VaNews
November 30, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia's Redistricting Commission Citizen Member Selection Committee
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Now accepting applications from Virginia citizens with diverse backgrounds to serve as one of eight citizen commissioners. Application deadline December 28th. Apply today! ([link removed])
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Top of the News


** As Virginia Democrats rein themselves in with bill limits, some legislators see lost opportunities ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia will probably have to muddle along at least another year without an official state fruit — thanks to the global pandemic, oddly enough. Because the novel coronavirus has made the logistics of legislating more difficult, Virginia’s House and Senate will strictly limit the number of bills that can be introduced for the General Assembly session that begins Jan. 13.
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** Northam administration work group outlines path toward marijuana legalization ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Large investments in robust data collection, new regulation and public education should precede the legalization of recreational marijuana in Virginia — a landscape that “cannot be created quickly.” Those are some of the recommendations in a report published Monday by a work group that studied marijuana legalization in Virginia at the request of legislators.
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** Hundreds of Virginia prisoners are still waiting for their shot at freedom under a new law ([link removed])
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By MARGARET MATRAY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

From 1995 to 2000, jurors who sentenced people to prison time in Virginia weren’t told a key piece of information: There is no parole in this state. Advocates have long argued that many people received lengthy sentences during that time because juries incorrectly believed they would have a chance to get out early as prisoners do in many other states. Those sentenced during that five-year span — called Fishback inmates — are now getting their first chance at parole because of new legislation passed this year.
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** With offshore wind, Virginia hopes a 21st-century manufacturing boom will offset a hefty price tag ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

Maybe, if you squint really hard and the skies are clear, you might be able to convince yourself that you see them, out on the horizon: two turbines spinning far offshore of Virginia Beach. You can’t, of course — the distance to the Dominion Energy-owned offshore wind outpost is too great.
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** A tale of two test results shows complicated, sometimes confusing, aspects of COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

As if COVID-19 isn’t perplexing enough—with its ability to infect people with myriad symptoms and allow those who don’t even know they have the illness to pass it along to others—some local residents have discovered that getting an accurate test result can be equally complicated. For instance, Cheryl Sutton of Fredericksburg tested negative for COVID-19, then developed such extreme fatigue that she “would sit around, stare into space and try not to pass out.”
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** Report: More than half of Southwest Virginians struggle to pay basic expenses ([link removed])
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By TONIA MOXLEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Anew report finds that in 2018 more than half of Southwest Virginia households struggled to pay their basic bills, and the worsening global pandemic threatens to push more people into financial trouble. Commissioned every two years by the Abingdon-based United Way of Southwest Virginia, the ALICE Report gives a snapshot of the financial health of 21 localities across the region, including some in the New River Valley.
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** No relief in sight for neighbors bothered by gunshots in Henry County ([link removed])
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By KIM BARTO MEEKS, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Got a trigger-happy neighbor who likes to target shoot at 2 a.m.? Tough luck, if you live in Henry County. Outside of the city limits, recreational shooting on private property is totally legal, so there’s not much authorities can do to stop it if the neighbors complain, officials said.
The Full Report
45 articles, 21 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Side Effects of Early Voting ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

The explosion of early voting in Virginia this year had two impacts. First, it sowed confusion on election night as initial returns from in-person voting precincts favored Republicans, while early and absentee voters -- whose picks weren't reported until late at night -- overwhelmingly backed the Democratic ticket. Second, the public is now left with a limited ability to understand partisan shifts at the neighborhood level. This visual explains both impacts.
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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.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Va. pro-gun rights group to host Lobby Day caravan ([link removed])
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By EMILY ZANTOW, Washington Times

A pro-gun rights caravan is coming to the Virginia state Capitol in January because organizers say the time slot to host their annual Lobby Day rally — which drew thousands last year — was taken by gun control advocates. The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) says on its website that its permit request to rally at the Capitol Square at 11 a.m. on Jan. 18 was denied because the spot was already given to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Norfolk mayor calls out Virginia 90th House of Delegates candidate for false endorsement ([link removed])
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By JULIUS AYO, WAVY-TV

Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander is calling out a candidate running for Virginia’s 90th House of Delegates District. On Friday, the mayor went on social media saying that he has not made an endorsement in the race. The mayor specifically mentioned a flier from candidate Richard “Rick” James stating that the mayor himself is endorsing him in the race and calling the mayor as “family.”


