confederate monument could be removed as soon as August ([link removed])
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By RYAN MURPHY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Norfolk’s City Council has said for nearly three years that it plans to move the monument to Confederate war dead that stands prominently downtown. Now, there’s a timeline.
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** George Floyd Protests Reignite Debate Over Confederate Statues ([link removed])
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By AIMEE ORTIZ AND JOHNNY DIAZ, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

As protests against racism and police violence spread across the nation, demonstrators in at least six cities focused their anger on symbols of the Confederacy, seizing the opportunity to mar statues and monuments that have ignited debate for years. Many of the monuments were vandalized with spray paint; protesters tried to topple others from their bases. In response, at least two cities this week have seen them removed from public spaces.
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** Protests in Fredericksburg continue peacefully; city extends curfew ([link removed])
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By CATHY JETT AND KEITH EPPS, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

For the fifth day in a row, they marched and they chanted. And this time, none of the groups of mostly young people protesting police brutality and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis were arrested or received citations.
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** Efforts toward racial justice take shape across Harrisonburg ([link removed])
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By RANDI B. HAGI, Harrisonburg Citizen

A silent crowd marched through downtown Harrisonburg with a single voice on Monday. Hands pointed skyward in unison at a community prayer event earlier that evening. And hundreds more gathered Wednesday evening in an online town hall to hear calls to action. Racial justice advocates across Harrisonburg — all of different races, ethnicities and ages — have mobilized peacefully and en masse in the past week.
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** Lynchburg protests continue to grow, rallies gather at Monument Terrace, Liberty University ([link removed])
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By SARAH HONOSKY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

More than 100 people knelt at the top of Monument Terrace on Tuesday morning, crowding asphalt, cobblestone and brick with heads bowed and, in many cases, their arms behind their backs. In a rally organized by the Lynchburg branch of the NAACP, featuring speeches by city officials, organizational leaders, clergy and activists, protesters gathered to promote “justice for all,” hoping to provoke empathy and inspire positive action in the Lynchburg community.
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** Richmond mayor will not request curfew extension ([link removed])
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By VERNON FREEMAN JR., WTVR

The Richmond Mayor’s Office confirms they will not request an extension to an 8 p.m. curfew after it expired Wednesday at 6 a.m. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney first requested an 8 p.m. curfew in the city after two nights of rioting. Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency across Virginia on Sunday, approving the curfew and activating the Virginia National Guard.
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** 7 arrested and guns, body armor, gas masks, fire accelerants seized after 5th night of Richmond protests ([link removed])
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By ALI ROCKETT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Seven people were arrested early Wednesday after what Richmond police said was a “mostly peaceful” protest that swept the city for a fifth straight night. This comes two days after police arrested 233 people at protests overnight Sunday, the first night of an 8 p.m. curfew, which expired Wednesday at 6 a.m.; the mayor’s office said they will not request an extension to the curfew.
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** 'It's been happening all along': Panel of Richmond law enforcement leaders discuss George Floyd killing ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Former Richmond police officer, homicide investigator and sheriff C.T. Woody entered law enforcement in 1968, the year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated and the country was rocked by civil unrest. But he said the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis last month has had an even greater impact in Richmond.
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** Richmond Police Spit at or Near Detained Protester ([link removed])
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By ALAN RODRIGUEZ ESPINOZA, WCVE

Numerous videos captured Monday evening show Richmond police officers spitting in the direction of a detained protester after police fired gas canisters into a crowd on Monument Ave. In a series of tweets, the Richmond Police Department said “slow motion analysis” of the video determined the officers were spitting into the grass, and not on the detainee.


** LOCAL
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** Tennis Courts, Tracks, Picnic Shelters to Reopen ([link removed])
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ArlNow

Some currently closed amenities at Arlington County parks will be reopening Friday. Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation announced this afternoon that park amenities which can be utilized safely while maintaining social distancing will be reopening. That includes athletic fields, batting cages, tennis courts, tracks and picnic shelters.
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** Prince William schools reject FOIA request for @SuperPWCS Twitter messages ([link removed])
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Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)

Prince William County Public Schools has rejected a request by the Board of County Supervisors to provide more than 20,000 private messages posted on Twitter, most between schools Superintendent Steve Walts and students. After a Freedom of Information Act request from a county resident revealed a handful of the messages from Walts account, @SuperPWCS, county supervisors made a FOIA request May 13 for the past 18 months of messages.
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** County offers $5 million in grants to small businesses ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer

Chesterfield County is using part of its federal CARES Act allocation to provide financial assistance for local small businesses that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Supervisors has approved the expenditure of $5 million to create the “Back in Business” program, which will provide $10,000 grants to for-profit businesses that meet the county’s eligibility requirements.
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** Gun-rights advocates seek ballot measure to require Norfolk to ignore new state laws ([link removed])
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By RYAN MURPHY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Petitioners have turned in enough signatures to force Norfolk’s City Council to consider a measure that would instruct city police to effectively ignore new gun-control measures passed by the Virginia General Assembly, the lead organizer behind the petition effort said.
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** Chesapeake extends curbside recycling through 2024 ([link removed])
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By GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Chesapeake will keep offering residents curbside recycling after reaching a new deal with a contractor. On Tuesday, the city announced it had an agreement with Tidewater Fibre Corp. to continue the recycling program through October 2024. An interim agreement was set to expire June 30.
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** Final member appointed to Virginia police oversight panel ([link removed])
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By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

As calls for law enforcement accountability increase nationwide after the killing of George Floyd, Charlottesville officials filled out the last seat on the Police Civilian Review Board. Meanwhile, the city’s police chief commended activists for peaceful demonstrations locally over the weekend.
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** Frederick Water, Carmeuse reach new agreement ([link removed])
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By MICKEY POWELL, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Frederick Water will be able to withdraw as much water as it needs from Carmeuse Lime & Stone quarries in the future under a permanent agreement they have reached. It also will eventually be able to purchase the quarries, helping to ensure that water is available to meet Frederick County’s needs well into the future.
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** Front Royal prepares to establish a town EDA ([link removed])
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By MAX THORNBERRY, Northern Virginia Daily

Members of the Front Royal Town Council decided Monday evening to move forward with plans to have the town part ways from the joint Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority to create its own EDA. The General Assembly passed a bill during its last session authorizing the town to establish its own EDA.
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** Next steps for proposed Danville casino: Lottery board review, referendum ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

The thought of a casino in Schoolfield causes excitement for resident Evelyn Lowe, who worked at Dan River Inc. and has lived in the neighborhood for about 50 years. "I'm all for it," Lowe, 75, said Wednesday afternoon.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia's Member-Owned Electric Cooperatives
------------------------------------------------------------

In memory of Bill Sherrod: outstanding editor, wonderful colleague, and strong supporter of VPAP’s mission. www.vmdaec.com ([link removed]) ; www.co-opliving.com ([link removed])


** EDITORIALS
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** Racial disparity in virus cases highlights health inequalities ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The coronavirus, we’re told, is no respecter of wealth or station. We’ve seen world leaders and other prominent people battling COVID-19. White House staffers have tested positive. It can strike anyone. That’s all true, as far as it goes.
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** With justice for all comes respect for the rule of law ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Since the unjustified killing of George Floyd on May 25, the nation has witnessed historic, tumultuous protests. There have been hundreds — from peaceful demonstrations to violent riots — in cities across the country. We hope these protests signal the birth pains of a reborn, stronger America, one where there will be true justice for all.


** OP-ED
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** Brooks: Virginia right to let localities decide monuments’ fate ([link removed])
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By LECIA BROOKS, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

With a series of bills signed on April 11, Gov. Ralph Northam and state lawmakers have put Virginia at the forefront of efforts across the South to not only vanquish publicly sponsored symbols that glorify the region’s white supremacist history but address one of the most glaring and stubborn legacies of Jim Crow oppression: voter disenfranchisement.
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** Koehler: The pandemic is a double crisis and a silver lining ([link removed])
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By DON KOEHLER, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

I don’t know about you, but I am not going back to business as usual. As a mental health professional, I’ve seen too much. I now work from home and Zoom with clients. They struggle with depression, suicidal tendencies and anxiety. For many, the virus has only made their symptoms worse. Andrew Soloman, a leading expert on depression who himself suffers from depression, recently called the COVID-19 pandemic a double crisis: both the obvious physical health crisis and the less appreciated and less visible mental health crisis.

Don Koehler is a clinical psychologist with Mynd Matters Counseling in Richmond
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