By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press
Virginia lawmakers on Tuesday killed legislation that called for eliminating mandatory jail time for assaulting a police officer, a bill that drew heated opposition from Republicans who said it would send the wrong message at a time when law enforcement has come under attack during nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice. The bill proposed by Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell passed the Senate last month, but was rejected Tuesday after several Democrats on the House Courts of Justice Committee raised concerns about how certain terms were defined in the bill and whether juveniles should be exempted from the charge.
By MARK BOWES, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
In a party-line vote, the Virginia House of Delegates' Courts of Justice committee effectively killed two Senate bills that would have required greater transparency of decisions made by the Virginia Parole Board, which has come under intense scrutiny in recent months for the controversial release of convicted killers.
By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
The day after Thomas C. Wright Jr. tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office sent an email to Victoria Christian Church, warning fellow worshipers that the Republican state legislator from Lunenburg might have unwittingly exposed them. “Because he was in church this past Sunday, he felt it necessary to inform you of his positive test results,” Wright’s legislative assistant, Tammy Brankley Mulchi, wrote on Aug. 26.
By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Six months into the pandemic, people are craving time with others and are placing themselves at risk of getting the coronavirus. Dr. Molly O’Dell, who is leading the pandemic response for the Roanoke and Alleghany Health Districts, said most new cases can be traced to weddings, funerals, baby showers, parties and co-workers dropping their guard. “By and large people are getting exhausted from COVID behaviors. People are just tired of this, from the constraints. There is no question about that,” O’Dell said Tuesday during her weekly update with the media.
By EVA SUROVELL, Cavalier Daily
University President Jim Ryan announced further restrictions for students, faculty and staff living both on and off Grounds in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region in a University-wide email sent Tuesday. The guidelines — which go into effect Wednesday — prohibit gatherings of more than five people, reinforce constant use of face coverings and ban travel and visitors for at least the next two weeks. “Over the last few days, we’ve become more concerned about the spread of COVID-19 within the U.Va. community,” Ryan said in the video message.
By ALEX ISENSTADT, Politico
President Donald Trump is slated to hold a Friday evening rally in Virginia — but the trip is really about the next state over. Advisers say the idea behind Trump's event in Newport News at the end of the week is to woo voters in neighboring North Carolina, a key battleground where absentee balloting has begun.
By CALEB MELBY, Bloomberg News
The contours of inequality in Norfolk, Va., a city of 240,000-plus people at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, are clearly visible from atop the 26-story Dominion Tower. The tallest building in town houses its economic development office, a choice spot for officials to show off their city and to encourage visitors to envision its future. Look west, and you see a 300-room Hilton, a hockey arena, corporate offices for PNC Financial and payment processor ADP, restaurants and bars, a light rail station, and a one-million-square-foot mall. To the east is St. Paul’s, a 200-acre area north of the Elizabeth River that’s home to three public housing developments dating from the 1950s.
The Full Report
45 articles, 17 publications
The Virginia Public Access Project
Last month, Biden raised almost $4M in Virginia, four times the amount Trump reported. Caveat: Trump's total may be under-counted because of a joint fundraising agreement with the Trump Make America Great Again PAC, which files its next quarterly report in October.
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 10:30 a.m.
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Gov. Ralph Northam is throwing a lifeline to Virginia’s public colleges and universities, which would save $300 million over the next two years through the proposed restructuring of their debt for capital projects as they struggle with the costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. Northam unveiled the plan at George Mason University on Tuesday.
By SUSAN SVRLUGA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam offered relief to public colleges and universities in the state Tuesday with a refinancing plan that could save the institutions more than $300 million over the next two years. With colleges across the country battered by the increased cost of operating during a pandemic, public schools in particular are bracing for government funding cuts that could further damage their finances. By using the state’s AAA bond rating to obtain favorable interest rates, Virginia is using an innovative approach to helping to ease the strain.
By SAM WALL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Gov. Ralph Northam unveiled a plan Tuesday that will allow the state’s public universities to potentially save more than $300 million over the next two years. Northam announced the plan from George Mason University in Fairfax. It will allow the state to refinance education bonds due to the record low interest rates that are advantageous during the COVID-19 pandemic — and comes at a time when state institutions are trying to figure out ways to deal with that impact.
