| From | VaNews <[email protected]> |
| Subject | Political Headlines from across Virginia |
| Date | June 19, 2020 11:20 AM |
Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
VaNews
June 19, 2020
Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
Top of the News
** Northam outlines changes for 3rd phase of reopening, set for late June ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA VOZZELLA AND DANA HEDGPETH, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that the state could further loosen business and social restrictions as soon as next week, although he cautioned that he would continue to monitor coronavirus cases in Virginia and across the country.
------------------------------------------------------------
** The state of coronavirus in Virginia: “We can exhale,” but officials urge further caution ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER COUTU AND ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As Virginia crept back to life in recent weeks, essentially all important coronavirus metrics in the state trended the right direction — buoying hopes the state can continue easing restrictions on businesses and residents. Virginia is seeing a steeper decline in daily new cases than every other state since May 31 except New Jersey, according to an analysis by The Virginian-Pilot.
------------------------------------------------------------
** VEC reviewing 12,000 cases of people refusing work offers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to keep hundreds of thousands of Virginians out of work, Virginia Employment Commission officials said Thursday that the agency is reviewing more than 12,000 cases in which people claiming benefits have refused offers to return to work.
------------------------------------------------------------
** McClellan launches bid for governor with mission not to 'leave anyone behind' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Democratic state Sen. Jennifer McClellan has formally launched her bid for Virginia governor, pitching herself as the candidate best suited to steer the commonwealth out of crises and onto a path forward.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Protesters who say they have been gassed and arrested keep coming back to the Robert E. Lee statue ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Meghan McIntyre knelt down on the sidewalk surrounding the Robert E. Lee statue with the $5 can of red spray paint she had purchased at Lowe’s. In the past three weeks, she says she has been gassed three times, arrested and put in jail. On Thursday night, she returned to Monument Avenue, where protesters have gathered the past 20 days, and wrote her first graffiti message in curvy letters 10 feet across: “You’ve f---ed with the last generation.”
------------------------------------------------------------
** Locals assemble to protect Confederate monument ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ASHLEY SPINKS, Floyd Press
Around 10 people, later part of a crowd of a couple dozen, were gathered outside the Floyd County Court House at 5:30 p.m. yesterday evening, some waving Confederate flags and the state flag of Virginia. They had assembled, they said, to protect the monument to Confederate soldiers that stands on the court house’s front lawn, and ensure it wasn’t torn down like so many others nationwide this past week.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Former coach's disparaging posts prompt Colonial Beach to rename stadium ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TAFT COGHILL JR., Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
As Wayne Kennedy’s emotions began to simmer down, the former Colonial Beach politician, teacher, coach and administrator realized the damage he’d done. Kennedy disparaged blacks and the LGBTQ community in a series of Facebook posts last week relating to debates about politics and racial injustice in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. That led more than 400 people to sign an online petition calling for Kennedy’s name to be removed from Colonial Beach High School’s football stadium—C. Wayne Kennedy Field—which sits on a site known as Monroe Park.
The Full Report
67 articles, 33 publications
Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
** FROM VPAP
------------------------------------------------------------
** From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------
** Northam outlines what Phase Three in Virginia will look like ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
While Virginia won’t enter its third reopening phase this week, Gov. Ralph Northam outlined Thursday what that phase would look like. Capacity restrictions on retail stores, restaurants and bars will be lifted. Gyms and fitness centers will be able to operate at 75% capacity, as will swimming pools. Entertainment venues, including amusement parks, can open at 50% capacity, or a maximum of 1,000 people.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Phase 3 of Virginia’s reopening will eliminate capacity limits in restaurants and stores ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Gov. Ralph Northam revealed new details Thursday on what to expect in the third phase of his reopening plan for Virginia, including an end to the capacity limits in restaurants, bars and stores. Speaking at a news conference in Northern Virginia, Northam emphasized social distancing and masks would still be required in Phase 3 and will be even more important as people are going to more places even as the coronavirus pandemic isn’t over.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia's Phase 3 details, coronavirus health disparities, more: Northam's Thursday briefing ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LEANNA SMITH, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
Although Phase Three of reopening will not happen this week, Gov. Ralph Northam gave more details about what the phase will look like in Virginia. The governor also discussed health disparities related to the coronavirus. In particular, he discussed the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Latino communities in Virginia.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Supreme Court rebuffs challenge to virus orders ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)
A Richmond lawyer lacks standing to claim Gov. Ralph Northam’s virus orders are ultra vires, the Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled. Bradley P. Marrs asked the Supreme Court to invalidate Northam’s orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming the orders exceed the statutory authority for response to an emergency or threat to public health.
** STATE ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond Sen. Jennifer McClellan launches campaign for governor in 'unique times' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, promised no “retreat to the past” as she declared her candidacy Thursday for the Democratic nomination to become the next governor of Virginia. McClellan would be the first woman, as well as the second African American, elected to the state’s highest office.
------------------------------------------------------------
** State Sen. Jennifer McClellan announces she’ll run for Virginia governor in 2021 ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
State Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan announced Thursday that she's running for Virginia governor next year, becoming the second Democrat to declare in what could be a crowded field. McClellan is a corporate lawyer for Verizon who represents part of the city of Richmond in the General Assembly.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Democrat McClellan announces bid to be Virginia governor ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press
A Virginia state senator is launching a bid to be the state’s next governor, which if successful would make her the nation’s first African American woman to lead a state. Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced Thursday that she’s running for governor in 2021, saying she has the right skill set and track record to rebuild the state’s economy, safety nets and communities amid a coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over police violence and systematic racism.
** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Democratic hopefuls for 5th District expound on views ahead of June 23 primary ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Voters in the 5th District Democratic primary June 23 will have a packed field of candidates to pick from amid an unusual election. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, Roger Dean Huffstetler, John Lesinski, Claire Russo and Dr. Cameron Webb were faced with the unprecedented challenge of campaigning with very limited human contact.
** STATE GOVERNMENT
------------------------------------------------------------
** Supreme Court calls for pro bono work to address racial divide ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)
The Supreme Court of Virginia has responded to the country’s “racial divide” by urging equal treatment in the courts and a commitment to service to the public. In a June 16 statement to the judiciary and the bar of Virginia, the court cited both the Virginia constitution and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on equality and the harms of injustice.
** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
------------------------------------------------------------
** 386K+ remain unemployed in Va. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine
More than 386,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims across the commonwealth continues to decrease.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmonders launching large hemp processing facility in South Boston ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RICHARD FOSTER, Va Business Magazine
Blue Ribbon Extraction, a company started by two Richmonders, is investing $3.26 million to establish Virginia’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and cannabidiol (CBD) oil extraction facility in South Boston, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The project will create 22 jobs and the company plans to source about $70 million in hemp — more than 90% of its expected supply — from Virginia farmers over the next three years.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Governor announces hemp processing facility locating in Town of South Boston ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Chatham Star Tribune
Governor Ralph Northam today announced that BRD Extraction, LLC, doing business as Blue Ribbon Extraction, will invest $3.26 million to establish Virginia’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and cannabidiol (CBD) oil extraction facility in the Town of South Boston. The project will create 22 new jobs and the company has committed to sourcing over 90 percent of hemp purchases from Virginia growers, resulting in more than $70 million in payments to Virginia farmers over the next three years.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Hampton will get a new $9 million seafood research center, part of a reinvention of the downtown waterfront ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LISA VERNON SPARKS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
Shovels have yet to hit the ground commencing work on a new Virginia Tech aquaculture facility at Hampton’s downtown waterfront, but its new location and the funds to pay for it are in place. The Hampton City Council approved an agreement Wednesday with the Virginia Tech Foundation setting the stage to build a new $9.3 million Virginia Seafood Agriculture Research and Extension Center.
------------------------------------------------------------
** George Floyd merchandise is popping up in Virginia Beach souvenir shops ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By STACY PARKER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A new batch of novelty attire inspired by current events has landed at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Black Lives Matter. George Floyd. Blue Lives Matter. Make America Great Again. “Whatever is trending online, we try to get,” said Sumi Dhamy, who was working Thursday afternoon at the T-shirt Factory on 16th Street.
------------------------------------------------------------
** TowneBank changes course on Juneteenth holiday policy ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TREVOR METCALFE, Inside Business
After stating that its black employees would get a vacation day Friday for the Juneteenth holiday, TowneBank decided instead to give all employees a floating, paid vacation day, bank officials announced Wednesday. The original office memo recognized the holiday — which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — by giving African American employees a paid day off Friday, June 19.
** HIGHER EDUCATION
------------------------------------------------------------
** Radford University board faces criticism over budget resolution ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SAM WALL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
The Radford University Board of Visitors is receiving pushback from the Faculty Senate of Virginia — as well as some of the school’s own faculty — after it granted President Brian Hemphill unilateral budgeting cutting powers last week.
------------------------------------------------------------
** ECPI University announces $4M in scholarships for black students ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine
Virginia Beach-headquartered ECPI University will offer $4 million in scholarships for African American students in science, technology, engineering, math and health care programs, it announced Thursday.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Mason Professor Tweets Racist Stereotype ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA SCUDDER, GMU Fourth Estate
Mason Associate Professor of Economics Robin Hanson received backlash Wednesday after tweeting a racist stereotype in relation to the upcoming Juneteenth holiday. Juneteenth is the commemoration of when Union soldiers landed in Texas with news that the Civil War was over and all enslaved persons were now free — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In the tweet, Hanson said “So what food is appropriate to celebrate Juneteenth? We actually like fried chicken & watermelon a lot.”
** CORONAVIRUS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia looks to reopen nursing homes and state hospitals ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Overnight, the number of deaths linked to long-term care facilities jumped by 40 to 945, and yet the total count of COVID-19 fatalities in Virginia rose by only three on Thursday. No explanation was given with the reporting data. For Martha Bryant, whose only surviving triplet son needs round-the-clock skilled nursing care, nothing about the way Virginia has handled the virus in long-term care has been clear and transparent.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Northam Concerned About COVID-19 Racial Disparities ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By CATHERINE DOUGLAS MORAN, Reston Now
Instead of his usual press briefings in Richmond, Gov. Ralph Northam headed to Fairfax County to address the coronavirus pandemic’s racial disparities in Virginia. Surrounded by state and local elected officials, Northam held a bilingual press briefing at the Fairfax County Government Center Thursday to talk about the disproportionate impacts of the virus on Black and Hispanic communities.
------------------------------------------------------------
** After 11 Deaths, Dulles Health & Rehab Center is COVID-19 Free ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By FATIMAH WASEEM, Reston Now
At the Dulles Health and Rehab Center in Herndon, the COVID-19 situation appears to have taken a turn for the better. As of earlier this week, the nursing center announced that it is now free of COVID-19. At the center, 66 residents and 20 staff members recovered from the virus.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond area has nearly 7,000 COVID-19 cases; Chesterfield passes Henrico for most in region ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
The Virginia Department of Health reported Thursday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 56,238 — an increase of 463 from the 55,775 reported Wednesday.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Local coronavirus case totals showing significant improvement ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALEXA MASSEY, Farmville Herald (Paywall)
Although Virginia Department of Health's website shows what at a glance seems like a dramatic increase in novel coronavirus cases for Buckingham County in the past week, Piedmont Health District Director Dr. H. Robert Nash said those figures differ greatly from the health district's case investigations, which show the area's daily case numbers are "dropping like flies."
** VIRGINIA OTHER
------------------------------------------------------------
** Injunction Extended Against Removing Lee Statue in Virginia ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press
A judge on Thursday indefinitely extended an injunction preventing the Virginia governor from removing a historic statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee from a famed avenue in the former capital of the Confederacy.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond judge extends injunction barring removal of Lee statue on Monument Avenue ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Virginia will have to continue to hold off on taking down the Robert E. Lee statue on Richmond’s Monument Avenue. A Richmond judge on Thursday extended indefinitely an injunction barring the state from removing the statue, the most well-known Confederate symbol in the former capital of the Confederacy.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond judge extends order barring removal of Lee statue indefinitely ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
A judge has indefinitely extended an injunction that prevents Virginia's governor from removing the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from state property on Monument Avenue, giving opponents more time to prove they have standing to challenge the removal.
------------------------------------------------------------
** In frustration, new interim police chief says Richmond needs to 'take our community back' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALI ROCKETT AND REED WILLIAMS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Richmond’s new interim police chief on Thursday vowed to “get the city back” after weeks of civil unrest stemming from protests of police brutality. “We, as a community, need to step up and take our community back because too many sit in silence,” the interim chief, Maj. William V. “Jody” Blackwell, told reporters on Thursday.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Heated exchanges end Marion protest ahead of schedule ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JASMINE DENT FRANKS, Smyth County News & Messenger
A peaceful protest in Marion turned unruly Saturday afternoon after heated exchanges broke out between protesters and counter-protesters, said Marion Police Chief John Clair.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Corps of Engineers receives 12,000 comments opposing water project ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By HEATHER MICHON, Fluvanna Review
Over 12,000 individuals and organizations have submitted public comments to the Army Corps of Engineers in opposition to building a water pumping station at a site many experts believe is the site of the historic Monacan village of Rassawek, the tribe’s legal representatives said in a press release on June 8.
