VaNews
July 22, 2020
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Top of the News


** Fairfax, Loudoun, Montgomery call for all-virtual start to school year, scrapping earlier plans ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON AND DONNA ST. GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

In a major reversal, the superintendents of three large public school systems in Virginia and Maryland are calling for an all-virtual start to the fall semester, scrapping earlier plans to offer a mix of in-person and distance learning. The superintendents of Fairfax County Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools, both in Northern Virginia, argued for an online-only start in meetings with their school boards Tuesday.
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** For parents who can afford it, a solution for fall: Bring the teachers to them ([link removed])
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By LAURA MECKLER AND HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Fed up with remote education, parents who can pay have a new plan for fall: import teachers to their homes. This goes beyond tutoring. In some cases, families are teaming up to form “pandemic pods,” where clusters of students receive professional instruction for several hours each day. It’s a 2020 version of the one-room schoolhouse, privately funded....“We had lots of family discussions about what we wanted to do, and is it worth it to pay extra, and we said yes,” said Katie Franklin, who has a 7-year-old daughter and lives in Herndon, in Northern Virginia. She is in talks with a few other families to hire a teacher to share. The estimated cost for her family: at least $500 per month.
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** Several Hampton Roads restaurants shut down by state over weekend for not following COVID-19 rules ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Restaurants and places where people normally congregate had been warned, in theory. As COVID-19 cases in Hampton Roads ticked up, Gov. Ralph Northam promised July 14 that enforcement to ensure that precautions were being taken would increase in kind. Under Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, which began July 1, Virginians still aren’t allowed to sit at bars or gather close together.
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** COVID-19 cases at Newport News Shipbuilding reach daily high ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Coronavirus cases reached a record daily high Monday at Newport News Shipbuilding, according to President Jennifer Boykin. There were 30 new confirmed cases with more than half of the reported cases working in the north yard. “This number represents the largest to date, and I share your concern,” Boykin said in a statement.
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** Some in Virginia’s wedding industry are saying ‘I don’t’ to pandemic safety guidelines ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

About a week and a half ago, Susan Hartle came down with deep fatigue and a dry cough. A COVID-19 test confirmed the worst for the wedding planner, who coordinates events in North Carolina and Virginia. “To catch it really is shocking to me,” she said. She’s been vigilant about wearing a mask, mostly stayed at home and moved all of her consultations to video. The ceremonies she’s coordinated since the start of the pandemic have been small gatherings, all limited to 25 people — maximum — for outdoor events.
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** Appomattox County becomes second Virginia locality to pass ‘No Local Gun-Control’ resolution ([link removed])
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By SARAH HONOSKY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

After more than 100 Virginia localities declared themselves a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” last year, a second wave of local opposition to recent gun control laws has emerged in the form of a new resolution. Monday night, Appomattox County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution to express its continued opposition to any laws restricting the second amendment, decrying a law that went into effect on July 1 that allows local governments to ban guns and ammunition in government buildings and public areas — such as public parks and community centers.
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** Virginia woman wrongly charged for wastewater for 44 years want $26K refund ([link removed])
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WHSV

Zenobia Gary says the City of Richmond overbilled for 44 years, as she was wrongly charged a wastewater fee. Her sewer line is not connected to Richmond’s solid waste system, and it never has been but she received monthly bills as if it was. Like Gary, Richmond thought it was disposing of all the wastewater coming from her home. No one knew it was going into a septic tank.
The Full Report
48 articles, 23 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Twenty-somethings and COVID-19 ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

A weekly snapshot taken over the last three months shows Virginians aged 20-29 are becoming a larger share of confirmed COVID-19 cases. In May, twenty-somethings accounted for 1 in 7 confirmed cases. By July, the statewide share had grown to 1 in 4.
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** VPAP Visual In Virginia, Biden Continues to Outpace Trump ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

For the third time in the last four months, Democrat Joe Biden in June reported more than $1 million in donations from Virginia residents. A clear comparison with Republican President Trump is difficult because of delays in Trump's monthly reporting. For instance, since the June reporting deadline, the Trump campaign updated its April and May numbers to add $306,000 in previously unreported donations from Virginia residents.
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** From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

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


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Culpeper judge says Virginia's mask mandate is lawful ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A Culpeper County Circuit Court judge has denied a legal challenge to Gov. Ralph Northam’s mask mandate. Judge Claude Worrell ruled Monday that the governor’s executive order, which stipulates that anyone over the age of 10 wear a face mask while inside a public building or business, is lawful.
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** Northam signs law authorizing driver privilege cards for undocumented immigrants ([link removed])
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By KEYRIS MANZANARES, WAVY

