VaNews
November 27, 2020
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** Increasing COVID cases place stress on hospital staff ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Within days, Virginia’s hospitals likely will be caring for the highest number yet of COVID-19 patients and further risking the physical and mental health of fatigued caregivers. On Nov. 1, the seven-day moving average in Virginia for hospital patients with the virus was just above 1,000. By mid-month it has climbed to 1,250, and within 10 days it stood at 1,516. That was Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, the day when all across the state and country people ignored public health warnings and traveled to spend the holiday with families.
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** Fredericksburg health district ramps up for vaccine roll out ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Joe Saitta is leading the effort that eventually will bring COVID-19 vaccinations to local residents and he “can’t blame” those who’ve expressed concerns about vaccine safety. But Saitta, who came out of retirement to help during the pandemic, wants people to know he and other public health workers are focused on health and safety—not a political agenda.
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** After stern warnings on COVID-19 rules, Tech, RU issue few suspensions ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

College campuses have largely emptied of students who have returned home for a Thanksgiving break that will transition to online classes for the rest of fall. But a handful of students in the New River Valley faced unexpected departures a bit earlier. This semester, about 20 students across Virginia Tech and Radford University were suspended for violating public health rules aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
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** Richmond-area Christmas tree sellers brace themselves for a busy season ([link removed])
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By ABBY CHURCH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Christmas came to Strange’s around the same time it normally does, but customers were eager to see the holidays sooner. “We were getting phone calls in July, beginning of July, ‘When are you gonna have your trees up?’” said Heidi Oistad, the sales floor manager for Strange’s Florists, Greenhouse and Garden Centers in Short Pump. “The artificial ones. It was like, it’s July. It’s only July.”
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** Norfolk wipes out laws against fornication and adultery, the latest in a push to modernize city code ([link removed])
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By RYAN MURPHY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Until a couple of weeks ago, Norfolk’s city code would have told you that having sex before marriage was illegal. It isn’t, of course. Laws against so-called “fornication,” or sex outside of marriage, were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court 17 years ago. But until this year, Virginia state code still said fornication was a misdemeanor. And so did Norfolk’s city code.
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** The Algernourne Oak, Fort Monroe’s nearly 500-year-old tree, gets a little TLC ([link removed])
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By LISA VERNON SPARKS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Rhonda Williams clasped her hands and with a mix of angst and hope she watched as experts tended to one of the oldest living things on Fort Monroe — the Algernourne Oak. The experts nimbly scaled the massive ancient oak on a gusty Monday morning to determine the best ways to preserve and protect the near 500-year-old tree.
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** Friday Read Hooked: Two college freshmen from Virginia ditch school, go on nationwide fishing trip ([link removed])
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By JODI LONG AND NEXSTAR MEDIA WIRE, WAVY-TV

A pair of best friends from Oakton, Virginia are traveling the country fishing for each state’s official fish. Luke Konson and Daniel Balserak are living out of a van while they drive from state to state. “I guess it will be a good grandpa story or something like that,” said Balserak. “It’s pretty crazy, and I’ll definitely remember it for a long time.”
The Full Report
19 articles, 13 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Turnout by Select Precincts ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

This chart looks at the change in voter participation for precincts where residents share common geographic/demographic characteristics. College students? It will take months for the state to release turnout data for voters aged 18-22. If they did vote in record numbers, it didn't happen in precincts located on college campuses. All numbers presented show the percentage change in voter turnout in this year's presidential election compared to 2016.
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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 10:30 a.m.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** New unemployment claims rise in Virginia: More than 400,000 collecting benefits ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The number of Virginians filing traditional first-time unemployment claims rose more than 10% last week. The Virginia Employment Commission announced Wednesday that 12,234 claims were filed for initial unemployment during the week ending Nov. 21, an increase of 1,146 from the prior week. The number of people continuing to claim unemployment week after week fell 4.7% to 81,138.
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** Virginia’s new redistricting commission prepares to take applications from the public ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Beginning Monday, Virginians will have a month to apply for one of eight public seats on the state's new redistricting commission, which has begun its work with a panel of retired judges setting out plans for the application process. Eight lawmakers will be named to the commission next week by General Assembly leaders.


** CONGRESS
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** Luria urges House to include contract poultry growers in COVID-19 relief ([link removed])
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By KELLY POWERS, Eastern Shore News (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Congresswoman Elaine Luria wrote to Congressional leadership this week, calling for COVID-19 relief for contract poultry growers. In her Nov. 23 letter, Virginia's 2nd District congresswoman said these contract farmers slipped through the cracks in previous relief efforts.
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** What hunting Bigfoot taught a Republican congressman about politics ([link removed])
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By MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

There was a time in Denver Riggleman's life when he sat on the banks of a creek that reeked of dead fish and peered through night-vision goggles into the thick of the Olympic National Forest. He was looking for Bigfoot. Or at least, others in his group were.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Retailers plan for a holiday selling season like no other ([link removed])
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By GREGORY J. GILLIGAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Black Friday, traditionally the kickoff of the holiday selling season, is going to be a lot different this year. Most national chains that had opened on Thanksgiving Day for the past several years to get a jump-start on sales are closed this year on turkey day. Even retail giant Walmart won’t open on Thursday — the first time it has closed on that day since the 1980s.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Emory & Henry student teachers fill in as substitutes for Washington County schools ([link removed])
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By CAROLYN R. WILSON, Washington County News