By ADELE UPHAUS-CONNER, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Virginia first lady Pamela Northam’s annual Back to School tour of the state is a little different this year. “We’re usually bringing books to schools and this time we’re bringing PPE—masks and hand sanitizer,” Northam said. Northam made two stops in Fredericksburg on Tuesday, one at Kids’ Station, a day care, preschool and after-school facility on the Mary Washington Hospital campus, and the other at Downtown Greens, a community garden on Charles Street. The purpose of the tour is to highlight the importance of early childhood education, Northam said.
By PETER DUJARDIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A House of Delegates committee on Tuesday killed a bill that would have eliminated a law that makes assaulting a police officer an automatic felony. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, would also have eliminated the minimum 6-month sentence for such an assault. The proposal was part of a slate of public safety reforms introduced in a special session of the General Assembly in recent weeks.
By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury
Two bills aimed at bringing more transparency to the Virginia Parole Board won bi-partisan support in the Senate but died Tuesday at the hands of Democrats in the House of Delegates. The bills, proposed by GOP senators upset by the board’s recent parole decisions, would have required board members to begin voting publicly and begin releasing monthly reports detailing who the board considered for release and why they decided to grant or not grant parole.
By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury
A proposal to eliminate the legal hoops Virginia cities and counties have to go through before taking down Confederate monuments failed in a state Senate committee Tuesday after several Democratic legislators said they were uncomfortable rewriting the law to make public hearings optional. The bill, which had already passed the House of Delegates, was presented as a way to give local governments more flexibility to remove Confederate statues quickly in response to public safety concerns.
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, slammed House Republicans and Del. Tommy Wright, R-Lunenburg, on Tuesday for failing to disclose that he had reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 a week after the House met in Richmond to open a special session on responding to the pandemic. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Wright, 72, in his 20th year representing a Southside district in the House, had returned to his legislative duties on Monday after a publicly unexplained absence that began a week after his aide notified his church in Victoria that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury
A state delegate joined the Virginia Manufacturers Association and other business owners to challenge emergency COVID-19 safety regulations adopted by the state’s Safety and Health Codes Board in July. In a Sept. 15 filing with the Richmond Circuit Court, Del. Dave LaRock, R-Loudoun, argued that he has been “uniquely harmed” by executive actions taken by the board, Gov. Ralph Northam, and state Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver.
By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times
The Prince William and Manassas Democratic committees are asking Democrats to vote “no” on “Constitutional Amendment 1,” while the local Republican committee is encouraging voters to vote "yes." The amendment, which will be on ballots in November, aims to address Virginia’s history of political gerrymandering by creating an independent redistricting commission.
By LAURA VOZZELLA AND JOHN WAGNER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
President Trump, who lavished time and money on Virginians as he sought the White House four years ago, will make his first 2020 campaign appearance in the state Friday night — largely to court North Carolinians. Trump’s rally in Newport News is intended to reach voters in the swing state next door, according to a Trump campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss strategy.
By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
President Donald Trump will be in Newport News Friday, holding a rally as part of his re-election campaign. The rally will be at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. The president’s stop in Newport News will come in between campaign stops in two battleground states: Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday and Middletown, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The 5th Congressional District race between Republican Bob Good and Democrat Cameron Webb is expected to attract political excitement as the GOP fights to keep the seat red. The two are seeking to succeed Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Nelson, after Good defeated him in a convention earlier this year.
By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Americans are watching Congress and the Trump administration closely as many feel the need for further federal assistance is heightening with the coronavirus pandemic about to enter its eighth month. Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.-10th) addressed this and other issues during a virtual town hall meeting with constituents Sept. 18. Joining Wexton for the call were Dr. Alison Ansher, health director in Prince William County, and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Phyllis Randall (D-At Large).
By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
Rep. Rob Wittman and his Democratic opponent Qasim Rashid sparred on climate change, Social Security, rural broadband and other issues during a sometimes contentious debate Monday night. But the exchange became most heated when Rashid accused Wittman of a campaign ad “attacking” his Muslim faith and “tying him to Islamic terrorism,” a claim that Wittman denied. Rashid, 38, a human rights lawyer who lives in Stafford County, was referring to a 30-second television spot Wittman, 61, released last week that criticizes six of Rashid’s tweets, two of which dated back to 2015.
By RYAN MURPHY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Virginia voters aren’t waiting around to make their picks for the 2020 election. While Election Day is still technically not until Nov. 3, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic prompted state elections officials to clear the way for early and mail-in absentee voting for all voters in an effort to stave off potential outbreaks related to busy polling places.