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Rally in Loudoun Co. calls for prosecuting election fraud ([link removed])
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By VALERIE BONK, WTOP

A group gathered at the Leesburg Courthouse Square in Loudoun County to call out against what they say are fraudulent election results. “We have to stand up. It’s a battle of the public will at this point,” said Jon Tigges, Organizer of the LoCo Patriots “We the People Rally.” He said that despite the court rulings against voting fraud claims that there was still widespread fraud in the election. Tigges said it’s political.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Appalachian Power to appeal SCC's decision denying a rate increase ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Appalachian Power Co. is contesting a state agency’s denial of its request to raise the price of the electricity it provides to about a half-million customers in western Virginia. In a notice filed Wednesday with the State Corporation Commission, Appalachian said it will appeal the commission’s finding from the day before that it is not entitled to a base rate increase.
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** Virginia Lottery official updates sportsbook schedule ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Virginia gamblers can likely begin betting on sports in early 2021, a state lottery official said last week. The Virginia Lottery Board has received 25 applications from potential sportsbook operators and expects to issue the first license early next year, according to Kevin Hall, executive director of the Virginia Lottery. Hall addressed the Virginia House Appropriations Committee last week.
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** Local courts faced with new problems as jury trials resume ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

As circuit court jury trials resume in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, some kinks are still being ironed out. Jury trials had been on hold statewide since March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Due to emergency orders from the Supreme Court of Virginia, jury trials were continued for months, with various judges citing the health emergency as reasoning to exclude the Speedy Trial Act.
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** DMV hopes customers can skip a trip to offices, get help online or through mail ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is hoping some people can skip a trip to DMV offices and avoid the long lines that have plagued the department in recent months. The Free Lance-Star published a story in mid-October about King George resident James Barrett’s efforts to get a title, tags and registration for a new vehicle he purchased. He ended up driving 60 miles—one way—and standing in line for hours at a DMV Select in Orange County. At the time, it was one of the few DMV offices where appointments weren’t required.
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** An icon and now an ornament, Old City Hall gets new life after 126 years ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Senate Clerk Susan Schaar loves to listen to tourists when they first behold Old City Hall, a spired Victorian Gothic masterpiece that looks nothing like its celebrated neighbor in the adjacent square, the Virginia Capitol. Thomas Jefferson designed the Capitol with a Roman temple in mind, but architect Elijah Myers was building for the Gilded Age of late 19th-century America. When the Old City Hall building was completed in 1894, its cost had soared from $300,000 to $1.3 million, reflecting its splendor.
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** Lynchburg historical marker honors pioneering juvenile justice reformer ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Anew historical marker highlighting the life and work of Lucy Harrison Miller Baber, a pioneering reformer of Virginia’s juvenile justice system, was unveiled Saturday morning outside Lynchburg’s downtown court complex. The marker tells the story of Baber’s yearslong commitment to overhauling the state’s then-antiquated court and detention system for children. In an hourlong dedication ceremony attended by about 50 people, local leaders and descendants of Baber recounted her effort to reform the system in the mid-20th century.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** An eviction ‘tsunami’ in Virginia could be coming after the new year, advocates warn ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN EDWARDS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Ricky Johnson was on the fast track to living on the streets for Thanksgiving, during the worst part of the worst pandemic in more than a century. Johnson, a 67-year-old Vietnam vet, has lived in his mobile home for seven years and never had a problem making rent. Until the coronavirus. He still gets his Army pension and disability money, and so does Mike, his brother and roommate. But people are afraid of letting strangers into their home, so the odd jobs Ricky Johnson used to do to make ends meet, such as house repairs and renovations, have dried up.
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** This is a real fish story ([link removed])
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By HOLLY KOZELSKY, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Darin Prillaman is Blue Ridge’s director of aquaculture, and Haze Harris is the construction manager, facilities designer and project manager. On a recent cloudy day they gave a tour of the operation out in the industrial park in Ridgeway — not far from the Martinsville Speedway — and talked about their new building that’s the first of its kind in America – so innovative that Harris had to come up with its plan from scratch.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** U.S. 1 gets name change up north ([link removed])
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By SCOTT SHENK, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Prince William County will change the name of U.S. 1 from Jefferson Davis Highway to Richmond Highway. The county’s Board of Supervisors approved the measure, and the Commonwealth Transportation Board signed off on the change last week. The switch means U.S. 1 will be known as Richmond Highway in Virginia from the Washington, D.C., border to Stafford County. In Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania and Caroline, the road still carries the name of the Confederate president.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Radford University makes carbon commitment ([link removed])
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By SAM WALL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Radford University is forming a task force with a goal to make the campus carbon neutral. The group’s formation comes after school President Brian Hemphill’s announcement of the signing of a Carbon Commitment at his State of the University address earlier this month.
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** Student leader in Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship ‘pushed’ to step down after disclosing his sexual orientation ([link removed])
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By AVA MACBLANE, Cavalier Daily

