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By ELI ROSENBERG, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
The state of Virginia adopted the first set of coronavirus-related workplace safety mandates in the country, after a board approved the emergency regulation Wednesday — a move the state took after months of inaction from a federal agency tasked with nationwide enforcement. The state’s safety and health codes board voted 9-2 to adopt what is called an “emergency temporary standard,” which will require businesses to implement safety measures to protect people from being infected with the coronavirus at work.
The Virginia Public Access Project
All candidates and PACs with accounts open with the Department of Elections were required to file year-end campaign finance disclosures by midnight. Look for quick links to 2021 statewide candidates, General Assembly incumbents and leadership PACs. VPAP provides the top level numbers for each committee and makes it easy to browse a complete list of contributions and expenses.
By EMILY SIDES, Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)
Prince William County students will not be back in the classroom when the school year begins Sept. 8. In a vote late Wednesday, the school board walked back its initial support for a "hybrid" model that would have allowed students to attend school twice a week, with 100% virtual learning as an option. In a split 4-4 vote Wednesday, the board couldn't find enough support to move forward with the plan.
By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Liberty University sued The New York Times for defamation on Wednesday, accusing the newspaper and a reporter of crafting a “clickbait” story intended to mislead the public about a coronavirus outbreak at the school’s Lynchburg campus. In a 55-page complaint filed in Lynchburg Circuit Court, the university took aim at a March 29 story in which The Times reported that about a dozen students living on campus were sick with symptoms suggesting COVID-19.
By VALERIE BONK, WTOP
Applications for sports betting licenses are expected to start being accepted in October and licensed mobile platforms could start offering the first legal wagers on sports in Virginia in January 2021. Members of Virginia’s Lottery Board, which was assigned regulatory responsibility for expanded gaming by the 2020 General Assembly, were briefed at a virtual public meeting Wednesday on the initial draft regulations for online sports betting.
By GREG GIESEN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The Virginia High School League presented three options for the return of high school sports – none of which included football in fall – but delayed a decision on the possibilities until July 27. The decision was made Wednesday during a VHSL Executive Committee meeting.
By BRIAN WOODSON, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
It was a historic night at Bristol Motor Speedway. It felt like it too. There was a feeling of eager anticipation on a hot, steamy Wednesday evening as the NASCAR All-Star Race made its debut at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” the first time the sport’s premier event had been held on the high banks of Bristol.
The Full Report
48 articles, 19 publications
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The Virginia Public Access Project
Mid-year campaign finance reports due at midnight signaled the unofficial start of the 2021 gubernatorial contest. At this point, candidates and prospective candidates are raising money via a variety of candidate committees and PACs. This interactive chart shows the amount each raised during the first six months this year and the total balance of their various accounts on June 30.
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.
By YASMINE JUMAA, WCVE
When courts reopened across Virginia, a wave of evictions flooded through them — and advocates raised concerns about the possibility of some being carried out unlawfully. On Wednesday, Attorney General Mark Herring released a report detailing all available state and federal tenant protections. This came at the request of Del. Marcia Price (D-Newport News), and about a dozen other lawmakers, following concerns about a lack of uniformity in the way Virginia courts are interpreting tenant protection measures.
By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer
Drawn years ago to protect Republican incumbents, the boundaries of Virginia’s sprawling 7th Congressional District encompass eight rural counties and two populous suburbs (Chesterfield and Henrico) that long served as electoral bedrock for the state GOP. Those suburban voters turned against the Republican Party in large numbers in 2018, however, delivering Democratic rookie Abigail Spanberger an upset victory over conservative incumbent U.S. Rep. Dave Brat.
By WAYNE EPPS JR., Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
As the intensive process of implementing sports betting in Virginia continues to unfurl, the Virginia Lottery on Wednesday released some of the initial drafts of regulations that will guide betting operations. The lottery, which is in charge of regulating both sports betting and casinos after both were legalized in legislation that took effect on July 1, posted four sections of its regulations to its site. The drafts will be open to public comment and input for almost two months, through a comment forum on the state’s regulatory town hall site.
By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Virginia became the first state in the nation to adopt mandatory workplace safety rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a step backed by some labor groups but opposed by a coalition of business organizations. The state’s Safety and Health Codes Board voted 9-2 on Wednesday to adopt what are called “emergency temporary standards.”
By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press
Virginia officials on Wednesday passed temporary new workplace safety rules designed to protect employees from the coronavirus, becoming the first state to adopt such measures. The Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board voted to approve rules for businesses that include social distancing requirements, notifications for employees when a co-worker has tested positive for the virus and timelines for when employees who recover from the virus can return to work.