By CAROLINE KEALY, WSET
Virginia and North Carolina have reached a settlement over the Duke Energy Spill that dumped tens of thousands of tons of coal ash into the Dan River in 2014. On February 4, 2014, a stormwater pipe underneath the primary coal ash basin at the Duke Energy Dan River Steam Station failed, which resulted in the spill of approximately 27 million gallons of coal ash wastewater and between 30,000 and 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River.
By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Rep. Don McEachin, D-4th, is asking the Census Bureau to reconsider its plans for analyzing data from the 2020 population count, echoing concerns from researchers at the University of Virginia that argue the agency’s mathematical procedure will distort the data.
By JOSH REYES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Huntington Ingalls Industries plans to build undersea drones at a facility in Hampton, anticipating greater demand for the unmanned submarines by the Navy. Tuesday, officials from Hampton and Huntington Ingalls, along with Gov. Ralph Northam, broke ground on the Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence near the intersection of Commander Shepard Boulevard and North Campus Parkway.
By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Metro has made “substantial progress” in addressing some of the more than two dozen safety issues identified in an audit of its rail operations center, the panel responsible for safety oversight said Tuesday. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said it has approved two of the transit agency’s corrective action plans in response to a withering review by the panel that found that Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) was a “toxic workplace” where procedures put riders and employees at risk.
By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Amtrak, which went from offering four roundtrip train routes out of Hampton Roads before the pandemic to just two since April, has revived its Northeast Regional routes. Earlier this month, Amtrak restored an additional round trip to route 47 out of Newport News and route 50 out of Norfolk, bringing service back to pre-pandemic levels
By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan on Tuesday announced three new COVID-19 restrictions that will begin Wednesday, which inlcude limiting travel and reducing gatherings to no more than five people. In a video, Ryan addressed students and reassured them that the new restrictions are mostly preemptive. Students have, for the most part, been doing the right thing, Ryan said, though the university has received some reports of large gatherings.
By SEVY VAN DER WERF, Cavalier Daily
Residents of Hancock dormitory were sent an email Tuesday informing them that all residents are required to participate in asymptomatic prevalence testing Wednesday. There is currently one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the residence hall, but wastewater indicators suggest other possible infections. . . . This comes less than a week after the detection of possible COVID-19 outbreaks in Balz-Dobie, Lefevre, Echols and Kellogg dorms.
By JULIA MARSIGLIANO, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)
After the William & Mary announced the decision to cut seven varsity sports because of budgeting concerns during the coronavirus pandemic, at least one sports team is raising money to save their program: The men’s and women’s swim team.
By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
The New York Times is asking a Lynchburg judge to dismiss a defamation suit filed by Liberty University over the paper’s coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the school. In July, the conservative religious institution sued the outlet, accusing the paper and a reporter of crafting a “clickbait” story intended to mislead the public about an outbreak on the school’s sprawling campus.
By MEGAN LEE, Capital News Service
There are no dodgeball games, cookouts or other rushing events at Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus in Richmond, but fraternities and sororities are still recruiting new brothers and sisters. The Greek chapters at VCU, and many other Virginia schools, are using Zoom to recruit new members. Some fraternities and sororities believe the challenge of social distancing has strengthened bonds amongst each other as well as their philanthropy efforts.
By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, Virginia Health Commissioner Norman Oliver has a message for health care workers slacking on a critical new rule: Masks aren’t just for patients. In a letter sent to clinicians Friday, Dr. Oliver stressed that face coverings are required by law. Numerous citizen complaints, some of which pertained to health care practices licensed by the Department of Health Professions, prompted the reminder.
By STAFF REPORT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The Virginia Department of Health reported Tuesday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 142,010 — an increase of 872 from the 141,138 reported Monday.
By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is withdrawing its motion to lift the ban on transfers into the Farmville Detention Center following a spike in COVID-19 cases at the ICE facility in Caroline County, where the federal agency proposed to isolate Farmville transfers for 14 days prior to intake as part of its response to an ongoing lawsuit. The agency also requested the cancellation of an Oct. 6 court hearing meant to discuss lifting the ban on transfers.
By MELISSA HOWELL, WTOP
Preparing for college during the pandemic has already presented a number of challenges for students, and now, access to SAT testing is limited, as test centers close — some without notice. According to the College Board, test centers have closed or rescheduled at the last minute in some cases, which has made rescheduling difficult for students. Thirty Maryland test sites listed on the College Board website for Saturday’s testing are closed. In Virginia, 29 of the 40 listed locations are closed.
