VaNews
December 11, 2020

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** PowerforthepeopleVA.com
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PowerforthepeopleVA.com ([link removed]) : Virginia energy policy made interesting.
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Top of the News


** Northam says 'nothing good happens after midnight,' in instituting a curfew to combat COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday ordered Virginians to be home by midnight and stay put until daybreak as one of several new mandates aimed at slowing the quickly spreading coronavirus. When asked how a midnight curfew would prevent new infections, Northam said that it’s common sense. “I’ll also say something that my parents taught me when I was younger, and that is, nothing good happens after midnight,” he said.
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** Big Stone Gap suffers Virginia’s largest nursing home COVID-19 outbreak ([link removed])
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By JEFF KEELING, WAVY-TV

The ladies inside a local business on this small Appalachian town’s main drag weren’t aware a COVID-19 outbreak at a nearby nursing home had infected more than 200 residents and staff when they spoke to a reporter on a cold December morning. Two of them were unmasked, having already had the virus. One said COVID-19 was “part of life” and Americans were going to have to learn to live with it. Not far away, staff at Heritage Hall Nursing Home continued to grapple with an outbreak that has cost 33 lives — so far — and recorded 219 total positive cases. It’s the largest of any outbreak Virginia’s reported since the pandemic began, and one of the deadliest.
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** 75% of Virginia parents fear their children are falling behind in the pandemic, new poll says ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Virginia voters have a mixed view of how schools have handled the pandemic, according to a new poll from Christopher Newport University. On one hand, 64% of respondents with school-aged children said they were satisfied with how their children’s school has handled instruction this fall. But an even greater proportion of parents interviewed by The Wason Center for Civic Leadership say that they’re concerned their children are falling behind. About 75% said they were either very or somewhat concerned.
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** Virginia Education Association calls for classrooms to close across the state ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Restrictions that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday to curb spiking cases of COVID-19 stopped short of classrooms, a decision the Virginia Education Association panned moments after he addressed the commonwealth. The group, which represents more than 40,000 school workers, is calling for learning to go virtual in school systems where classrooms remain open through at least mid-January as cases continue to climb.
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** Northam proposes major effort to reimagine public space around Lee statue ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam will outline plans on Friday for an ambitious effort to reimagine the site of the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee statue that towers over Monument Avenue and has become an international symbol of this year's protests against racial inequity. The plans are part of a broader push to recast all the public spaces along the grand avenue, as well as to better commemorate African American history and mark the legacy of slavery throughout Richmond and beyond.
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** CBF Sells Fox Island; Programs There End Due to Sea Level Rise ([link removed])
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By CAROL VAUGHN, Eastern Shore Post

After more than four decades, the recent sale of Fox Island marked the end of an era for educational programs held there by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Willy Agee, CBF’s vice president of administration, said the foundation is “desperately heartbroken” to lose the island. Fox was a really magical place,” he said, adding, “It was a place that touched” those who spent time there.
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** Hoos, Hokies and hatred: A look back at how the Commonwealth’s greatest rivalry began ([link removed])
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By VIGNESH MULAY, Cavalier Daily