By MICHAEL LARIS, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
The deadly crash of a Virginia State Police helicopter that had been flying near a white-nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017 was probably caused by “the pilot’s loss of helicopter control” as the aircraft headed swiftly toward the ground, federal investigators have found. Also contributing to the crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, was pilot Lt. H. Jay Cullen’s “lack of recent and recurrent training” on how to recover from such a downward rush.
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
The families of two Virginia state troopers killed in a helicopter crash after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017 have accused the National Transportation Safety Board of bias in an investigation that concluded the accident was caused by an aerodynamic condition that the pilot had not been trained to handle.
By JUSTIN JOUVENAL, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
A Virginia State trooper is under investigation for a traffic stop last year during which he can be heard on video telling a black driver “you are going to get your a-- whooped,” before forcefully removing the man from his car, authorities said Wednesday. The incident came to light when an attorney representing Derrick Thompson, the driver, sent a letter to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring on Monday claiming that Trooper Charles Hewitt unconstitutionally assaulted his client during the stop on I-495 in Fairfax County on April 20, 2019.
By PATRICK HITE, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
The Virginia High School League's executive committee delayed making a decision on the fate of high school sports in Virginia until July 27 at 9 a.m. The committee called a meeting for Wednesday morning and many anticipated a decision would be made during the meeting. However, that wasn't the case.
By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
A four-year review of old blood typing cases prompted by a 1984 wrongful conviction was wrapped up Wednesday by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science after no serious problems or wider issues were identified. The review was initiated by the department in 2016, shortly after DNA testing exonerated Keith Allen Harward of the 1982 rape of a Newport News woman and the murder of her husband. Those convictions stemmed from erroneous bite mark evidence.
By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine
The city of Portsmouth announced Wednesday that its preferred casino gaming partner, Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, has been pre-certified by the Virginia Lottery Board to operate a Virginia casino. The pre-certification is necessary to move forward with a local gaming referendum in November.
By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press
A Virginia congressman is raising an alarm about the state’s delays in delivering unemployment benefits, saying he’s received two months of “continuous complaints” from his constituents. Democratic Rep. A. Donald McEachin wrote in a letter to Virginia Employment Commissioner Ellen Marie Hess on Tuesday that many Virginians are telling him they can’t even get a response from the state agency handling jobless benefits.
By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine
Hotel revenue declines have worsened during the past week, despite the state operating under Phase Three of Gov. Ralph Northam’s “Forward Virginia” plan, which has loosened some gathering and hospitality restrictions. Hotel revenues and rooms sold declined in every major market in Virginia, compared with the same time frame last year, according to new data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group providing market data on the hospitality industry.
By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors announced Wednesday it has directed an additional $20 million in funding to its Fairfax Relief Initiative to Support Employers (RISE) relief program — bringing its total funding to $46 million aimed at helping small businesses and nonprofits during the pandemic.
By JULIA RENTSCH, delmarvanow
A Minotaur IV rocket launched successfully from Virginia's NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Tuesday morning,marking the beginning of the first-ever mission from Wallops by the U.S. Space Force. The rocket, carrying four classified payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office, is the first Minotaur launch from Wallops since 2013 and the second orbital launch of 2020 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport launch pads. Minotaur rockets have been launched from Wallops for nearly 14 years.
By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The former executive director of the Newport News airport, Ken Spirito, was sentenced Wednesday to four years of probation and ordered to pay the airport $2.5 million to make up for public funds it lost through financing for People Express Airlines. Sprito was convicted on several charges of misusing public money and money laundering earlier this year, after arguing that a People Express loan and the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport’s loss were the responsibility of the Peninsula Airport Commission’s board of commissioners.
By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Virginia Commonwealth University students must test negative for COVID-19 before moving into housing on campus. President Michael Rao says, as the university inches closer to its planned Aug. 17 reopening. Rao, in a message to the university community Tuesday night, said VCU will provide the testing kits for students living on campus.
By ALEXA DOIRON, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)
...The college in June announced its Path Forward plans to reopen for students on campus in the fall. Aspects of the pandemic have since changed unexpectedly which the college realizes means plans to reopen could be altered as well, said W&M President Katherine Rowe. “The national picture for reopening is increasingly grim,” Rowe said. “Everyone who reads the news hears this, but what’s driving William & Mary’s decision-making is scientific indicators.”
By FENIT NIRAPPIL, OVETTA WIGGINS, RACHEL CHASON AND DANA HEDGPETH, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
The greater Washington region recorded its highest daily coronavirus caseload in weeks Wednesday as D.C. lost more ground in its fight to quell the pandemic. Maryland, Virginia and D.C. combined to report the region’s highest single-day case increase since June 4.