** LOCAL
------------------------------------------------------------
** Jail board’s move to end ICE agreement is cheered by local activists ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By DANIEL BERTI AND JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
There were cheers, hugs, tears and celebratory chanting outside the Prince William courthouse Wednesday night when immigrants-rights activists gathered there heard the result of a nearly two-hour jail board debate on the fate of the county’s 287(g) agreement with federal immigration officials.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Va. county treasurer faces calls to resign over Facebook post on Aunt Jemima ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ANTONIO OLIVO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Loudoun County’s top tax collector is facing calls to resign after posting what he called a joke about Aunt Jemima on Facebook this week, part of a growing backlash against racial insensitivity in the wealthy Virginia county that is home to both an increasingly diverse population and a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Loudoun County treasurer in hot water over 'Aunt Jemima' Facebook post ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times
Loudoun County Treasurer Roger Zurn (R) on Wednesday published and quickly deleted a racially insensitive social media post following word that the Aunt Jemima brand will be discontinued. Zurn, who is white and has served as county treasurer since 1996, posted on his personal Facebook page Wednesday morning: “Wondering if Aunt Jemima will change to Uncle Tom’s?”
------------------------------------------------------------
** Deputy fired for sharing "racist" social media post ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHELLE DMYTRYSZYN AND DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian
A Louisa County Sheriff's Office deputy was fired from her job for sharing a social media post that had "racist overtones." That was how sheriff's office Det. Chuck Love characterized the post, which had the words "If they have the right to fly theirs" in front of a rainbow flag, directly above a Confederate flag bearing the words "We deserve the right to fly ours."
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia Beach Police launch police-citizen recruiting consortium to help find more minority officers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By BRETT HALL, WAVY
In an effort to attract more officers of color to the Virginia Beach Police Department, Interim Police Chief Tony Zucaro has gathered together a recruiting consortium. Currently out of the department’s more than 800 sworn officers, only 13 percent of them are minorities, according to Zucaro. The force’s members are 7 percent black, 5 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Asian.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Following 3 shootings at the Oceanfront, police divert extra officers to the area ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As temperatures warmed in recent weeks and many of the restrictions placed on businesses during the coronavirus pandemic were relaxed, crowds returned to Virginia Beach’s Oceanfront. But police, city leaders, business owners and residents said some of the recent outdoor gatherings there have turned rowdy, with large groups forming at night and often remaining into the early morning hours. Some have even become violent. Shots have been fired.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Norfolk City Jail inmate died after a medical emergency and another is in critical condition, Sheriff’s Office says ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
One inmate from the Norfolk City Jail died this week and another is in critical condition, according to a release from the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office. The incidents are under review by the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards Division.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Most Hampton Roads localities will close for “Juneteenth,” but not York County ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER DUJARDIN, SALEEN MARTIN AND LISA VERNON SPARKS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Nearly all cities and counties in Hampton Roads are giving workers the day off Friday after Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order this week declaring “Juneteenth” a state holiday. But at least one locality — York County — will remain open for business.
------------------------------------------------------------
** City says unnamed officer allowed VSP to use vehicles to respond to rally ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Top Charlottesville officials say they were unaware that Virginia State Police troopers used city vehicles to respond to a weekend rally protesting police brutality, saying the decision came from an unnamed officer. The City Council, City Manager Tarron Richardson and Police Chief RaShall Brackney released a joint statement Thursday to address the issue, which had been bubbling since Monday night.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Albemarle to weigh data, student input before making decision on school resource officers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Albemarle County Public Schools likely will not be making any changes to its school resource officer program until at least July 9. During a meeting Thursday, the county School Board heard about an informational review of the school resource officer program, which will be presented to the board on June 26.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Area municipalities follow state lead in making Juneteenth a paid holiday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Friday will be the first Juneteenth that is a paid holiday for many government employees in Central Virginia. Following Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement that he would introduce legislation to make June 19 a paid holiday for state employees, Albemarle County, Louisa County and the University of Virginia also decided to make the day a paid holiday,
------------------------------------------------------------
** Juneteenth recognized as official county holiday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHELLE DMYTRYSZYN, Central Virginian
Friday, June 19th, 2020 will be a County holiday in observance of Juneteenth.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Lynchburg City Council votes to make Juneteenth a paid city holiday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
For the first time in the 155 years since the end of the Civil War, the city of Lynchburg on Friday will formally celebrate Juneteenth — a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. In a hastily organized special meeting Thursday, Lynchburg City Council voted 5-0 to declare June 19 a paid holiday for city employees.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Roanoke city government offices closed for Juneteenth, courts remain open ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Roanoke municipal offices will be closed Friday in recognition of Juneteenth, which was recognized as a state holiday earlier this week by Gov. Ralph Northam.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Temporary RV park for Atlantic Coast Pipeline workers planned in Amherst industrial site ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN FAULCONER, Amherst New Era Progress
Town of Amherst officials plan to hold a public hearing in July on a request for a temporary RV park, in an Amherst industrial park, to house workers associated with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Danville police chief says it's time to 'redefine' role of officers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee
Calling George Floyd's death while in police custody last month a murder, Danville Police Chief Scott Booth spoke at length Wednesday morning about the role of law enforcement in the community. "That was a murder, whether committed by law enforcement" or another citizen, Booth said. Booth spoke to dozens of community leaders during a virtual Business at Breakfast hosted by the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Tazewell School Board considers legal action to reopen ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
The Tazewell County School Board on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the state to allow each division to decide how best to reopen schools and will consider legal action to back it up.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Tazewell County agency cited for violating Freedom of Information act ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JIM TALBERT, Clinch Valley News
Tazewell County’s Department of Social Services has been found guilty of violating the Freedom of Information Act. Wythe County General District Judge Gerald Mabe issued a writ of Mandamus against the agency June 17 for failure to submit an answer to a Freedom of Information request from Tazewell Attorney Fred Harman.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Private funding for Williamsburg Civil War battle site comes through ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By WILFORD KALE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
The American Battlefield Trust has raised $12,500, the private donations needed to purchase and protect 29 acres of the Williamsburg Civil War Battlefield, according to a trust official. “We cannot declare full ‘victory,’” explained Mary Koik, Trust director of communications and editor of “Hallowed Ground” magazine. “We are still awaiting word on government (federal and state) grant applications.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Petitions advocate renaming T.C. Williams ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By CODY MELLO-KLEIN, Alexandria Times
A community conversation about whether to rename T.C. Williams High School gained traction last week, as several residents started petitions to present to the school board.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Supervisor Margaret Franklin launches effort to rename Jefferson Davis Highway in Prince William ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By STAFF REPORT, Prince William Times
Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin, D-Woodbridge, issued a directive Tuesday requesting that county staff begin the process of renaming Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as U.S. 1, which runs through Woodbridge and Potomac magisterial districts in Prince William County.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Fairfax High School drops ‘Rebel Pride’ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ABIGAIL CONSTANTINO, WTOP
A high school in Fairfax County, Virginia, is dropping the name associated with a mascot that has Confederacy ties. The Fairfax High School community has been known as “Rebel Pride,” but Principal Erin Lenart said in a letter that moving forward, its students will be known as the “Fairfax Lions.”