Over the last 125 years, Virginia and Virginia Tech — schools separated by less than 150 miles — have faced each other on the football field 101 times. The in-state rivalry has been full of dramatic games, thrilling storylines and plenty of animosity on both sides. While most college football fans are well aware of the longstanding rivalry between Virginia and Virginia Tech, they may not be as familiar with the feud’s deep and controversial roots. As the Cavaliers and the Hokies meet for the 102nd time Saturday, let’s take a look at how the over-a-century-old rivalry first started.
The Full Report
67 articles, 31 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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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.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Virginia to impose nightly curfew, limit social gatherings to 10 people, tighten mask rules ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia will be under a nightly curfew from midnight until 5 a.m., and social gatherings will be limited to 10 people under new public restrictions meant to stem the surge of COVID-19 that take effect early Monday. Gov. Ralph Northam announced the restrictions Thursday afternoon, citing an untamed spike of COVID-19 cases in the state in the middle of the busy holiday season.
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** Va. governor imposes curfew while toughening restrictions ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, RACHEL CHASON, ERIN COX AND MICHAEL BRICE-SADDLER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A new wave of coronavirus-related restrictions was introduced in the Washington region Thursday, with more Maryland jurisdictions eliminating indoor dining and Virginia imposing a statewide curfew to keep residents home late at night. The executive order from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) also includes an expanded mask mandate and lowers the number of people allowed in social gatherings. The measures, which will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, do not change rules for restaurants, stores or houses of worship.
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** Northam announces curfew, other restrictions amid pandemic ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Gov. Ralph Northam announced new measures to combat the coronavirus Thursday that include a stricter mask mandate and a curfew that will requires most Virginians to stay at home between midnight and 5 a.m. The executive order is set to take effect on Monday and will also reduce the state’s cap on public gatherings from 25 people to 10. Northam is expanding the state’s longstanding mask requirements to include outdoor areas where social distancing isn’t possible and all indoor areas shared with others, except for households.
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** Northam calls for 12 to 5 a.m. curfew, stricter mask mandate and smaller gatherings ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam urged all Virginians to stay home from midnight to 5 a.m. unless they need to be out, and he also imposed new pandemic restrictions Thursday as coronavirus infection rates continue to soar across the state. But even as he asked people to take action to slow the spread, the governor said there is positive news on the horizon: Some Virginians could get a Pfizer vaccine against the virus as soon as this weekend. The first doses will be administered within 24 to 48 hours of federal approval expected as soon as today, Northam said.
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** Northam announces curfew, other restrictions to battle pandemic ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam voiced concern Thursday about Southwest Virginia’s rising COVID-19 cases and said he has communicated that to leaders in Tennessee and other states. Northam announced new restrictions for Virginians during a Thursday media briefing, including a modified stay-at-home order from midnight to 5 a.m., unless working; limiting indoor gatherings to 10 people instead of 25; and requiring mask-wearing by those ages 5 and older in all indoor public settings and within 6 feet of others when outdoors.
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** Mayor’s COVID battle shared as Northam announces new restrictions ([link removed])
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By ALLEN WORRELL, Carroll News

After imposing new restrictions Thursday on Virginians to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Ralph Northam shared the story of Hillsville Mayor Greg Crowder’s current battle with Coronavirus as a reminder of the seriousness of the virus. During his press conference Thursday, Northam announced new, targeted measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 as new cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in all areas of the Commonwealth.
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** Posthumous pardon and apology sought for 'Martinsville Seven' who were executed nearly 70 years ago ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

In late 1950 and early 1951, seven Black men awaited death in Virginia’s electric chair in the rape of a white woman, drawing attention to Richmond from across the country and around the world. Letters pleading for mercy flooded the governor’s office along with telegrams from as far away as Moscow. There was picketing at the White House, marches on the state Capitol in Richmond and a prayer vigil there attended by hundreds of people both Black and white — all for naught.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Area legislators, law enforcement and substance abuse organizations opposed to the legalization of marijuana ([link removed])
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By BILL WYATT, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The legalization of marijuana would be detrimental to the communities in our region. That’s the consensus among local legislators, law enforcement and substance abuse organizations who offered their concerns in a virtual legislative roundtable event Thursday afternoon.
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** School officials lobby lawmakers to protect funding despite lower enrollment ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer

Even as system-wide enrollment has fallen by more than 1,700 students this year, Chesterfield school officials last week urged their colleagues in the local legislative delegation to maintain current education funding levels in Virginia’s fiscal year 2022 budget. Public school systems across the state have seen sharp enrollment declines during the 2020-21 school year as parents decided to homeschool their children, send them to private school or defer kindergarten enrollment for a year


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Cox unveils plan to invest $50 million in Virginia law enforcement in 1st year if elected governor ([link removed])
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By JACKIE DEFUSCO, WAVY-TV

