VaNews
June 9, 2020

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** Eviction hearings won’t happen for at least 20 days, Virginia Supreme Court says ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Supreme Court has agreed to stop all court hearings associated with evictions for at least 20 days at the request of Gov. Ralph Northam, who says he’s developing a comprehensive rent relief program.
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** Some gun control decisions are shifting to cities and counties ([link removed])
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By PETER DUJARDIN, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Gun owners in Virginia have long had the freedom to carry their weapons openly at public parks and nearly all government buildings. But that could soon change — at least in some localities. Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck said last week that the city is considering cracking down on the “open carrying” of firearms at its libraries and parks — including Buckroe Beach and Sandy Bottom Nature Park — as well as at festivals and events that require city permits.
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** Judge issues order halting Lee statue removal for 10 days ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

A judge in Richmond has issued an injunction preventing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration from removing an iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee for 10 days. The temporary injunction order issued Monday says the state is a party to a deed recorded in March 1890 in which it accepted the statue, pedestal and ground they sit on and agreed to “faithfully guard” and “affectionately protect” them.
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** Residents call on Richmond City Council to 'defund the police' in wake of protests ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Echoing protesters who have marched through the city over the past week and a half, residents on Monday called on the Richmond City Council to slash the Richmond Police Department’s budget. The refrain — “defund the police” — came from about a dozen speakers during a public hearing at what was the council’s first full meeting since Black Lives Matter protests took hold of the city.
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** Colleges decried racism. Now some incoming students are accused of racist social media posts. ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, HENRI GENDREAU AND SAM WALL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Amid protests over police brutality, college presidents nationwide issued statements decrying racism and reaffirming a commitment to fostering diverse campuses. Now universities are being challenged by their own students and alumni to take action against incoming students accused of making racist social media posts. Colleges in the Roanoke and New River valleys have faced hundreds of complaints in recent weeks about posts made in recent years and after George Floyd’s May 31 death in police custody in Minneapolis.
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** Historic Resources To Review Harris Historic Marker ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Charlotte Harris, a local African-American woman, was abducted from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County jail by a white mob and was lynched in 1878. Members of the mob were never held accountable by a grand jury that same year, and they would not be indicted. By next week, Harris could become the first African-American woman to have a historical marker dedicated to her in Virginia and possibly the United States.
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** The 17-year cicadas emerge across Southwest Virginia ([link removed])
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By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Every morning in his rural Craig County home, Eric Day wakes not to the sounds of birds singing or roosters crowing, but to the noise of cicadas … making whatever noise it is that cicadas make. The symphony of one million weedeaters? A chorus of chain saws? The high-pitched hum of an alien spaceship from a cheesy 1950s sci-fi movie?... However you describe it, the noise is back. Because the cicadas are back. By the billions.
The Full Report
56 articles, 29 publications

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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Legislators Report 'Gifts' from 2020 Session ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Legislators disclosed free meals and receptions totaling more than $12,000 during the 2020 General Assembly session, the highest value in four years. Just over half of the 140 lawmakers reported at least one gift valued at more than $50. VPAP breaks down the gifts by political party and details of meals and receptions reported by each legislator.
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** From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Our COVID-19 dashboard makes it easy to track the latest available data for tests performed, infections, deaths and hospital capacity. There's a filter for each city and county, plus an exclusive per-capita ZIP Code map. Updated each morning around 10:00 am.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Evictions halted while Northam starts rent relief program ([link removed])
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Associated Press

Eviction proceedings in Virginia were halted Monday due to a temporary statewide moratorium, Gov. Ralph Northam announced. Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Lemons issued the order Monday, which will remain in effect through June 28.
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** Virginia suspends evictions through late June ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Evictions in Virginia have been banned through late June in response to the coronavirus pandemic and in preparation for an initiative set to be released by Gov. Ralph Northam.
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** Virginia Supreme Court halts eviction efforts through June 28 ([link removed])
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By NEIL HARVEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Virginia tenants who are struggling to pay rent in the wake of COVID-19 just got an additional time-out, as well as the prospect of future relief. The state Supreme Court, at the request of Gov. Ralph Northam, on Monday suspended the issuance of writs of eviction and postponed related court hearings at least through June 28.
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** Judge blocks order to take down Lee statue in Richmond ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

