VaNews
January 15, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Poultry Federation
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On behalf of Virginia Poultry Federation ([link removed]) , Hobey Bauhan thanks General Assembly Members for their dedicated service.
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Top of the News


** Northam announces expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN AND ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Virginia officials announced changes Thursday that significantly expand the pool of people eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine as they also outlined plans for mass-vaccination clinics to speed up the pace of inoculations. Gov. Ralph Northam said at a news conference in Richmond that the state would follow new federal guidance from President Donald Trump’s administration that urged states to immediately start vaccinating people who had previously been lower down the priority list. Newly included in what’s called Phase 1b of the state’s distribution plan are people age 65 and older and younger people with certain health problems that make them more vulnerable to the virus.
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** Some Virginia schools are reluctant to reopen. New state guidelines are nudging them toward it. ([link removed])
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By SARA GREGORY AND MATT JONES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced new guidelines Thursday that put pressure on school districts to begin in-person instruction sooner than later. The updated guidelines are not a directive but more like a gentle push. The 14-page document re-emphasizes dozens of factors that the state has always said schools should consider, such as learning loss and student mental health. New though is explicit guidance to consider resuming in-person classes even when the number of coronavirus cases in the community is high.
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** Most Virginians now say they will get COVID-19 vaccine — up 13 points from the fall ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A majority of Virginians now say they are likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine — up significantly from when they were polled in September. More than seven in 10 commonwealth residents told pollsters with Virginia Commonwealth University they are likely to receive the immunization, according to the school’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
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** How Virginia's use of Google Translate magnifies language barriers, COVID-19 misinformation ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Health's main sources for translating critical COVID-19 and vaccine information are three marketing agencies that don't list translation services on their websites and Google Translate, whose reliability experts and Google itself have cautioned against. That’s how “the vaccine is not required” became “the vaccine is not necessary" on the Spanish version of VDH’s frequently asked questions page for nearly a month.
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** Court challenge questions delay in SD38 special election ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

The race for the vacant 38th District Virginia Senate seat now has a legal challenge, a rushed primary, a potential frontrunner who declined to run and two new candidates. A petition challenging the March 23 election date set Tuesday by Gov. Ralph Northam was filed in Dickenson County Circuit Court. Andrew Rose, of Clintwood, filed the complaint against Northam, a Democrat, for the seat held by the late Sen. Ben Chafin, a Republican who died Jan. 1 from COVID-19 complications.
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** Virginia Delegates Collect Daily Payments During Virtual Session ([link removed])
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By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM

Members of Virginia’s House of Delegates may be meeting remotely, but they’ll still collect $211 per diem payments during their virtual 2021 session. The per diem rate is pegged to federal estimates of Richmond meal and hotel prices. The payments are separate from part-time delegates’ annual salary ($17,640), office stipend ($15,000 for most delegates) and compensation for non-session meetings ($300 for a half-day, $400 for a full day). Each lawmaker's legislative assistant will also collect the per diem.
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** Embattled Christiansburg restaurant owner takes issue with Blacksburg lawmaker ([link removed])
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By YANN RANAIVO, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A New River Valley state delegate joined those who have been critical of a town business owner who attended the “Stop the Steal” protest in Washington, D.C., last week. The businesswoman, Marie March, owns the Due South BBQ and Fatback Soul Shack restaurants. She said she was appalled Saturday when she saw this tweet from Del. Chris Hurst, D-Blacksburg: “Who wants to start a BBQ joint in the NRV where the owners don’t participate in an attempted coup?”
The Full Report
68 articles, 37 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Changes to House Committee Assignments ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

There was a short round of musical chairs this week as more senior House members had an opportunity to upgrade their committee portfolios. Committee vacancies were created by the turnover of three House seats and the House Speaker's decision to strip one committee assignment each from three Republican members. This chart breaks down the assignments by seniority, and a separate list details all of the changes.
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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. We've added a link the VDH vaccination data. There's also a filter for each city and county, plus an exclusive per-capita ZIP Code map. Updated each morning around 10:30 a.m.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam directs school divisions to start making plans for reopening ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Gov. Ralph Northam’s latest message to local school systems is to start thinking about reopening — and soon. “In the short term, all of our school divisions need to be making plans for how to reopen,” he said at a news briefing on Thursday. “It’s not going to happen next week. But I want our schools to come from this starting point: how do we get schools open safely?” Some division leaders said the new directive — accompanied by interim guidance from the Virginia Department of Health and Department of Education — represented a significant departure from the state’s earlier messaging on in-person instruction.
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** Virginia’s attorney general launches unit to help overturn wrongful convictions ([link removed])
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By KARA DIXON, WAVY-TV

