VaNews
July 24, 2020
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Top of the News


** As more Virginians file for unemployment, state agency is two months from running out of money ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The state agency responsible for sending unemployment benefits to the hundreds of thousands of Virginians that have found themselves out of work amid the coronavirus pandemic says it will run out of money within two months. Officials with the Virginia Employment Commission told reporters Thursday that it will be forced to borrow money from the federal government to continue making benefit payments, and that the state’s businesses, some of which have been crippled by the COVID-19 shutdowns, will be hit with higher taxes.
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** Health director: With five new outbreaks, Danville, Pittsylvania County COVID-19 case surge like a 'big bad storm' ([link removed])
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By CALEB AYERS, Danville Register & Bee

Pittsylvania-Danville Health Director Scott Spillmann compared the current surge in cases in the district, including five new outbreaks that were reported on Thursday, to "high tide and a big bad storm." "I don’t think it’s quite at tsunami level … but it’s really high," Spillmann said. Five new outbreaks — which are classified as two more lab-confirmed cases in a single location — were reported in the health district on Thursday along with 20 new cases.
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** U.S. Census Bureau declares Rappahannock ‘unsafe’ for its workers ([link removed])
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By JOHN MCCASLIN, Rappahannock News (Metered Paywall)

In the wake of its recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases, Rappahannock County is currently declared “unsafe” by the U.S. Census Bureau for its workers to help local residents complete Census forms. “Every Thursday we are provided an email of Cites/Counties that we are not supposed to be working in due to unsafe conditions,” Kristen Hudgins, recruiting manager of the Fredericksburg Area Census Office, notified bureau staff last Friday.
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** Robert E. Lee monument in downtown Roanoke toppled late Wednesday ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee across the street from Roanoke’s city hall was toppled Wednesday night. City crews removed two chunks of the now-broken stone shaft from the ground at the west end of Lee Plaza, which is also named for the Virginia-born Confederate general. People trickled through the slender park Thursday to look at where the monument once stood, some taking pictures of themselves with the base.
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** During push for police reform, a new Virginia law could give officer unions greater power ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN EDWARDS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Police unions around Virginia could use a new state law to become more powerful than ever — even as people around the country cry out for the kinds of reforms police unions often oppose. The law, which goes into effect next May, allows cities and towns to give unions representing public employees the opportunity to collectively bargain.
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** Albemarle man sues city officials over new 'red flag' law ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

An Albemarle County man is suing Charlottesville’s commonwealth’s attorney and police chief, alleging a recently implemented state “red flag” law violates his constitutional rights. Filed earlier this month in federal court in the city by Joseph Draego, the suit targets a law that allows authorities to obtain an emergency substantial risk order that prevents a person from obtaining, possessing or transporting a firearm for up to 14 days.
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** State Fair of Virginia canceled for first time since WWII due to COVID ([link removed])
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By HOLLY PRESTIDGE, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

No corn dogs or funnel cakes or baby animals or spine-tingling rides - fears over COVID-19 means no State Fair of Virginia this year. "We really tried, we just cannot make it work this year," said Pam Wiley, director of communications for the Virginia Farm Bureau, which operates the fair. Wiley said staff had spent months trying to figure out ways to make the fair work within state health guidelines so that everyone - from fair-goers and vendors to staff and volunteers - would be safe.
The Full Report
70 articles, 39 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual If Money Were Votes ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

VPAP's exclusive statewide map showing Trump v. Biden campaign donations in each of Virginia's 2,453 voting precincts. The data has been updated to include the latest donations through June 30.
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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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** Northam ceremonially signs nondiscrimination bill into law ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL K. LAVERS, Washington Blade

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday ceremonially signed the bill that added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s nondiscrimination law. Northam signed the Virginia Values Act in April, but a signing ceremony did not take place because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Virginia Values Act took effect on July 1.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Prince William's state lawmakers urge local courts to halt evictions for 3 weeks ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

With hundreds of residents facing eviction in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park this month, area lawmakers are urging the local general district court to halt eviction hearings for three weeks to allow more time for at-risk renters to apply for housing assistance. Seven lawmakers, Dels. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-2nd, Del. Hala Ayala, D-51st, Del. Danica Roem, D-13th, Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-31st, Del. Luke Torian, D-52nd, and Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th, sent a letter to General District Court Chief Judge Robert Coleman Wednesday morning urging him to temporarily halt evictions until the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program can be fully implemented.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Chase demands apology from NoVa Chamber ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Republican candidate for governor Amanda Chase, the Chesterfield County-based state senator, said Thursday that she didn’t know why the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce disinvited her from speaking to the group July 8 until two weeks later, when the chamber’s new chairman released a public statement categorizing some of the candidate’s statements as “attempts to divide us, playing on people’s fears and appealing to bigotry and hate.”