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam virtually signed a law Monday granting undocumented immigrants living in the Commonwealth the privilege to drive starting next year. Previously, in order to apply for a driver’s license in Virginia, applicants had to provide proof of citizenship or legal presence.
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** AG Herring sues EPA over rule undermining mercury and air toxins standards ([link removed])
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WAVY

Attorney General Mark R. Herring has filed suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its new rule that seeks to allow fossil fuel power plants to release more pollution into the air in the midst of a respiratory disease pandemic. “In its latest giveaway to fossil fuel companies, the Trump Administration wants to allow more mercury, toxins, and pollution into the air,” said Attorney General Herring.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** A united front on police overhaul ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN JOUVENAL AND GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A group of Virginia’s liberal prosecutors appeared alongside state Senate Democrats on Monday to provide a unified front in support of a slate of measures to overhaul policing and criminal justice ahead of a special session of the legislature in August. The video news conference demonstrated Democrats’ hopes for implementing substantial measures after winning both houses of the legislature last year and expanding the cohort of liberals in prosecutors’ offices across the state.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Gade Challenging Warner For Senate Seat ([link removed])
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By IAN MUNRO, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

When Daniel Gade lost his leg while deployed in Iraq during 2005, it was 25 other military service members who donated their blood to help save his life. “That story, that concept, has informed my political philosophy this whole time,” the Republican said. Now, the veteran is running to be one of Virgin-ia’s federal Senators and is challenging Democrat Mark Warner for the seat in the November election.
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** Spanberger releases first campaign ad to kick off re-election bid ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

With her opponent in November official, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, released her first television advertisement Tuesday in what is likely to be a hard-fought re-election campaign. The 30-second advertisement, dubbed “Called to Serve,” highlights the incumbent’s time in the Central Intelligence Agency and her record in Congress.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Water failures reported at privately-run Virginia prison ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Water service has been intermittently interrupted for parts of the Lawrenceville Correctional Center since Thursday, prompting sanitation and other complaints from families and advocates. “The sinks were the only water that was restored after a day but there is no hot water still in the facility. I heard from my husband for the first time since Saturday just now at 10:30 [a.m.] and he said he has yet to be able to take a shower.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** CarMax has opened a customer call center at its headquarters; now hiring 200 employees ([link removed])
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By GREGORY J. GILLIGAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Automotive retailer CarMax has opened a fifth customer experience center to support its omni-channel car buying experience. The newest call center is at CarMax’s corporate headquarters in the West Creek office park in Goochland County. The chain is hiring 200 employees for the local center as well as an additional 550 workers at its four other centers — in Atlanta, Kansas City, Kan., Phoenix and Raleigh, N.C.
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** Colonial Downs announces it will not allow spectators at horse track this year ([link removed])
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By EMILY HOLTER, Tidewater Review

A week away from its scheduled opening day horse races, The Colonial Downs Group announced it will no longer welcome folks back to its track and instead move toward spectator-free racing. The decision came after the Virginia Racing Commission requested Colonial Downs alter course to ensure spectators’ safety amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
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** Portsmouth, Rush Street Gaming unveil casino renderings ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

After receiving pre-certification from the Virginia Lottery Board last week to operate a Virginia casino, Rush Street Gaming on Tuesday revealed more details about the proposed $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth, including the first renderings of the gaming, conference and hotel complex.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** W&M pushes 2020 graduation to next spring ([link removed])
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By JULIA MARSIGLIANO, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

The College of William & Mary announced Monday the university would postpone the Class of 2020’s commencement ceremonies until May 2021 due to the coronavirus. “Our dearest wish was to celebrate your Commencement in-person and on campus in October,” Ginger Ambler, Commencement Committee chairwoman and vice president for Student Affairs, wrote in a letter to students. “We know our graduates and families want to be able to gather freely, in large numbers for everything from the Candlelight Ceremony and Walk Across Campus, to our formal exercises themselves.”


