| From | VaNews <[email protected]> |
| Subject | Political Headlines from across Virginia |
| Date | January 8, 2021 12:24 PM |
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VaNews
January 8, 2021
Today's Sponsor:
** Jane Woods, Driftwoods Consulting
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To honor the frontline workers and their families as they continue to help us through COVID-19.
* Read Online ([link removed])
* 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
* Refer a Friend ([link removed])
Top of the News
** More than half of Va.'s COVID cases were in the last two months ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Ten months into Virginia’s battle against COVID-19 and one week into the new year, emerging data shows the spread is outpacing every number recorded in 2020. Since New Year’s Eve, the state has seen more than 38,300 new COVID-19 cases. That marks a 7,500-case increase from the same week in December and is three times higher than in November. The state recorded more than 5,300 new cases for the second day in a row on Thursday, launching the daily average for the past week to 4,728 cases.
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** Virginia health facilities were tipped off to COVID-19 inspections in advance, state inspector general says ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Nearly a dozen state-run health facilities got tipped off to what were supposed to be unannounced COVID-19 protocol inspections ahead of time, according to an Office of the State Inspector General report released Thursday. An unidentified employee with the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services was the culprit and ended up invalidating the results.
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** Lynchburg General Hospital: 'We're starting to get close to the breaking point' ([link removed])
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By RACHEL MAHONEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Acceleration of the coronavirus’ spread from the holidays has raised red flags among Lynchburg-area health professionals, as more than 100 COVID-19 patients have been reliably occupying about a third of local hospital beds. Centra Health CEO Dr. Andy Mueller said at a Thursday news conference the provider’s coronavirus numbers have been “incredibly dramatic and something that I didn’t think that we would honestly ever get to.”
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** COVID-19 vaccination clinic opens at Bristol Dragway ([link removed])
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By SARAH WADE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
The vehicle line at the drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Bristol Dragway Thursday began forming at 5 a.m., four hours before the Sullivan County Regional Health Department actually started administering the vaccines. By about 1 p.m., Mark Moody — the department’s emergency response coordinator — estimated that about 600 cars had come through the drive-thru so far that day.
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** Virginia Democrats in House, Senate join calls for Trump's removal ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Most of Virginia's congressional and Senate Democrats have called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment or impeachment, while Republicans have been silent on whether the president should face consequences for urging an angry mob to overtake the U.S. Capitol. Nearly every Virginia Democrat has called for Trump to be removed through the 25th Amendment or be impeached. Virginia’s four Republicans in Congress haven’t publicly addressed the matter or have urged mindfulness in considering Trump’s early removal.
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** Divide deepens in Virginia GOP as Democrats renew calls for Trump’s early ouster ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury
During the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, former Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox recorded a video in front of the boarded-up state Capitol building, calling the sight a tragic failure of “Democratic leadership.” “I should say maybe, a lack of leadership,” he said at the time, praising a massive armed demonstration by gun rights groups earlier in the year and going on to accuse Democrats of “hurting law enforcement” by pursuing criminal justice reforms. After the U.S. Capitol building was attacked by supporters of President Donald Trump who battled with police Wednesday, Cox, a Republican now running for governor in what will be one of the first major elections of the post-Trump era, was less direct in placing blame at the top.
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** Southwest Virginia business owners face backlash for attending Trump rally ([link removed])
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By SHAYNE DWYER, WSLS-TV
At least two local restaurant owners are facing backlash for attending President Trump’s rally in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The dust is still settling after one of the most historic days in America and now some locals are calling out their neighbors for being in Washington, D.C. the day chaos went down.
The Full Report
52 articles, 29 publications
* Read Online ([link removed])
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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.
** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Members of Black clergy call for end to death penalty in Virginia ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Agroup of African American pastors from across Virginia on Thursday called for abolition of the death penalty in the upcoming Virginia General Assembly, citing the sometimes racist application of capital punishment in the state. "The history of capital punishment finds its roots in slavery, lynching and Jim Crow," said Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook, justice reform organizer for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. "Capital punishment is a racial justice issue. It is beyond time for us to address this historical sin."
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** Prosecutors call for criminal justice reforms in upcoming legislative session ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj joined fellow prosecutors calling on state lawmakers to advance several criminal justice reforms in the upcoming General Assembly session starting Monday. The group of commonwealth’s attorneys, known as the Virginia Progressive Prosecutors, represent more than 40 percent of the state's population, with the goal of supporting and advocating for reforms to make their communities safer and the state's criminal justice system fairer and more equitable.
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** Virginia senators propose legislation to change voter registration, vote counting process ([link removed])
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By HANNAH MCCOMSEY, WSET-TV
Virginia’s General Assembly will reconvene next week for the beginning of a new session, and there are several bills on the table that aim to change voting and elections in the state. Republican Senator Mark Peake, who represents Virginia's 22nd district, wants general registrars in the state to verify the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of every person who applies to be a registered voter in Virginia.
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** County lobbyists brace for little face time with legislators during short session ([link removed])
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By BRANDON MARTIN, Henry County Enterprise
The Henry County Board of Supervisors heard an update that will be presented during the upcoming 2021 General Assembly session in January. Rob Catron, a lobbyist for Henry County, said he didn’t know how much time he would even get to speak with legislators. “The Constitution provides for a 30-day session in odd numbered years, with the ability of the General Assembly, with a two-thirds vote to stretch that 30-day session to a 45-day session,” Catron said. “This has been routine since 1971. There are two Republicans in the minority in both chambers that have told the legislative majority party of Democrats they will not support extending the session.”
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** Authorities Monitoring Threats Ahead of Richmond Gun Rally ([link removed])
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By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM
Last year’s Richmond gun rally was a show of force for Second Amendment advocates, who thronged downtown in a scene the city had never seen before. But a similar spectacle is unlikely this year as second amendment activists will protest from cars and buses on Jan. 18. And while the country is on edge after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Virginia Citizens Defense League president Philip Van Cleave said their annual event will be peaceful. “We're not going to encourage any kind of violence; we never have,” Van Cleave said. “If there happens to be some, it won't be because we encouraged it, that's for sure.”
** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Chase calls Wednesday's Capitol riots the start of 'a revolution' by people backed 'into a corner' ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)
State Sen. Amanda F. Chase said Wednesday night that while she supports peaceful protest, the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to halt the ratification of the Electoral College results are an example of what happens "when you back people ... into a corner," as Democrats in both Virginia and the nation have done.