A new unit launched by Virginia’s Office of the Attorney General is looking to help overturn wrongful convictions and help make the commonwealth more just and fair. On Tuesday, the office announced the creation of the Conviction Integrity Unit, which will be made up of three lawyers and an investigator, according to Attorney General Mark Herring. “This will be a distinct team within my office focused on investigating and evaluating wrongful convictions, taking proactive steps to overturn wrongful convictions, and implementing important changes in state law that will finally allow for wrongfully convicted people to have their claims heard in court,” Herring said.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** No, this bill isn't trying to eliminate snow days for Virginia students ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

When there was a water main break at a school in Salem last week, the building had to shut down for three days. Closing the school wasn’t a major hassle. Like school divisions across Virginia, Salem has gotten the hang of offering virtual learning since the coronavirus pandemic broke out last year, forcing schools to shutter. Salem sent the teachers and students, who were at the school for in-person instruction, home with supplies they needed to learn. . . . Situations like this have got school leaders thinking: If schools can offer virtual learning during a pandemic, why not allow them to offer it in limited circumstances when there’s no longer a pandemic?
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** Democrats eye vehicles as the next target for cutting carbon emissions ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

While Virginia Democrats’ big environmental push of 2020 was the Virginia Clean Economy Act, a sweeping omnibus measure designed to eliminate carbon emissions from the state’s power grid by 2050, during the 2021 session they’re setting their sights on a tougher and more diffuse source of carbon: transportation. According to 2017 figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, almost half of Virginia’s carbon emissions — 48 percent — come from transportation. Electric power, by contrast, accounts for almost a third, at 29 percent.
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** VLBC outlines legislative priorities for new General Assembly session ([link removed])
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By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

Buoyed by two legislative sessions last year that ushered in huge reforms in voting and criminal justice, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus is vowing to keep pressing for more change. The 23-member group unveiled an ambitious package of legislation as the new session of the General Assembly opened Wednesday. The session will be limited to just 30 days at the insistence of the Republican minority.
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** Democrats seek censure of Virginia state senator who praised Capitol rioters ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

At least 10 Democrats in Virginia's state Senate want to take the rare step of censuring a Republican member who gave an "inflammatory" speech in Washington on Jan. 6 and praised the rioters who hours later stormed the U.S. Capitol as "patriots." They are backing a resolution to censure state Sen. Amanda F. Chase (R-Chesterfield), a Trump-style provocateur seeking this year’s GOP nomination for Virginia governor, accusing her of “fomenting insurrection against the United States.”
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** Chase, facing possible censure in Senate, defends pro-Trump rallies in Washington ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, defied Senate Democrats’ calls for her possible censure on Thursday and defended protests that later turned into an assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump’s failed re-election campaign. Chase, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, said “these were not rioters and looters” at the two pro-Trump rallies she attended Jan. 6 outside the Capitol and on the National Mall.
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** Del. LaRock stripped of committee, realizes 'error' of using 'colored community' ([link removed])
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By ELIZABETH STINNETTE, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D) on Wednesday stripped Del. Dave LaRock of Loudoun County and two other Republican delegates — Mark Cole and Ronnie Campbell — who had urged Vice President Mike Pence to nullify Virginia’s certified election results of one committee assignment each. The move came after Loudoun County officials called for LaRock’s removal from office after he participated in the Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. In response to calls for his removal from office, LaRock then attacked his critics for failing to focus on “the needs of the colored community.”
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** Wilt Files School Remediation Task Force Bill ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