A spokesman for Gov. Ralph S. Northam said he is “committed” to removing the Robert E. Lee memorial in Richmond despite a Richmond judge issuing a 10-day injunction blocking it. “Governor Northam remains committed to removing this divisive symbol from Virginia’s capital city, and we’re confident in his authority to do so.” press secretary Alena Yarmosky said in an email to The Progress-Index late Monday night.
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** Richmond judge bars removal of Lee statue on Monument Avenue for 10 days ([link removed])
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By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A Richmond judge has issued a temporary injunction barring the state from taking down the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue for 10 days. The injunction, issued Monday afternoon, came after a complaint was filed earlier in the day objecting to the monument’s removal.
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** Richmond judge halts removal of Robert E. Lee statue for 10 days ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA AND GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A Richmond judge on Monday temporarily blocked Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam from removing a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the Monument Avenue traffic circle where it has stood for 130 years.
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** Virginia AG General Mark Herring among 18 asking for authority to investigate local police ([link removed])
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By STEPHANIE HARRIS, WAVY

As tens of thousands of protesters across the country continue to take to the streets nightly, a group of 18 attorneys general penned their own sort of protest in the effort to end racial injustice. “Allowing us to enforce federal law would be a real big step in making sure that systems that allow police misconduct to occur can be stopped,” Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring told WAVY.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Employment law to see major changes July 1 ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Virginia employment lawyers are bracing for sweeping changes to their practice beginning July 1 as a wave of worker protection legislation takes effect. Lawyers for employees sound gleeful as they describe extensive changes that benefit workers in disputes with management. Management lawyers are counseling clients on ways to avoid liability.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Good v. Riggleman: Saturday convention to settle the matter ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Republicans in Central Virginia will decide whether to keep Rep. Denver Riggleman or go with his more conventionally conservative challenger during an unusual convention Saturday. Riggleman, of Nelson County, and Bob Good, a former Liberty University athletics official, have waged contentious campaigns to secure the nomination.
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** Down Ballot Races May Drive Turnout for Primary Elections This Month ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL LEE POPE, WVTF

Usually, the race at the top of the ticket influences other elections down ballot. But the Republican primary this month is the opposite. The race at the top of the ticket — the primary for U.S. Senate — hasn’t really attracted all that much money or attention.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia state parks reopening cabins and parks this week ([link removed])
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By ROB HEDELT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Cabins and lodges will be reopening Thursday at Virginia State Parks, with some new rules of operation. That means that reservations for overnight stays are once again being accepted for those cabins and lodges, but with two notable changes due to COVID-19: linens will not be provided for now and there will be a 24-hour “rest period” between guests.
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** State Corrects Underreporting of Unemployment in Hispanic Community ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL POPE, WVTF

What's the percentage of people in Virginia collecting unemployment benefits who are Hispanic? The answer state officials were giving until recently was curious — less than one percent. “Our data was incorrect,” admits Megan Healy, chief workforce development advisor for Governor Ralph Northam. After several inquiries for this report, she worked with a team of people to figure out why questions about race and ethnicity were mingled together in a way that jumbled the results.


** CONGRESS
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** Rep. McEachin to U.S. House leaders: Ban military force against protesters ([link removed])
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By ROBIN BRAVENDER, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Rep. Don McEachin is urging U.S. House leaders to prohibit the Defense Department from using military force against peaceful protesters. The Richmond Democrat sent a letter this month asking lawmakers to include language in an annual defense spending bill that would block funding “from being used for force against American citizens peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.”