This morning, former Republican House Speaker Kirk Cox unveiled the first formal plan of his gubernatorial campaign. As part of his ‘Partnership for a Safe Virginia,’ Cox pledged to commit $50 million in the first year of his administration to address structural salary issues that are plaguing law enforcement agencies and causing problems with officer retention. Cox said this money would be used to raise the pay scale for higher ranking positions and increase base pay for entry-level sheriff’s deputies.
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** Cox announces plan to boost trooper and deputy salaries ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Del. Kirk Cox said Thursday that if elected governor next year, he would launch a plan to invest $50 million into improving the salaries of Virginia state police officers and sheriff's deputies across the state. The Partnership for a Safe Virginia plan — Cox's first major program proposal of his campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination — was revealed in a virtual news conference the former House speaker had with former state Sen. Bill Carrico of Grayson County.
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** Heather Mitchell is presumptive Republican nominee in 2nd District special election ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

Heather Mitchell is so far the only Republican to launch a bid for the 2nd District House of Delegates seat resigned by Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, who is leaving to focus on her run for governor. Mitchell will become the GOP nominee unless another candidate emerges in the next 24 hours, according to Prince William County Republican Committee Chair Tim Parrish.
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** Dels. McQuinn and Tyler endorse McAuliffe ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Two more veteran members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus are throwing their support to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s bid for a second term in the Executive Mansion. Dels. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, and Roslyn Tyler, D-Sussex, endorsed McAuliffe on Thursday, a day after he formally kicked off his campaign with an appearance at a Richmond elementary school.
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** GOP, Democratic gubernatorial candidates unified in criticism of former governor's entry ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

The big news coming from former Gov. Terry McAuliffe's entry into the Democratic race for governor was not so much his announcement, but the swift reaction given to it by his opponents for the job in both parties. It was not the warmest of welcomes, to say the least. Former House Speaker Kirk Cox of Colonial Heights, called McAuliffe a "failed national politician" and a "self-motivated political retread."
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** Registrar debunks Sen. Chase’s claims of ‘voting irregularities’ ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer

Chesterfield County’s general registrar has provided data that directly rebuts an allegation of voting irregularities made by Republican state Sen. Amanda Chase during a radio interview Tuesday morning. Chase, who is running for governor, appeared on John Reid’s WRVA talk show to discuss the 2020 election and her insistence that a statewide audit should be conducted to verify that there was not widespread voter fraud in Virginia.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Advocates, inmates want more from VADOC as COVID-19 spikes ([link removed])
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By JOSEPH WHITNEY SMITH AND SAM FOWLER, VCU Capital News Service

Prisons are divided into “zones.” Inmates have been given personal protective equipment. Visitation is canceled. Testing has ramped up. Still, the positive COVID-19 cases continue to climb within Virginia prisons. The Virginia Department of Corrections reported on Dec. 10 that there are 593 active cases among inmates and 227 among staff, which includes employees and contractors. There have been over 5,200 positive COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths reported among inmates since late March. More than 1,250 staff cases have been confirmed since the spring.
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** 2 Peninsula residents, 2 local lawmakers selected for statewide business council ([link removed])
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By TREVOR METCALFE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Two Hampton Roads citizens and two local lawmakers are among the latest appointees to a state board dedicated to helping minority business owners. Newport News Commissioner of the Revenue Tiffany Boyle and Trina Coleman of Hampton are among the latest Hampton Roads appointees to the newly formed Minority Business Commission.