On the first day of the 2021 General Assembly session, Del. Tony Wilt, R-Broadway, filed legislation to establish a task force dedicated to ensuring students don’t fall permanently behind due to remote learning. For the past 10 months, students have been placed into a remote-learning environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no definitive timeline as to when students could return back to the classroom full-time, Wilt is looking to make sure a student’s education is protected.
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** Republican delegate seeks to allow concealed weapons statewide ([link removed])
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By ALEXANDRA MALONEY, VCU Capital News Service

For the second time, Virginia Beach Republican Del. Glenn R. Davis is sponsoring a bill to change state law to allow concealed weapon permits in every locality. Del. Glenn Davis wants to change the law that lets local governments regulate rules regarding firearms in public buildings, parks, recreation centers and during permitted events in their areas. This law includes allowing each locality to determine its own regulations for concealed carry permits.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Chesterfield supervisor Leslie Haley announces run for attorney general ([link removed])
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By JESS NOCERA, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors member Leslie Haley announced Thursday she is seeking the GOP nomination to become Virginia’s top lawyer. “It's time for an attorney general who is guided by the rule of law, and has zero tolerance for public corruption,” Haley said in an announcement video. Haley, who has served on the board of supervisors since 2016, including two years as chair, is a partner at the Park Haley LLP law firm, which focuses on ethics and business law.
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** Republicans set rules for 38th senate nomination ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Richlands News-Press

Republicans in the 38th district will hold a firehouse primary to select their candidate for the 38th district senate seat. The voting will take place Jan. 21 from one to seven p.m. There will be one voting location in each county in the district. District 38 includes all of Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Pulaski, Russell, and Tazewell Counties and the cities of Norton and Radford, as well as parts of Montgomery, Smyth, and Wise Counties.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia issues new school reopening guidance in push to get students back to the classroom ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Citing concerns about the long-term effects of virtual learning on students, Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday announced that schools need to begin preparing to reopen for in-person instruction. State officials were also “seriously looking at” adding calendar days to the school year to mitigate learning loss, he said.
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** Virginia's schools should now prioritize in-person instruction, VDH and VDOE say in new guidance ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

State agencies say Virginia will now prioritize in-person instruction going forward in the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Education released new guidance on how to safely reopen school buildings and have students return to the classroom, replacing the phase guidance issued in July.
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** Virginia National Guard will be on ‘standby’ for expected protests in Richmond this weekend ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia National Guard members will be “on standby” for expected protests this weekend, state officials said Thursday. There are worries of further violence in the wake of last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump who wanted to overturn the nation’s election results. “We will not be able to discuss with you operational tactics, but want to assure residents...that law enforcement is well prepared...should an act of violence should occur,” Brian Moran, the state’s secretary of public safety and homeland security, told reporters.
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** 'Virginia will be ready': local and state officials discuss safety plans in response to reports of threats on capitals nationwide ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Local and state law enforcement agencies are preparing with the FBI to secure the city of Richmond after federal officials warned that the inauguration of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday could be preceded by armed protests in every state capital as soon as this weekend. With the Capitol Square complex already locked down and with new temporary fencing and boarded windows and doorways in place, Richmond police are planning road closures there and around the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue, where frequent racial justice protests and confrontations occurred last year.


** CONGRESS
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** The crowd outside the Capitol last week included Rep. Bob Good’s district director ([link removed])
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By MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The district director for newly elected Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) was in the crowd outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 after the building was invaded but did not join those who pushed their way inside, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post. Good’s district director, Sandy Adams, went with her husband, Melvin Adams, the chair of Virginia’s 5th District GOP Committee, “to join with many, many thousands of wonderful red-blooded American patriots in Washington DC,” Melvin Adams wrote in the Jan. 7 email. His description of the events was sent to undisclosed recipients from his 5th District chair email account.
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** Grayson Dems call on Griffith to resign ([link removed])
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By BRIAN FUNK AND SHAINA STOCKTON, Galax Gazette