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** Sen. Chase attends D.C. rally, refuses to denounce attack on U.S. Capitol ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer
Refusing to condemn Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, state Sen. Amanda Chase said that it initially was a “peaceful rally” and suggested without evidence that infiltrators posing as Trump supporters may have been responsible for the violence. But in the same video that was posted to her political Facebook account Wednesday evening, Chase also said it could be the beginning of “a revolution” by people who support President Donald Trump and his baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen on behalf of Democrat Joe Biden.
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** Baker announces run for state Senate seat ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
A Dickenson County sheriff’s deputy announced Thursday that he plans to run for the 38th District state Senate seat previously held by Sen. Ben Chafin. Jony Baker, a 44-year-old Wise County native, will make his first bid for public office in a special election to fill the seat open after Chafin, 60, died Jan. 1 due to complications of COVID-19.
** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Richmond judge Cavedo and former Senate candidate Gade settle defamation suit; Gade retracts statements ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo and former GOP U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Gade have reached a settlement in Cavedo's defamation suit over Gade's assertion in a debate with Sen. Mark Warner that Cavedo was a "racist judge." Gade has retracted the statements he made about Cavedo during a debate with Warner at Norfolk State University.
** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Dozens of undocumented immigrants apply for Virginia driver privilege card ([link removed])
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By ANTOINETTE DELBEL, WTKR-TV
For Alejandra, a piece of paper from the DMV means a new opportunity and a sense of pride. On Thursday, the Guatemalan immigrant received a driver privilege card, allowing her to drive to places, such as work and visit her daughter at college without worrying about her legal status if caught driving without a license.
** CONGRESS
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** 'The sooner he is out, the better’ tweets Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on President Trump ([link removed])
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By JEFF WILLIAMSON, WSLS-TV
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam made a strong statement in a tweet on Thursday afternoon. "I’ve now been working for over 24 hours to help Washington D.C. keep peace in the nation’s capital. In case it wasn’t already clear: the current President poses a danger to our country every minute he holds office. The sooner he is out, the better."
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** All GOP House members from Virginia, Md. voted to challenge Biden’s win ([link removed])
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By MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
All five Republican members of Congress from Virginia and Maryland voted for the doomed effort to challenge the election results, and Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) appeared close to a physical confrontation with a Democratic colleague during 2 a.m. floor debate. In a fervent showing of loyalty to President Trump, Harris and Virginia Reps. Ben Cline, Bob Good, H. Morgan Griffith and Rob Wittman all objected to electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, joining more than 100 other GOP lawmakers in a futile attempt to overturn the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
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** Area Democrats, Republicans react to Capitol siege ([link removed])
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By JOSH JANNEY, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-10, and other area Democrats have called for President Donald Trump’s removal either through impeachment or through invoking the 25th Amendment of the Constitution after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. “The President has been encouraging these domestic terrorists since before the election,” Wexton said in a statement. “He could have stopped them at any moment, but instead he whipped them into a frenzy and sicced them on the Capitol. The Cabinet must remove him today or the House must impeach.”
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** Kaine, Warner, Spanberger join calls for Trump's removal via 25th Amendment ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia on Thursday called for President Donald Trump’s removal via the 25th Amendment, a day after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. “I believe that the Cabinet, led by the vice president, should invoke the 25th Amendment. Donald Trump is no longer able to serve,” Kaine said in a Zoom news conference with reporters.
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** Virginia lawmakers call for Trump to be removed from power now, saying the president supported ‘domestic terrorism’ ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY AND SIERRA JENKINS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Multiple Virginia lawmakers called Thursday for the ouster of President Donald Trump, the day after a mob of Trump supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overthrow the results of America’s presidential election. The state’s two U.S. senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott condemned the president’s behavior during the melee.
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** In letter to vice president, McEachin calls Trump 'unfit' and asks for his removal 'immediately' ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)
Count Petersburg's congressman among the scores of federal lawmakers urging that President Donald Trump be "immediately" removed from the White House in the waning days of his term. In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, said Wednesday's events at the Capitol — where pro-Trump supporters attending a downtown Washington rally stormed the building in an effort to stop the Electoral College result ratification — were sparked by Trump's ongoing yet unsubstantiated rhetoric about how the presidential election was a major fraud.
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** Va. Senators Kaine and Warner describe confusion, anger during Capitol riots ([link removed])
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By LAURA PETERS AND PATRICK HITE, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
Sen. Tim Kaine's first idea that something strange was afoot was when Vice President Mike Pence was removed from the Senate chambers Wednesday. That was the same time that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, became concerned. Warner had already seen images on social media of a rally for President Donald Trump that was happening just south of the White House.
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** Condemning 'Violence,' Cline Remained Opposed To Certifying Biden's Win ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
As U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, said he condemned the protesters who breached the Capitol on Wednesday, he continued to oppose certifying Electoral College votes that confirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the presidential election winner. Local Democratic Party officials say Cline’s actions leading up to and during Wednesday’s typically uneventful procedure fanned the flames that led to rioting by supporters of President Donald Trump.
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** Despite denouncing 'violence,' Cline wants to overturn democratic U.S. election ([link removed])
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By LAURA PETERS PATRICK HITE AYANO NAGAISHI, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
Rep. Ben Cline, who represents Virginia’s 6th District, which includes Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, was among the Republican lawmakers who said they planned to help fight the election results in the next step of the certification process based on President Donald Trump's erroneous claim he won the election. Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday morning, Cline, R-Botetourt did just that.
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** Wittman objects to counting of Pennsylvania electoral college votes ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman joined more than 100 other House Republicans early Thursday morning in a failed motion to stop the certification of Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes won by President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. The objection failed to pass the House 138-282. Wittman, R-1st, was joined by Virginia Republican Reps. Bob Good (5th), Morgan Griffith (9th) and Ben Cline (6th) in the effort to reject Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
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** Wittman votes against certifying Pennsylvania electors ([link removed])
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By TAFT COGHILL JR., Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican whose 1st Congressional District includes much of the Fredericksburg area, voted against certifying the electors from Pennsylvania during the certification process for Joe Biden’s presidential election victory over incumbent President Donald Trump.
** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Initial unemployment claims jumped in Virginia last week ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
First-time claims for traditional unemployment benefits from out-of-work Virginians jumped 64% last week, with 19,530 claims made during the week ending Jan. 2. The Virginia Employment Commission, which released the weekly data Thursday, said the spike could have been due to seasonal hiring patterns. Hiring usually grows before the holidays and falls after.
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** Unemployment claims rise 64.3% in Virginia last week, highest level since early August ([link removed])
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By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The number of Virginians seeking unemployment aid soared 64.3% last week from the previous week. That’s the highest weekly total since late July and early August, as a resurgence of coronavirus cases is causing more layoffs. The number also reflects a seasonal spike in layoffs often seen after the holidays, officials say.
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** Dumfries gambling hall opening in northern Virginia ([link removed])
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Associated Press
Northern Virginia’s first licensed gambling operation is opening up to the general public. Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Dumfries in southern Prince William County is opening Friday after a soft opening of several days. The gambling hall has 150 machines that function like slot machines, but the payoffs are actually tied to the results from an archive of old horse races.
** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** University presidents in region denounce Capitol insurrection ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
University presidents in the region denounced a violent siege at the Capitol Wednesday while avoiding explicit mention of President Donald Trump’s instigation of the melee by his unremitting spread of conspiracy theories. Virginia Tech President Tim Sands released a statement Thursday calling the insurrection “horrific and wrong,” and saying, “we are compelled to take an honest look at the underlying state of our society and ask, why did this happen, and how did we get here?”
** CORONAVIRUS
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** Coronavirus caseload average sets another record in Washington region ([link removed])
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By RACHEL CHASON AND JENNA PORTNOY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
The number of new coronavirus infections continued to rise Thursday across the greater Washington region as the number of recent daily cases set a record. Virginia, Maryland and D.C. added 8,617 new daily cases — the third-most in a single day since the start of the pandemic — sending the seven-day average soaring to 7,725. It’s the eighth consecutive day the recent average has risen across the region. Compared to last week, the average of new daily cases is up 19 percent in D.C., 21 percent in Maryland and 29 percent in Virginia.
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** Virginia hospitals topped 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in first 3 weeks ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Virginia hospitals gave more than 102,000 shots of COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers during the first three weeks of the massive vaccination campaign, the state association said Thursday. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association said it plans next week to add information about the vaccine to its COVID-19 online dashboard.
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** Vaccinations begin as virus continues to rage in state mental hospitals ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Virginia has begun vaccinating employees and geriatric patients at state mental hospitals against COVID-19, which has forced five facilities to close admissions because of ongoing outbreaks of the virus. The state is administering the vaccine at eight behavioral health facilities - including the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation, a facility in Nottoway County for civilly committed sex offenders - while a federal partnership of national pharmacies is vaccinating staff and patients at four others.
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** Virginia includes prisoners in next stage of vaccine rollout ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury
Public health officials in Virginia plan to begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to inmates in state prisons and local jails when they begin the next phase of their rollout plan, according to a schedule released this week. “I’m hoping it’s in days, not months,” said Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran. “We’re anxious for these to begin.” The virus has spread widely through the state prison system and local jails, sickening thousands and killing at least 50 inmates and staff. But national CDC guidance has been silent on how states should prioritize inmates as they ration vaccines.
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** Loudoun ramps up to 500 vaccinations per day as Northam seeks production boost ([link removed])
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By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Loudoun County is vaccinating about 500 people per day as part of Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination process that began three weeks ago. Dr. David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department, shared the news Tuesday during the Board of Supervisors’ first business meeting of the New Year. “The challenge is if you’re not yet able to get vaccinated, do those same steps that you’ve been doing for these last eight to 10 months to stay safe,” Goodfriend said.
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** Record number of COVID-19 cases reported in Virginia Beach on Thursday ([link removed])
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By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The Virginia Department of Health reported a record number of new coronavirus cases in Virginia Beach on Thursday — 419. That brings the city’s total throughout the pandemic to 18,811. The city’s highest number of cases reported had been 373 on Sunday, followed by 351 on New Year’s Day.
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** Region's testing percentage sets another record ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
This region’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate continues smashing records through the first week of 2021, according to Ballad Health. The region’s seven-day positivity rate reached 32.8% Thursday, breaking the previous record of 32.2%, set Wednesday across Ballad Health’s 21-county service area. That means about one in three people who underwent testing during the past seven days were positive for the novel coronavirus.
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** Local signups for next groups to be vaccinated available now ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
As COVID-19 vaccinations have begun for emergency medical service providers and non-hospital health care workers, the Blue Ridge Health District is looking ahead to the next phase of the vaccine rollout. In priority groups 1b and 1c, essential workers, first responders and other groups will be able to receive the vaccine. Currently, the state is administering doses to frontline health care workers and staff and residents of long-term care facilities, though the latter group is being handled by CVS and Walgreens through a federal partnership.
** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Motion to dismiss Roanoke Civil War monument case raises debate in court ([link removed])
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By NEIL HARVEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The lawyer for the man accused last summer of toppling and breaking a Roanoke Civil War monument have filed a request to have his felony case dismissed. That motion was addressed but, after some debate, was not resolved Thursday at a hearing for William Clay Foreman. He is charged with destruction of property July 24, two days after police found the Robert E. Lee memorial near Church Avenue overturned and lying in three pieces.
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** Police find more possible victims as investigation widens into former political candidate Nathan Larson ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Fauquier Times
A child abduction investigation into a Fauquier County man and former Virginia political candidate has expanded to at least a dozen other states and four other countries with numerous possible additional victims, according to officials with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. Nathan Larson, 40, of Catlett, Virginia, was arrested Dec. 14 on felony charges of kidnapping, child abduction, soliciting child pornography from a minor and meeting a child for the intention of sex. He was arrested at a Denver airport where he was found to be in the company of a missing 12-year-girl from Fresno, California.
** LOCAL
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** Emergency child care program needs about $2M more, Richmond officials anticipate ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Funding for an emergency child care program serving about 1,000 Richmond Public Schools students during the COVID-19 pandemic will not last the rest of the school year. City officials estimate that an additional $1.5 million to $2 million is needed to stay afloat when the remaining funds dry up over the next two months.