------------------------------------------------------------
** School board announces 1-week timeline for renaming ‘Stonewall’ schools ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
The Prince William County School Board has announced its intent to rename both Stonewall Jackson High School and Stonewall Middle School and has set a quick timeline to do it. This Monday, June 22, the school board will hold a special meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. to hear suggestions from the community for the schools’ new names.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Stonewall Jackson High's name ‘a constant reminder’ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By EMILY SIDES, Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)
For Lubna Azmi, a 2019 graduate of Stonewall Jackson High, the school’s renaming is long overdue. “We’ve made the name work for us,” said Azmi, now a student at John Hopkins University. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t embrace the change.” The fact that the school was named after Stonewall Jackson in the first place was horrendous, Azmi said.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Area reacts to proposed name change of Stonewall Jackson Hotel ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA PETERS, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
The large red neon sign that reads Stonewall Jackson Hotel stands out in the skyline of Staunton. For some it's a sense of pride, for others it has different connotations. The News Leader's story posted Tuesday evening caused a stir among commenters on the newspaper's Facebook page.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Staunton High School has first graduating class since name change ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA PETERS, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
The scoreboard at Winston Wine Memorial Stadium was lit up reading 2020. The skies were dark, with storms looming, but the only storm that was rolling through were Staunton High School graduating seniors, known for their new mascot "The Storm."
** EDITORIALS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Juneteenth -- what's old is new again ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Twenty-seven years ago, nine co-workers at the Corning plant in Christiansburg gathered for lunch at a nearby restaurant. They used their lunch hour to reflect on the significance of June 19 and what they could do to draw more attention to the date. That low-key and quite unofficial gathering marks the first time the phrase “Juneteenth” appeared in The Roanoke Times, at least according to our digital archives that date back to 1990.
------------------------------------------------------------
** New state holiday celebrates freedom ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Other than Independence Day, is there a day more worthy of recognition by Americans than Juneteenth?
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia makes powerful statement with Juneteenth recognition ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The enormous southern live oak tree which stands sentinel on the Hampton University campus cast its shadow on the Peninsula long before the first European settlers arrived on these shores. It was there in 1619, when the first Africans landed as well — the first enslaved people brought to the New World.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Barricades are not the answer ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
After nearly three weeks of nightly protests, Richmond experienced an unusual occurrence on Wednesday evening: calm. The whizzing of helicopters, the sounds of sirens, the looting of businesses, the toppling of statues and the clouds of tear gas have left the city in tatters.
** COLUMNISTS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Poltifact: Sen. Chase spread hoax of deadly antifa riot headed to Chesterfield ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By WARREN FISKE, WCVE
Citing phony evidence and unsubstantiated reports, state Sen. Amanda Chase recently alerted her constituents to arm themselves against violent protestors she said were coming to Chesterfield County. "Stay awake, stay alert. If you own a gun, keep it next to your bedside tonight," Chase, R-Chesterfield, said in a Facebook video on June 1, after Richmond had seen three nights of sometimes violent protest in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
** OP-ED
------------------------------------------------------------
** Bucher: It took too long ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JESSE BUCHER, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
In June of 1865, more than two months after the Civil War ended on a battlefield in Appomattox, Virginia, Union troops under the direction of Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, Granger publicly announced the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation liberated the approximately 250,000 enslaved people in Texas who had been systematically prevented from receiving their overdue freedom.
Bucher is associate professor of history at Roanoke College and director of the College’s Center for Studying Structures of Race.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Hare: Long-term care providers made many sacrifices during pandemic ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By KEITH HARE, published in Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
The COVID-19 pandemic, a public health crisis unlike anything any of us have experienced in our lifetimes, has drastically altered our reality. As a nation we’ve faced uncertainty as to what the future holds. However, in the midst of the challenges we now face, Virginia’s long-term care providers have emerged as frontline heroes in this health crisis.
Keith Hare is president and CEO of the Virginia Health Care Association–Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA–VCAL), which represents nearly 350 nursing homes and assisted living communities across Virginia.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Woodhouse: Community colleges offer stability in turbulent times ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHELLE WOODHOUSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Even while our nation continues to reel from the effects of pandemic and protest, we have our futures to think about. We want to plan, whether it’s for a weekend outing or a career in a high-demand field. Yet, with so much uncertainty, we are moving forward without the benefit of a clear road map. Here’s what hasn’t changed: Setting yourself up for success starts with higher education.
Michelle W. Woodhouse is interim vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Tidewater Community College
------------------------------------------------------------
** Phillips: The coronavirus underscores critical role of Virginia’s free clinics ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RUFUS C. PHILLIPS, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
As Virginia continues to reopen its economy while trying to avoid a resurgence of the coronavirus, the state’s network of free clinics is playing a pivotal role. By screening and testing for COVID-19 in addition to meeting the ongoing health care needs of uninsured patients, free clinics are preventing the escalation of the virus, reducing unnecessary emergency room (ER) visits and preserving hospital capacity.
Phillips is CEO of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Anderson: Leave the monuments – "in color" ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By KEN ANDERSON, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
I am a 24-year-old black man who has lived in Richmond since 2013, and yes — I think the monuments should remain — in their present form. This past Sunday, as I walked through my neighborhood surveying the colorful changes sprayed across the Jackson, Davis, Lee and Stuart statues, I believe the people of Richmond finally and appropriately have contextualized Monument Avenue.
Ken Anderson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law.
** THE FRIDAY READ
------------------------------------------------------------
** Parking ticket paid after 42 years of procrastination ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JAY PINSONNAULT, Seacoast Online
Gary Urgonski, then 30 years old, left his house in Newton, Massachusetts, on a typical Saturday morning in July and headed north. The destination on that July 28 morning in 1978 was the “beautiful Maine coast” with the intentions of “just being a tourist.”
------------------------------------------------------------
Donate ([link removed]) Subscribe ([link removed]) Content Policy ([link removed]) Privacy ([link removed])
============================================================
This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Virginia Public Access Project . P.O. Box 1472 . Richmond, VA 23218 . USA
June 19, 2020
Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
Top of the News
** Northam outlines changes for 3rd phase of reopening, set for late June ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA VOZZELLA AND DANA HEDGPETH, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that the state could further loosen business and social restrictions as soon as next week, although he cautioned that he would continue to monitor coronavirus cases in Virginia and across the country.