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** US election swing states: Virginia is for… Democrats? ([link removed])
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By EMILY TAMKIN, New Statesman

....The story of how Virginia went blue in presidential years is one of demographic shifts, a Democratic political machine and Trump. It’s the story of how a state’s voting patterns can change – and how politicians know all too well that they can change back again.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Initial jobless claims rise and Virginia looks to Congress for next round of aid ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

As initial unemployment claims rise in Virginia, an enhanced benefit is set to expire on Saturday unless Congress acts to preserve it. This is the final week for an additional $600 weekly unemployment payment under the federal CARES Act, with no clear outlook on whether Congress and President Donald Trump will extend the benefit, reduce its size or allow it to expire.
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** Employers could face tax hikes to cover gap in unemployment funds ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

With jobless claims at a record high, the state trust fund that pays for jobless benefits is expected to rack up a $750 million deficit by the end of the year, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. And Virginia employers already hurting from the pandemic’s economic fallout could face tax increases to replenish the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which covers the cost of unemployment benefits for workers who are laid off or furloughed.
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** Qarni: Local COVID-19 ‘dashboards’ coming to help leaders decide when it’s safe to reopen schools ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

Virginia’s school divisions will soon have access to informational “dashboards” of local pandemic metrics to help guide decisions about when it’s safe for students to return for in-person instruction, Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni said Wednesday. Qarni, a resident of Prince William County and a former teacher at Beville Middle School, spoke about the new dashboards, which are still under development, during a July 22 return-to-school forum sponsored by the Prince William County Committee of 100.
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** COVID-19 and Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL POPE, WVTF

Remember waiting in those long lines at the DMV? Finally making your way into the waiting room and then waiting around for your number to be called? Well forget about that in the age of COVID. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has moved to an appointment-only model in a limited number of locations. Getting an appointment can take more than a month.
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** Virginia hands out $10,000 to tourism groups to market cities amid the pandemic ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

At one Norfolk intersection, a billboard advertises traveling to Richmond: “90 miles, the perfect social distance.” In Washington, another billboard combines Norfolk and Virginia Beach scenes with the message “Together at Last.” As the coronavirus pandemic has made tourists less likely to travel anywhere they can’t get to by car, cities and regions have looked at ways to attract travelers looking for a short road-trip getaway. To help, the state’s Virginia Tourism Corporation developed the WanderLove Recovery Grant Program, awarding grants of up to $10,000 that must be used for “recovery marketing.”


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Jobless claims rise across the U.S; up 17.5% in Virginia and 20.8% in the Richmond region ([link removed])
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By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The nation got another dose of bad economic news Thursday as the number of laid-off workers seeking jobless benefits rose last week for the first time since late March, intensifying concerns the resurgent coronavirus is stalling or even reversing the economic recovery. The number of initial jobless claims rose 17.5% in Virginia and soared 20.8% in the Richmond region.
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** Tough year raising a vanishing tobacco crop ([link removed])
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By LIZA FULTON, South Boston News & Record

Tobacco in the fields hasn’t grown to its normal height — the result, growers say, of erratic weather that has stunted this year’s crop. It’s not the only way the tobacco industry is shrinking in Southside Virginia. Once a mainstay of the Halifax County economy and a primary source of income for hundreds of farm households, tobacco production has fallen to the lowest level on record this year, with a mere 26 growers farming 1,312 acres.
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** Coal is in crisis. Can Virginia’s pool bond system handle the collapse? ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates King Coal’s decline, Virginia could be on the hook for millions in cleanup costs if an anticipated wave of bankruptcies destabilizes its bond pool system for managing the risks of company failures. One of six states, all in or near the Appalachian basin, that allow coal companies to post partial assurances that they will cover the costs of reclamation if they cease operations, Virginia has known there are vulnerabilities in its system for almost a decade.
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** Kentucky Coal Operator Files for Bankruptcy Protection ([link removed])
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Associated Press

