VaNews
December 19, 2020
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Top of the News


** In Richmond, the case of the state senator and the judge draws attention to lax ethics rules ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

When Richmond General District Judge David Hicks appeared before a General Assembly committee this month seeking reappointment to the bench, he had an unusual connection to one of the lawmakers conducting the review. State Sen. Joseph D. Morrissey (D-Richmond) had just appeared in Hicks’s courtroom the week before — not as a lawyer, but as a defendant in a misdemeanor criminal case. Now Morrissey was the one wielding power.
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** Virginia will get 100,000 fewer initial COVID-19 doses than anticipated ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Virginia is now expected to receive more than 100,000 fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccine than state officials projected earlier this month. The Virginia Department of Health did not explain why the projections were lower than anticipated. But in a Friday news release, the agency said estimates from the federal government could continue to change as states and the federal government proceed with vaccination plans.
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** Arlington students are failing at higher rates. The most vulnerable are struggling most. ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Students in Arlington Public Schools are failing classes at a higher rate during the pandemic, newly released data show, and the most vulnerable students are struggling most. The percentage of middle and high school students earning E’s in Arlington, which serves 26,000 students in Northern Virginia, increased by about three percentage points in the first quarter as compared with last year, according to an internal report published online Thursday evening. E’s, the lowest grade given, rose to account for 4.6 percent of all middle school grades and 8.5 percent of all high school grades, according to the report.
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** As COVID-19 cases rise, teachers say they don’t feel safe at school ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

Masks slide down little noses repeatedly; arms reach out for hugs that teachers and counselors don’t have the heart to deny; and restless feet stray from squares taped on classroom floors intended to keep kids and teachers at least 6 feet apart. Those are some of the typical behaviors that teachers currently instructing Prince William County’s youngest students inside school buildings say are routinely thwarting mitigation efforts intended to keep COVID-19 from spreading and making people sick.
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** Historic Jamestowne closing to public through January ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

In order to limit the risks associated with the recent surge in COVID-19 numbers, Historic Jamestowne will be temporarily closed to the public starting Monday through Jan 31. The closure includes the Visitor Center co-managed by the National Park Service and Jamestown Rediscovery (on behalf of Preservation Virginia) and the New Towne and Old Towne areas of the island.
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** A $130 million flooding overhaul for 2 Norfolk neighborhoods is ahead of schedule ([link removed])
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By MARGAUX MACCOLL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Within two years, residents of Norfolk’s Chesterfield Heights and Grandy Village should no longer have to worry about the Elizabeth River’s rising banks. The Ohio Creek Watershed Project, a $130 million environmental overhaul that city officials hope will lead to future efforts in other neighborhoods, is about 30% complete and is on track to be finished by December 2022. That’s several months ahead of April 2023, the original projected end date.
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** Va. Supreme Court allows Hopewell and Prince George to hold jury trials in Beacon Theater ([link removed])
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By MARK BOWES, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

In what may be one of the most uniquely improvised court settings in Virginia, the Beacon Theatre in Hopewell has been approved by the Virginia Supreme Court as a temporary venue for Hopewell and Prince George County circuit courts to hold jury trials for the remainder of the pandemic.
The Full Report
41 articles, 24 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Applications to Redistricting Commission top 200 ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

With one week left before a Dec. 28 deadline, some 214 Virginians have applied to become one of eight citizen members of Virginia's newly formed Redistricting Commission. Those selected will serve alongside eight legislative members. VPAP has updated a visual that breaks down the applicant pool by gender, age, race, income, region and -- yes -- political party self-identification.
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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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** Northam wants $6.1M more for VSU, says Petersburg could benefit from health funding upgrade ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Virginia State University would see some funds restored, and public-health departments in fiscally strapped localities such as Petersburg could benefit from new funding formulas under Gov. Ralph S. Northam's budget amendments that he presented to the General Assembly's money committees Wednesday. In his remarks, Northam cited VSU as one of four state public colleges that would receive a share of $30 million un previously unallotted funds. The proposal calls for VSU to receive $6.1 million, Norfolk State University to receive $8,4 million, and George Mason and Old Dominion universities to each receive $5 million in what the governor deemed "investments" into their futures.
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** Gov. Northam donates blood plasma as Red Cross reports greater need than ever before ([link removed])
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By KELLY AVELLINO AND HENRY GRAFF, WVIR - TV29