The Grayson County Democratic Committee has released an open letter to U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-9th District), calling for his resignation from Congress. The letter from Committee Chairwoman Janet Braithwaite was a response to Griffith’s opposition to the formal recognition of president-elect Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory, which was eventually affirmed by both houses of Congress in the wee hours of Jan. 7. She adds her voice to a chorus of Democratic committees in Southwest Virginia calling for the Republican congressman to step down.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** New jobless claims in Virginia spike to highest level since July ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The number of Virginians filing initial claims for unemployment benefits jumped nearly 45% to 28,227 last week compared with the week prior, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. The agency said it suspects some of the rise could be attributed to layoffs that traditionally occur after the holiday season.
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** Jobless claims in Virginia and Richmond region soared last week ([link removed])
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By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Applications for unemployment benefits continued to surge in Virginia and across the Richmond region last week compared with the previous week. The number of week-over-week initial jobless claims filed in Virginia rose 44.5%, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. More than 28,200 Virginians applied for unemployment benefits last week, up 8,697 claimants from the previous week.
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** Mohawk Industries to invest $22.5M in Carroll County operation ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

Flooring manufacturing giant Mohawk Industries Inc. will invest $22.5 million to expand its Carroll County operation, creating 35 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. Mohawk, which currently employs more than 900 Virginians, will add 19,000 square feet to its 351 Floyd Pike facility in Hillsville and install new equipment to increase its production speed.
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** Survey: 81% of Williamsburg business report fewer sales, less business during the pandemic in 2020 ([link removed])
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By DAVID MACAULAY, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)

Four out of every five businesses in Williamsburg suffered a decline in sales and overall business during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey reviewed by the Economic Development Authority Wednesday. Consultant Crystal Morphis surveyed 145 businesses as part of a strategic plan update.
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** Unemployment rates in Martinsville, Henry and Patrick counties and the region continue downward trend ([link removed])
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By BILL WYATT, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Unemployment rates continue to improve across the region in the past 30-day reporting period, with all localities reporting percentages in the single digits. The unemployment figures released on Jan. 5 by the Virginia Employment Commission are for the month of November and show that Martinsville’s rate decreased from 9.2% in October, to 8.2% at the end of November, but that’s up from 3% a year ago.
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** Homestead limits hours of operations ([link removed])
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Highland Recorder (Subscription required)

Last Monday, The Homestead revised its hours, closing Mondays through Thursday afternoons. Lynn Swann, director of marketing and communications at the resort, explained the decision was based on the pandemic’s impact to its operations. “As we enter into the new year at The Omni Homestead Resort, we have made the very difficult decision to alter our hours of operation in January,” she said. “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on our resort, our company and our industry.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro is planning normal service this year, but hoping for a cash infusion in 2022 ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

With the most recent federal stimulus coming to Metro’s rescue, the transit agency is proposing to leave service levels stable for a year until the money runs out. Then it will turn to tough decisions that could include layoffs and service cuts if more money doesn’t come through. That didn’t sit well with some Metro board members, who said the transit agency is delaying hardships until January 2022, when it would be in the same straits as weeks ago: either hoping for another bailout or forced to cut service to grim levels.
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** Metro could still head toward 'service cliff,' more layoffs next year without more federal aid ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN CAPRIEL, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is again planning some deep service and job cuts next year unless the federal government steps up and gives a third round of financial support. For now, bus and rail service and employment status for thousands of WMATA employees will remain unchanged for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, according to a Metro board vote Thursday, the fourth time it moved to revise the fiscal 2021 budget.
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** Fredericksburg train station improvement plan advances ([link removed])
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By SCOTT SHENK, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The Fredericksburg train station is inching closer to proposed upgrades. City and Virginia Railway Express officials met last week for an update on the project. Afterward, Councilman Matt Kelly said work on the project is expected to start late this year or in spring 2022. The work will cost an estimated $5 million and address several issues at the Lafayette Boulevard station, from crumbling concrete and inadequate stairways to a poor communication system.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** A Virginia watchdog group graded the transparency of college governing boards. Five got an F. ([link removed])
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By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Ahigher education watchdog and a Northern Virginia legislator are calling for more transparency from Virginia’s public university governing boards, following a year in which universities made high-stakes decisions often in a remote setting that affected the lives of their students and employees during the pandemic. The nonprofit Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust released a report grading each university’s board from A to F on transparency, accessibility and receptiveness. It awarded George Mason the highest grade, B-plus, and gave a grade of F to five schools: James Madison, Longwood, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia State and Virginia Tech.
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** Virginia women’s basketball cancels rest of season amid coronavirus pandemic ([link removed])
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By GENE WANG, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Virginia women’s basketball team is opting out for the rest of this season because of health and safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, Coach Tina Thompson announced Thursday afternoon, becoming the second ACC program to do so. Virginia ends the season 0-5, including 0-2 in the ACC, after having six conference games postponed. The Cavaliers last played Dec. 13 while struggling to field a roster with enough healthy players to complete a game.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia, Maryland expand vaccine eligibility as Northam encourages schools to reopen ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, OVETTA WIGGINS, ERIN COX AND MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia and Maryland expanded eligibility for coronavirus vaccinations to include older residents on Thursday, while local officials across the Washington region continued to plead for more doses as demand outstrips supply. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said parts of the state can move to vaccinate residents 65 or older, while Maryland will move into its next phase of vaccinations Monday. The two states join D.C. in announcing increased availability this week, moving the entire Washington region to the next phase of distribution.
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** Northam expands COVID-19 vaccine priority group ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday expanded the list of people eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with about half of all Virginians now in Phase 1b. Anyone who is 65 or older or who has a chronic health condition can now join the queue with police, firefighters, teachers and factory workers; however, Virginia’s supply of vaccine doses is still limited to about 110,000 a week.
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** Virginia to expand vaccine rollout to anyone 65 and older after push from White House ([link removed])
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By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Two days after the Trump administration urged states to begin vaccinating groups who have been deemed lower in priority, Gov. Ralph Northam said Virginia will expand the ages of eligible residents in the next phase. Rather than allowing people 75 and up in the state’s phase 1b, anyone 65 and older will be qualified to receive a coronavirus vaccine, he said. In addition to the broader age group, younger people with underlying health conditions also will move up in line.
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** Virginia moves to expand vaccine eligibility to those 65 and up ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO AND MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

