VaNews
December 24, 2020
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** Northam orders backlogged unemployment claims to be paid, offers payroll tax relief ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the state to immediately distribute unemployment benefits to about 70,000 Virginians whose claims have been backlogged for months, part of an executive order that also provides $200 million in tax relief to businesses that laid off employees during the coronavirus pandemic. About 1.4 million Virginians have filed for unemployment benefits this year, 10 times the number of claims in 2019. The state was able to quickly provide benefits to most applicants, but about 70,000 got bogged down after employers contended the applicants were ineligible because they had quit or been fired.
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** Lawmakers propose fixes for Virginia’s beleaguered unemployment insurance program ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Lawmakers say they plan to propose legislative fixes next month to speed unemployment claims in Virginia, which ranks last in the country for quickly processing applications that require staff review. The legislature’s Commission on Unemployment discussed the proposals in a Wednesday meeting, outlining bills that, among other things, would reduce the program’s reliance on paper mail and prevent the state from stopping benefits once they’ve started without first investigating.
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** As Virginia cases set record, first Richmond-area health workers receive Moderna vaccine ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

In 1962, 2-year-old Shirley Bakka received the Twin Cities area’s first oral polio vaccine as the virus devastated families across the U.S. Nearly 60 years later, Bakka would be at the head of the line once again as a Henrico County public health nurse, becoming the first in the Richmond region to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
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** The pandemic’s toll includes an airplane parts plant in Va. ([link removed])
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By BEN FINLEY, Associated Press

Alaina O’Berry knew she’d done well for her age. The day after graduating high school, she got a job making airplane engine parts at a Rolls Royce factory in Virginia for $18 an hour. By 22, she had an associate’s degree and planned to apply for higher-skilled positions paying up to $40 an hour. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit.
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** Virginia's data center tax break topped $110M last fiscal year ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL NEIBAUER, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

The commonwealth of Virginia’s data center tax incentive has set a new high water mark and there’s no reason to believe it won’t rise again next year. In fiscal year 2020, the state abated $110.5 million in sales and use taxes related to computer equipment, enabling software and other hardware used in data centers, according to the state’s recently released Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
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** Motion dies to make Appomattox a First Amendment sanctuary ([link removed])
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By MICHELLE PAYNE, Times-Virginian

At Monday's Appomattox County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor John Hinkle proposed a resolution to make Appomattox County a First Amendment sanctuary. The First Amendment Sanctuary Resolution that was proposed was a copy of Campbell County’s. Campbell County adopted the resolution earlier in December, and Hinkle hoped that Appomattox would follow suit.
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** The Great Dismal Swamp was a refuge for escaped slaves. A congressman wants to revive its forgotten history. ([link removed])
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By GARY A. HARKI, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Great Dismal Swamp has long been recognized for its importance as a National Wildlife Refuge, and now local activists and members of Congress want it to get a similar federal recognition for its role in history. U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin (D) has introduced a bill that would get the swamp designated a National Heritage Area, which could bring federal funding for historic preservation. . . . From the start of European settlements in the 1600s through the Civil War, the swamp was a safe-haven for thousands of Native Americans and Black people escaping slavery.
The Full Report
27 articles, 19 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.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Former S.C. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison's PAC boosts Virginia Democrats' voter registration push ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The political action committee of former South Carolina U.S. Senate nominee Jaime Harrison will make “an initial five-figure investment” to seed a voter registration drive in partnership with Virginia Democrats ahead of next year’s statewide elections. Harrison, who lost to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., raised more than $100 million for his run.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia’s highest court sidesteps marijuana dispute in Arlington ([link removed])
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By RACHEL WEINER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Virginia Supreme Court has rejected an effort by Arlington’s chief prosecutor to rein in judges who are skeptical of her refusal to prosecute marijuana possession. But the court did not resolve the conflict, saying it could not weigh in because it had not been asked to consider any specific case. “A case or controversy is necessary to analyze whether the inferior court” overstepped, the Supreme Court wrote in a brief order Friday. It said Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (D) “has not identified a specific matter in which the circuit court has exceeded its jurisdictional boundaries.”
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** GO Virginia allocates $6M in two sets of grants ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Eleven projects will receive $6 million in GO Virginia grants, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. The funds are broken into two allocations: statewide and regional business growth programs, and the Economic Resilience and Recovery Program created to help mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. The first group of recipients include two statewide and six regional projects, and the resilience recipients include three regional projects, which will also leverage an additional $6.5 million in local and other non-state resources to assist their efforts.
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** Dronsick seeks general district court judgeship ([link removed])
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By DON DEL ROSSO, Fauquier Now

The judgeship bug bit her in law school about two decades ago. “You do a lot of mock trials in school,” recalled Victoria C. Dronsick — one of three state judicial system magistrates based in Warrenton. “They have you on both sides of all kinds of cases. They bring in judges from local courts to preside.” That process “really intrigued” her, said Mrs. Dronsick, whose family moved to Fauquier in 2007 to be closer to relatives.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** With some jobless relief expiring Saturday, Virginia has had about 400,000 claims ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