Northam donated blood plasma Friday morning at Emerywood Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Richmond, after building up antibodies to the virus in his system. Northam and his wife both battled COVID-19 in late September. “I would encourage individuals, especially those who have had COVID-19, to really consider donating their plasma and their antibodies,” said Norham.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** JLARC report highlights problems with educating special needs students in Virginia ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A new report issued by the state's Joint Legislative and Review committee found that the Virginia Department of Education is not adequately meeting the needs of special education students. While the report showed that academically, students with disabilities are improving, teachers in the state are not sufficiently trained to teach special needs students, Black students with disabilities are falling behind their non-Black counterparts academically, and individual education plans are not necessarily effective for achieving goals.
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** Henry County supervisors have a voice in new redistricting goals ([link removed])
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By KIM BARTO MEEKS, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia’s current legislative map carves up Henry County into three different state house districts and two congressional districts. But should it stay that way? That’s a question local officials should consider as Virginia’s new bipartisan redistricting committee prepares to redraw the state's legislative boundaries in early 2021, according to consultant Rob Catron, Henry County’s lobbyist to the General Assembly.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Unions back endorsements of Carroll Foy with $350,000 for her gubernatorial campaign ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Atrio of trade unions representing 9,000 Virginia workers are putting their money behind endorsements of former Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy in her campaign for governor. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters, the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 are contributing $350,000 to Carroll Foy, a Democrat from Prince William County who resigned her House of Delegates seat this month to focus on her gubernatorial bid.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia Task Force: Make Childcare Affordable for All ([link removed])
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By ALAN RODRIGUEZ ESPINOZA, WCVE-FM

A task force made up of childcare and early childhood education advocates is calling on Virginia to make childcare services available and affordable to everyone by 2030. The Back to Work Virginia task force made the recommendation to First Lady Pamela Northam and several state legislators during a virtual conference on Facebook Live. No concrete financial or policy commitments were made, but the three lawmakers present expressed support for the idea.
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** Study: Marijuana legalization could raise $274 million in state revenue ([link removed])
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By EVAN GOODENOW, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A new report commissioned by the state legislature on marijuana legalization in Virginia says it could generate up to $1.2 billion in annual economic activity and $274 million in state tax revenue but said it will take five years for the industry to mature and cautioned that the process is complicated. “While the potential economic opportunities and revenue impacts are promising, they are not guaranteed,” said the report issued by the heads of Virginia’s agricultural and forestry, finance, health and human services and public safety departments.
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** What effect would marijuana legalization in Virginia have on youth use? ([link removed])
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By EVAN GOODENOW, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Some local opponents of marijuana decriminalization and legalization say it increases underage use, but new studies indicate otherwise. Since 2012, 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, and 11 states and the district have legalized recreational use. Other states, including Virginia this year, have decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot and are considering legalization.


** CONGRESS
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** Warner: COVID relief negotiations show there’s hope gridlock in Congress can end ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

It’s been a long haul, trying to get a new pandemic relief bill through Congress ― and if the start reflected gridlock in Capitol Hill, the end offers hope for next year, Sen. Mark Warner says. Warner was a central actor in the group that tried to find a middle way between the wildly different sums the White House and the two political parties’ Capitol Hill leaders were insisting on.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Virginia’s jobless rate dropped in November to 4.9% ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The jobless rate in Virginia fell in November from October as more people joined the labor force last month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.9% in November, down from 5.3% in October and 6.2% in September, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Friday.
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** Northern Virginia apartment landlords say job losses, eviction moratoriums have them in a bind ([link removed])
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By ALEX KOMA, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

Apartment landlords in Northern Virginia are growing increasingly nervous about their profit margins, while office owners are becoming more confident about their ability to ride out the pandemic and recover. That was the consensus among speakers at Thursday’s virtual “State of the Market” event for the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington. Even though most office workers are still confined to their homes, residential property managers who spoke at the gathering expressed considerably more consternation than their peers in the commercial sector.
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** Part of a ‘national trend,’ Virginia shatters gun sales record in 2020 ([link removed])
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By DEAN MIRSHAHI, WRIC-TV