------------------------------------------------------------
** The state of coronavirus in Virginia: “We can exhale,” but officials urge further caution ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER COUTU AND ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As Virginia crept back to life in recent weeks, essentially all important coronavirus metrics in the state trended the right direction — buoying hopes the state can continue easing restrictions on businesses and residents. Virginia is seeing a steeper decline in daily new cases than every other state since May 31 except New Jersey, according to an analysis by The Virginian-Pilot.
------------------------------------------------------------
** VEC reviewing 12,000 cases of people refusing work offers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to keep hundreds of thousands of Virginians out of work, Virginia Employment Commission officials said Thursday that the agency is reviewing more than 12,000 cases in which people claiming benefits have refused offers to return to work.
------------------------------------------------------------
** McClellan launches bid for governor with mission not to 'leave anyone behind' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Democratic state Sen. Jennifer McClellan has formally launched her bid for Virginia governor, pitching herself as the candidate best suited to steer the commonwealth out of crises and onto a path forward.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Protesters who say they have been gassed and arrested keep coming back to the Robert E. Lee statue ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Meghan McIntyre knelt down on the sidewalk surrounding the Robert E. Lee statue with the $5 can of red spray paint she had purchased at Lowe’s. In the past three weeks, she says she has been gassed three times, arrested and put in jail. On Thursday night, she returned to Monument Avenue, where protesters have gathered the past 20 days, and wrote her first graffiti message in curvy letters 10 feet across: “You’ve f---ed with the last generation.”
------------------------------------------------------------
** Locals assemble to protect Confederate monument ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ASHLEY SPINKS, Floyd Press
Around 10 people, later part of a crowd of a couple dozen, were gathered outside the Floyd County Court House at 5:30 p.m. yesterday evening, some waving Confederate flags and the state flag of Virginia. They had assembled, they said, to protect the monument to Confederate soldiers that stands on the court house’s front lawn, and ensure it wasn’t torn down like so many others nationwide this past week.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Former coach's disparaging posts prompt Colonial Beach to rename stadium ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TAFT COGHILL JR., Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
As Wayne Kennedy’s emotions began to simmer down, the former Colonial Beach politician, teacher, coach and administrator realized the damage he’d done. Kennedy disparaged blacks and the LGBTQ community in a series of Facebook posts last week relating to debates about politics and racial injustice in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. That led more than 400 people to sign an online petition calling for Kennedy’s name to be removed from Colonial Beach High School’s football stadium—C. Wayne Kennedy Field—which sits on a site known as Monroe Park.
The Full Report
67 articles, 33 publications
Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
** FROM VPAP
------------------------------------------------------------
** From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------
** Northam outlines what Phase Three in Virginia will look like ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
While Virginia won’t enter its third reopening phase this week, Gov. Ralph Northam outlined Thursday what that phase would look like. Capacity restrictions on retail stores, restaurants and bars will be lifted. Gyms and fitness centers will be able to operate at 75% capacity, as will swimming pools. Entertainment venues, including amusement parks, can open at 50% capacity, or a maximum of 1,000 people.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Phase 3 of Virginia’s reopening will eliminate capacity limits in restaurants and stores ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Gov. Ralph Northam revealed new details Thursday on what to expect in the third phase of his reopening plan for Virginia, including an end to the capacity limits in restaurants, bars and stores. Speaking at a news conference in Northern Virginia, Northam emphasized social distancing and masks would still be required in Phase 3 and will be even more important as people are going to more places even as the coronavirus pandemic isn’t over.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia's Phase 3 details, coronavirus health disparities, more: Northam's Thursday briefing ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LEANNA SMITH, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
Although Phase Three of reopening will not happen this week, Gov. Ralph Northam gave more details about what the phase will look like in Virginia. The governor also discussed health disparities related to the coronavirus. In particular, he discussed the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Latino communities in Virginia.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Supreme Court rebuffs challenge to virus orders ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)
A Richmond lawyer lacks standing to claim Gov. Ralph Northam’s virus orders are ultra vires, the Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled. Bradley P. Marrs asked the Supreme Court to invalidate Northam’s orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming the orders exceed the statutory authority for response to an emergency or threat to public health.
** STATE ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond Sen. Jennifer McClellan launches campaign for governor in 'unique times' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, promised no “retreat to the past” as she declared her candidacy Thursday for the Democratic nomination to become the next governor of Virginia. McClellan would be the first woman, as well as the second African American, elected to the state’s highest office.
------------------------------------------------------------
** State Sen. Jennifer McClellan announces she’ll run for Virginia governor in 2021 ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
State Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan announced Thursday that she's running for Virginia governor next year, becoming the second Democrat to declare in what could be a crowded field. McClellan is a corporate lawyer for Verizon who represents part of the city of Richmond in the General Assembly.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Democrat McClellan announces bid to be Virginia governor ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press
A Virginia state senator is launching a bid to be the state’s next governor, which if successful would make her the nation’s first African American woman to lead a state. Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced Thursday that she’s running for governor in 2021, saying she has the right skill set and track record to rebuild the state’s economy, safety nets and communities amid a coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over police violence and systematic racism.
** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Democratic hopefuls for 5th District expound on views ahead of June 23 primary ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Voters in the 5th District Democratic primary June 23 will have a packed field of candidates to pick from amid an unusual election. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, Roger Dean Huffstetler, John Lesinski, Claire Russo and Dr. Cameron Webb were faced with the unprecedented challenge of campaigning with very limited human contact.
** STATE GOVERNMENT
------------------------------------------------------------
** Supreme Court calls for pro bono work to address racial divide ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)
The Supreme Court of Virginia has responded to the country’s “racial divide” by urging equal treatment in the courts and a commitment to service to the public. In a June 16 statement to the judiciary and the bar of Virginia, the court cited both the Virginia constitution and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on equality and the harms of injustice.
** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
------------------------------------------------------------
** 386K+ remain unemployed in Va. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine
More than 386,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims across the commonwealth continues to decrease.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmonders launching large hemp processing facility in South Boston ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RICHARD FOSTER, Va Business Magazine
Blue Ribbon Extraction, a company started by two Richmonders, is investing $3.26 million to establish Virginia’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and cannabidiol (CBD) oil extraction facility in South Boston, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The project will create 22 jobs and the company plans to source about $70 million in hemp — more than 90% of its expected supply — from Virginia farmers over the next three years.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Governor announces hemp processing facility locating in Town of South Boston ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Chatham Star Tribune
Governor Ralph Northam today announced that BRD Extraction, LLC, doing business as Blue Ribbon Extraction, will invest $3.26 million to establish Virginia’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and cannabidiol (CBD) oil extraction facility in the Town of South Boston. The project will create 22 new jobs and the company has committed to sourcing over 90 percent of hemp purchases from Virginia growers, resulting in more than $70 million in payments to Virginia farmers over the next three years.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Hampton will get a new $9 million seafood research center, part of a reinvention of the downtown waterfront ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LISA VERNON SPARKS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
Shovels have yet to hit the ground commencing work on a new Virginia Tech aquaculture facility at Hampton’s downtown waterfront, but its new location and the funds to pay for it are in place. The Hampton City Council approved an agreement Wednesday with the Virginia Tech Foundation setting the stage to build a new $9.3 million Virginia Seafood Agriculture Research and Extension Center.
------------------------------------------------------------
** George Floyd merchandise is popping up in Virginia Beach souvenir shops ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By STACY PARKER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A new batch of novelty attire inspired by current events has landed at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Black Lives Matter. George Floyd. Blue Lives Matter. Make America Great Again. “Whatever is trending online, we try to get,” said Sumi Dhamy, who was working Thursday afternoon at the T-shirt Factory on 16th Street.
------------------------------------------------------------
** TowneBank changes course on Juneteenth holiday policy ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TREVOR METCALFE, Inside Business
After stating that its black employees would get a vacation day Friday for the Juneteenth holiday, TowneBank decided instead to give all employees a floating, paid vacation day, bank officials announced Wednesday. The original office memo recognized the holiday — which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — by giving African American employees a paid day off Friday, June 19.
** HIGHER EDUCATION
------------------------------------------------------------
** Radford University board faces criticism over budget resolution ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SAM WALL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
The Radford University Board of Visitors is receiving pushback from the Faculty Senate of Virginia — as well as some of the school’s own faculty — after it granted President Brian Hemphill unilateral budgeting cutting powers last week.
------------------------------------------------------------
** ECPI University announces $4M in scholarships for black students ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine
Virginia Beach-headquartered ECPI University will offer $4 million in scholarships for African American students in science, technology, engineering, math and health care programs, it announced Thursday.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Mason Professor Tweets Racist Stereotype ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA SCUDDER, GMU Fourth Estate
Mason Associate Professor of Economics Robin Hanson received backlash Wednesday after tweeting a racist stereotype in relation to the upcoming Juneteenth holiday. Juneteenth is the commemoration of when Union soldiers landed in Texas with news that the Civil War was over and all enslaved persons were now free — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In the tweet, Hanson said “So what food is appropriate to celebrate Juneteenth? We actually like fried chicken & watermelon a lot.”
** CORONAVIRUS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia looks to reopen nursing homes and state hospitals ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Overnight, the number of deaths linked to long-term care facilities jumped by 40 to 945, and yet the total count of COVID-19 fatalities in Virginia rose by only three on Thursday. No explanation was given with the reporting data. For Martha Bryant, whose only surviving triplet son needs round-the-clock skilled nursing care, nothing about the way Virginia has handled the virus in long-term care has been clear and transparent.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Northam Concerned About COVID-19 Racial Disparities ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By CATHERINE DOUGLAS MORAN, Reston Now
Instead of his usual press briefings in Richmond, Gov. Ralph Northam headed to Fairfax County to address the coronavirus pandemic’s racial disparities in Virginia. Surrounded by state and local elected officials, Northam held a bilingual press briefing at the Fairfax County Government Center Thursday to talk about the disproportionate impacts of the virus on Black and Hispanic communities.
------------------------------------------------------------
** After 11 Deaths, Dulles Health & Rehab Center is COVID-19 Free ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By FATIMAH WASEEM, Reston Now
At the Dulles Health and Rehab Center in Herndon, the COVID-19 situation appears to have taken a turn for the better. As of earlier this week, the nursing center announced that it is now free of COVID-19. At the center, 66 residents and 20 staff members recovered from the virus.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond area has nearly 7,000 COVID-19 cases; Chesterfield passes Henrico for most in region ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
The Virginia Department of Health reported Thursday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 56,238 — an increase of 463 from the 55,775 reported Wednesday.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Local coronavirus case totals showing significant improvement ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALEXA MASSEY, Farmville Herald (Paywall)
Although Virginia Department of Health's website shows what at a glance seems like a dramatic increase in novel coronavirus cases for Buckingham County in the past week, Piedmont Health District Director Dr. H. Robert Nash said those figures differ greatly from the health district's case investigations, which show the area's daily case numbers are "dropping like flies."
** VIRGINIA OTHER
------------------------------------------------------------
** Injunction Extended Against Removing Lee Statue in Virginia ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press
A judge on Thursday indefinitely extended an injunction preventing the Virginia governor from removing a historic statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee from a famed avenue in the former capital of the Confederacy.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond judge extends injunction barring removal of Lee statue on Monument Avenue ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Virginia will have to continue to hold off on taking down the Robert E. Lee statue on Richmond’s Monument Avenue. A Richmond judge on Thursday extended indefinitely an injunction barring the state from removing the statue, the most well-known Confederate symbol in the former capital of the Confederacy.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Richmond judge extends order barring removal of Lee statue indefinitely ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
A judge has indefinitely extended an injunction that prevents Virginia's governor from removing the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from state property on Monument Avenue, giving opponents more time to prove they have standing to challenge the removal.
------------------------------------------------------------
** In frustration, new interim police chief says Richmond needs to 'take our community back' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALI ROCKETT AND REED WILLIAMS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Richmond’s new interim police chief on Thursday vowed to “get the city back” after weeks of civil unrest stemming from protests of police brutality. “We, as a community, need to step up and take our community back because too many sit in silence,” the interim chief, Maj. William V. “Jody” Blackwell, told reporters on Thursday.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Heated exchanges end Marion protest ahead of schedule ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JASMINE DENT FRANKS, Smyth County News & Messenger
A peaceful protest in Marion turned unruly Saturday afternoon after heated exchanges broke out between protesters and counter-protesters, said Marion Police Chief John Clair.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Corps of Engineers receives 12,000 comments opposing water project ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By HEATHER MICHON, Fluvanna Review
Over 12,000 individuals and organizations have submitted public comments to the Army Corps of Engineers in opposition to building a water pumping station at a site many experts believe is the site of the historic Monacan village of Rassawek, the tribe’s legal representatives said in a press release on June 8.