A shortage of substitute teachers due to the pandemic has prompted education students at Emory & Henry College students to help fill a need in local classrooms. Madison McFarlane, a senior at the college, said she is getting some additional teaching experience by substituting at Washington County Public Schools this semester. “I feel like this is a great time in my life to help out now that I have some experience teaching. It’s also a great opportunity to serve the community,” said the senior, who will graduate after the spring semester in 2021.
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** Lame duck's pardoned turkeys will not be Hokie-bound ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Amid the swan song of a lame duck administration, you can chalk up another norm that’s been busted: The presidential turkeys are avoiding the Hokie Bird this year. Since 2016, turkeys pardoned by the U.S. president for Thanksgiving have gone home to roost at Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus. Bread and Butter (2019) and Peas and Carrots (2018) remain alive and well at Gobblers Rest, a squat, white livestock pavilion off Plantation Road.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia sees 2,600 new coronavirus cases, now reporting 228,900 statewide ([link removed])
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By JEFF WILLIAMSON, WSLS-TV

As of November 26, Virginia is now reporting 228,900 cases of the coronavirus across the commonwealth since March.
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** As hospitalizations rise, Danville records another COVID-19 death ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Danville Register & Bee

Danville recorded another COVID-19 death the same day statewide fatalities surpassed the 4,000 mark. Virginia Department of Health's daily dashboard on Wednesday revealed a city woman in her 50s became the 71st resident in the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District to die of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. It's never clear when the death occurred. Health officials must wait for a death certificate before entering the information into a database. That process can take a few weeks. With 61 new cases, Wednesday also marked the second highest daily caseload recorded.
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** COVID testing positivity rate remains high ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Over the past seven days, one person in five from this region tested for COVID-19 is positive for the virus as of Thanksgiving Ballad Health reported. Testing positivity stood at 19% across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, among the highest rates in either state, as the virus continues sweeping through the region. The last time the average positivity climbed this high more than a week ago, local hospitals reached record levels of inpatients.
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** Salvation Army to close temporarily due to COVID exposure ([link removed])
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By TRACY AGNEW, Suffolk News Herald

The Suffolk Corps of the Salvation Army will be closed, and its activities canceled or severely curtailed, for about two weeks due to a COVID-19 exposure, Suffolk Corps Officer Capt. Angel Simmons said Wednesday. Among the activities that will be limited until Dec. 7 will be bell-ringing at the iconic red kettles at stores around town as the Christmas shopping season gets into full swing.
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** How Virginia is trying to help residents affected by the coronavirus pandemic ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

One week before the Thanksgiving holiday, Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation funneling millions of dollars to help Virginians weather devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. Through a revised state budget drafted during this year’s special session, the state has allocated $22 million for a vaccination program, $220 million for COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts in public schools and $70 million for an economic recovery fund that will offer grants to small businesses and nonprofit organizations affected by the pandemic.
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** New tool in Fairfax Co. fight against coronavirus ([link removed])
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By LUKE LUKERT, WTOP

The Fairfax County, Virginia, online coronavirus data dashboard includes case counts, positivity rates and hospitalization — but now the county has introduced a new metric to its online coronavirus data dashboard: contact tracing. The Public Health Department has over 400 contact tracers that call people who have recently tested positive for coronavirus. Tracers interview them and gather information about who was in close proximity to the positive case.


** LOCAL
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** Chesapeake schools will stop funding its beloved radio station, WFOS. Will it survive? ([link removed])
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By GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Turn your radio dial to 88.7 FM and you’ll hear “stuff that nobody else will touch in the area.” Blues, beach, R&B, bluegrass, classical. That’s how Annalisa Roughton, the radio station’s longtime operations manager who at 9 years old was the youngest person to appear on air, puts it. Her station, WFOS, housed in the city school district’s Chesapeake Career Center, has a long history in Hampton Roads, helped along the way by students. . . . But its future come the new year is looking a bit fuzzy, like a station that’s starting to fade out on a long drive.
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** Front Royal Police Department disciplines officer after social media posts ([link removed])
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By CHARLES PAULLIN, Northern Virginia Daily

A Front Royal police officer has received punitive and corrective disciplinary action after an investigation into “concerning” social media posts by the officer. The officer has been on paid administrative leave after the department was made aware of the “concerning” social media posts on Nov. 11, Chief of Police Kerry Magalis said. The officer is expected to return to full time duty on Dec. 7, Magalis said. Capt. Crystal Cline, the department's public information officer, declined to provide examples of the social media posts, citing they are part of a personnel matter.
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** Roanoke County Education Association urges virtual learning through holiday season ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Roanoke County Education Association on Wednesday urged the county school system to transition to virtual classes for the next two months, citing the potential for increased community spread of COVID-19 due to holiday gatherings and cold weather. “We call on the school board and central office staff of Roanoke County Schools to make the decision to keep staff, students and community members more safe by allowing a state of operations that would facilitate the social distancing and other safety procedures called for by the CDC, Departments of Health, and other agencies and members of the scientific community,” President Tim Summers wrote in a statement.


** EDITORIALS
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** Three years is too long for justice in Bijan Ghaisar’s death ([link removed])
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Washington Post Editorial (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Bijan Ghaisar, an unarmed young accountant, died three years ago this week, shot to death in his barely moving Jeep by two U.S. Park Police officers who approached him, guns drawn, after a minor fender bender in northern Virginia — and now assert, implausibly, that they felt threatened. The officers’ stance is preposterous, as a video recording of the incident makes clear.


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