Firearm sales have surged across the country in 2020, reaching historic highs in a year undoubtedly shaped by the coronavirus pandemic and protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Despite the economic uncertainty for many, data clearly shows that Virginians have been buying guns at unprecedented levels this year. . . . In the first 11 months of the year, 716,563 background checks for firearm sales were conducted in Virginia. The previous annual record of 505,722, set in 2016, was eclipsed by the end of September 2020.
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** 3 Mountain Valley Pipeline opponents removed from legal effort to bring tree-sitters down ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Three people who were part of a tree-sit blockade of the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s path over a wooded slope in Montgomery County no longer face damages sought by a civil suit. Phillip Flagg, Emma Howell and Evin Tyler Ugur were dismissed from the case Thursday by Circuit Judge Robert Turk.
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** With nod to newspaper past, new urban boutique hotel opens for business in downtown Danville ([link removed])
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By SUSAN ELZEY, Danville Register & Bee

Danville’s newest hotel, The Bee, is abuzz this week with first guests and final construction. Also called “The Honey Bee,” it's a nod to the building being the former site the Danville Register and The Bee newspapers, which were formerly separate papers.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro to Resume Collecting Bus Fare on Jan. 3 ([link removed])
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By ANGELA WOOLSEY, Reston Now

Metro will start collecting fares from bus riders again on Jan. 3 as part of its pandemic recovery plan, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced Thursday. The WMATA board of directors authorized a temporary suspension of Metrobus fare collections in March as part of a policy prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that required riders to board buses through the rear doors in an effort to reduce contact between passengers and drivers.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** U.Va. to test all students weekly during spring semester ([link removed])
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By EVA SUROVELL AND HARRY FARLEY, Cavalier Daily

Beginning Jan. 11, all students living in the Charlottesville area will be required to participate in a weekly mandatory testing program, per a University-wide email sent Monday by Provost Liz Magill, Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis and Department of Medicine Chair Mitch Rosner. This testing schedule will run through the spring, and students who do not comply with the testing program will be subject to sanctions, such as reduced access to University networks, classes, facilities and activities.
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** VCU snaps up Salvation Army property across from The Diamond ([link removed])
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By MIKE PLATANIA, Richmond BizSense

VCU is beginning to assemble the land it needs for its planned athletics village near The Diamond. The university this week purchased the Salvation Army property at 2601 Hermitage Road for $4.5 million, city property records show. The 4-acre parcel falls in the bounds of where VCU is planning a slew of new athletics facilities, something it’s calling an athletics village that may include a fieldhouse, tennis center and a baseball stadium for the Rams and Flying Squirrels.
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** Facing long break, students create fundraiser for dining hall workers ([link removed])
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By AIDAN WHITE, Flat Hat

Nov. 20, a group of students at the College of William and Mary launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for dining hall workers who are not receiving any income during the extended winter break. A similar fundraiser organized by many of the same students raised more than $26,000 for dining staff in April. The current fundraiser has a $15,000 goal and is accepting donations through Venmo and Paypal.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Maryland, Virginia donate vaccine doses to Washington, DC ([link removed])
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By ASHRAF KHALIL, Associated Press