A coal operator headquartered in Kentucky, which bought assets from Blackjewel LLC after the company went bankrupt last year, has now filed for bankruptcy protection. Rhino Resource Partners announced Wednesday they plan to sell all their assets and the assets of their subsidiaries to a bidder.
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** Ex-Redskins become Washington Football Team for 2020 season ([link removed])
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By STEPHEN WHYNO, Associated Press

The NFL team formerly known as the Redskins will go by the Washington Football Team for at least the 2020 season, giving the organization time to choose a new, full-time name. Gone is the Indian head logo and the name Native American advocates have called a dictionary-defined racial slur. Here to stay are the burgundy and gold colors that are synonymous with the franchise’s storied history.
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** SW Va. businesses and organizations received $153M in PPP loans ([link removed])
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By LEIF GREISS, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

More than 15,800 Southwest Virginian jobs may have been saved from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses in Southwest Virginia received at least $153 million combined in PPP loans, with some loans as low as $315 and others worth more than $5 million, according to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
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** Flea Market format will depend on Governor ([link removed])
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By DAVID BROYLES, Carroll News

Organizers say Hillsville’s Labor Day Flea Market & Gun Show this September will depend enitrely on what Phase Governor Ralph Northam declares prior to the annual event. Recently, town officials were informed, under the current state of affairs from the Novel Coronavirus, no food vendors would be permitted by the Virginia Department of Health. Organizers and town officials want there to be no misunderstanding whatsoever the event will be held in compliance with regulations from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** In reopening plans, Virginia Tech visitors learn there's no more free parking ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

As Virginia Tech prepares the complex process of reopening campus amid a pandemic, one concern is foremost on the minds of many Hokies: parking. A university decision to start charging campus visitors for weekday parking has sparked a barrage of criticism on social media from students and alumni. The issue has bubbled up at a presidential town hall.
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** Four Virginia Historically Black Universities to receive support from Dominion ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Virginia Business

Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University are among 11 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that will share $25 million in support from Dominion Energy Inc., the Richmond-based utility company announced Thursday. The awarded funds — precise amounts going to each institution were not disclosed — are part of a $35 million higher education initiative announced earlier in the month.
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** Here are the coronavirus safety protocols for the fall at William & Mary ([link removed])
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By ADRIENNE BERARD & ERIN ZAGURSKY, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

William & Mary recently announced a series of campus safety protocols for the fall semester. The new mandates relate to COVID-19 testing and face coverings. The safeguards will remain in place through at least December 2020. W&M President Katherine A. Rowe discussed the protocols during a virtual town hall meeting Monday night, in which faculty, staff and student assembly representatives asked campus leaders a wide range of questions about COVID-19 and the fall semester.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia looks at prioritizing testing as labs take longer to process COVID-19 swabs ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A surge in coronavirus cases elsewhere is causing week-long delays before some Virginians learn the results of their tests. “What happened last week, as a result of the increase of testing around the nation and pockets of outbreaks here, and challenges with some supply chain logistics, we got to a point that the testing turnaround times were becoming significantly delayed,” said Dr. Parham Jaberi, chief deputy health commissioner with the Virginia Department of Health.
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** 844 new COVID-19 cases reported Thursday 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 844 coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing the state’s tally to 81,237. Of the total cases, 78,182 are confirmed and 3,055 are probable, meaning those patients are symptomatic and have a known exposure to the illness.
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** Chincoteague Officials Vote to Go Back Into Local State of Emergency for COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By CAROL VAUGHN, Eastern Shore Post

Chincoteague officials after a 3 1/2 hour workshop session Thursday voted unanimously to go back into a local state of emergency, after the town council voted July 6 to end the state of emergency declared in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion was made by Councilman Chris Bott and seconded by Councilwoman Denise Bowden. The measure sends a message that the pandemic is still happening and people should take it seriously, according to the discussion.
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** COVID-19 claims seventh Latino resident in Fredericksburg region ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A Stafford County woman in her 80s or older has become the 49th COVID-19 fatality in the Rappahannock Area Health District. The woman is the seventh person of Latino heritage to die in the local district, which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Judge hears evidence in suit blocking removal of Lee statue in Richmond ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA AND GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A circuit court judge on Thursday heard evidence in a lawsuit attempting to block Gov. Ralph Northam from removing a statue of Robert E. Lee, the lone Confederate still standing on this city's famous Monument Avenue after protesters and the city's mayor did away with the rest. Over the course of three hours, the great-grandson of a couple who donated land for the monument testified that removing the towering equestrian statue would be a “slap in the face” to his forebears. Historian Edward Ayers, testifying for the state, said the monument proclaimed a version of history that portrayed the Confederate general as “a great man” and the cause for which he fought — “a new nation based on slavery” — as just.
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** Judge: No immediate ruling on Robert E. Lee statue removal ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN AND DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