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** Williamsburg to distribute free routers to Highland Park residents, part of public broadband pilot program ([link removed])
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By MAGGIE MORE, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)
Residents of Highland Park who are interested in participating in the City of Williamsburg’s free broadband internet pilot program can pick up their free Wi-Fi routers, beginning the week of Jan. 10. The six-month pilot program, which was announced in mid-November, will allow Williamsburg to test the waters when it comes to offering internet as a utility, an idea that the city had discussed for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic made the necessity of internet access clear.
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** Williamsburg-James City County School Board backs schools not reopening until COVID-19 case numbers fall ([link removed])
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By DAVID MACAULAY, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)
The Williamsburg-James City County School Board has backed the division’s cautious approach to students returning to school buildings as COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the area. Board members indicated schools won’t reopen to most students until coronavirus numbers fall at Tuesday’s meeting. This week, the division announced remote learning will continue through Jan. 15. However, a suggestion by board member James Beers that students could sacrifice up to two years of schooling provoked a backlash.
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** Portsmouth indefinitely delays return to in-person learning ([link removed])
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By SARA GREGORY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Amid a post-holiday spike in coronavirus cases, the Portsmouth School Board has delayed plans to resume in-person learning for a second time. The district had planned to bring back staff Jan. 19 and some students Feb. 2. Superintendent Elie Bracy recommended Thursday that the board back off those dates and remain virtual until further notice. The board unanimously approved his recommendation.
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** Some students to return to York classrooms Monday ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
Some students will return to York County classrooms Monday after a pause following winter break. A message from the district to families and staff Wednesday evening said that includes students who had returned to classrooms in fall — students in pre-K through sixth grade, some English language learner programs and some special education programs.
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** Shelton resigns; City Council schedules another meeting on leadership ([link removed])
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By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Deputy City Manager Letitia Shelton has submitted her resignation as Charlottesville’s government approaches a fourth year of instability since the Unite the Right rally in 2017. Shelton’s last day will be Feb. 19, the city confirmed Thursday. The confirmation came soon after the City Council announced its second emergency meeting of the week to continue discussions around stabilizing its government.
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** Brackney calls for proactive, community-driven solutions to rise in violent crime ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Following a spate of violent crime, Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said during a Thursday press conference that the department can not “arrest our way out” of the situation and called on the community to come together to find solutions. Held both at City Hall and virtually, the press conference was scheduled following requests for more information from news outlets about a series of violent crimes that has plagued the city since October. Brackney opened by saying how poverty and exclusion from educational, institutional and living wage opportunities can be drivers of community violence.
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** RSA, BOS forbidden to discuss information ([link removed])
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By TERRY BEIGIE, Greene County Record
A Greene County Circuit Court judge Monday sided with Greene County in a motion to quash subpoenas issued by Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) for documentation. Judge Claude Worrell Jr. said he granted the motion to quash insomuch as documents requested must be specific to the contract between Greene County Board of Supervisors and RSA regarding the reservoir project. Additionally, he ordered a protective order for both parties on classified items that may be received through the discovery that prohibits either side from commenting publicly on any information received until the court gives its permission.
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** Schools move 100% online until Jan. 19 ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Orange County Review
With nearly 100 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the first four days of 2021, Orange County Public Schools announced Monday it will shift exclusively to online learning with a possible return to in-class instruction on Jan. 19. In a post on his superintendent’s blog following Monday’s school board meeting, Dr. Cecil Snead cited the recent surge of cases in the community and the burden on the healthcare system as the reasons behind the decision.
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** Culpeper special election will cost $86K as pandemic skyrockets costs for voting ([link removed])
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By ALLISON BROPHY CHAMPION, Culpeper Star Exponent (Metered Paywall - 20 articles a month)
New, distanced ways of voting during the pandemic have caused election costs to skyrocket, according to a recent memo from Culpeper County Registrar James Clements. That means the special election for Circuit Court Clerk, slated for March 30, 2021, is estimated to cost $86,000, he said. This is more than double than what was reported from Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting.
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** Roanoke postpones hearing over banning guns at city hall ([link removed])
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By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The Roanoke City Council has postponed the Jan. 19 public hearing to seek input on whether guns should be banned from city hall. Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea said Thursday that Wednesday’s violence at the U.S. Capitol prompted the council to hold off on discussing the gun issue until after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.
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** Roanoke area educators begin process of helping students understand Capitol riot ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Andrew Thacker was supposed to spend Thursday teaching his students about interest groups. Instead, he spent much of the day trying to help government class wrap their minds around what occurred at the U.S. Capitol one day prior. “This is a class that changes in real time,” Thacker said Thursday. “At a moment’s notice, breaking news happens, and you just kind of have to throw out what you had planned and go with the moment.”
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** Danville council votes to appropriate grants ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee
Danville will return $275,000 in incentive money for BGF Industries back to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The company, which is currently operating at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, postponed its plans to construct a 25,000-square-foot building at the Cyber Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today's Sponsor:
** Jane Woods, Driftwoods Consulting
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To honor the frontline workers and their families as they continue to help us through COVID-19.
** EDITORIALS
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** American is now reaping the whirlwind ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Let’s not mince words: The deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol by a riotous mob was an insurrection incited by the president of the United States, who is emotionally incapable of admitting he lost an election. That’s not an original thought. It’s exactly what many members of President Donald Trump’s own party had to say, perhaps most eloquently by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who has some experience with losing an election.
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** There is no time for calm. Virginia must improve its COVID-19 vaccine capabilities. ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam has leaned on his doctor demeanor and calm bedside manner to lead in a time of crisis. In the early days of combating the coronavirus, Northam was a realist about the disruptions the novel pathogen would cause. An April report by The Associated Press drew national attention to his decisions to close schools early and to institute one of the longest stay-at-home orders.
** THE FRIDAY READ
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** Outer Banks beaches yield literal treasure trove ([link removed])
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By JEFF HAMPTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A couple’s coin collection from decades ago will one day help tell Outer Banks history of shipwrecks, explorers of long ago and pirate’s loot. For now, the 55 coins are kept in a back room of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum mounted within a 10-inch by 15-inch frame. The late William Sell and his wife, Catherine, of Pennsylvania walked the Hatteras Island beaches while vacationing here from 1939 to 2001 picking up “things that looked curious,” including coins that go back as far as 221 BC up to the mid-20th century.