** CONGRESS
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** Virginia rail plan depends on land transfer that is picking up speed in Congress ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Congress is moving to boost Virginia's ambitions for passenger rail - with eventual hourly train service between Richmond and Washington, D.C. - which depends on control of a small patch of federal law land on both sides of the Potomac River. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to adopt the Long Bridge Act, sponsored by Reps. Rob Wittman, R-1st, and Don Beyer, D-8th, two members of a Virginia congressional delegation that has been united in getting Congress to authorize the transfer of four acres from the National Park Service that is crucial to construction of a new rail bridge across the Potomac.
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** Defense bill addresses sea level rise and military child care, thanks in part to Hampton Roads ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Seeing how near the waters of the Back River can come to North King Street and listening to how Virginia military families worry about finding child care have shaped the defense spending bill for fiscal year 2021. Buried in the 4,500-page, $731.6 billion spending plan, which passed the House on Tuesday and is slated for a final vote in the Senate this week, are a series of policy directives that have their roots in Hampton Roads.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** New Virginia unemployment claims double in one week ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The number of first-time unemployment claims made by Virginians nearly doubled in a single week to 16,654, during the seven days ending Dec. 5. It was the largest the weekly initial unemployment claim number has been since the week of Aug. 8, according to data reported Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission. The number grew by 8,048 claims from the prior week, when 8,606 claims had been made.
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** NY firm announces 160 jobs in Scott County ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

A New York-based electronic medical records firm plans to open a facility next year in Scott County, Virginia, and hire up to 160 workers. The firm, eHealth Technologies Inc., plans to establish a customer support center, according to a statement from Gov. Ralph Northam’s office. The company is based in Rochester, New York, and this is its first investment in Virginia.
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** Partnership paves way for universal broadband coverage in Nelson County ([link removed])
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By NICK CROPPER, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

With yet another investment toward broadband expansion, Nelson County is one step closer to fulfilling a goal it set out to achieve several years ago. During a special called meeting Dec. 8, the Nelson County Broadband Authority unanimously authorized $1.25 million to be allocated to Firefly Fiber Broadband, a wholly owned subsidiary of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, to be disbursed as costs are incurred reaching homes and businesses off the CVEC system.
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** Amazon announces investment in two more solar farms in Halifax County ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Part of a global renewable energy purchase, Amazon.com Inc. announced Thursday it will invest in two more Halifax County solar farms, in addition to a deal announced in March that is expected to come online in 2021. The two new solar farms, which are expected to provide 70 megawatts and 51 megawatts of power by 2022, according to an Amazon map, are located in Powell’s Creek, in the southern part of the county, and Sunnybrook, northeast of South Boston.
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** Dominion Energy wants to help low-income Virginians install solar panels ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Dominion Energy Virginia’s newest package of energy saving programs includes help for lower-income Virginians who would like to install solar panels. The program aims to reach people who are often missed by renewable energy initiatives, chief executive officer Bob Blue told the Daily Press.
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** Grayson Natural Farms will invest $1.5 million to expand in Independence ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Independence Declaration

Grayson Natural Farms LLC – producer of the Landcrafted Food grass-fed, organic meat snacks brand – will invest $1.5 million to expand its smokehouse and production operation in Grayson County.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro board moves ‘doomsday’ budget forward to accept public comments ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Despite the objection of two board members, Metro leaders moved a step closer Thursday to adopting a plan that severely cuts transit service — a patch for a half-billion dollar deficit as time is expiring for Congress to bail out transit agencies this year. The board’s 6-2 vote was a rare exception to its typically unanimous decisions on financial matters, showing how the crisis is unlike any Metro has faced.
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** State board approves improvement to I-66 corridor ([link removed])
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Associated Press

Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board approved nearly $4 million in spending on new projects designed to improve commutes along the Interstate 66 corridor in the northern part of the state. The board voted Wednesday to approve six projects the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission described as “low-cost, low risk transit and multimodal.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** The Breeze examines adjunct pay at JMU ([link removed])
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By JAKE CONLEY, The Breeze