A Richmond judge heard arguments Thursday but said he would not immediately issue a ruling in a lawsuit over Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s plans to remove an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Attorney Gen. Mark Herring’s office asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit and dissolve an existing injunction barring the removal of the statue from historic Monument Avenue.
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** Lee statue will continue to stand for now as Richmond judge prepares written ruling ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue will continue to stand on the famous street after a Richmond judge declined Thursday to issue an immediate ruling in a legal challenge to Gov. Ralph Northam’s planned removal of the statue. Judge W. Reilly Marchant chose not to rule from the bench in the closely watched case, saying he instead will issue a written opinion that he said will be issued “as soon as possible.”


** LOCAL
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** Arlington County Board Considering Banning Firearms From Public Property ([link removed])
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By VERNON MILES, ArlNow

The County Board Tuesday night unanimously approved consideration of a new ordinance that would effectively ban carrying firearms on county-owned property. The move is the first step towards making the ordinance part of county policy, though it will still need to undergo a public hearing and a vote at the Board’s next meeting.
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** Fairfax County renames Robert E. Lee High for late congressman John Lewis ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Fairfax County Public Schools is renaming Robert E. Lee High School in Northern Virginia for the late Georgia congressman John Lewis, a historic switch that follows a wave of similar rechristenings throughout the South. The school board voted unanimously to change the name to John R. Lewis High School at a virtual meeting Thursday evening.
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** Fairfax County NAACP Unveils Priorities to Combat Racism in Public Schools ([link removed])
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By CATHERINE DOUGLAS MORAN, Reston Now

Fairfax County NAACP shared nine priorities for tackling racism in the county’s public schools on Tuesday night. The virtual town hall was originally set to be a two-hour discussion with Superintendent Scott Brabrand, but Brabrand declined and instead attended the school board’s meeting to push for a fully online start to school.
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** Richmond City Council panel backs precursor to police civilian review board ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Richmond City Council has taken a step toward establishing a civilian review board, a key police reform that protesters have demanded during recent civil unrest. The council’s Governmental Operations Standing Committee on Thursday endorsed creating a new task force to lead the effort, which activists believe is critical to holding police accountable to the communities they serve.
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** Richmond schools superintendent to recommend removing police from city schools ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

After hearing from students on Thursday who want police out of their schools, Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras said he will ask the School Board to remove them. He said he’ll then ask the City Council to give money budgeted for school resource officers to the school system, so RPS can hire mental health professionals.
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** Protest appears to mix with mayoral campaign ([link removed])
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By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

The race to become Richmond’s next mayor appears be bleeding into the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. As the contest for the city’s top elected office heats up, the most notable example of the confluence of the campaign and the protests to date has been the nighttime demonstration on July 15 in front of the Jackson Ward home of a top mayoral candidate, 2nd District City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray.
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** City prosecutor to review Marcus-David Peters case ([link removed])
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By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

The Marcus-David Peters case is getting another look. Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette W. McEachin has begun a review of the controversial May 2018 police killing of the 24-year-old Henrico County man and biology teacher, even as she dismissed as unfounded a set of complaints against city police officers arising from recent Black Lives Matter protests.
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** County bond sale makes history: 1.4% interest ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer

Chesterfield County recently reached a historic low point – one that is poised to save taxpayers millions over the next two decades. In early July, the county sold the final $59.8 million in general obligation bonds authorized by voters in a 2013 referendum, which will allow the local school system to finish building replacements for Crestwood, Ettrick and Reams Road elementary schools. Investors acquired the bonds at a 1.4% interest rate – the lowest in Chesterfield’s history and roughly half of the county administration’s most optimistic projections.
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** Henrico School Board adopts only-online reopening plan for start of school year ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Henrico County schools will remain closed through the first nine weeks of the upcoming school year, out of caution over the COVID-19 pandemic. The School Board voted unanimously Thursday to adopt Superintendent Amy Cashwell’s recommendation for an online-only start, after a more than four-hour work session where details about potential reopening scenarios were discussed.
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** Hanover supervisor decries 'lack of leadership' following School Board decision on Confederate school names ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Hanover County Supervisor Canova Peterson has asked the county’s School Board to reconsider removing Confederate names from two schools, calling a vote to do so last week a “complete failure of leadership.” In a Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday evening, Peterson and two other supervisors criticized the school system for removing signs from Stonewall Jackson Middle School and Lee-Davis High School within two days of the School Board’s 4-3 vote last week.
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** Petersburg schools going virtual for start of upcoming year ([link removed])
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By SEAN JONES, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Virtual learning will continue for Petersburg students this fall in what is being called “Petersburg Virtual Academy.” The school board chose Wednesday night to go virtual, while also considering two hybrid options where students would have both in-person, and virtual instruction. No option for complete in-person reopening was considered.
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** Fredericksburg schools will be 100 percent virtual when classes start Aug. 17 ([link removed])
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By CATHY JETT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Fredericksburg students will fire up laptops instead of waiting for school buses when the city’s public school system starts its fall semester Aug. 17. The School Board voted unanimously Thursday to offer 100 percent distance learning for the first nine weeks of school. It had considered offering a hybrid of in-person and virtual education at its July 6 meeting, but staff later recommended delaying face-to-face learning until at least Oct. 19 due to concerns about COVID-19.
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** Virginia Beach should start school year online-only, superintendent says ([link removed])
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By PETER COUTU, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The leader of Virginia Beach public schools is calling for the division’s nearly 70,000 students to start classes virtually this fall — and to continue online unless Hampton Roads begins seeing far fewer new COVID-19 cases. The recommendation from Aaron Spence, the superintendent of the region’s largest school system, came after a month of rising case numbers, positive test rates and hospitalizations in Hampton Roads. Younger age groups appear to be leading the surge.
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** Peninsula educators’ groups are united: they want school to start virtually ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia Education Association groups from the Peninsula area are joining other groups across the state in calling for school to be online at least for the fall. Groups from Gloucester, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, James City and York all signed onto Wednesday’s statement calling for 100% virtual instruction.
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** Virginia Beach will remove Confederate monument from city grounds ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The 115-year old Confederate monument that sits on city grounds will be removed from the public eye. The Virginia Beach City Council on Thursday night unanimously voted to begin the removal process during a special session at the Convention Center.
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** York County Schools Superintendent recommends remote learning for at least first nine weeks ([link removed])
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By ABIGAIL ADCOX, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)

York County Schools Superintendent Victor Shandor recommended the division start with remote learning through at least the first nine weeks of school at a School Board meeting Thursday night. The School Board will vote on which plan to use for the school year on July 30.
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** Accomack County parents can keep students home this fall ([link removed])
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Eastern Shore News (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Accomack County School System took a survey of parents before adopting the plan for opening the schools this fall. At the K through 9 level 1237 returned the surveys. When asked how comfortable they felt letting their children return to school, 557 indicated they were not comfortable, 428 said they were comfortable but had some concerns and 252 said they were comfortable with no concerns.
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** Police investigating protests outside Fredericksburg officials' homes ([link removed])
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By CATHY JETT, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Fredericksburg police are investigating protests held outside two city officials’ homes last week. The protesters shouted Black Lives Matter chants and made disparaging remarks in front of the homes of Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and City Manager Tim Baroody. Targeting specific residences for protest activities “crosses a well-established line,” city spokeswoman Sonja Cantu wrote in a July 17 news release.
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** Culpeper County sheriff recruiting volunteers in support of pro-gun agenda ([link removed])
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By ALLISON BROPHY CHAMPION, Culpeper Star Exponent (Metered Paywall - 20 articles a month)

Culpeper Sheriff Scott Jenkins is advancing his vow from last year to swear in scores of auxiliary deputies to protect their gun rights in the face of potential new gun restrictions pending at the state level. The county’s elected lawman is accepting applications through Sept. 30 for “volunteer background investigators” to screen any future reserve deputies, according to a post Monday at the Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.
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** Landowner wins court battle with county ([link removed])
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By DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian

The owner of Pleasants Landing has won his battle with county government officials to host outdoor music concerts without having to obtain a conditional use permit. Louisa Circuit Court Judge Timothy Sanner said in a July 1 letter that the county cannot require Mike Vallerie to have a permit for shows at the Lake Anna property that may attract 200 or more people.
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** Town hall on Albemarle schools reopening raises more questions than answers ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE KNOTT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Parents and teachers packed a virtual town hall Thursday to hear about plans to reopen Albemarle County schools and to ask questions. The town hall, held over Zoom, is the first of three planned over the next few days. Hosted by School Board members, the event gave parents and teachers a chance to ask questions about reopening plans. Thursday’s event was scheduled for an hour but lasted more than 90 minutes.
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** Albemarle board to vote Monday on stricter COVID-19 regulations ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting Monday to discuss and vote on implementing more restrictive COVID-19 regulations. The meeting announcement comes after supervisors on Wednesday delayed voting on pandemic-related safety measures. The county is considering making masks mandatory in public, limiting restaurants to 50% occupancy indoors and restricting certain public and private in-person gatherings to a maximum of 50 people.
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** Waynesboro School Board meeting ends with angry voices ([link removed])
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By PATRICK HITE, News Virginian

What started off as a quiet night at the Waynesboro School Board meeting — the members were in closed session for the first 50 minutes — ended with shouting and accusations that citizens of Waynesboro were not given a voice. A very small, but also very vocal, contingent of those in attendance Wednesday night were angry that there was no public comment period at the meeting. The main purpose of the meeting was a chance to review the school reopening plan.
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** Frederick School Board narrowly approves hybrid plan to reopen schools ([link removed])
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By ANNA MEROD, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

After a nearly four-hour meeting Tuesday night, the Frederick County School Board narrowly approved a hybrid plan that will allow students to either attend in-person classes on a reduced basis or do their coursework online when the 2020-21 school year starts for the division on Aug. 31. The hybrid plan, recommended by Superintendent David Sovine, passed on a 4-3 vote. The board also approved reviewing the plan after the first nine weeks of school are complete.
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** Staunton School Board reviews reopening plan as school year approaches ([link removed])
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By PATRICK HITE, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)

The Staunton School Board had a special called work session Wednesday morning to review the reopening plan. Superintendent Garett Smith and other central office staff members were present to answer questions from school board members about the plan as schools are set to reopen to students in less than four weeks on Aug. 18. Ken Venable, the school board chair, commended Smith and his staff for the work they've put in on the reopening plan, but cautioned that these plans could change and they have to be prepared for that.
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** LCS Board asks that masks be required for students ([link removed])
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By JAMEY CROSS, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Members of the Lynchburg City School Board on Tuesday asked division staff to consider making it a requirement that students wear face coverings when they return to school in the fall. Board member Gary Harvey said at a school board work session that requiring students to wear face coverings would show the division cares about the health and safety of its teachers and staff who are providing in-person instruction and support to students.
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** Area school officials talk reopening plans and community collaboration at online Business at Breakfast ([link removed])
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By JAMEY CROSS, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Superintendents from local school divisions discussed their plans for reopening schools in the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic — and how local businesses can help make their plans reality — during Wednesday’s Business at Breakfast event hosted by the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance.
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** Questions about safety, virtual education addressed during Roanoke schools' virtual town hall ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Questions about health and safety and virtual learning dominated Thursday's online town hall about Roanoke City Public Schools' plan to reopen schools Aug. 31. "The purpose of this town hall tonight, it’s not to sell you on anything," Superintendent Verletta White said. "This is just to provide you with the information that you need so that you can make the best choices for your families and for your loved ones."
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** Northumberland schools to offer both in-person and distance learning this fall ([link removed])
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By MEGAN SCHIFFRES, Rappahannock Record (Paywall)

Northumberland students will have an opportunity to enroll in a completely remote course of study for the 2020-21 academic year due to concerns related to the spread of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. The district also will offer students a hybrid educational plan, which incorporates both in-person and distance learning, for families who are comfortable with sending their children into school part-time.
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** Under latest proposal, Danville Public Schools would start with nine weeks of virtual learning ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

The Danville School Board is now considering a proposal for the school year to begin with nine weeks of virtual learning for all students, with a few exceptions. The school board heard the proposal during a special meeting Thursday.
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** Danville School Board pushes back start of academic year to Aug. 24 ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

The first day for students within Danville Public Schools will be Aug. 24 and their last day will be June 2, according to the new version of the 2020-21 academic year calendar that the school board approved during Thursday’s special meeting
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** Henry County Public Schools will reopen with all virtual classes ([link removed])
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By KIM BARTO MEEKS, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Henry County School Board has voted to begin school virtually for all students on Aug. 10, in a departure from the hybrid reopening plan approved in June. In a 4-1 vote, with one member abstaining, the board agreed Thursday morning to delay students’ return to classrooms for the time being and revisit the issue when they next meet in August.
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** Town Council declines to take stance on Confederate monument ([link removed])
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By ASHLEY SPINKS, Floyd Press