** LOCAL
------------------------------------------------------------
** Jail board’s move to end ICE agreement is cheered by local activists ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By DANIEL BERTI AND JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
There were cheers, hugs, tears and celebratory chanting outside the Prince William courthouse Wednesday night when immigrants-rights activists gathered there heard the result of a nearly two-hour jail board debate on the fate of the county’s 287(g) agreement with federal immigration officials.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Va. county treasurer faces calls to resign over Facebook post on Aunt Jemima ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ANTONIO OLIVO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Loudoun County’s top tax collector is facing calls to resign after posting what he called a joke about Aunt Jemima on Facebook this week, part of a growing backlash against racial insensitivity in the wealthy Virginia county that is home to both an increasingly diverse population and a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Loudoun County treasurer in hot water over 'Aunt Jemima' Facebook post ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times
Loudoun County Treasurer Roger Zurn (R) on Wednesday published and quickly deleted a racially insensitive social media post following word that the Aunt Jemima brand will be discontinued. Zurn, who is white and has served as county treasurer since 1996, posted on his personal Facebook page Wednesday morning: “Wondering if Aunt Jemima will change to Uncle Tom’s?”
------------------------------------------------------------
** Deputy fired for sharing "racist" social media post ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHELLE DMYTRYSZYN AND DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian
A Louisa County Sheriff's Office deputy was fired from her job for sharing a social media post that had "racist overtones." That was how sheriff's office Det. Chuck Love characterized the post, which had the words "If they have the right to fly theirs" in front of a rainbow flag, directly above a Confederate flag bearing the words "We deserve the right to fly ours."
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia Beach Police launch police-citizen recruiting consortium to help find more minority officers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By BRETT HALL, WAVY
In an effort to attract more officers of color to the Virginia Beach Police Department, Interim Police Chief Tony Zucaro has gathered together a recruiting consortium. Currently out of the department’s more than 800 sworn officers, only 13 percent of them are minorities, according to Zucaro. The force’s members are 7 percent black, 5 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Asian.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Following 3 shootings at the Oceanfront, police divert extra officers to the area ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As temperatures warmed in recent weeks and many of the restrictions placed on businesses during the coronavirus pandemic were relaxed, crowds returned to Virginia Beach’s Oceanfront. But police, city leaders, business owners and residents said some of the recent outdoor gatherings there have turned rowdy, with large groups forming at night and often remaining into the early morning hours. Some have even become violent. Shots have been fired.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Norfolk City Jail inmate died after a medical emergency and another is in critical condition, Sheriff’s Office says ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
One inmate from the Norfolk City Jail died this week and another is in critical condition, according to a release from the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office. The incidents are under review by the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards Division.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Most Hampton Roads localities will close for “Juneteenth,” but not York County ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By PETER DUJARDIN, SALEEN MARTIN AND LISA VERNON SPARKS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Nearly all cities and counties in Hampton Roads are giving workers the day off Friday after Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order this week declaring “Juneteenth” a state holiday. But at least one locality — York County — will remain open for business.
------------------------------------------------------------
** City says unnamed officer allowed VSP to use vehicles to respond to rally ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Top Charlottesville officials say they were unaware that Virginia State Police troopers used city vehicles to respond to a weekend rally protesting police brutality, saying the decision came from an unnamed officer. The City Council, City Manager Tarron Richardson and Police Chief RaShall Brackney released a joint statement Thursday to address the issue, which had been bubbling since Monday night.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Albemarle to weigh data, student input before making decision on school resource officers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Albemarle County Public Schools likely will not be making any changes to its school resource officer program until at least July 9. During a meeting Thursday, the county School Board heard about an informational review of the school resource officer program, which will be presented to the board on June 26.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Area municipalities follow state lead in making Juneteenth a paid holiday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Friday will be the first Juneteenth that is a paid holiday for many government employees in Central Virginia. Following Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement that he would introduce legislation to make June 19 a paid holiday for state employees, Albemarle County, Louisa County and the University of Virginia also decided to make the day a paid holiday,
------------------------------------------------------------
** Juneteenth recognized as official county holiday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHELLE DMYTRYSZYN, Central Virginian
Friday, June 19th, 2020 will be a County holiday in observance of Juneteenth.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Lynchburg City Council votes to make Juneteenth a paid city holiday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
For the first time in the 155 years since the end of the Civil War, the city of Lynchburg on Friday will formally celebrate Juneteenth — a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. In a hastily organized special meeting Thursday, Lynchburg City Council voted 5-0 to declare June 19 a paid holiday for city employees.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Roanoke city government offices closed for Juneteenth, courts remain open ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Roanoke municipal offices will be closed Friday in recognition of Juneteenth, which was recognized as a state holiday earlier this week by Gov. Ralph Northam.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Temporary RV park for Atlantic Coast Pipeline workers planned in Amherst industrial site ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN FAULCONER, Amherst New Era Progress
Town of Amherst officials plan to hold a public hearing in July on a request for a temporary RV park, in an Amherst industrial park, to house workers associated with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Danville police chief says it's time to 'redefine' role of officers ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee
Calling George Floyd's death while in police custody last month a murder, Danville Police Chief Scott Booth spoke at length Wednesday morning about the role of law enforcement in the community. "That was a murder, whether committed by law enforcement" or another citizen, Booth said. Booth spoke to dozens of community leaders during a virtual Business at Breakfast hosted by the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Tazewell School Board considers legal action to reopen ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
The Tazewell County School Board on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the state to allow each division to decide how best to reopen schools and will consider legal action to back it up.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Tazewell County agency cited for violating Freedom of Information act ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JIM TALBERT, Clinch Valley News
Tazewell County’s Department of Social Services has been found guilty of violating the Freedom of Information Act. Wythe County General District Judge Gerald Mabe issued a writ of Mandamus against the agency June 17 for failure to submit an answer to a Freedom of Information request from Tazewell Attorney Fred Harman.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Private funding for Williamsburg Civil War battle site comes through ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By WILFORD KALE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
The American Battlefield Trust has raised $12,500, the private donations needed to purchase and protect 29 acres of the Williamsburg Civil War Battlefield, according to a trust official. “We cannot declare full ‘victory,’” explained Mary Koik, Trust director of communications and editor of “Hallowed Ground” magazine. “We are still awaiting word on government (federal and state) grant applications.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Petitions advocate renaming T.C. Williams ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By CODY MELLO-KLEIN, Alexandria Times
A community conversation about whether to rename T.C. Williams High School gained traction last week, as several residents started petitions to present to the school board.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Supervisor Margaret Franklin launches effort to rename Jefferson Davis Highway in Prince William ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By STAFF REPORT, Prince William Times
Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin, D-Woodbridge, issued a directive Tuesday requesting that county staff begin the process of renaming Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as U.S. 1, which runs through Woodbridge and Potomac magisterial districts in Prince William County.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Fairfax High School drops ‘Rebel Pride’ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ABIGAIL CONSTANTINO, WTOP
A high school in Fairfax County, Virginia, is dropping the name associated with a mascot that has Confederacy ties. The Fairfax High School community has been known as “Rebel Pride,” but Principal Erin Lenart said in a letter that moving forward, its students will be known as the “Fairfax Lions.”