While most of the state is still working to vaccinate health care workers and long-term care residents prioritized in the first phase, Virginia is widening eligibility to include people age 65 and up and those with certain pre-existing health conditions. Falling in line with federal guidance announced earlier this week that promised higher dose supply and federal funding, the decision seeks to accelerate a rollout that’s lagged behind supply.
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** State opens COVID-19 vaccinations for Virginians 65 and older ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

As part of a federal push to speed up the pace of vaccinations, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that the state will immediately expand COVID-19 vaccination availability to Virginians ages 65 and older, as well as others with health issues. With regard to the expansion of vaccinations, “this means about half of Virginia is eligible for the vaccine,” Northam said. He added that the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps is training volunteers to administer shots and called for anyone with medical training — including retired doctors and other providers — to volunteer.
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** Virginians ages 65-74 move up the vaccine ladder ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Virginia is moving those 65 and older higher up the line for COVID-19 vaccines. Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that those between the ages of 65 and 74, as well as young people with underlying conditions that put them at-risk for serious infections, will be moved up to tier 1b. They will be eligible for vaccinations at the same time as others already in that tier, which includes residents 75 and older, certain essential workers and those in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant camps.
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** Eastern Shore expands vaccines to next priority group, including poultry workers ([link removed])
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By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Eastern Shore health officials announced Wednesday they will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to the next priority group, including people in agriculture and manufacturing jobs and residents ages 75 and older. The decision will allow workers in poultry and other food-processing plants to get immunized, a workforce segment that has suffered some of the largest coronavirus outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic. Nine such workers have died in Virginia.
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** VCU poll finds more than 70% of Virginians likely to get COVID vaccine ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

More than 70% of Virginians say they’re likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a 13-point jump from the number who said the same in September, according to a statewide poll from Virginia Commonwealth University. But of the 827 adults interviewed, the most likely to say they’d receive it were also more likely to have a college degree and a family income of over $100,000 per year. Nearly 90% of residents in Northern Virginia, which includes affluent places like Great Falls and Arlington, said they’d receive the vaccine.
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** Groups Demand More Protection for Prisoners ([link removed])
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By SANDY HAUSMAN, WVTF