In the past couple weeks, the Floyd Town Council has received draft resolutions from folks on both sides of the debate about whether to remove the Confederate monument that stands in front of the local court house, despite the fact that it has no authority over the statue. Town of Floyd Mayor Will Griffin was quick to point out as much in his opening remarks during Thursday’s well-attended meeting. The Council could—and some had hoped they would—take an official position on the monument issue and share that collective view with the Board of Supervisors, but ultimately, as Griffin said, “We are not part of the decision-making body.”
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** Tazewell County supervisors approve referendum on courthouse statute ([link removed])
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By JIM TALBERT, Richlands News-Press

It will be up to the voters in Tazewell County whether or not the statute of a Confederate Soldier stays in front of the courthouse or moves. After hearing from 19 speakers the board of supervisors voted 5-0 to ask the circuit court to issue an order placing the issue on the ballot this November.


** EDITORIALS
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** Five years later, Sweet Briar's amazing story continues ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Across the country, colleges and universities are braced for their enrollments to decline in the COVID-19 era. Their main questions are how much and for how long? One college, though, is preparing for an enrollment increase. It’s probably not the one you would have guessed. It’s Sweet Briar College.
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** Northam’s absurd double standard ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Remember the pastor of a storefront church in Chincoteague who was threatened with up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine for holding services for 16 socially-distanced congregants on Palm Sunday? The criminal charges against Pastor Kevin Wilson were quietly dropped on June 10 after the Accomack County commonwealth’s attorney admitted that “under the circumstances the interests of Justice are not served by the further prosecution of this violation.”
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** Closing businesses over facemask enforcement should be option of last resort ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

When Gov. Ralph Northam announced his facemask mandate, many Virginians questioned how it could be reliably and fairly enforced without adding to the burden already shouldered by small business owners. Now we have the answer: It can’t, and the state needs to strongly consider how to better partner with earnest, if uneven, efforts to adhere to the mask policy rather than shutting down already struggling businesses.
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** Telehealth surge should help cut the red tape on broadband expansion ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Before COVID-19, telehealth services largely were a novelty. The pandemic — and continued health care needs other than the coronavirus — made them essential. Federal relief measures temporarily have eased access to telehealth services. Medicare beneficiaries don’t have to prove they have a pre-existing relationship with a provider. Community health care centers and rural clinics have been added as eligible virtual providers.
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** 50 years of the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia boasts some of the nation’s most beautiful and historic rivers — the James, the Appomattox, the Clinch and the Staunton among the many gorgeous waterways. A state program that’s turning 50 this year is helping them remain that way.


** OP-ED
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** Messick and Protogyrou: Defund Norfolk police? No way. ([link removed])
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By CLAY MESSICK AND ANDREW PROTOGYROU, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The July 12 story “Defund police” was never a movement planted by the police, nor ever discussed in City Hall. It is unfortunate that Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone wants to appear contemporary and compassionate to a radical principle. It can only be his opinion. Over the last decade, there is no proof a shift, defunding or lessening of police funds to give to other services ever existed. Such discussion from the leaders of the department will destroy rank and file morale.

Clay Messick is president International Brotherhood of Police Officers Union Local 412 in Norfolk. Andrew Protogyrou is a former Norfolk city councilman who serves as attorney and counsel for IBPO Union Local 412.
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** Surovell: When assault by onion ring is a felony in Virginia ([link removed])
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By SCOTT SUROVELL, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Is punching an officer the same as an officer being hit by an onion ring? Today in Virginia, both offenses are a felony that carry a mandatory six months in jail. Such is the logic of mandatory minimum sentences. This past month, Senate Democrats offered a series of police and criminal justice reform proposals.

Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, represents the 36th District in the Virginia Senate


** THE FRIDAY READ
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** Local news demands, cutbacks collide ([link removed])
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By DANA PRIEST, Fauquier Times

As life in Fauquier County was shutting down amid the coronavirus crisis, two Fauquier Times journalists raced around, notebooks and cameras in hand, gathering information for 37 articles they would write about the local effects in the first week of the national pandemic....Like local newspapers across the country embattled by years of declining revenues, the Times’ financial state was already fragile. With businesses now shutting down and advertising suspended due to the coronavirus, the situation turned dire quickly.


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