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Nearly 1,000 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday in Virginia ([link removed])
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By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health reported 996 coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s tally to 79,371. Of the total cases, 76,427 are confirmed and 2,944 are probable, meaning those patients are symptomatic and have a known exposure to the illness.
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** Virginians waiting longer for COVID-19 test results as cases rise ([link removed])
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By MICHELLE MURILLO, WTOP

An increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Virginia is beginning to strain the state’s testing capacity. More people are active now that the stay-at-home orders have been lifted. Some are going back to their workplaces. Others are taking family trips or going out more. The changes mean more potential exposure and more people wanting tests.
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** Fredericksburg area sees fifth virus outbreak in nursing home, two more deaths ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Two somber reports were issued Tuesday in the local struggle against COVID-19: There have been two more virus-related deaths—the first in Fredericksburg and the 33rd in Spotsylvania County—and a fifth outbreak in a local nursing home. A Black woman in her 60s died in Spotsylvania from the virus, and a male resident in his 70s died in the city as part of a virus-related outbreak at Hughes Home.
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** Virginians must quarantine if traveling to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, per governors’ travel advisory ([link removed])
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By DENIS SLATTERY, New York Daily News

New York added Virginia and nine other states to its coronavirus quarantine travel advisory Tuesday, bringing the list to a total of 31 states. People now traveling from nearly two-thirds of the country to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, must self-isolate for two weeks and get a coronavirus test, Gov. Cuomo said.
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** Virginia businesses are having to act as face mask police. It’s not an easy job. ([link removed])
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By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

As Running Etc. prepared in May to reopen its stores in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, some employees were wary about returning to work amid the coronavirus pandemic. Owner Mike Robinson said he assured them that he would do all that he could to ensure their safety. He promised to strictly enforce a rule requiring that everyone who came into the stores wear face masks. He would even provide disposables ones at the door for those who didn’t have one.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Loudoun County's Confederate monument removed overnight Monday ([link removed])
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By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times

Loudoun's Confederate statue, also known as the “Silent Sentinel,” was removed from the courthouse grounds in downtown Leesburg overnight Monday. The Times-Mirror on Tuesday morning received images of the statue taken during its removal. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously earlier this summer to return the statue to the Loudoun Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC).
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** ‘Silent Sentinel’ Confederate statue removed from outside Loudoun County courthouse ([link removed])
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By DAN ROSENZWEIG-ZIFF, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

When a black helicopter hovered above the Loudoun County courthouse in Leesburg early Tuesday afternoon, many residents grew curious. Roy and Brenda Clark, who had been paying close attention to the county’s recent decision to remove the Confederate statue that stood in front of the building, rushed to the courthouse just blocks from their house to see what was going on.
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** Tazewell Supervisors votes to put Confederate statue removal on November ballot ([link removed])
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By BRITTANY WARD, WVNS-TV

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors made a decision regarding the Confederate statue in front of the Tazewell County Courthouse. During a special meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, the Board voted unanimously to send the issue of the statue removal to a referendum. This means the Board will petition the court to have the issue placed on the ballot for the November General Election.
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** Tiny Clifton, Va., loses its ‘Black Lives Matter’ welcome banner to vandals ([link removed])
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By PATRICIA SULLIVAN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A banner declaring “Black Lives Matter” that has greeted visitors to the tiny Virginia town of Clifton since June was torn down and stolen early Monday, Mayor William Hollaway said. The missing sign was reported to Hollaway by a resident who walks her dog at 5 a.m. Also removed and damaged was a mechanism used to raise and lower banners over that spot on Main Street for decades. The mechanism was found nearby in a ditch, the mayor said.
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** Poultry Workers and Racial Justice Advocates Unite For Justice ([link removed])
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By KATHLEEN SHAW, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Poultry plant workers have been fighting for better treatment for the past few months as COVID-19 cases in the region have grown. Carlos Ramos said his mistreatment in the plants has lasted for nearly two decades, however. Over 100 individuals gathered at Court Square on Monday evening for a Rally in Solidarity with Workers and People of Color in conjunction with the nationwide movement, Strike for Black Lives, organized in part by the Service Employees International Union
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** 'That could've been me': How the space around Lee Monument became a memorial to Black lives lost to violence ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

When André Anderson looks at his 2-year-old son, he sees his mini-me, who wears Vans sneakers that match his and yells, “Hi, Daddy!” if they’re apart for more than a few minutes. But on a recent Thursday afternoon, as his son giddily balled up his fist and raised it high while perched on the graffitied Robert E. Lee monument, Anderson feared some will one day notice only his son’s skin.
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** Still standing guard: Confederate sentries cleaned and ready for maintenance ([link removed])
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By RANDY ARRINGTON, Page Valley News

There will be no referendum for voters this fall, in large part, because there is no longer any question: The two Confederate monuments in town are privately owned, according to the Town. Deed research commissioned by the Town of Luray last month determined that the Town did not hold the deeds — or any rights — to the two properties, despite more than a century of maintenance and upkeep.
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** Franklin County board approves statue referendum ([link removed])
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By MIKE ALLEN, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The statue of a Confederate soldier standing before the Franklin County Courthouse doubled as a lightning rod for controversy Tuesday, with advocates who argue that the monument is a racist symbol that needs to be moved pitted against supporters pointing out that a prominent Black historical figure contributed to its original construction.