College of Arts and Letters: $1,284. College of Health and Behavioral Studies: $1,310. College of Education: $1,037. According to documents obtained in the fall semester of 2019 by The Breeze, the average payment per credit-hour taught by members of JMU’s adjunct faculty was $1,301. If an adjunct professor taught four three-credit classes each semester at that rate, they’d earn an average of $15,612 per semester — or $31,224 for an academic year’s worth.
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** Jerry Falwell Jr. drops lawsuit against Liberty University ([link removed])
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By SARAH PULLIAM BAILEY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped a defamation lawsuit he filed in October against Liberty University, just months after he resigned in August as president of the Christian school following a series of personal scandals, Falwell and a university spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.
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** Jerry Falwell Jr. drops defamation suit against Liberty University ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped a lawsuit alleging the evangelical Christian institution he led for 13 years defamed him after he resigned in scandal this summer. Lawyers for Falwell notified Lynchburg Circuit Court on Wednesday that their client will not pursue his claim that the school damaged his reputation by repeating what he labeled as lies about his participation in an extramarital affair involving his wife and a former business partner.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** More than 10,000 people in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have died of covid-19 ([link removed])
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By REBECCA TAN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Coronavirus deaths in D.C., Maryland and Virginia surpassed 10,000 on Thursday, a somber marker of the region’s failure to contain the crisis. The District reported four new deaths, for a total of 708. Virginia reported 54 deaths, for a total of 4,335. Maryland reported 50 deaths, bringing its total fatalities to 5,012.
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** Virginia records second-highest daily increase in new COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The Virginia Department of Health on Thursday reported 3,915 new COVID-19 cases - the second-highest daily increase recorded in the state. On Wednesday the state reported 4,398 new cases. Virginia is now averaging nearly 3,800 new cases per day over the last week.
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** VHSL calls for athletes to wear masks during competition and training ([link removed])
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By GREG GIESEN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia High School League has amended its COVID-19 mitigation protocols for high school sports by advising athletes to wear masks. The VHSL updated its measures to follow the recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health. According to the VDH, athletes are strongly advised to wear masks at all times during group training, competition, and on the sidelines.
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** Local infection rates exceed state ([link removed])
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By BRIAN FUNK, Galax Gazette

Percent positivity in Twin Counties is between 21% and 32%; state’s rate is 10.8%. Health department to hold mass COVID-19 testing in Galax and Hillsville next week. State health officials report that 228 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the past week in the Twin Counties, as a predicted late fall surge in the virus comes to pass.
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** Grayson County schools to remain open as Mount Rogers halts contact tracing ([link removed])
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By SHAINA STOCKTON, Independence Declaration

The Mount Rogers Health District has advised school systems throughout the area to return to virtual-only instruction for the remainder of the semester as COVID-19 cases rise in the region; but (Grayson) Division Superintendent Kelly Wilmore assured the public Friday that the district’s safety practices will allow classes to continue for the next two weeks.
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** Alexandria finds out what people did in weeks before COVID-19 diagnosis ([link removed])
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By MICHELLE MURILLO AND LUKE GARRETT, WTOP

Alexandria health officials interviewed hundreds of people in the Virginia city diagnosed with COVID-19 last month and found a number of activities linked to potential transmission of the coronavirus: living with a COVID-19-positive person, going to restaurants and social gatherings, traveling and going into the workplace. Alexandria Health Department authorities said the city’s exposure analysis backs the guidelines that are already in place and that these results should motivate residents to continue following them amid the spike in coronavirus cases.
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** Everyone At Arlington County Jail Will Be Tested After Three Inmates Contract COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By MARGAR, WAMU

The Arlington County Jail is reporting its first COVID-19 outbreak. After the first positive test last week, two additional inmates have now tested positive for the virus. County Sheriff Beth Arthur announced in a press release that the Virginia National Guard will conduct testing of all jail inmates and staff on Thursday and Friday.
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** Smithfield Foods offers freezers for COVID-19 vaccine ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Smithfield Foods has offered the use of its ultra-low temperature freezers to store COVID-19 vaccines once they become available. “As it becomes more clear that successful vaccines will become available, we have communicated our capabilities and continued willingness to partner with health officials, including with vaccine distribution and storage,” said Kiera Lombardo, the company’s chief administrative officer.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Voters split on Virginia’s ‘direction’ and most satisfied with COVID-19 school options, poll finds ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