By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Virginia reported 1,084 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 73,527. Wednesday’s numbers were the sixth straight day of more than 800 positive tests, as Virginia’s cases have started to trend back upward, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health.
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
The Virginia Department of Health reported Wednesday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 73,527 — an increase of 1,084 from the 72,443 reported Tuesday. The 73,527 cases consist of 70,669 confirmed cases and 2,858 probable cases.
By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
An outbreak of COVID-19 in Henrico County Jail West has resulted in roughly 130 confirmed cases among inmates and jail staff, county officials announced at a news conference Wednesday. Despite diverting more than 768 people away from jail since Jan. 1 to alleviate crowding and to limit the spread of the disease, more than 10% of inmates in the two county-run jails have tested positive for the virus.
By RICH GRISET, Chesterfield Observer
In Central Virginia, the Chesterfield Health District had the highest seven-day average positivity rate for coronavirus tests as of Tuesday, at 8%, according to the Virginia Department of Health website. The Chesterfield Health District includes Chesterfield, Colonial Heights and Powhatan.
By PETER COUTU, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As Virginia has started to reopen, most of the commonwealth has seen nothing but good news as the percent of positive tests has either plateaued or declined and fewer people need treatment in hospitals for COVID-19. But Hampton Roads, which largely escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic since March, has become the state’s COVID-19 hotspot, driving worrying increases in hospitalizations, cases and other key metrics that health officials are monitoring.
By PETER DUJARDIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The jury trial has been among the many casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. Judges across the country have widely delayed trials, saying the pandemic has created risks with cramming jurors, witnesses, attorneys and court staff into courtroom. But now some lawyers are beginning to assert that their client’s right to a speedy trial — guaranteed in the Bill of Rights — are being violated by the significant delays.
By NEIL HARVEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
As the Roanoke Valley court system continues to navigate the ongoing pandemic, it saw one of its key figures sidelined this week. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Hilary Griffith said Wednesday she has tested positive for COVID-19 — the first such announcement from a judge in the 23rd Circuit, which serves Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem.
By TIM DODSON, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
Despite a growing number of COVID-19 cases in Northeast Tennessee and public health concerns surrounding large gatherings, thousands of people filed into Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday for the NASCAR All-Star Race. In the hours leading up to the race, spaces outside the speedway took on a festive mood as race fans shopped for souvenirs and enjoyed tailgates, where people grilled hot dogs and burgers, listened to music and played cornhole.
By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Ahead of a hearing that could decide the fate of Richmond’s Robert E. Lee statue, Attorney General Mark Herring asked a city judge to combine two lawsuits challenging the state’s plans to remove the monument. Herring on Wednesday filed a motion to consolidate the two cases, which seek to bar the state from removing Richmond’s most well-known Confederate iconography.
By ANDREW RINGLE, Commonwealth Times
“They sprayed innocent people.” That’s what Richmond resident Mikhail Smith said drove him to lean outside his apartment window in the early morning hours of May 31 and start filming what would soon become a viral video — police officers pepper-spraying pedestrians on the sidewalk outside his home. As Smith filmed the officers after a night of protests, riots and looting, one deployed pepper spray in the direction of his open window. He says the chemical agent reached him and his belongings inside the apartment.
By MARK ROBINSON AND ALI ROCKETT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
The Richmond Police Department has spent at least $1.9 million responding to protests that began in the city in late May, mostly on overtime pay for officers. Between May 29 and June 23, the agency paid out $1.83 million in overtime, according to a Freedom of Information Act request. A second request for overtime accrued in the subsequent weeks, as near-daily demonstrations against racism and police brutality have continued, is pending.
By VERNON MILES, ArlNow
A new change to the County Code under review at the upcoming County Board meeting on Saturday (Jul. 18) would add gender identity to the list of identities protected from discrimination. The move follows the approval of a similar state-level change that prohibited discrimination in public employment, housing and credit to Virginians on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
By ANDREW GIAMBRONE, DCist
Dozens of renters and housing advocates turned out at an Alexandria courthouse Wednesday to rally in support of tenants at Southern Towers, a five-building apartment complex that’s now in the third month of a rent strike sparked by the coronavirus crisis. The group called on Virginia officials to cancel rents and suspend eviction proceedings. Many renters are experiencing widespread layoffs, while enhanced federal unemployment benefits are slated to expire later in July, barring quick action by Congress.