When COVID-19 was first reported at the Buckingham Correctional Center, 52-year-old Charles Zellers knew he was in trouble. He had high blood pressure and was overweight – two big risk factors for a deadly case of the disease. On March 26 he was exposed to an infected prison guard. On June 4th he was taken by ambulance to VCU’s Medical Center. “I couldn’t breathe. I needed somebody to come and get me with a wheelchair," he recalls. "The medical report says that I was admitted for respiratory failure and septic shock secondary to COVID-19.”
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** Sovah Health-Danville scaling back elective and non-urgent surgical cases ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

Sovah Health-Danville is scaling back its elective and non-urgent surgeries because of a rise in COVID-19 cases at the hospital. The facility is contacting patients to reschedule those procedures that require admission to the hospital, Sovah spokesperson Kelly Fitzgerald said in a news release Thursday.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** U.S. executes Cory Johnson for 1992 Richmond murders ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

After failed eleventh hour appeals, Cory Johnson was executed by injection Thursday night for the murders of seven people in Richmond in 1992. Johnson, 52, a member of the Newtowne crack cocaine gang, was put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, in Indiana. Scheduled for 6 p.m., the execution was delayed while he appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Associated Press reported he was pronounced dead at 11:34 p.m.
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** U.S. Executes Corey Johnson for 7 Murders in 1992 ([link removed])
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By HAILEY FUCHS, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

The Trump administration executed Corey Johnson on Thursday for a series of seven murders in 1992. He was the 12th federal inmate put to death under President Trump. Mr. Johnson committed the murders in the Richmond, Va., area to further a drug enterprise that trafficked large quantities of cocaine. Among his crimes were the shooting with a semiautomatic weapon of a rival drug dealer, the killing of a woman who had not paid for some crack cocaine and the shooting of a man at close range whom Mr. Johnson suspected of cooperating with the police.
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** Botetourt committee approves recommendation to move Civil War monument ([link removed])
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By TAD DICKENS, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

In 1903, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors responded to a Southern movement to honor the Civil War’s Confederate veterans. It approved a monument to the county’s 12 volunteer companies and the women who supported them. The obelisk went up the next year, in front of the county courthouse. In 2020, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors responded to a nationwide movement to remove such monuments. It created a committee of 16 county residents to ponder the landmark’s future.
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** Windsor to poll citizenry on monument ([link removed])
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By STEPHEN FALESKI, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Windsor plans to poll its citizenry on the idea of moving Isle of Wight County’s Confederate monument to the town’s municipal cemetery — surveys Mayor Glyn Willis acknowledged will cost the town approximately $1,000 if they are mailed with the town’s water bills. It will also delay the county’s final vote on whether to move the monument anywhere at all by at least 60 to 90 days.
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** Northampton Supervisors Vote To Remove Confederate Monument ([link removed])
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By STEFANIE JACKSON, Eastern Shore Post

Northampton supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday night to remove the Confederate monument from the historic courthouse green in Eastville, the county seat. “Most people who have defended the statue say that it was a monument honoring the Confederate dead. And if that is the case, then perhaps it should be in a cemetery,” said Vice Chair Betsy Mapp.
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** Virginia men arrested for gun offenses during Philly vote count face new election-interference charges ([link removed])
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By WILLIAM BENDER, Philadelphia Inquirer

Two Donald Trump supporters from Virginia who were arrested on weapons charges near the Pennsylvania Convention Center as votes from November’s election were being tabulated are facing additional election-related charges after a preliminary hearing Thursday. Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Charles Hayden dropped the gun charges against Joshua Macias, 42, a cofounder of Vets for Trump, because he had a gun permit in Virginia. Prosecutors said they disagreed and intended to refile those charges. But Hayden upheld the gun charges against codefendant Antonio LaMotta, 61, a bodyguard who had no permit.
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** Washington, D.C., under siege: Mathews finds itself in spotlight ([link removed])
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By SHERRY HAMILTON, Gazette-Journal

Mathews finds itself in the spotlight as the nation tries to make sense of what happened on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C. Two county residents—Doug Sweet and Cindy Fitchett—were among those arrested during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol building last Wednesday. Sweet has been interviewed by local, national, and international media outlets. To hear him tell it, he didn’t do much of anything to warrant all that.
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** Poor Mountain preserve expanded by nearly 400 acres ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Recent land purchases have expanded the Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve by nearly 400 acres. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which owns and manages the Roanoke County preserve, announced Thursday it has acquired four parcels that boost its total acreage to 1,326.
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** Cleanup efforts continue at U.S. Titanium Superfund Site in Piney River ([link removed])
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By NICK CROPPER, Nelson County Times

A federal cleanup effort has stretched into the new year as officials continue their assessment and necessary removal of hazardous materials at a former titanium mining and refining site in Piney River. In August, the Environmental Protection Agency began overseeing the removal of a dirt mound by the potentially responsible party at the U.S. Titanium Superfund Site located next to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail found off Virginia 151, a public notice released by the agency in August states.