Virginia voters are split along partisan lines on whether the commonwealth is moving in the right direction, according to a new poll conducted by Christopher Newport University. And while most of the 906 registered voters are satisfied with Virginia’s COVID-19 school options, three out of four are worried their children will fall behind in school because of disruptions due to the pandemic.
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** Surry Confederate monument to get permanent home ([link removed])
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By NATE DELESLINE III, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Surry County’s Confederate monument will soon get a new, permanent and local home. In a unanimous decision, the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 3 agreed to convey the monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 9. The group will place the monument on private property at 384 Mount Ivy Lane and make it available for public viewing. The property is located northeast of the town of Surry near Chippokes Plantation State Park.
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** Armed felon in group opposing antifa at protest near Lee Monument sentenced to 4 1/2 years ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Afelon caught with a homemade assault rifle, a semiautomatic handgun and wearing body armor the night of June 12 at a demonstration near the Lee Monument in Richmond was sentenced to 4½ years in prison on Thursday. Matthew Lee Frezza, 37, of Chesterfield County, who faced 46 to 57 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. The judge said Frezza’s conduct on June 12 was a “clear and present danger” to the citizens of Richmond.
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** Loudoun County supervisors vote to replace segregated World War I plaque ([link removed])
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By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The World War I plaque in Leesburg that racially segregates 30 soldiers will no longer list white and Black soldiers separately after the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to replace it. On Wednesday, the board voted unanimously to move forward with the action after holding a public hearing. The change is nearly 100 years in the making.
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** Blue Ridge Tunnel sees nearly 7,000 visitors in first 10 days of opening ([link removed])
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By NICK CROPPER, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Just weeks after its long-awaited opening, thousands of visitors have flocked to the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail system that stretches from Nelson County to Augusta County. In the first 10 days following the tunnel’s Nov. 21 opening to the public, counters located on the eastern and western trailheads tallied about 6,800 visitors total, according to Nelson County Parks and Recreation Director Claire Richardson.


** LOCAL
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** Arlington may swap Lee Highway name for Mildred and Richard Loving Avenue ([link removed])
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By PATRICIA SULLIVAN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

In an act of what might be considered historic poetic justice, a panel of Arlington residents wants to change the name of Lee Highway, which honors Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, to Mildred and Richard Loving Avenue, the couple who successfully challenged Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage. A county board-designated advisory panel voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to support the Loving name.
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** In sudden switch, Loudoun County is returning all students to online learning ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Loudoun County Public Schools announced Thursday that it will return all students to online learning, a reversal that affects roughly 18,000 children who had gone back to school buildings over the past few months. School officials in neighboring Fairfax County, meanwhile, shared a draft of a plan with a special school board meeting to return the system’s 186,000 students to in-person instruction in January.
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** Police say there is an 'immediate need' to expand mental health response unit ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

Prince William County police officials are already hoping to double the size of the department’s “co-responder” pilot program, a new effort that pairs mental health clinicians and local police officers to respond to mental health emergencies, to react to a growing number of such calls in the county. The “co-responder” program is designed to help de-escalate situations involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis without the use of force and to provide those individuals with the appropriate services and resources.
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** Local nonprofits helping residents pay the rent warn of pending eviction crisis ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

The Prince William County government and local nonprofits have spent millions in CARES Act funds to keep area residents impacted by the pandemic from being evicted from their homes this year. Now, some local nonprofits are warning of a potentially painful start to 2021 as the CARES Act deadline approaches and money for local housing assistance runs out. “Unless the CARES money gets extended, the funds simply aren't there to help,” said Steve Liga, executive director of Action in Community Through Service, or ACTS. “That is going to be a disaster when that happens.”
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** Board signals support for medical cannabis business ([link removed])
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By HEATHER MICHON, Fluvanna Review

The Fluvanna Board of Supervisors signaled its support for a new medical cannabis production facility at their regular meeting on Wednesday (Dec. 2), approving a letter of support for YAE Wellness by a vote of 4-0-1, with Supervisor Tony O’Brien absent for the evening. YAE (pronounced ‘yay’) is hoping to purchase 15 acres of county-owned property behind the Fluvanna Community Center and the Fork Union Volunteer Fire Department in Fork Union for the construction of a 100,000 square foot facility.
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** Virginia Beach to pay Dominion Energy $3.7 million to move equipment for surf park project ([link removed])
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By STACY PARKER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