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Pipeline may run through megasite to deliver gas from Chatham to localities in North Carolina ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

The Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority is considering whether to allow a company to build part of a natural gas pipeline through the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in southwestern Pittsylvania County.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro Set For Multiple 1-2 Week Shutdowns At Rail Stations This Summer ([link removed])
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By JORDAN PASCALE, DCist

Metro is shutting down portions of the rail system to do 24/7 track and other work while ridership is down about 90% because of the coronavirus. The work begins Monday on the Yellow Line between L’Enfant Plaza and Pentagon and runs through June 27th, the only three-week closure.
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** Colonial Parkway backlog repairs increase to more than $433 million ([link removed])
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By ALEXA DOIRON, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

The Colonial National Historical Parkway has been part of an overall billion-dollar backlog of repairs for national parks across the country and funding for these repairs is in question during the coronavirus. The Colonial Parkway had accumulated $420 million in backlogged repairs in 2019 but that number has risen to $433.9 million in 2020, according to Pew Charitable Trusts.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Virginia Tech announces reopening plans, with residential fall semester to end before Thanksgiving ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Virginia Tech’s residential fall semester will begin in August and end before the Thanksgiving break, the university announced on Monday.
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** UVa spends $400k on masks, welcome-back kits in preparation for fall reopening ([link removed])
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By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The University of Virginia will spend nearly $400,000 to purchase masks and protective gear in an effort to safely reopen in the fall. The university has ordered 25,000 “welcome back kits” from Bright Ideas LLC, a business in Troy. It also has ordered face masks, according to purchase orders reviewed by The Daily Progress.
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** Virginia Tech has big plans for the Falls Church campus it shares with UVa. But UVa. isn't along for the ride ([link removed])
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By ALEX KOMA, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

Virginia Tech is moving ahead with plans to redevelop the graduate campus it shares with the University of Virginia in Falls Church — and UVa. will not be part of the new project. The Blacksburg university has been eyeing the potential overhaul of its Northern Virginia Center, located adjacent to the West Falls Church Metro station, for some time now.
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** Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. apologizes for tweet invoking blackface photo ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN AND ELANA SCHOR, Associated Press

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. apologized Monday for a tweet that included a racist photo that appeared on Gov. Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook page decades ago. “After listening to African American LU leaders and alumni over the past week and hearing their concerns, I understand that by tweeting an image to remind all of the governor’s racist past I actually refreshed the trauma that image had caused and offended some by using the image to make a political point," he tweeted Monday.
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** Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. apologizes after outcry over blackface tweet ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. on Monday issued a rare apology for invoking Gov. Ralph Northam’s blackface scandal while attacking the state’s new mask requirements — a controversial episode that helped spark protests across the city and prompted at least four black employees to resign from the Christian institution.
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** Falwell’s Blackface Tweet Brings Racial Dissent to Liberty University ([link removed])
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By ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

The racial strife roiling the country and its politics has reached an unlikely redoubt of social conservatism, Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Liberty University. Blackface and Ku Klux Klan imagery tweeted by Mr. Falwell, who tolerates little dissent at the evangelical university he leads, has spurred staff resignations, demands for his firing by influential alumni, an incipient boycott and a raucous protest in the university’s home of Lynchburg, Va., over the past week.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Washington region reports 1,058 new coronavirus cases as positivity rates continue to fall ([link removed])
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By DANA HEDGPETH AND ANTONIO OLIVO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Washington region reported 34 additional covid-19 deaths Monday, though the rates of coronavirus infections and new hospitalizations continued to drop.
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** Percent of positive COVID-19 tests in Virginia down to 10% from high of 22% in mid-April ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health reported Monday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 51,251 — an increase of 570 from the 50,681 reported Sunday. As the overall number of positive COVID-19 test results in Virginia grows, data from the VDH coronavirus dashboard show the percentage of positive results from testing is down.
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** Fairfax County Sees Spike in COVID-19 Cases Over Weekend ([link removed])
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By CATHERINE DOUGLAS MORAN, Reston Now