There were 14,640 new claims for state unemployment benefits last week, just 131 more than the previous week, according to data released Wednesday by the Virginia Employment Commission. The number of people claiming benefits week after week inched down by less than 1%, to 67,478. Those numbers don’t include Virginians who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment but were eligible for federal relief because of the pandemic. As of the week ending Dec. 12, there were 401,168 claims from out-of-work Virginians.
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** Appalachian Power says customers aren't in danger of disconnection, despite notices ([link removed])
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By ALICIA PETSKA, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Appalachian Power Co. customers who have fallen behind on their bills amid the pandemic-induced financial crisis might be getting cut-off notices in the mail — but the utility stressed that no service is going to be turned off. The notices are a formality sent in part because many financial aid agencies require people to have a disconnection notice in order to qualify for help with bills, said spokeswoman Teresa Hall.
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** Apco seeks rate increase in Virginia to pay for environmental improvements ([link removed])
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By SLATER TEAGUE, WJHL-TV

Appalachian Power is seeking permission to increase rates in Virginia in order to recover costs associated with environmental improvements at coal power plants that serve Virginia customers. The utility company says if the Virginia State Corporation Commission approves its request, a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month could expect to see a $2.50 monthly increase beginning in Oct. 2021.
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** 2 medical cannabis companies serving Virginia to merge ([link removed])
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Associated Press

Two medical cannabis companies serving Virginia have agreed to merge. New York-based Columbia Care Inc. plans to acquire Maryland-based Green Leaf Medical LLC for $240 million, the companies announced Tuesday.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** More than 4,600 new coronavirus cases reported in Virginia, setting record ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

It’s not even Christmas yet and the number of new coronavirus cases reported in Virginia continues to reach new highs. As of Wednesday morning, 4,652 new cases were reported, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. It brings Virginia’s tally to 319,133 total. Of those, 271,811 cases are confirmed and 47,322 are probable.
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** Nearly 30 percent of Lynchburg General beds now dedicated to surging COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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By RACHEL MAHONEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

More and more hospital beds in Lynchburg are being designated to treat COVID-19 patients, and health officials are warning the area still likely hasn’t seen its “darkest day” in terms of strain on health care. As of Wednesday, there were 87 COVID- 19 patients at Lynchburg General Hospital — up from 56 patients at the beginning of the month, according to an update from Centra Health. Of the current patients, 16 are ICU patients and 11 of those ICU patients are on ventilators.
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** Hospitalizations Rise in SW Virginia, Ballad Health Extends Pause on Procedures ([link removed])
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By DAVID SEIDEL, WVTF

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 related complications continues to rise in the western part of the state. 363 people were hospitalized in the health department’s Near Southwest region. That includes hospitals in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville, Martinsville and parts of the New River Valley.
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** As COVID-19 vaccines arrive, New River health director warns of holiday spike ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The New River Valley’s health director urged residents not to hold large gatherings over Christmas as the department on Wednesday received its first doses of a vaccine for COVID-19. “I’m imploring people to really carefully rethink our holiday plans,” Dr. Noelle Bissell, director of the New River Health District, said on a conference call Wednesday with reporters. “We can still make changes. We still have time to kind of help change the course of things and tame the pandemic.”
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** UVa hospital sees more COVID cases but has plenty of room ([link removed])
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By BRYAN MCKENZIE, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The number of COVID-19 patients being treated at the University of Virginia Medical Center is increasing as more area residents catch the virus, but hospital officials say they are not being overwhelmed. Officials on Wednesday said that they have a lot of flexibility remaining at the hospital in terms of bed space and can move staff around as needed to treat those who contract the disease.
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** Gladly Giving Hundreds of Shots a Week ([link removed])
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By SANDY HAUSMAN, WVTF

Tracy Kelly has been a nurse for 35 years and now heads the program for pediatric nurse-practitioners at UVA. She feels lucky the university sent students home for the holidays, leaving her time to vaccinate colleagues – medical professionals who are first in line for protection from COVID.
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** Hampton mayor and Hampton University president receive COVID-19 vaccination ([link removed])
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By KAYLYNN STEPHENS, WAVY-TV

On Wednesday, Mayor Donnie Tuck and Dr. William Harvey, president of Hampton University, received the COVID-19 vaccine at Sentara CarePlex Hospital to demonstrate the safety of the vaccine. The leaders wanted to show their confidence in the vaccine because a Pew Research Center study shows, while Black Americans are disproportionally affected by the pandemic, only 42% say they will get a vaccine, compared with 63% of Hispanic and 61% of white adults.
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** A Virginia-made coronavirus vaccine was 100% effective in mice. Human trials could be coming. ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

When the coronavirus pandemic started taking off in Virginia, Dr. William Petri joined the scrum of researchers nationwide trying to learn more about the virus and develop a vaccine to safeguard against it. “You have an important problem, you want to do work on it from as many angles as you can,” Petri, vice chair for research at the University of Virginia’s Department of Medicine, told The Virginian-Pilot in March. “The end result we all want is to get a vaccine that protects people.”