Third-year College student Alex Briegel wrote an open letter to the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at the University after they pressured him to step down from his leadership position, citing disagreement in religious beliefs after Briegel told them he was in a relationship with another man. Briegel posted the letter to Reddit on Nov. 19 where it has since garnered over 150 comments from people who both echo and contradict Briegel’s experiences in Chi Alpha.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia passes 200,000 confirmed cases from coronavirus ([link removed])
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By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia has reached an unsavory milestone in the pandemic, surpassing 200,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus during the week of Thanksgiving. COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the state and country, with experts warning this could be just the beginning of a long winter surge.
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** Sunday's state COVID-19 data: Cases up by more than 2,000 ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The state’s COVID-19 cases increased by 2,325 from Saturday to Sunday, the Virginia Department of Health reports. The cumulative total of cases now stands at 235,942, according to VDH. There have been 4,058 COVID-19 deaths in Virginia — 3,719 confirmed and 339 probable. That’s an increase of 4 from Saturday.
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** Weekend virus cases set new Fredericksburg-area record ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

More COVID-19 cases were added to the Rappahannock Area Health District total over the Thanksgiving weekend like extra scoops of whipped topping on pumpkin pie. Saturday’s numbers broke the existing record for the most cases reported in a single day in the health district, which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. Another 142 people tested positive on Saturday and 73 more on Sunday as more new cases were added in two days than the area had accumulated in entire weeks last month.
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** November doubles October COVID-19 cases in Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro ([link removed])
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By JEFF SCHWANER, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)

November's new coronavirus cases in Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro doubled last month's , with the area experiencing its first exponential increase of monthly cases since the spring. The 961 new cases of COVID-19 through Nov. 29 is roughly equal to the three previous months combined.
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** In Richmond, Black residents five times the COVID hospitalization rate of whites ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Black residents in Richmond are being hospitalized with COVID-19 at more than five times the rate of white residents, according to state data, despite both groups accounting for a roughly equal share of the city’s population. The city’s disparity outpaces the nation’s, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week was 3.7 times higher for Black communities than white communities.
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** 42% of Danville, Pittsylvania County COVID-19 deaths occur in long-term care facilities ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Danville Register & Bee

About 16% of residents in Danville and Pittsylvania County long-term-care facilities who contracted COVID-19 in an outbreak over the past eight months died of the illness, a review of federal data shows. At least 188 residents — spread across outbreaks at four facilities — tested positive for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Of those, 29 have died, representing 42% of the 71 total virus deaths in the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District. The figures were calculated from an online database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** For Chesapeake Bay watershed, new app can reveal where land is helping — or hurting — water quality ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

There are many ways we impact the quality of water in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: pollution, agricultural runoff, litter. But an important factor that doesn’t first come to mind is land cover. It’s exactly as it sounds: what’s covering the land, whether it’s trees or concrete or marsh. More green almost always means better water.
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** Black leaders in Richmond raise $1 million to address structural racism ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Over the summer, as the economic and health impacts of COVID-19 began to disproportionately affect people of color, and the civil unrest kick-started a national reckoning on systemic racism in the United States, the heads of three organizations in Richmond knew what Black people needed: greater wealth and educational opportunities. . . . The racial wealth gap in 2016 showed that Black people in the U.S. had just one-tenth of the wealth of white families, according to the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.


** LOCAL
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** School Board Eyes Additional Conduct Regulations for Members ([link removed])
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Loudoun Now

Two weeks after issuing a formal, public reprimand of one member, the Loudoun School Board on Tuesday is scheduled to consider a new set of policies designed to govern how members interact with the public, staff and press. The staff-proposed Policy 1035, titled School Board Norms, Protocols and Violations, was unanimously endorsed by the board’s Legislative Policy Committee on Nov. 17. The restrictions on board members’ actions would be in addition to the organizational By Laws and a formal Code of Conduct policy that has set those boundaries since 1973 and was last updated in 2016.
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** Plans for affordable homes in Blackwell on hold; RRHA-owned land still in limbo ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