Officials in the District of Columbia are accustomed to being short-changed in different ways. There’s the long-standing issue of D.C.’s quest for statehood and proper representation in Congress. And when the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package was passed by Congress in March, Washington, D.C., was classified as a territory — a distinction that cost it $700 million in funding. But when the latest shortfall hit the local allotment of new COVID-19 vaccine doses, Washington’s neighboring states pitched in to help make up the difference.
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** Virginia reports 3,295 new COVID-19 cases, 45 more deaths ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health reported Friday that the state’s cumulative total for COVID-19 cases during the pandemic is now up to 299,388, an increase of 3,295 from Thursday. There have been 4,598 COVID-19 deaths in Virginia, an increase of 45 from Thursday.
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** Virginia to receive nearly 110,000 fewer COVID-19 vaccine doses than promised ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR AND SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Federal officials notified Virginia on Thursday that the state will receive about 110,000 fewer doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine than it was promised at the start of this month. The change, confirmed Friday morning by the Virginia Department of Health, could mean thousands of health care workers and nursing home residents will have to wait longer than expected to receive a shot.
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** Virginia to get about 100,000 fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccines in December, health department says ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia will get about 100,000 fewer doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna than initially expected, the Virginia Department of Health said Friday morning. Instead of 480,000 in December, the commonwealth will get 370,650, according to a news release from VDH. VDH said they got the news from Operation Warp Speed late Thursday. The reason is unclear. A VDH spokesperson said they didn’t have any additional information.
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** Based on sewage, scientist says COVID-19 cases in Hampton Roads will continue to increase ([link removed])
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By BRETT HALL, WAVY-TV

While many people may think they have never participated in a test for COVID-19 — if you’ve flushed a toilet in Hampton Roads since March — you likely have. Each week, samples of sewage are taken at local wastewater treatment plants in parts of Hampton Roads and tested for the presence of the virus. Scientists say the data collected, can be used to predict outbreaks and “hot spots” before more traditional testing methods. Based on recent data, trends are not going in the right direction.
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** As Virginia closes in on 300,000 total COVID-19 cases, UVA model projects an additional 400,000 in 2021 ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

A report released Friday on a University of Virginia COVID-19 model said the post-Thanksgiving surge led to a substantial spike in virus projections. The new estimated peak, according to the model, would occur the week of Feb. 8 with 14,000 new cases per day — nearly 14 times the summer's peak of 1,079 daily cases and almost four times the current average of 3,564 new cases per day.
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** Lynchburg-area school divisions report 65 new positive COVID-19 cases this week; Bedford accounts for 30 ([link removed])
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By JAMEY CROSS, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

School divisions in the Lynchburg area reported 65 new positive cases of COVID-19 this week. The Virginia Department of Health reported Friday that the state’s cumulative total for COVID-19 cases during the pandemic is now up to 299,388, an increase of 3,295 from Thursday.
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** Some Henrico neighbors say Tacky Light tours are attracting maskless crowds during the pandemic ([link removed])
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By COLLEEN CURRAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

During a holiday pandemic when most traditional events are canceled, Tacky Lights, the popular Richmond tradition where local homes get decked out with over-the-top decorations, seems like a safe choice. It’s outdoors. It’s free (if you do it yourself). And most homes can be viewed safely from one’s car. But neighbors of a few Tacky Lights homes in Henrico County said they’re worried about the crowds and are concerned about their own safety and possible exposure to the coronavirus.
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** New Virginia coronavirus dashboard puts data on current outbreaks in one place ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORTS, WAVY-TV

Current coronavirus outbreaks in a multitude of settings across the commonwealth, including long-term care facilities, schools and medical facilities, will all be included in a new dashboard on the Virginia Department of Health’s website. The outbreak dashboard was created in response to HB 5048, passed during the recent coronavirus special session in Richmond. The bill required VDH to make current outbreak information publicly available and up to date on its website.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Richmond gang member set for federal execution Jan. 14 has COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Cory Johnson, a former member of a deadly Richmond drug gang almost 30 years ago, has COVID-19, requiring his scheduled Jan. 14 execution to be called off, his lawyers argue. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in an email Friday that, “at this time,” the execution date remains in effect.