By JUSTIN JOUVENAL, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Fairfax County’s top prosecutor said Tuesday that his office is facing a staffing “crisis” that will keep it from carrying out basic functions needed to put criminals in jail and ensure justice for victims unless many more prosecutors can be hired. Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve T. Descano told a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors committee that staffing is so short, his office won’t be able to prosecute some lower-level crimes, properly review evidence, handle juvenile offenses or ensure cases are resolved in a timely fashion without approval of new positions.
By SCOTT GELMAN, WTOP
The Fairfax County School Board voted Tuesday night to allow some students in the Virginia county to resume in-person learning in October. The plan, which Superintendent Scott Brabrand introduced, calls for about 3.5% of students and teachers to participate in what the county is calling in-person “cohorts.”
By DICK ULIANO, WTOP
Loudoun County, Virginia, students implored education officials to reopen classrooms at a school board meeting Tuesday night, invoking the stresses of distance learning since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the kids needed step stools to reach the microphone during the school board’s public comment period, but their words were clear and their pain apparent.
Loudoun Now
Many of Loudoun’s youngest grade-school students should be headed back to class on Oct. 27. The School Board on Tuesday night was presented with the next phase of the school division’s back-to-school plan. Members unanimously backed a proposal by Superintendent Eric Williams to allow kindergarten, first and second graders to begin hybrid learning by late October. Administrators envision third, fourth and fifth graders beginning hybrid classes by early December.
By JOHN BATTISTON, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Dozens of cars blared their alarms for nearly an hour outside the Loudoun County Public Schools administration building Tuesday afternoon as part of a "Honk for Back-to-School" protest demanding immediate, more specific plans for returning students to in-person learning. "We collectively thought that enough is enough and we wanted to do something different," Jonathan Buckley, one of the event's organizers, told the Times-Mirror.
By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
To meet growing needs, Mayor Levar Stoney said Tuesday that he will pitch the City Council on dedicating millions more annually to Richmond’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. If approved, his proposal would lockbox new tax revenue from properties with expiring real estate tax abatements. The mechanism would generate $2 million to start, and rise to a projected $10 million annually by 2025, Stoney said.
By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Starting Wednesday, Richmond residents will be able to board GRTC shuttles to access the city’s new election office where early voting for November’s election already is underway. The public transit company announced the new free shuttle service Tuesday in response to concerns about accessibility to the new election office in a remote industrial area at the end of West Laburnum Avenue near the Acca rail yard.
By ABBY CHURCH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Two people on two Hanover County school buses tested positive for COVID-19, according to school district public information officer Chris Whitley on Tuesday. The school system also confirmed that a teacher at John M. Gandy Elementary School tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an email from the school’s principal, Leigh Finch.
By JULIA MARSIGLIANO, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)
Some high school students at Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools were exposed to “inappropriate content” during a Zoom class on Friday.
By JAMES SCOTT BARON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
The U.S. Justice Department says a recent change to Stafford’s cemetery ordinance does not resolve the federal government’s lawsuit accusing the county of violating a Muslim group’s religious freedom rights. The Justice Department and the All Muslim Association of America filed amendment complaints last week in their suit over the county’s handling of the association’s plan for a proposed new cemetery on Garrisonville Road.
By MIKE ALLEN, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors has been steadily beating the drum about the need for more broadband coverage, and the call got louder when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in households handling business matters, health consultations and school work remotely. The federal aid known as Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding, intended to help localities cope with pandemic-related costs, has given Botetourt the opportunity to get ahead in its broadband goals.
By FRAN LARKINS, published in Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Every ten years following the U.S. Census, Virginia’s Constitution mandates that legislative districts are redrawn by the General Assembly. More specifically, it’s done by the party in power. Politicians in the majority have free rein to pick their own voters, protecting incumbents or ousting political opponents. No wonder our representatives are unable to work together across the aisle.
Larkins is a volunteer for OneVirginia2021 and FairMapsVA
By TERRY MCAULIFFE, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
COVID-19 has hit the U.S. economy hard, and the road to recovery will not be easy. The worst might still be ahead. Congress must do everything in its power to help the country recover from this crisis, and that includes passing a federal data privacy law. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated America’s digital transformation, moving more commerce and other activity online than ever before. We’re using data-driven online services not only for essentials like shopping, work and education, but also increasingly for our social interaction.
Terry McAuliffe is global strategy adviser at the Center for Information Policy Leadership at Hunton Andrews Kurth and was the 72nd governor of Virginia
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