** LOCAL
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** Fairfax schools switch to online-only classes for fall ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)

Fairfax County schools will be limiting classes at the start of the school year to virtual-only after a vote from the school board late Tuesday. Tina Williams, president of Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said in a statement that the group is pleased the school division is putting the safety of students and staff first.
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** Fairfax schools backtrack on in-person reopening option ([link removed])
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By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press

The nation’s 10th largest school system, which faced criticism from the Trump administration for offering only two days a week of in-person instruction in the fall, is now backing away from offering any in-person instruction. The recommendation made Tuesday by Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand comes after weeks of planning for a hybrid opening in the fall, in which families could elect full-time distance learning, or an in-person option that featured two days of in-person learning plus two days of independent online learning.
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** Sheriff's office supporters rally at the Loudoun government center ([link removed])
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By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times

More than 100 supporters of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office passed through to the Loudoun County Government Center grounds in Leesburg Tuesday night to show their support for keeping the sheriff’s office intact as is. The rally came after calls by leading Democratic elected officials to establish a county police department.
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** Loudoun to Study Police Department, Other Forms of Government ([link removed])
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By RENSS GREENE, Loudoun Now

What started as a debate around whether the county should have a police department could end with Loudoun having an entirely new form of government. Loudoun elected representatives—and many residents—have been locked in a contentious debate for weeks about whether the county should establish a police department, with a chief of police reporting to the county administrator, handling law enforcement duties. . . . Supervisors later walked that back, and on Tuesday night supervisors voted to launch a study of the various forms of government available to Virginia counties, as well as a report on the possibility of a police department, due back in April 2021.
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** Loudoun School Board approves full-time distance learning for the fall ([link removed])
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By JOHN BATTISTON, Loudoun Times

After hours of deliberation, the Loudoun County School Board voted early Wednesday to direct Loudoun County Public Schools administrators to implement a 100-percent distance learning model for the return to classes in the fall. Earlier in Tuesday's School Board meeting — which ran past 1 a.m. the next day — LCPS Superintendent Eric Williams told board members the division believes full-time remote learning is the best back-to-school option in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** His Virginia school district is small, but this superintendent has big coronavirus worries ([link removed])
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By VALERIE STRAUSS, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Chuck Bishop is the superintendent of Clarke County Public Schools, a small system in Northern Virginia, who, like most other district leaders in the country, is confronting difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic that he never imagined would be part of his job. Bishop has been working in public education for 30 years, 15 as a superintendent, and, he said, the pandemic has had an impact on his job and schooling like nothing else in his experience. “This is the most difficult situation I’ve ever worked through,” he said.
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** Students and teachers anonymously share what it's like to be 'Black At' Richmond-area schools ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

In Chesterfield County, students report teachers using the N-word. In Richmond, principals have referred to Black students as “ghetto,” with absent parents, and Spanish-speaking students say they’ve been forbidden from speaking anything but English. In Hanover, students of color say administrators did nothing after children were called racist slurs. These are among hundreds of instances of racism alleged on social media pages that launched last month to safely give voice to those impacted by racism in Richmond-area schools.
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** Richmond City Council panel wants more input on new name for Jefferson Davis Highway ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A South Richmond street will remain named for a Confederate leader — for now. A Richmond City Council panel on Tuesday recommended the council defer a vote on a measure to rename Jefferson Davis Highway until September, potentially heading off a vote from the full body on the matter that was scheduled for next week.
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** City of Petersburg reports $8 million fund balance, highest in a decade ([link removed])
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By JESS NOCERA, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Four years after the city of Petersburg teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, city officials announced its largest positive fund balance in over a decade. The city ended the 2018-2019 fiscal year with $8.06 million in unassigned general funds, Mayor Samuel Parham announced Tuesday during a press conference at the city’s transit center.
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** Virginia Beach council considers reforming citizen panel’s process for reviewing police complaints ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

This summer, activists in Virginia Beach have been urging the city to create a new panel to review allegations of police misconduct. They want it to have more investigative power than the current citizen’s board tasked with reviewing police internal affairs investigations, increased independence from the city and more authority to ensure the police are held accountable and make changes after findings of misconduct. For now, however, only incremental changes are on the table.
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** Harrisonburg Schools Pivot To Distance Learning ([link removed])
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By JIM SACCO, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