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** American Battlefield Trust buys 29 acres, site of Battle of Williamsburg ([link removed])
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By WILFORD KALE, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)

A significant portion of Williamsburg’s historic Civil War battlefield has been saved when the American Battlefield Trust this week bought the 29 acres in the area of the “Bloody Ravine” from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Grants from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program and the commonwealth of Virginia in addition to funds raised nationally by the Battlefield Trust enabled the land, zoned commercial and valued at $2,743,000, to be secured for preservation.
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** Eagles Imperiled in Virginia ([link removed])
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By SANDY HAUSMAN, WVTF

Forty years ago, bald eagles were endangered in this country due to lost habitat, illegal shooting and contamination of their food. Today, the national bird has made a comeback with more than 10,000 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states. But here in Virginia, experts say one threat remains, and they’re hoping the problem can be fixed.


** LOCAL
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** Arlington officials parse data from wild election season ([link removed])
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By SCOTT MCCAFFREY, Sun Gazette

The answer is “22”; but what is the question? It took an average of 22 days between the Arlington elections office mailing out a ballot to voters, and that ballot being checked in as returned and then tabulated. That’s among the tidbits from a post-election wrapup provided by county elections chief Gretchen Reinemeyer to Electoral Board members on Dec. 16. A total of just under 60,000 ballots were mailed out to voters who requested them, by far the largest total in county history.
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** With no new federal aid slated for local governments, local food banks brace for big cuts ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

U.S. Senate leaders announced a $900 billion deal on Sunday that – if signed by President Donald Trump – will provide emergency coronavirus relief to millions but will not provide additional money to state and local governments. In the Prince William area, that could leave thousands of county residents who depend on area food banks without a reliable source of food in the new year. “If money isn't going to the counties to get out to the food programs, that's going to be a huge issue,” said Steve Liga, executive director of Action in the Community Through Service, or ACTS, a Prince William-area nonprofit.
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** Newport News used federal grant to provide job training to people unemployed because of the pandemic ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Sheilah Parker quit her job in Hampton to move to Texas to care for her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. About a year and a half later — just before the pandemic hit — she moved back to Newport News. As the coronavirus closed many of the businesses in the state and across the region, she had a hard time finding a job. Newport News launched the CARES Workforce Assistance Program in mid-September using federal funding to help people like Parker, who were unemployed or underemployed because of the coronavirus.
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** Supervisor taking superintendent to court ([link removed])
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By STEPHEN COWLES, Tidewater News

Southampton County Supervisor Christopher D. Cornwell Sr. and Southampton County Public Schools (SCPS) Superintendent Dr. Gwendolyn Shannon are scheduled to meet in county district court this Friday at 9 a.m. He had her served with a writ of mandamus on Monday. . . . Cornwell is exasperated by what he perceives as a continued lack of response from the SCPS board regarding fellow supervisors’ questions on the school roof restoration project.
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** Not satisfied with Rappahannock rulings, Bragg to appeal to Virginia Supreme Court ([link removed])
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By PATTY HARDEE, Rappahannock News (Metered Paywall)

Gid Brown Hollow resident Marian Bragg has signaled her intention to appeal her case against the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors to the Virginia Supreme Court, following two rulings by Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey W. Parker earlier this year. The llama farmer’s suit, one of two she filed against the BOS, alleges that the supervisors violated Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in closed meetings in June through October 2016 when choosing a Rappahannock County Attorney.


** EDITORIALS
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** A Virginia judge reconsiders the portraits of judges — virtually all White — lining his courtroom walls ([link removed])
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Washington Post Editorial (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

In the course of being railroaded into a guilty verdict in his capital murder trial 35 years ago, Anthony Ray Hinton, the African American defendant, took note of his surroundings at a courthouse in Alabama. “Everywhere I looked in this courtroom, I saw white faces — a sea of white faces,” he wrote years later. “Wood walls, wood furniture, and white faces.” Mr. Hinton’s conviction was eventually reversed by a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court — though only after he had served three decades on Alabama’s death row.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: For Northam, a Christmas without peer ([link removed])
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By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

'Twas the morning before Christmas, way over on the Eastern Shore, Ralph Northam sipped coffee, pondering that his term in Richmond would soon be no more. His time as governor had been memorable, for sure. There was no exaggerating the excitement he and fellow Virginians had to endure.


** OP-ED
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** Moneymaker: Safe, effective COVID vaccine essential for kids’ future ([link removed])
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By CAROLYN MONEYMAKER, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

As America continues to search for a solution to the coronavirus crisis, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the health and safety of our children depend on the development of a vaccine. This may come as a surprise to many. After all, COVID-19 mortality rates are lowest among children and young adults. But the health of a child isn’t limited to whether they contract COVID. Infection rates only tell part of the story.

Moneymaker, MD FAAP, is on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves as the chair of the Virginia Immunization Coalition. She is also a pediatrician with Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters.


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