When the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners voted last summer to sell long vacant land in Blackwell, dozens of new affordable homes were supposed to rise in the South Richmond neighborhood. A year and a half later, those vacant lots are still languishing, and no new construction is imminent. The land has not yet changed hands, and nonprofit developers to which the housing authority agreed to sell it have received no indication of when it will.
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** City Council receives bids from 22 who want Confederate statues ([link removed])
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By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

To donate or not to donate? That is the question Richmond City Council may face when it comes to disposing of most of the city-owned Confederate statues. “Donation preferred” is a common theme of the 22 bids that the City Council’s staff has received from 17 organizations and five private individuals who have expressed interest in removing and re-establishing them elsewhere, according to a compilation prepared by Lawrence R. Anderson, council’s chief of staff.
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** Henrico pursuing public-private partnership for new detox and addiction recovery center ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

After pausing plans for a third county jail, Henrico officials are working to build a $12 million detox and recovery center to help adults struggling with substance use disorder. The 24-hour center would provide medically supervised detox and services with an initial capacity of 12 to 16 beds, according to procurement documents.
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** Hampton Roads’ poorest cities could lose the most from people going uncounted in the census ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Once every decade, government officials across the country take on the monumental task of counting every person living in the United States. The job is critically important — for one, population totals determine how much federal money is spent for each community’s roads, schools, housing and social programs. In Hampton Roads, officials who oversee some of the region’s poorest places worry many people there have been left out of this year’s count.
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** Affordable housing study identifies great need, possible solutions for Fredericksburg region ([link removed])
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By ADELE UPHAUS–CONNER, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A new regional housing study commissioned by the George Washington Regional Commission identifies more than 40 possible solutions to the demand for affordable housing in the Fredericksburg area. Expanding accessory dwelling units, creating “inclusionary zoning” programs, permitting by-right multifamily housing and establishing a regional housing trust fund are some of the solutions recommended in the report, which was conducted by Richmond-based nonprofit HousingForward Virginia and a working group made up of representatives from local governments and nonprofits.
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** Few arrests made after stop-and-frisks in Charlottesville ([link removed])
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By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Most of the time, the Charlottesville Police Department is not charging anyone or finding evidence when officers initiate what it calls “investigative detentions.” September marked two years of monthly reports on the department’s use of the practice, commonly called stop-and-frisk, and a comprehensive overview finds it isn’t leading to arrests a majority of the time.
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** Shenandoah County supervisor killed in I-81 crash ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Northern Virginia Daily

Longtime Shenandoah County Supervisor John R. “Dick” Neese died in a vehicle crash on Saturday morning. Neese, 71, of New Market, served as the chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Voters elected Neese to his first term in 2002 to represent District 1 on the board. The district covers much of the southern part of the county, including the town of New Market. Virginia State Police reported that the single-vehicle crash occurred at approximately 4:50 a.m. Saturday at the 274 mile-marker on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County.
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** Grant will help Floyd Country Store, others ([link removed])
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By TONIA MOXLEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Dylan Locke doesn’t want people flocking to the Floyd Country Store’s famous Friday Nite Jamboree until it’s safe. “But as soon as they can, we want them all to come here,” Locke, co-owner of the famed Appalachian music landmark, said. And now the store and other venues will have a $20,000 Virginia Tourism Corporation grant to help in getting ready for the hoped-for end of the novel coronavirus pandemic next year.
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** Winchester School Board approves division-wide equity policy ([link removed])
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By ANNA MEROD, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Winchester Public Schools now has a division-wide policy to hold the school system accountable in providing equitable outcomes for all students. The School Board approved an equity policy during its regular business meeting on Nov. 23. The five board members present voted in favor of the policy. Board member Bryan Pearce-Gonzales, who was absent, has voiced support for the policy in the past. The policy explains that “equity is not the same as equality.”
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** EDA seeks to recover assets despite bankruptcy ([link removed])
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By ALEX BRIDGES, Northern Virginia Daily

The Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority asked a federal judge recently to let the agency try to recover money from its former executive director despite her bankruptcy protection. The Industrial Development Authority of the Town of Front Royal and the County of Warren, Virginia, also known as the EDA, filed a motion in Jennifer R. McDonald’s bankruptcy case asking for a motion for relief from the automatic stay.
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** Bedford County's broadband initiative gearing up for operations phase ([link removed])
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By SHANNON KELLY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Bedford County has made another stride forward in its broadband initiative after many years of work, pushing to reach underserved and unserved areas of the county. Following a closed session with the Bedford County Board of Supervisors and the county’s broadband authority Monday night, officials announced 10 of 12 broadband towers constructed in Bedford County are complete.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia's Redistricting Commission Citizen Member Selection Committee
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Now accepting applications from Virginia citizens with diverse backgrounds to serve as one of eight citizen commissioners. Application deadline December 28th. Apply today! ([link removed])