The Fairfax County Health District saw a spike in COVID-19 cases over the weekend. As of Monday, there are 12,728 total COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District (12,603 of which are in Fairfax County) — a jump of roughly 700 cases since Friday (June 5), according to the Virginia Department of Health. On Saturday, 152 number of cases were reported, while Sunday saw 399 and Monday so far has 148, according to the data.
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** Health, government officials implore residents to wear masks, keep distance to slow spike in COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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By HOLLY KOZELSKY, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Citing a huge spike in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the region, health and government officials gathered Monday afternoon to offer a united voice for being more aggressive with precautions. Penny Hall, the chief operating officer for the West Piedmont Health District of the Virginia Department of Health, said “COVID-19 cases in Martinsville and Henry County have surged in the past several weeks.”
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** New COVID-19 Cases Continue to Decline in Virginia Despite Phased Openings ([link removed])
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Bristow Beat

New cases of COVID-19 continue to fall in Virginia even if overall number seem high. The trend is a good indicator as the Commonwealth has begun to open up as per the Gov. Ralph Northam’s “Virginia Forward” plan. Virginia has had 51,251 total cases of COVID-19 reported to the Virginia Department of Health as of June 8, 2020. The department reports 5,143 total hospitalizations and 1,477 deaths from the virus.
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** For local artists, pandemic has created struggles but also a ‘coronaissance’ ([link removed])
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By SUKAINAH ABID-KONS, Harrisonburg Citizen

Local rapper Gabriel Curry started using the term “coronaissance” as a joke term with friends as a way to describe the effect that the global pandemic was having on local art and culture. But it soon became apparent it was more than a joke. Something was happening.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Self-identified Ku Klux Klan leader arrested after driving through protesters in Richmond, prosecutors say ([link removed])
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By EMILY DAVIES, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A self-identified leader in the Ku Klux Klan was arrested after driving through peaceful protesters in Richmond late Sunday afternoon, prosecutors said. The man, Harry H. Rogers, 36, of Hanover County, has been charged with assault and battery, attempted malicious wounding and destruction of property with intent, according to online court records and prosecutors.
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** Virginia has the most Confederate memorials in the country, but that might change ([link removed])
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By DEEPA SHIVARAM AND KYLE STEWART, NBCNews

As nationwide protests continue following the death of George Floyd in police custody, the debate over removing Confederate statues has reignited — and the city that was once the capital of the Confederacy is taking the lead. . . . Virginia is home to 110 Confederate monuments, 13 of which are in Richmond, according to 2019 data from the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC.
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** Henrico prosecutor: Hanover man who drove into protest is admitted KKK leader ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY AND REED WILLIAMS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Hanover County man arrested Sunday for driving his truck into a crowd of protesters “is an admitted leader of the Ku Klux Klan and a propagandist for Confederate ideology,” Henrico County’s top prosecutor said Monday. Harry H. Rogers, 36, has been charged with attempted malicious wounding, felony vandalism, and assault and battery. He is being held without bond.
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** Hundreds Line Reston Parkway in Support of George Floyd, Racial Justice ([link removed])
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By FATIMAH WASEEM, Reston Now

Hundreds of protestors lined Reston Parkway on Sunday evening to take a stand for George Floyd and racial justice. Cars honked as protestors of all ages stood with signs in the peaceful demonstration, which was organized by a local community group, Reston Strong. Some chanted while others stood with masks. Groups gathered in Reston’s heart — Reston Town Center — in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
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** Residents Chalk 1,265 Names at Lake Anne Plaza to Honor Black Lives ([link removed])
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By FATIMAH WASEEM, Reston Now