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Virginia Public Access Project . P.O. Box 1472 . Richmond, VA 23218 . USA
January 8, 2021
Today's Sponsor:
** Jane Woods, Driftwoods Consulting
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To honor the frontline workers and their families as they continue to help us through COVID-19.
* Read Online ([link removed])
* 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
* Refer a Friend ([link removed])
Top of the News
** More than half of Va.'s COVID cases were in the last two months ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Ten months into Virginia’s battle against COVID-19 and one week into the new year, emerging data shows the spread is outpacing every number recorded in 2020. Since New Year’s Eve, the state has seen more than 38,300 new COVID-19 cases. That marks a 7,500-case increase from the same week in December and is three times higher than in November. The state recorded more than 5,300 new cases for the second day in a row on Thursday, launching the daily average for the past week to 4,728 cases.
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** Virginia health facilities were tipped off to COVID-19 inspections in advance, state inspector general says ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Nearly a dozen state-run health facilities got tipped off to what were supposed to be unannounced COVID-19 protocol inspections ahead of time, according to an Office of the State Inspector General report released Thursday. An unidentified employee with the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services was the culprit and ended up invalidating the results.
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** Lynchburg General Hospital: 'We're starting to get close to the breaking point' ([link removed])
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By RACHEL MAHONEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Acceleration of the coronavirus’ spread from the holidays has raised red flags among Lynchburg-area health professionals, as more than 100 COVID-19 patients have been reliably occupying about a third of local hospital beds. Centra Health CEO Dr. Andy Mueller said at a Thursday news conference the provider’s coronavirus numbers have been “incredibly dramatic and something that I didn’t think that we would honestly ever get to.”
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** COVID-19 vaccination clinic opens at Bristol Dragway ([link removed])
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By SARAH WADE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
The vehicle line at the drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Bristol Dragway Thursday began forming at 5 a.m., four hours before the Sullivan County Regional Health Department actually started administering the vaccines. By about 1 p.m., Mark Moody — the department’s emergency response coordinator — estimated that about 600 cars had come through the drive-thru so far that day.
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** Virginia Democrats in House, Senate join calls for Trump's removal ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Most of Virginia's congressional and Senate Democrats have called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment or impeachment, while Republicans have been silent on whether the president should face consequences for urging an angry mob to overtake the U.S. Capitol. Nearly every Virginia Democrat has called for Trump to be removed through the 25th Amendment or be impeached. Virginia’s four Republicans in Congress haven’t publicly addressed the matter or have urged mindfulness in considering Trump’s early removal.
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** Divide deepens in Virginia GOP as Democrats renew calls for Trump’s early ouster ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury
During the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, former Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox recorded a video in front of the boarded-up state Capitol building, calling the sight a tragic failure of “Democratic leadership.” “I should say maybe, a lack of leadership,” he said at the time, praising a massive armed demonstration by gun rights groups earlier in the year and going on to accuse Democrats of “hurting law enforcement” by pursuing criminal justice reforms. After the U.S. Capitol building was attacked by supporters of President Donald Trump who battled with police Wednesday, Cox, a Republican now running for governor in what will be one of the first major elections of the post-Trump era, was less direct in placing blame at the top.
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** Southwest Virginia business owners face backlash for attending Trump rally ([link removed])
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By SHAYNE DWYER, WSLS-TV
At least two local restaurant owners are facing backlash for attending President Trump’s rally in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The dust is still settling after one of the most historic days in America and now some locals are calling out their neighbors for being in Washington, D.C. the day chaos went down.
The Full Report
52 articles, 29 publications
* Read Online ([link removed])
* 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
* Refer a Friend ([link removed])
** 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.
** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Members of Black clergy call for end to death penalty in Virginia ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Agroup of African American pastors from across Virginia on Thursday called for abolition of the death penalty in the upcoming Virginia General Assembly, citing the sometimes racist application of capital punishment in the state. "The history of capital punishment finds its roots in slavery, lynching and Jim Crow," said Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook, justice reform organizer for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. "Capital punishment is a racial justice issue. It is beyond time for us to address this historical sin."
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** Prosecutors call for criminal justice reforms in upcoming legislative session ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj joined fellow prosecutors calling on state lawmakers to advance several criminal justice reforms in the upcoming General Assembly session starting Monday. The group of commonwealth’s attorneys, known as the Virginia Progressive Prosecutors, represent more than 40 percent of the state's population, with the goal of supporting and advocating for reforms to make their communities safer and the state's criminal justice system fairer and more equitable.
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** Virginia senators propose legislation to change voter registration, vote counting process ([link removed])
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By HANNAH MCCOMSEY, WSET-TV
Virginia’s General Assembly will reconvene next week for the beginning of a new session, and there are several bills on the table that aim to change voting and elections in the state. Republican Senator Mark Peake, who represents Virginia's 22nd district, wants general registrars in the state to verify the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of every person who applies to be a registered voter in Virginia.
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** County lobbyists brace for little face time with legislators during short session ([link removed])
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By BRANDON MARTIN, Henry County Enterprise
The Henry County Board of Supervisors heard an update that will be presented during the upcoming 2021 General Assembly session in January. Rob Catron, a lobbyist for Henry County, said he didn’t know how much time he would even get to speak with legislators. “The Constitution provides for a 30-day session in odd numbered years, with the ability of the General Assembly, with a two-thirds vote to stretch that 30-day session to a 45-day session,” Catron said. “This has been routine since 1971. There are two Republicans in the minority in both chambers that have told the legislative majority party of Democrats they will not support extending the session.”
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** Authorities Monitoring Threats Ahead of Richmond Gun Rally ([link removed])
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By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM
Last year’s Richmond gun rally was a show of force for Second Amendment advocates, who thronged downtown in a scene the city had never seen before. But a similar spectacle is unlikely this year as second amendment activists will protest from cars and buses on Jan. 18. And while the country is on edge after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Virginia Citizens Defense League president Philip Van Cleave said their annual event will be peaceful. “We're not going to encourage any kind of violence; we never have,” Van Cleave said. “If there happens to be some, it won't be because we encouraged it, that's for sure.”
** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Chase calls Wednesday's Capitol riots the start of 'a revolution' by people backed 'into a corner' ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)
State Sen. Amanda F. Chase said Wednesday night that while she supports peaceful protest, the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to halt the ratification of the Electoral College results are an example of what happens "when you back people ... into a corner," as Democrats in both Virginia and the nation have done.