------------------------------------------------------------
** School board announces 1-week timeline for renaming ‘Stonewall’ schools ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
The Prince William County School Board has announced its intent to rename both Stonewall Jackson High School and Stonewall Middle School and has set a quick timeline to do it. This Monday, June 22, the school board will hold a special meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. to hear suggestions from the community for the schools’ new names.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Stonewall Jackson High's name ‘a constant reminder’ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By EMILY SIDES, Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)
For Lubna Azmi, a 2019 graduate of Stonewall Jackson High, the school’s renaming is long overdue. “We’ve made the name work for us,” said Azmi, now a student at John Hopkins University. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t embrace the change.” The fact that the school was named after Stonewall Jackson in the first place was horrendous, Azmi said.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Area reacts to proposed name change of Stonewall Jackson Hotel ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA PETERS, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
The large red neon sign that reads Stonewall Jackson Hotel stands out in the skyline of Staunton. For some it's a sense of pride, for others it has different connotations. The News Leader's story posted Tuesday evening caused a stir among commenters on the newspaper's Facebook page.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Staunton High School has first graduating class since name change ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LAURA PETERS, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
The scoreboard at Winston Wine Memorial Stadium was lit up reading 2020. The skies were dark, with storms looming, but the only storm that was rolling through were Staunton High School graduating seniors, known for their new mascot "The Storm."
** EDITORIALS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Juneteenth -- what's old is new again ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Twenty-seven years ago, nine co-workers at the Corning plant in Christiansburg gathered for lunch at a nearby restaurant. They used their lunch hour to reflect on the significance of June 19 and what they could do to draw more attention to the date. That low-key and quite unofficial gathering marks the first time the phrase “Juneteenth” appeared in The Roanoke Times, at least according to our digital archives that date back to 1990.
------------------------------------------------------------
** New state holiday celebrates freedom ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Other than Independence Day, is there a day more worthy of recognition by Americans than Juneteenth?
------------------------------------------------------------
** Virginia makes powerful statement with Juneteenth recognition ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The enormous southern live oak tree which stands sentinel on the Hampton University campus cast its shadow on the Peninsula long before the first European settlers arrived on these shores. It was there in 1619, when the first Africans landed as well — the first enslaved people brought to the New World.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Barricades are not the answer ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
After nearly three weeks of nightly protests, Richmond experienced an unusual occurrence on Wednesday evening: calm. The whizzing of helicopters, the sounds of sirens, the looting of businesses, the toppling of statues and the clouds of tear gas have left the city in tatters.
** COLUMNISTS
------------------------------------------------------------
** Poltifact: Sen. Chase spread hoax of deadly antifa riot headed to Chesterfield ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By WARREN FISKE, WCVE
Citing phony evidence and unsubstantiated reports, state Sen. Amanda Chase recently alerted her constituents to arm themselves against violent protestors she said were coming to Chesterfield County. "Stay awake, stay alert. If you own a gun, keep it next to your bedside tonight," Chase, R-Chesterfield, said in a Facebook video on June 1, after Richmond had seen three nights of sometimes violent protest in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
** OP-ED
------------------------------------------------------------
** Bucher: It took too long ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JESSE BUCHER, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
In June of 1865, more than two months after the Civil War ended on a battlefield in Appomattox, Virginia, Union troops under the direction of Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, Granger publicly announced the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation liberated the approximately 250,000 enslaved people in Texas who had been systematically prevented from receiving their overdue freedom.
Bucher is associate professor of history at Roanoke College and director of the College’s Center for Studying Structures of Race.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Hare: Long-term care providers made many sacrifices during pandemic ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By KEITH HARE, published in Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
The COVID-19 pandemic, a public health crisis unlike anything any of us have experienced in our lifetimes, has drastically altered our reality. As a nation we’ve faced uncertainty as to what the future holds. However, in the midst of the challenges we now face, Virginia’s long-term care providers have emerged as frontline heroes in this health crisis.
Keith Hare is president and CEO of the Virginia Health Care Association–Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA–VCAL), which represents nearly 350 nursing homes and assisted living communities across Virginia.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Woodhouse: Community colleges offer stability in turbulent times ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By MICHELLE WOODHOUSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Even while our nation continues to reel from the effects of pandemic and protest, we have our futures to think about. We want to plan, whether it’s for a weekend outing or a career in a high-demand field. Yet, with so much uncertainty, we are moving forward without the benefit of a clear road map. Here’s what hasn’t changed: Setting yourself up for success starts with higher education.
Michelle W. Woodhouse is interim vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Tidewater Community College
------------------------------------------------------------
** Phillips: The coronavirus underscores critical role of Virginia’s free clinics ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By RUFUS C. PHILLIPS, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
As Virginia continues to reopen its economy while trying to avoid a resurgence of the coronavirus, the state’s network of free clinics is playing a pivotal role. By screening and testing for COVID-19 in addition to meeting the ongoing health care needs of uninsured patients, free clinics are preventing the escalation of the virus, reducing unnecessary emergency room (ER) visits and preserving hospital capacity.
Phillips is CEO of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
------------------------------------------------------------
** Anderson: Leave the monuments – "in color" ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By KEN ANDERSON, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
I am a 24-year-old black man who has lived in Richmond since 2013, and yes — I think the monuments should remain — in their present form. This past Sunday, as I walked through my neighborhood surveying the colorful changes sprayed across the Jackson, Davis, Lee and Stuart statues, I believe the people of Richmond finally and appropriately have contextualized Monument Avenue.
Ken Anderson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law.
** THE FRIDAY READ
------------------------------------------------------------
** Parking ticket paid after 42 years of procrastination ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JAY PINSONNAULT, Seacoast Online
Gary Urgonski, then 30 years old, left his house in Newton, Massachusetts, on a typical Saturday morning in July and headed north. The destination on that July 28 morning in 1978 was the “beautiful Maine coast” with the intentions of “just being a tourist.”
------------------------------------------------------------
Donate ([link removed]) Subscribe ([link removed]) Content Policy ([link removed]) Privacy ([link removed])
============================================================
This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Virginia Public Access Project . P.O. Box 1472 . Richmond, VA 23218 . USA
Message Analysis
- Sender: Virginia Public Access Project
- Political Party: n/a
- Country: United States
- State/Locality: Virginia
- Office: n/a
-
Email Providers:
- MailChimp