City leaders have negotiated a deal to buy a critical piece of land needed for the dome site redevelopment at the Oceanfront, but it comes with a hefty price tag to move the current tenant out. Norfolk Southern owns property at the corner of 18th Street and Arctic Avenue and leases it to Dominion Energy for a substation there. In order to sell the land to the city, the railroad company needed to terminate its lease with Dominion, according to Deputy City Manager Ron Williams.
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** Norfolk, Newport News settled with chemical firms in price fixing lawsuit ([link removed])
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By PETER DUJARDIN, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Norfolk and Newport News have settled a federal lawsuit that accused several manufacturers of fixing prices for a chemical that’s widely used to purify public water systems. Newport News Waterworks — which provides water throughout the Peninsula — got a $4.35 million payout; and Norfolk — which provides water in South Hampton Roads — got $2.07 million, according to city attorney’s offices in the two cities.
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** The Newport News School Board signed a 30 year contract for solar panels. Will the city council allow it? ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

The Newport News City Council will decide whether to grant conditional use permits allowing the installation of ground-mounted solar panels at several schools in the district — and some members aren’t happy about it. They’re frustrated that the School Board did not bring the project to them sooner — before signing a contract. The contract is a 30-year agreement that is expected to save the school division about $4 million over that time if all of the sites are approved.
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** Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center property ID’d as potential site of regional sports complex ([link removed])
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By DAVID MACAULAY, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

The Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center has served as a gateway to Virginia’s former capital for over six decades. On Thursday, the city’s mayor announced a plan that could include building a regional sports complex on the center’s property during the biannual State of the City address. Mayor Doug Pons, fellow council members, Cliff Fleet of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and William & Mary president Katherine Rowe took part in a virtual address via video. Pons spoke of collaboration between the three bodies.
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** 2 Portsmouth deputies were fired. The Sheriff’s Office won’t say what they did. ([link removed])
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By JOSH REYES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Two Portsmouth sheriff’s deputies were fired and six were suspended following an internal investigation into “possible violations of operational policy and procedures,” a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said Thursday. Col. Marvin Waters did not say which policies and procedures may have been violated or what the deputies did to be disciplined.
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** Understaffed Portsmouth police are getting some help from the sheriff ([link removed])
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By JOSH REYES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Approaching the end of 2020, Portsmouth has 192 police officers — 54 fewer than two years ago. And as interim Police Chief Scott Burke told the City Council in November, it’s not easy to get the department closer to full staffing: 259 officers. So he’s turning to another agency in Portsmouth. The Police Department and Sheriff’s Office are working on an unusual partnership that would have deputies working with police officers in the community.
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** Charlottesville chief refutes church's racial profiling claims, calls for apology ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney refuted claims of racial profiling made by leaders of the Unitarian Universalists of Charlottesville Church following an October incident and called on the church’s leadership to apologize or be terminated during a press conference Thursday. The press conference followed an internal affairs investigation conducted by the police department after the church published a letter addressed to Brackney on Oct. 15 detailing allegations of racial profiling against one of its members.
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** Albemarle outlines plan for hybrid learning under Stage Four ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE KNOTT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Albemarle County’s plans for division-wide in-person classes would mean an all-hands-on-deck approach at the elementary schools. That means that those who typically teach music, art or physical education, as well as talent development teachers, media specialists, teaching assistants and interventionists, will become general classroom teachers and share content areas with a partner teacher.
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** Extra help offered for city utility customers ([link removed])
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By BRIAN BREHM, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

City residents with past-due water and sewer bills are in luck. Winchester recently received an additional $263,620 in federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funds to help utility customers pay off outstanding balances accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. All customers with past-due utility bills have been sent a letter from the city explaining the assistance program.
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** Cigarette tax talk carries on ([link removed])
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Northern Neck News