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** Sen. Chase attends D.C. rally, refuses to denounce attack on U.S. Capitol ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer
Refusing to condemn Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, state Sen. Amanda Chase said that it initially was a “peaceful rally” and suggested without evidence that infiltrators posing as Trump supporters may have been responsible for the violence. But in the same video that was posted to her political Facebook account Wednesday evening, Chase also said it could be the beginning of “a revolution” by people who support President Donald Trump and his baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen on behalf of Democrat Joe Biden.
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** Baker announces run for state Senate seat ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
A Dickenson County sheriff’s deputy announced Thursday that he plans to run for the 38th District state Senate seat previously held by Sen. Ben Chafin. Jony Baker, a 44-year-old Wise County native, will make his first bid for public office in a special election to fill the seat open after Chafin, 60, died Jan. 1 due to complications of COVID-19.
** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Richmond judge Cavedo and former Senate candidate Gade settle defamation suit; Gade retracts statements ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo and former GOP U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Gade have reached a settlement in Cavedo's defamation suit over Gade's assertion in a debate with Sen. Mark Warner that Cavedo was a "racist judge." Gade has retracted the statements he made about Cavedo during a debate with Warner at Norfolk State University.
** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Dozens of undocumented immigrants apply for Virginia driver privilege card ([link removed])
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By ANTOINETTE DELBEL, WTKR-TV
For Alejandra, a piece of paper from the DMV means a new opportunity and a sense of pride. On Thursday, the Guatemalan immigrant received a driver privilege card, allowing her to drive to places, such as work and visit her daughter at college without worrying about her legal status if caught driving without a license.
** CONGRESS
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** 'The sooner he is out, the better’ tweets Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on President Trump ([link removed])
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By JEFF WILLIAMSON, WSLS-TV
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam made a strong statement in a tweet on Thursday afternoon. "I’ve now been working for over 24 hours to help Washington D.C. keep peace in the nation’s capital. In case it wasn’t already clear: the current President poses a danger to our country every minute he holds office. The sooner he is out, the better."
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** All GOP House members from Virginia, Md. voted to challenge Biden’s win ([link removed])
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By MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
All five Republican members of Congress from Virginia and Maryland voted for the doomed effort to challenge the election results, and Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) appeared close to a physical confrontation with a Democratic colleague during 2 a.m. floor debate. In a fervent showing of loyalty to President Trump, Harris and Virginia Reps. Ben Cline, Bob Good, H. Morgan Griffith and Rob Wittman all objected to electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, joining more than 100 other GOP lawmakers in a futile attempt to overturn the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
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** Area Democrats, Republicans react to Capitol siege ([link removed])
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By JOSH JANNEY, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-10, and other area Democrats have called for President Donald Trump’s removal either through impeachment or through invoking the 25th Amendment of the Constitution after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. “The President has been encouraging these domestic terrorists since before the election,” Wexton said in a statement. “He could have stopped them at any moment, but instead he whipped them into a frenzy and sicced them on the Capitol. The Cabinet must remove him today or the House must impeach.”
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** Kaine, Warner, Spanberger join calls for Trump's removal via 25th Amendment ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia on Thursday called for President Donald Trump’s removal via the 25th Amendment, a day after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. “I believe that the Cabinet, led by the vice president, should invoke the 25th Amendment. Donald Trump is no longer able to serve,” Kaine said in a Zoom news conference with reporters.
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** Virginia lawmakers call for Trump to be removed from power now, saying the president supported ‘domestic terrorism’ ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY AND SIERRA JENKINS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Multiple Virginia lawmakers called Thursday for the ouster of President Donald Trump, the day after a mob of Trump supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overthrow the results of America’s presidential election. The state’s two U.S. senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott condemned the president’s behavior during the melee.
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** In letter to vice president, McEachin calls Trump 'unfit' and asks for his removal 'immediately' ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)
Count Petersburg's congressman among the scores of federal lawmakers urging that President Donald Trump be "immediately" removed from the White House in the waning days of his term. In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, said Wednesday's events at the Capitol — where pro-Trump supporters attending a downtown Washington rally stormed the building in an effort to stop the Electoral College result ratification — were sparked by Trump's ongoing yet unsubstantiated rhetoric about how the presidential election was a major fraud.
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** Va. Senators Kaine and Warner describe confusion, anger during Capitol riots ([link removed])
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By LAURA PETERS AND PATRICK HITE, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
Sen. Tim Kaine's first idea that something strange was afoot was when Vice President Mike Pence was removed from the Senate chambers Wednesday. That was the same time that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, became concerned. Warner had already seen images on social media of a rally for President Donald Trump that was happening just south of the White House.
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** Condemning 'Violence,' Cline Remained Opposed To Certifying Biden's Win ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
As U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, said he condemned the protesters who breached the Capitol on Wednesday, he continued to oppose certifying Electoral College votes that confirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the presidential election winner. Local Democratic Party officials say Cline’s actions leading up to and during Wednesday’s typically uneventful procedure fanned the flames that led to rioting by supporters of President Donald Trump.
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** Despite denouncing 'violence,' Cline wants to overturn democratic U.S. election ([link removed])
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By LAURA PETERS PATRICK HITE AYANO NAGAISHI, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)
Rep. Ben Cline, who represents Virginia’s 6th District, which includes Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, was among the Republican lawmakers who said they planned to help fight the election results in the next step of the certification process based on President Donald Trump's erroneous claim he won the election. Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday morning, Cline, R-Botetourt did just that.
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** Wittman objects to counting of Pennsylvania electoral college votes ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman joined more than 100 other House Republicans early Thursday morning in a failed motion to stop the certification of Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes won by President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. The objection failed to pass the House 138-282. Wittman, R-1st, was joined by Virginia Republican Reps. Bob Good (5th), Morgan Griffith (9th) and Ben Cline (6th) in the effort to reject Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
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** Wittman votes against certifying Pennsylvania electors ([link removed])
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By TAFT COGHILL JR., Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican whose 1st Congressional District includes much of the Fredericksburg area, voted against certifying the electors from Pennsylvania during the certification process for Joe Biden’s presidential election victory over incumbent President Donald Trump.
** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Initial unemployment claims jumped in Virginia last week ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
First-time claims for traditional unemployment benefits from out-of-work Virginians jumped 64% last week, with 19,530 claims made during the week ending Jan. 2. The Virginia Employment Commission, which released the weekly data Thursday, said the spike could have been due to seasonal hiring patterns. Hiring usually grows before the holidays and falls after.
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** Unemployment claims rise 64.3% in Virginia last week, highest level since early August ([link removed])
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By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The number of Virginians seeking unemployment aid soared 64.3% last week from the previous week. That’s the highest weekly total since late July and early August, as a resurgence of coronavirus cases is causing more layoffs. The number also reflects a seasonal spike in layoffs often seen after the holidays, officials say.
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** Dumfries gambling hall opening in northern Virginia ([link removed])
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Associated Press
Northern Virginia’s first licensed gambling operation is opening up to the general public. Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Dumfries in southern Prince William County is opening Friday after a soft opening of several days. The gambling hall has 150 machines that function like slot machines, but the payoffs are actually tied to the results from an archive of old horse races.
** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** University presidents in region denounce Capitol insurrection ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
University presidents in the region denounced a violent siege at the Capitol Wednesday while avoiding explicit mention of President Donald Trump’s instigation of the melee by his unremitting spread of conspiracy theories. Virginia Tech President Tim Sands released a statement Thursday calling the insurrection “horrific and wrong,” and saying, “we are compelled to take an honest look at the underlying state of our society and ask, why did this happen, and how did we get here?”
** CORONAVIRUS
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** Coronavirus caseload average sets another record in Washington region ([link removed])
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By RACHEL CHASON AND JENNA PORTNOY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
The number of new coronavirus infections continued to rise Thursday across the greater Washington region as the number of recent daily cases set a record. Virginia, Maryland and D.C. added 8,617 new daily cases — the third-most in a single day since the start of the pandemic — sending the seven-day average soaring to 7,725. It’s the eighth consecutive day the recent average has risen across the region. Compared to last week, the average of new daily cases is up 19 percent in D.C., 21 percent in Maryland and 29 percent in Virginia.
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** Virginia hospitals topped 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in first 3 weeks ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Virginia hospitals gave more than 102,000 shots of COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers during the first three weeks of the massive vaccination campaign, the state association said Thursday. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association said it plans next week to add information about the vaccine to its COVID-19 online dashboard.
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** Vaccinations begin as virus continues to rage in state mental hospitals ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Virginia has begun vaccinating employees and geriatric patients at state mental hospitals against COVID-19, which has forced five facilities to close admissions because of ongoing outbreaks of the virus. The state is administering the vaccine at eight behavioral health facilities - including the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation, a facility in Nottoway County for civilly committed sex offenders - while a federal partnership of national pharmacies is vaccinating staff and patients at four others.
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** Virginia includes prisoners in next stage of vaccine rollout ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury
Public health officials in Virginia plan to begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to inmates in state prisons and local jails when they begin the next phase of their rollout plan, according to a schedule released this week. “I’m hoping it’s in days, not months,” said Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran. “We’re anxious for these to begin.” The virus has spread widely through the state prison system and local jails, sickening thousands and killing at least 50 inmates and staff. But national CDC guidance has been silent on how states should prioritize inmates as they ration vaccines.
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** Loudoun ramps up to 500 vaccinations per day as Northam seeks production boost ([link removed])
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By NATHANIEL CLINE, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Loudoun County is vaccinating about 500 people per day as part of Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination process that began three weeks ago. Dr. David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department, shared the news Tuesday during the Board of Supervisors’ first business meeting of the New Year. “The challenge is if you’re not yet able to get vaccinated, do those same steps that you’ve been doing for these last eight to 10 months to stay safe,” Goodfriend said.
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** Record number of COVID-19 cases reported in Virginia Beach on Thursday ([link removed])
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By SALEEN MARTIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The Virginia Department of Health reported a record number of new coronavirus cases in Virginia Beach on Thursday — 419. That brings the city’s total throughout the pandemic to 18,811. The city’s highest number of cases reported had been 373 on Sunday, followed by 351 on New Year’s Day.
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** Region's testing percentage sets another record ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
This region’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate continues smashing records through the first week of 2021, according to Ballad Health. The region’s seven-day positivity rate reached 32.8% Thursday, breaking the previous record of 32.2%, set Wednesday across Ballad Health’s 21-county service area. That means about one in three people who underwent testing during the past seven days were positive for the novel coronavirus.
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** Local signups for next groups to be vaccinated available now ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
As COVID-19 vaccinations have begun for emergency medical service providers and non-hospital health care workers, the Blue Ridge Health District is looking ahead to the next phase of the vaccine rollout. In priority groups 1b and 1c, essential workers, first responders and other groups will be able to receive the vaccine. Currently, the state is administering doses to frontline health care workers and staff and residents of long-term care facilities, though the latter group is being handled by CVS and Walgreens through a federal partnership.
** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Motion to dismiss Roanoke Civil War monument case raises debate in court ([link removed])
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By NEIL HARVEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The lawyer for the man accused last summer of toppling and breaking a Roanoke Civil War monument have filed a request to have his felony case dismissed. That motion was addressed but, after some debate, was not resolved Thursday at a hearing for William Clay Foreman. He is charged with destruction of property July 24, two days after police found the Robert E. Lee memorial near Church Avenue overturned and lying in three pieces.
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** Police find more possible victims as investigation widens into former political candidate Nathan Larson ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Fauquier Times
A child abduction investigation into a Fauquier County man and former Virginia political candidate has expanded to at least a dozen other states and four other countries with numerous possible additional victims, according to officials with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. Nathan Larson, 40, of Catlett, Virginia, was arrested Dec. 14 on felony charges of kidnapping, child abduction, soliciting child pornography from a minor and meeting a child for the intention of sex. He was arrested at a Denver airport where he was found to be in the company of a missing 12-year-girl from Fresno, California.
** LOCAL
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** Emergency child care program needs about $2M more, Richmond officials anticipate ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Funding for an emergency child care program serving about 1,000 Richmond Public Schools students during the COVID-19 pandemic will not last the rest of the school year. City officials estimate that an additional $1.5 million to $2 million is needed to stay afloat when the remaining funds dry up over the next two months.