When the Harrisonburg City School Board approved its return-to-school plan earlier this month, it left room for pivots. During a work session Tuesday night over Zoom, Superintendent Michael Richards used one of those pivots and put most of the city’s students on distance learning to start the year. “We’re in a tight spot here,” Richards told the board members. “We have to do our best to keep people safe and kids engaged.”
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** Lynchburg City School Board discusses need for school resource officers ([link removed])
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By JAMEY CROSS, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Following public demands for the removal of school resource officers in Lynchburg City Schools, members of the Lynchburg City School Board said Tuesday night they are in agreement the positions are necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff in the division. The board discussed the division’s need for school resource officers during its Tuesday work session.
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** Campbell County to reopen school buildings, bring students back in September ([link removed])
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By JAMEY CROSS, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Campbell County public schools will reopen in September with all students receiving some in-person instruction, and the school system will offer a 100% remote learning option for students unable to return or uncomfortable with returning to school buildings. Campbell County Public Schools administrators presented the division's reopening plan to the school board at its Monday meeting. Following discussion and some changes, the plan was approved unanimously. "This is very fluid, it's changing almost daily," division Superintendent Robert Johnson said.
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** Franklin County OKs plans to expand broadband service in rural areas ([link removed])
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By MIKE ALLEN, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Franklin County officials commenced the first phase of a multistage plan to spread high speed internet to remote areas by signing an agreement with providers Tuesday. The $4.6 million project involves partnering with internet provider Blue Ridge Towers/Briscnet to build eight new communications towers and adding onto four sites throughout the county. The project is expected to bring fixed wireless to about 20,000 residents, with construction to start in August and wrap up in late 2021.
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** Pittsylvania County leaders say they won't pass local gun control measures ([link removed])
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By CALEB AYERS, Danville Register & Bee

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution indicating that they will not pass any local gun control measures during a business meeting on Tuesday night. "The Board declares that it shall not... regulate or prohibit the otherwise legal purchase, possession, or transfer of firearms or ammunition," the resolution reads.
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** Motion for investigation into discrepancy of county funds fails ([link removed])
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By ALLEN WORRELL, Carroll News

A motion for a police investigation into a $17,800 discrepancy in county records died due to a lack of a second during the Carroll County Economic Development Authority’s (EDA) July 6 meeting. Carroll County EDA member Mandi McCraw made the motion after discovering a 2018 deed for county property sold to Don Branscome. While the county received a check for $90,200 for the property, the deed shows that original figure marked out, and replaced in hand writing with $108,000.
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** Report shows average per-pupil school spending in Va. schools ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

A new state report showing average per-pupil spending for every school in Virginia gives school leaders a clearer picture of how resources are allocated, Bristol Virginia Superintendent Keith Perrigan said Tuesday. This week, the Virginia Department of Education issued new information for each division showing per-pupil expenditures of local, state and federal funds for fiscal 2018-19 at school, division and state levels. Previous figures showed only division and state averages.


** EDITORIALS
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** Meet the governor who signed off on the Lee statue ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

There are no statues to him and apparently nothing named after him. Even in the histories of his era, Philip McKinney doesn’t rate many mentions. By contrast, his defeated political opponent earns whole chapters. And yet more than a century (and a few decades) later, the forgettable Philip McKinney now looms large over Virginia — although, admittedly, not as large as the 12-ton statue of Robert E. Lee that he had a hand in raising on Richmond’s Monument Avenue.
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** Federal bill will protect open space for future generations ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Having passed the U.S. Senate by a strong 73-25 vote and expected to win approval in the House quickly, the Great American Outdoors Act is a reason for real celebration. Bipartisan agreement on a major piece of legislation is a rarity in our deeply divided country. Passage of this important conservation measure is also a rare example of beneficial side effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
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** Creating a better fall for our schools ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

In any other year, late July is a time when students, teachers, support staff and families prepare to head back to school. This is not any other year. We’re wearing personal protective equipment to browse for school supplies. We’re watching our children’s dreams of becoming athletes, musicians or lawyers dashed by the cancellation of football season, concerts or debate competitions.


** OP-ED
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** Sabet: Marijuana legalization isn’t social justice ([link removed])
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By KEVIN SABET, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam recently signed marijuana decriminalization into law, a reform that stop saddling people with criminal records for low-level pot use. But don’t mistake this for legalization. It isn’t. Yet, before the commonwealth even has the chance to study the results of decriminalization, some in the legislature are already calling for outright marijuana legalization and commercialization on the grounds of social justice. This would only set us back.

Kevin Sabet served as a senior drug policy advisor to the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. He currently serves as president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana in Alexandria.


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