Fort Hunt Herald
Fairfax County’s 9-1-1 system could soon be dispatching teams of unarmed medical, human services and mental health workers to respond to non-violent mental and behavioral health incidents instead of police officers. The proposal being pushed by Supervisors Rodney Lusk (Lee District) and Walter Alcorn (Hunter Mill) would mirror Eugene, Oregon’s Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) mental health crisis intervention program that has been in place since 1989.
By STACY SHAW, Bristow Beat
The Prince William County School Board did not pass its 50/50, 2-day-a-week, plan to reopen schools, which failed by a 4-4 vote, Wednesday night. Potomac member Justin Wilk made the motion to approve the 50/50 plan with the caveat that they could revisit the situation in August. His proposal did not satisfy members Lillie Jessie, Adele Jackson, Loree Williams and Lisa Zargarpur. Instead, they passionately advocated for a 100% virtual model.
By RICH GRISET, Chesterfield Observer
A growing debate over how to reopen schools this fall turned political last week, pitting Republican state lawmakers against public school teachers across the region. Last Wednesday, a group of GOP lawmakers began pushing for schools to reopen fully for in-person instruction, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In the two days that followed, the Chesterfield Education Association and the Richmond Education Association put out statements calling for 100% virtual instruction.
By SARA GREGORY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As Norfolk set a record high for new coronavirus cases Wednesday, School Board members said they think the fall semester should start virtually for all students. A 100% virtual plan was not one of the four options administrators presented to the board but as members discussed it, consensus grew around the idea. All seven members said that it’s the best option right now, but they decided to hold off taking a final vote until next week.
By ALEXA DOIRON, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)
Four. That’s the number of Return to Learn possible plans presented Tuesday by the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools — the plans range from from entirely remote instruction to entirely in-person classes in the fall.
By CATHY JETT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Fredericksburg will use $500,000 of its share of the CARES Act COVID-19 relief fund allotment to help the city’s small businesses, which have been hit hard by the pandemic.
By CATHY JETT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Fredericksburg’s City Council passed a resolution urging the General Assembly to remove the name Jefferson Davis Highway from U.S. 1 statewide when it holds a special session in August. Members voted 6–1 Tuesday to approve the measure, which also asks the General Assembly to replace the president of the Confederacy’s name with one “that promotes our shared values of unity, equality and a commitment to a better future for all Americans.”
By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
The Roanoke County School Board unanimously approved the Roanoke County Public Schools’ reopening plan Wednesday, bringing an end to a nearly monthlong debate over whether to make significant revisions . The approved plan will largely remain unchanged, but school board members pledged to do all they can to find a way to get more students in the classroom as soon as possible, even if it means meeting weekly.
By JOE TENNIS, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
Less than a day after more than 100 people turned out for a public meeting, Washington County officials announced the closing of the second floor of the county administration building in Abingdon. The crowd turned out Tuesday night for a county Board of Supervisors meeting on the second floor of the building to discuss the future of a Confederate soldier statue on the grounds of the county courthouse.
Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Hampton Roads, the eyes of Virginia are on us. With a modest, but steady, increase in the number of coronavirus cases reported in Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam warned on Tuesday that a continued uptick could prompt him to reinstitute restrictions lifted during the commonwealth’s reopening process. And he made clear which region of the state needs to better adhere to social distancing guidelines and the facemask mandate.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
In an editorial this past August, we asked if battle lines were being drawn once again in Hanover County. The question was posed after a local NAACP chapter filed a federal lawsuit against the county and its school board for continuing to refuse to change the names of Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Just as businesses generally don’t serve people without shoes or shirts, they shouldn’t serve those who are not wearing face coverings. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic, struggling to contain the highly contagious coronavirus. Masks are a valuable weapon in helping to stop the spread of the respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
Before there was Donald Trump, there was Doug Wilder. Both are vain, thin-skinned and vindictive. They catalog the merest slight and delight in taking revenge for it. They toss rhetorical hand grenades, often as a diversion from personal controversy. Witness Trump’s dissembling and diatribes — paired with a losing legal battle that went to the U.S. Supreme Court — over a Manhattan prosecutor’s demand for his income tax records as a window on possible criminal conduct by the president.
By IBRAHEEM S. SAMIRAH, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
It has been more than a month since the murder of George Floyd by police officers sparked global protests against racism and violence in our law enforcement ranks. It most likely will go down as one of the biggest movements for racial justice in modern history — and it’s still going strong. Americans of all backgrounds now are engaging in new and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about the role that systemic racism plays in our everyday lives.
Ibraheem S. Samirah, D-Fairfax, represents the 86th District in the House of Delegates.
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