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** Williamsburg to distribute free routers to Highland Park residents, part of public broadband pilot program ([link removed])
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By MAGGIE MORE, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)
Residents of Highland Park who are interested in participating in the City of Williamsburg’s free broadband internet pilot program can pick up their free Wi-Fi routers, beginning the week of Jan. 10. The six-month pilot program, which was announced in mid-November, will allow Williamsburg to test the waters when it comes to offering internet as a utility, an idea that the city had discussed for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic made the necessity of internet access clear.
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** Williamsburg-James City County School Board backs schools not reopening until COVID-19 case numbers fall ([link removed])
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By DAVID MACAULAY, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)
The Williamsburg-James City County School Board has backed the division’s cautious approach to students returning to school buildings as COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the area. Board members indicated schools won’t reopen to most students until coronavirus numbers fall at Tuesday’s meeting. This week, the division announced remote learning will continue through Jan. 15. However, a suggestion by board member James Beers that students could sacrifice up to two years of schooling provoked a backlash.
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** Portsmouth indefinitely delays return to in-person learning ([link removed])
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By SARA GREGORY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Amid a post-holiday spike in coronavirus cases, the Portsmouth School Board has delayed plans to resume in-person learning for a second time. The district had planned to bring back staff Jan. 19 and some students Feb. 2. Superintendent Elie Bracy recommended Thursday that the board back off those dates and remain virtual until further notice. The board unanimously approved his recommendation.
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** Some students to return to York classrooms Monday ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
Some students will return to York County classrooms Monday after a pause following winter break. A message from the district to families and staff Wednesday evening said that includes students who had returned to classrooms in fall — students in pre-K through sixth grade, some English language learner programs and some special education programs.
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** Shelton resigns; City Council schedules another meeting on leadership ([link removed])
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By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Deputy City Manager Letitia Shelton has submitted her resignation as Charlottesville’s government approaches a fourth year of instability since the Unite the Right rally in 2017. Shelton’s last day will be Feb. 19, the city confirmed Thursday. The confirmation came soon after the City Council announced its second emergency meeting of the week to continue discussions around stabilizing its government.
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** Brackney calls for proactive, community-driven solutions to rise in violent crime ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Following a spate of violent crime, Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said during a Thursday press conference that the department can not “arrest our way out” of the situation and called on the community to come together to find solutions. Held both at City Hall and virtually, the press conference was scheduled following requests for more information from news outlets about a series of violent crimes that has plagued the city since October. Brackney opened by saying how poverty and exclusion from educational, institutional and living wage opportunities can be drivers of community violence.
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** RSA, BOS forbidden to discuss information ([link removed])
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By TERRY BEIGIE, Greene County Record
A Greene County Circuit Court judge Monday sided with Greene County in a motion to quash subpoenas issued by Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) for documentation. Judge Claude Worrell Jr. said he granted the motion to quash insomuch as documents requested must be specific to the contract between Greene County Board of Supervisors and RSA regarding the reservoir project. Additionally, he ordered a protective order for both parties on classified items that may be received through the discovery that prohibits either side from commenting publicly on any information received until the court gives its permission.
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** Schools move 100% online until Jan. 19 ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Orange County Review
With nearly 100 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the first four days of 2021, Orange County Public Schools announced Monday it will shift exclusively to online learning with a possible return to in-class instruction on Jan. 19. In a post on his superintendent’s blog following Monday’s school board meeting, Dr. Cecil Snead cited the recent surge of cases in the community and the burden on the healthcare system as the reasons behind the decision.
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** Culpeper special election will cost $86K as pandemic skyrockets costs for voting ([link removed])
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By ALLISON BROPHY CHAMPION, Culpeper Star Exponent (Metered Paywall - 20 articles a month)
New, distanced ways of voting during the pandemic have caused election costs to skyrocket, according to a recent memo from Culpeper County Registrar James Clements. That means the special election for Circuit Court Clerk, slated for March 30, 2021, is estimated to cost $86,000, he said. This is more than double than what was reported from Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting.
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** Roanoke postpones hearing over banning guns at city hall ([link removed])
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By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The Roanoke City Council has postponed the Jan. 19 public hearing to seek input on whether guns should be banned from city hall. Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea said Thursday that Wednesday’s violence at the U.S. Capitol prompted the council to hold off on discussing the gun issue until after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.
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** Roanoke area educators begin process of helping students understand Capitol riot ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Andrew Thacker was supposed to spend Thursday teaching his students about interest groups. Instead, he spent much of the day trying to help government class wrap their minds around what occurred at the U.S. Capitol one day prior. “This is a class that changes in real time,” Thacker said Thursday. “At a moment’s notice, breaking news happens, and you just kind of have to throw out what you had planned and go with the moment.”
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** Danville council votes to appropriate grants ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee
Danville will return $275,000 in incentive money for BGF Industries back to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The company, which is currently operating at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, postponed its plans to construct a 25,000-square-foot building at the Cyber Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today's Sponsor:
** Jane Woods, Driftwoods Consulting
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To honor the frontline workers and their families as they continue to help us through COVID-19.
** EDITORIALS
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** American is now reaping the whirlwind ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Let’s not mince words: The deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol by a riotous mob was an insurrection incited by the president of the United States, who is emotionally incapable of admitting he lost an election. That’s not an original thought. It’s exactly what many members of President Donald Trump’s own party had to say, perhaps most eloquently by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who has some experience with losing an election.
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** There is no time for calm. Virginia must improve its COVID-19 vaccine capabilities. ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam has leaned on his doctor demeanor and calm bedside manner to lead in a time of crisis. In the early days of combating the coronavirus, Northam was a realist about the disruptions the novel pathogen would cause. An April report by The Associated Press drew national attention to his decisions to close schools early and to institute one of the longest stay-at-home orders.
** THE FRIDAY READ
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** Outer Banks beaches yield literal treasure trove ([link removed])
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By JEFF HAMPTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A couple’s coin collection from decades ago will one day help tell Outer Banks history of shipwrecks, explorers of long ago and pirate’s loot. For now, the 55 coins are kept in a back room of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum mounted within a 10-inch by 15-inch frame. The late William Sell and his wife, Catherine, of Pennsylvania walked the Hatteras Island beaches while vacationing here from 1939 to 2001 picking up “things that looked curious,” including coins that go back as far as 221 BC up to the mid-20th century.
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