Back around mid-November, a matter of cigarette taxes had been discussed over at Westmoreland County’s Board of Supervisors. Later on in the month, it also came up at the Montross Town Council meeting. The idea for this tax came up due to the General Assembly passing legislation last year that gave counties the ability to implement such taxes. To that end, Westmoreland County’s administrator and several of its neighbors are looking at creating a regional tax authority.
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** Health District Director: 'If we want the kids in schools, we have to all play our parts.' ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

As the debate surrounding in-person learning and instruction wages on while school systems near their winter breaks, Dr. Scott Spillmann, the director of the Pittsylvania Danville Health District, reiterated his stance Thursday that it is currently appropriate for children and staff members to be inside their school buildings.

Today's Sponsor:


** PowerforthepeopleVA.com
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PowerforthepeopleVA.com ([link removed]) : Virginia energy policy made interesting.


** EDITORIALS
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** 6 questions about Virginia election laws ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Monday is election day. Yes, yes, we know you thought we’ve already had election day — or election week, or election month. But those were just preliminaries. Monday is the day the real deal goes down — when the electors who were chosen on or about Nov. 3 meet in their respective state capitals to cast the only votes that truly matter, those of the Electoral College.
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** Poor Census response could prove costly to Hampton Roads cities ([link removed])
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Daily Press Editorial (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

The more we learn about the 2020 Census, the more it sounds like bad news for Virginia — especially our poorest cities. Our nation’s founders realized the importance of knowing how many people live here and the basics of what those people are like. That’s the key to knowing how the nation is growing and changing, and what those changes might mean for good governance.
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** Is Virginia literally going to pot? ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

During its regular session earlier this year, the General Assembly decriminalized possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, reducing penalties for a first offense from up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine to a $25 civil fine. The so-called “war on drugs” has been an abysmal failure, and putting people in jail for possession of a small amount of weed was clearly excessive. However, the big question now is whether lawmakers should take the next step and legalize marijuana.
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** Capital Region Rail Vision is an economic enabler worth pursuing ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Roughly 150 miles separate Richmond’s Main Street Station from Baltimore’s Penn Station. Yet the path to get to and from anywhere within those points via rail is less than ideal. Despite having Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service, there is a need to improve train travel in the commonwealth — for passenger and commercial reasons.


** OP-ED
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** Brickell: Train workers to better handle COVID safety ([link removed])
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By SEAN BRICKELL, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

On a recent afternoon I was in a Virginia Beach CVS to purchase batteries for Christmas decorations. The display was near the entrance where a lady and man were in line to check-out. A man I suppose in his mid-40s entered the store without a mask. The cashier kindly asked him to respect CVS’s rules and wear his mask. It was shocking to witness the profanity the mask-less one shouted while turning and exiting.

Brickell, president of Brickell & Partners Public Relations, has provided counsel to businesses in Hampton Roads for 40 years and was inducted into the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows in 2002.
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** Oliver: Families are facing a food crisis. Without federal action, food banks will face one, too. ([link removed])
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By EDDIE OLIVER, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Not long ago, a mother and her two children stopped by the Verona Community Food Pantry to pick up food for the family. While she never lost her job at a travel and food plaza, her husband was laid off for about four months. With just one income, the family was in a financial bind. After paying their bills, they did not have enough money left over for other essentials, like food.

Oliver is the executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, the commonwealth’s largest charitable response to hunger, representing Virginia’s seven food banks.


** THE FRIDAY READ
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** In Virginia Prisons, Fear Spreads With Virus ([link removed])
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By AS TOLD TO LOUIS HANSEN, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism

David Braxton was a small-time drug dealer in the late 1990s, shuttling cocaine and marijuana between New York City and Virginia. One transaction turned violent. Braxton and his cousin were charged with beating to death another dealer in a field in Fauquier County. A jury convicted Braxton of the murder in 1998 and sentenced him to life in prison.


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