** EDITORIALS
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** Coal country takes a key step toward going green ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

How’s this for news: An agency partially funded by coal has set up an incentive program to try to attract renewable energy firms to Southwest Virginia. Yes, you read that right. The world is a more complicated —and far more interesting — place than some bumper-sticker slogans would lead you to believe. The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority hasn’t just set up a Renewable Energy Fund, it’s using coal tax credits to do so.
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** Discipline must shape state budget work ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

For long, towards the end of the year, the General Assembly’s “money” committees have invited outside experts and staff both to present insightful, factual analysis of the state’s fiscal condition and its immediate budgetary challenges. These highly valuable “retreats” were completed recently in COVID-19 conditions and were therefore offered, not in a hotel conference center, but on-line.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Williams: Barbara Johns deserves a statue in the U.S. Capitol. ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL PAUL WILLIAMS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol represents our history in all its exclusion, contradiction and inequity. First, there’s the preponderance of Confederate soldiers and politicians among the 100 statues in the hall — at least nine, including Virginia representative Robert E. Lee, who will be replaced if we’re a nation in the mood to embrace justice and common sense. Meanwhile, not a single statue of an African American is represented in the hall itself,


** OP-ED
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** Brooks: Northam should adjust eviction terms ([link removed])
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By SARA W. BROOKS, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

An Open letter to Governor Northram: Allow me to preface this letter with my thanks to you for your response to the Covid-19 pandemic. I appreciate your willingness to make tough decisions that are in the best interest of keeping Virginians as safe as possible in these difficult times. However, I would like to address the issue of the moratorium on evicting tenants for non-payment of rent.

Brooks is Managing Partner of Woodbrook Properties, LLC in Roanoke.
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** McAuliffe and Scott: Virginia can’t have marijuana legalization without equity ([link removed])
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By TERRY MCAULIFFE AND DON SCOTT, published in Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

This has been a year full of reckonings that have prompted our society to take a close look in the mirror and begin to really tackle inequalities in all aspects of our lives. It has brought to the forefront issues that are, and have been, disproportionately hurting communities of color for generations. We have had reckonings over systemic racism, police brutality and health disparities for communities of color.

McAuliffe, a Democrat, served as Virginia governor from 2014 to 2018. Scott, a Democrat, represents Portsmouth in the Virginia House of Delegates.
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** Favola: Next steps on police reform in Virginia ([link removed])
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By BARBARA FAVOLA, published in Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Policing in a constitutional democracy is much more multifaceted than we have acknowledged or funded. In addition to the obvious public safety calls, evidence tells us that if certain societal infrastructures such as the mental health system fail, the police will be called to restore things to “normal.”

Favola, a Democrat, represents Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun in the Virginia Senate.
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** Swecker: Democrats need to compete in rural areas, and Virginia is proof ([link removed])
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By SUSAN SWECKER, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

I’ve always said that a Democratic vote in rural Wise County counts just as much as a vote in suburban Fairfax County. As our election results are finalized and pundits start to draw lessons from the vote totals, it’s important for Democrats to take stock of our efforts to turn out rural voters in the same way we assess our tactics in other areas of the commonwealth.

Swecker is the chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
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** Payne: Adapting to live and learn in an online world ([link removed])
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By BRIAN K. PAYNE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Released in 1985, Madonna’s famous song “Material Girl” told us that “we are living in a material world.” Fast-forward 35 years and Madonna’s song might now proclaim, “we are living in an online world.” Educators would add that we are “living and learning” in an online world. This requires us to reimagine traditional conceptions about education.

Payne is vice provost for academic affairs and professor of sociology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University.
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** Morse: Virginia’s 2021 election echoes historic 1989 vote ([link removed])
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By GORDON C. MORSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Here’s a tale of two articles — both focused on Virginia politics, both published in The New York Times in the month of November — but separated by 31 years. The more recent of the Times articles ran on Wednesday, hails from “Annandale” and wouldn’t you just know it. Annandale: a Virginia community of pre-revolutionary origins, open spaces and large farms, and not much given to divided opinion. Of 33 votes in 1861, says one source, 29 were for succession.

After writing editorials for The Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot in the 1980s, Gordon C. Morse wrote speeches for Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, then spent nearly three decades working on behalf of corporate and philanthropic organizations


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