More than 1,000 names of black people shot and killed by police in the last five years now don the sidewalks of Lake Anne Plaza. Local residents spent much of Saturday morning chalking the names of 1,265 people with sidewalk chalk. Organizer Kaila Drayton, a said she wanted to take the time to honor individuals who lost their lives due to police brutality.
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** Richmond prosecutor: No jail time for protestors charged with violating curfew ([link removed])
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By ALI ROCKETT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Richmond's top prosecutor Colette McEachin says she will waive the possibility of jail time for anyone charged only with violating the curfew during last week's protests. But she stopped short of dropping the charges all together, as demonstrators have called.
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** About 200 gather for protest at Chesterfield County courthouse steps ([link removed])
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By SEAN GORMAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Claudius Young walked along Iron Bridge Road on Monday evening pushing a stroller holding his 2-year-old daughter who was nibbling on a snack as he marched towards the Chesterfield County Courthouse complex. Young, a 42-year-old Chesterfield resident, carried with him a message written on a piece of cardboard that said “Please take a knee, just not on my neck.”
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** Local protests against police brutality continue in Chesapeake and Hampton ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE AND GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

“Black Lives Matter.” “Strong Black Man." “Husband. Dad. Hero. Legend.” Those were some of the phrases on T-shirts worn by a group of marchers Monday afternoon on Las Gaviotas Boulevard in Chesapeake. The demonstration was part of the March for Racial Justice at The Mount Church, put together by a newly formed coalition of black pastors, said Bishop Kevin White.
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** Protesters call for defunding of Fredericksburg police ([link removed])
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By KEITH EPPS, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A group of Black Lives Matter protesters had a lot to say Monday as they again marched through Fredericksburg, and none of it was favorable to police. The group marched from the downtown area to the police station on Cowan Boulevard, carrying signs advocating the defunding of police and shouting such things as “no justice, no peace … [expletive] those racist-assed police.”
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** Catholic Diocese of Richmond reviewing abuse allegations against four retired or inactive priests ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced Monday it has begun an inquiry into accusations of sexual abuse against four retired or inactive priests. The announcement named four priests whom the diocese said have been accused of sexual abuse against children.


** LOCAL
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** ACPD Reports More Complaints, Increased Use of Force in 2019 ([link removed])
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ArlNow

With the nation’s attention turned to police misconduct following the murder of George Floyd and the mass protests that have followed, a recent report details an uptrend in use of force by and complaints against the Arlington County Police Department. The 2019 Annual Report from ACPD’s Office of Professional Responsibility says that complaints against police personnel rose 55% between 2018 and 2019, after falling for at least three straight years. Reported use of force incidents rose 72% during the same time period.
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** Bookkeeping problems plague city operations, budgets ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Richmond Free Press

Sloppy bookkeeping at City Hall led to $3 million in revenue being squirreled away in unused accounts — and unavailable to pay for schools, tree pruning and a host of other city operations. That includes a nearly $1.1 million check for utility sales tax that was credited to the wrong account. Meanwhile, the same sloppiness led the public law library at the Richmond Public Library’s Main Branch in Downtown to fall into a $324,00 deficit as of June 30, 2019, even as the city was improperly spending $1.07 million from fees collected from a cable company to redesign its website.
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** ‘Recovery of Learning’ Hopes to Fill in Gaps Left by Remote Learning ([link removed])
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By IAN M. STEWART, WCVE

When schools moved to remote learning back in March, Chesterfield’s school district had to scramble with how to set up lessons delivered solely online. When it looked like students were no longer going to see their teachers or classmates in person, Sharon Pope, chief academic officer, said the district had to come up with a plan on how they were going to teach students. . . . Now, the district is in phase three, which is called “Recovery of Learning.”
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** Move to Take Down Loudoun County Confederate Statue to Begin July 7 ([link removed])
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By RENSS GREENE, Loudoun Times

Loudoun County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) on July 7 will start wheels turning on a push remove a statue of a Confederate soldier that stands in front of the old courthouse in Leesburg. Until this year, despite fervent debate around the war memorial and despite the fact that it stands on county-owned property, the local government had no authority to remove it.
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** Williamsburg City Council mulls removal of Confederate memorial ([link removed])
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By JULIA MARSIGLIANO, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