** LOCAL
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** Failing Grades Increase at Middle, High School Level During APS Distance Learning ([link removed])
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By JO DEVOE, ArlNow

In addition to elementary students, more middle- and high-school students in Arlington Public Schools are struggling to make passing grades this year, according to a new APS report. Black and Hispanic students, English-language learning students, and students with disabilities are experiencing the deepest drops.
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** Fairfax school board switches to ‘holistic review’ admissions system for Thomas Jefferson High School ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Fairfax County Public Schools board voted Thursday to adopt a “holistic review” for admissions to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a revision meant to boost diversity at the top-tier magnet school and that ends months of fraught and fiery debate. The school board had previously backed a plan to scrap a long-standing admissions test for the school, known as TJ.
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** County allocates $1.4 million to help residents and businesses with unpaid utility bills ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

The Prince William County Service Authority has been approved for $1.4 million in state-allocated CARES Act funds to help county residents and businesses impacted by the pandemic pay their unpaid utility bills, but applicants will only have one month to apply before any remaining funds are returned to the federal government. The money is available immediately for those who need help resolving unpaid utility bills going back as far March 1 and up until Dec. 30 as a result of economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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** Stoney focusing on community engagement as businesses bid for Richmond casino project ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

As plans for a new casino resort in Richmond materialize over the next two months, Mayor Levar Stoney is hoping to avoid missteps that led to the failure of the $1.5 billion Navy Hill downtown project this past year. The city plans to select a partner and site for a casino by this summer based on proposals due in February. But voters will decide whether to permit the project in a November referendum.
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** Richmond City Council panel endorses dedicated funding for Affordable Housing Trust Fund ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The Richmond City Council is poised to dedicate millions more on an annual basis for the construction of new affordable housing in the city. A council panel on Thursday endorsed a measure Mayor Levar Stoney proposed that would establish a steady funding source for the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. A majority of the council’s returning members say they support passing it when the ordinance comes up for a vote in early 2021.
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** COVID-19 strikes Pittsylvania County, Danville government offices ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

The effects of COVID-19 closed the doors of several Danville and Pittsylvania County public entities this week. In the county, nine departments either are dealing with COVID-19 cases and exposures or have made arrangements to minimize public contact. And the entire Danville courthouse was closed on Friday following a positive test of an employee. The building will receive a deep cleaning before reopening to the public on Monday.


** EDITORIALS
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** 3 questions for the 2021 candidates for governor ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

We have questions. Three of them, in fact. 1. How many candidates for governor will commit to a debate in Southwest Virginia? Next year, Virginia elects a new governor; the campaign to succeed Ralph Northam already has begun, on both sides. Historically, Virginia’s statewide candidates debate and, historically, that hasn’t been west of the Blue Ridge.
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** In Virginia, a post-Trump crucible for the GOP ([link removed])
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Washington Post Editorial (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

An early test of the Republican Party’s ability and inclination to wean itself from Donald Trump’s toxic politics after his presidency ends will arrive next spring, in Virginia. The decision will fall to a small fraction of the state’s GOP voters who participate in a convention to choose the party’s gubernatorial nominee, but it will send a loud message nonetheless.
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** Choosing Manassas council member in private decreases trust ([link removed])
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Inside NOVA Editorial (Metered Paywall)

When Michelle Davis-Younger is sworn in as mayor of the city of Manassas next month, David Farajollahi will be chosen to fill her seat on City Council. For all of 2021, Farajollahi will be one of only six full-fledged members of council. His votes on critical issues before the city over the next year will count the same as those of Pamela Sebesky, Mark Wolfe and Tom Osina. Why is this significant, you ask? Because Sebesky, Wolfe and Osina all were elected by Manassas voters in November after a heated public campaign. Farajollahi, meanwhile, was chosen by the current council members last week – behind closed doors.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: Virginia's GOP convention doesn't have to be a disaster ([link removed])
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By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The convention at which Virginia Republicans pick their 2021 nominees for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general needn’t be knife fight, though that would make it better story, confirming that the only thing on which the GOP can agree is to disagree. The array of actual and prospective candidates suggests a Republican ticket fashioned at the convention rather than the rejected primary might have at least one feature its Democratic equivalent could lack: geographic balance.


** OP-ED
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** Hamilton: 6th District voters get what they vote for ([link removed])
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By PETE HAMILTON, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

It is certainly no secret that the 6th Congressional District is heavily conservative, and it is also likely that, whatever form redistricting might take, this fact will not change. At one time, being “conservative” meant adhering to a specific set of principles. Among those principles were adherence to the Constitution, fiscal responsibility, opposing judicial activism, and a strong believe in states’ rights.

Hamilton is a retired business executive living in Rockbridge County.


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