The Williamsburg City Council discussed starting the process of removing the Confederate memorial in Bicentennial Park. The discussion during a work session Monday afternoon comes less than a week after WYDaily published a story about the presence of Confederate memorials on the Peninsula in connection with cries across the nation to rid cities of those memorials and monuments.
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** Virginia Beach OKs affordable apartments at Oceanfront for those in need ([link removed])
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By STACY PARKER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Plans to tear down a cluster of dilapidated buildings at the Oceanfront and construct affordable housing for people in need are no longer just a dream on paper. “We are extremely excited to get the project moving,” said Kristin Ward, development director of the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, which gained the City Council support on Tuesday to rebuild its campus.
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** Muslim association sues Stafford over revised ordinance blocking its plans for cemetery ([link removed])
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By JAMES SCOTT BARON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The All Muslim Association of America filed a federal lawsuit Monday claiming Stafford County violated its religious rights by blocking its plans for a cemetery off Garrisonville Road.
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** Board supports reopening schools in August ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

City school leaders support seeking a waiver to open schools in August should Gov. Ralph Northam’s plans to resume public education include anything less. Members of the city School Board said Monday during their monthly meeting that learning is best accomplished when students and teachers interact directly rather than through virtual or online learning.


** EDITORIALS
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** Protests may be propelling real change ([link removed])
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Daily Progress Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Is it finally happening? Have we at last reached critical mass in rejecting racial injustice? Will deep change now begin to take root? Something about the current wave of protests feels different. Set aside — for the moment only — those criminals who are endangering others, and dishonoring a worthy cause, by their violence and vandalism.
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** A letter to Bill Gates ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

To: Bill Gates We see where Microsoft has announced it’s spending $64 million to open a new branch in Fairfax County that will employ 1,500 people engaged in developing new software. We’re from down here in the “other” part of Virginia, but we’re thrilled.
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** Confederate symbols sent to history's dustbin ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Change does not always have good manners. Sometimes, it catches us unaware, kicking the door in rather than politely knocking. At the beginning of 1861, few Southerners, whatever their race, could have believed how quickly slavery would be abolished.
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** Protesters need to get COVID tests ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

As millions of Americans flooded the streets since the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minnesota, public health officials across the nation gnashed their teeth, knowing what was coming. So many people in close spaces, even outdoors and even with a good many wearing masks, is a recipe for coronavirus transmission.
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** Containment and COVID-19 ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Wearing masks, stay-at-home orders and other coronavirus containment practices appear to be helping stem the spread of the highly contagious virus, a study released Monday suggests.
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** What's missing from the community policing conversation? ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

On its hiring page, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) makes a clear pitch for prospective officers to join the team. “As Virginia’s capital, Richmond is a progressive city offering beautiful neighborhoods characterized by striking architecture, a culturally diverse population and noted historic prestige,” reads a note from Chief William Smith.


** OP-ED
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** McDonnell and McQuinn: Will the death of George Floyd be the birth of racial reconciliation? ([link removed])
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By BOB MCDONNELL AND DELORES MCQUINN, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

We are blessed by God to live in a prosperous nation. Yet we remain on the journey the United States Constitution envisions of forming “a more perfect Union.” Thomas Jefferson’s correct assertion in the Declaration of Independence that all of us are ”created equal and endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights” is not yet a reality for all Americans. The horrific murder of George Floyd tells us we have far to go.

Bob McDonnell was the 71st governor of Virginia and is president of Virginians for Reconciliation. Delores McQuinn represents the 70th District in the Virginia House of Delegates and is vice president of Virginians for Reconciliation.
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** Moore: Health care must be part of response to COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By HULLIHEN WILLIAMS MOORE, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

COVID-19 overwhelmed our medical facilities and care, and collapsed our economy, leaving more than 40 million unemployed, many of whom might be unemployed for years to come.

Hullihen Williams Moore is a former member and chair of the Virginia State Corporation Commission and Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board.
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