** LOCAL
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** Arlington Public Schools Vaccination Effort Hits Tech Snag ([link removed])
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ArlNow

Arlington health officials are working to ramp up the pace of vaccinations, but the effort to vaccinate Arlington Public Schools staff has hit a snag. School staff are set to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1b of Virginia’s vaccination effort. But in a memo to APS employees this morning, Superintendent Francisco Durán acknowledged “frustration” over “technology issues [staff] encountered with the appointment process.”
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** Fairfax County Proposes Hazard Pay Bonus for Employees ([link removed])
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By ANGELA WOOLSEY, Reston Now

Fairfax County workers whose jobs put them at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 could receive a one-time hazard pay bonus of $1,500 if county leaders approve a proposal put forward on Tuesday (Jan. 12). Fairfax County Director of Human Resources Cathy Spage told the Board of Supervisors during its budget policy committee meeting that about 4,000 county employees would be eligible for the bonus, giving the proposal an overall estimated cost of $6.5 million.
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** Prince William County courthouse to be closed Tuesday, Wednesday for security threat ([link removed])
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Inside NOVA

The Prince William County courthouse will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 19 and Wednesday, Jan. 20 due to a security threat. The closure, announced Thursday, follows "credible evidence of a threat to the safety and security of the courthouse" at 9311 Lee Ave., in Manassas, and those in the courthouse, Prince William County Circuit Court Chief Judge Steven S. Smith said in an emergency decree.
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** Prince William’s upcoming redistricting process could result in new supervisor, school board seats ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

Every 10 years, state legislatures are charged with redrawing the political boundaries for the Virginia General Assembly and congressional districts, a process that has received lots of attention in Virginia last fall when voters approved the commonwealth’s first-ever bipartisan redistricting commission. Less well known is that Virginia’s counties and cities must also redraw the boundaries of their districts every 10 years and may decide whether to add new council or magisterial districts, a process that is left to the local elected officials, rather than the state legislature.
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** VSP authorized to aid investigation of Richmond’s contract to remove Confederate statues ([link removed])
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By BEN DENNIS, WAVY-TV

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has authorized state police to assist an investigation into Richmond’s contract to remove Confederate statues, according to the special prosecutor assigned to the case. Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tim Martin told 8News about the approval Thursday, after requesting Herring authorize state police assistance following Martin’s decision to investigate the $1.8 million contract–awarded to a political donor of Mayor Levar Stoney.
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** Williamsburg Regional Library closes buildings due to rising COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

The Williamsburg Regional Library is closing the Williamsburg and James City County libraries starting Friday because of the rising coronavirus cases in the Historic Triangle. “WRL leadership made the decision to temporarily close the library’s doors in the interest of public and staff safety,” according to the library’s news release announcing the closure. “This decision was taken after close consultation with local officials, and is in line with the actions of several other library systems in the region.”
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** King William candidates withdraw from Commissioner of the Revenue special election ([link removed])
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By EMILY HOLTER, Tidewater Review

King William County is set to hold a special election on Feb. 2 to fill its treasurer, commissioner of the revenue and School Board positions following recent resignations within the offices. But with just a month to go before Election Day, two candidates have dropped out of the three-person commissioner of the revenue race — leaving candidate Karena Funkhouser as the frontrunner.
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** Monacans offer commitments to water authority if project site is changed ([link removed])
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By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The Monacan Indian Nation is making formal commitments to the James River Water Authority if the agency ultimately decides to move a controversial water project away from the Point of Fork area in Fluvanna County. The tribe, through its attorneys, sent a letter to the authority board this week, to “provide assurances” to the authority and Louisa and Fluvanna counties’ boards of supervisors.
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** Monacans commit to work with water authority, with conditions ([link removed])
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By DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian

The Monacan Nation says it will drop claims of wrongdoing on the James River Water Project if its preferred consultant is hired and testing reveals few signs of human remains at an alternative site. In a letter presented to the James River Water Authority on Jan. 13, tribal attorney Marion Werkheiser wrote that the Monacans will still collaborate on plans to relocate the water pump station and pipeline upstream from the Rassawek site at Point of Fork, “even if [testing] indicates that other types of tribal cultural resources will be impacted, as expected.”
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** Augusta County solar project not in accord with comprehensive plan, per planning commission vote ([link removed])
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By LAURA PETERS, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)

The Augusta County solar project went before the planning commission Tuesday evening. The meeting was held in-person, streamed online and had three separate public hearings; including the solar project. Those in attendance maintained social distancing and wore masks, according to the live video feed.
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** Discipline cases in Amherst schools on massive decline ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN FAULCONER, Amherst New Era Progress

Of all the changes in a drastically different landscape of operating schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Amherst County Public Schools has noticed one positive one: a significant drop in discipline cases. From September through December 2019, the division had 1,717 discipline incidents, said Hollie Jennings, supervisor of discipline and compliance. During the same period this school year the school system has had 44 incidents, she said.
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** Casino, pandemic affect plans for second boutique hotel in Danville ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

The COVID-19 pandemic and an upcoming casino have developers of a second boutique hotel in Danville rethinking their plans. “It could be something other than the boutique hotel,” said Brent Cochran, one of the principals for the redevelopment plans at the Doctors Building on Main Street in Danville.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Poultry Federation
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On behalf of Virginia Poultry Federation ([link removed]) , Hobey Bauhan thanks General Assembly Members for their dedicated service.


** EDITORIALS
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** 10 questions ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

We have questions, lots and lots of questions. Our first category today: The fallout from the storming of the Capitol. 1. For those Republicans who voted against impeaching President Donald Trump (including the Roanoke Valley's Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith), if inciting an insurrectionist mob to storm the Capitol isn't sufficient grounds for impeachment, then what is? Should we now conclude that the impeachment clause of the Constitution is essentially meaningless?
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** Stand up to fight extremism in Virginia ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Among the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, one man stood out due to his “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt. Its celebration of the Holocaust sent a chilling message about the sort of people who invaded the seat of American government in support of President Donald Trump. Now comes word that the man is a Newport News resident. The anti-Semite next door. He was was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Wednesday on charges of violent entry of the Capitol without authority.
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** For Dels. Cole, LaRock and Campbell, the punishment fits the crime ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

When Virginians send elected officials to Richmond or Washington, they expect them to uphold the integrity of the offices they serve. Every member of the General Assembly takes and subscribes to the same oath of office: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me as ______ according to the best of my ability, (so help me God).” In recent weeks, we saw a handful of state delegates fall short of that responsibility.


** OP-ED
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** Crane: Expand electric vehicle options to benefit consumers, improve climate ([link removed])
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By KELSEY CRANE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

With Virginia’s 2021 General Assembly session starting this week, legislators are hearing a familiar song from the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association: They “fully support” electric vehicle (EV) adoption — but just not this year. Last year, VADA was loud and proud that pro-EV legislation was defeated “because of our [VADA’s] efforts.” This year, there are new talking points (“concerns regarding the timing,” let’s “study the issue”) but the same underlying message: Vote no.

Crane is the campaign and policy director for environmental nonprofit Sierra Club’s Virginia Chapter
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** Anderson: Supporting local small businesses to keep them afloat in the new year ([link removed])
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By MIKE ANDERSON, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

As Jackson & James, my small business, planned for 2020, we had high hopes for our third year in business. We were hitting our stride, zeroing in on our selection to meet demands, growing our customer base and learning from our mistakes. Then, like most small businesses, we were thrown a curveball with COVID-19. We felt it was our duty, and in everyone’s best interest, to close our doors for several months to help flatten the curve. We were lucky that we already had an online store in place, but our primary revenue source always has been from in-store purchases.

Anderson is the co-founder and co-owner of Jackson & James in Richmond.


** THE FRIDAY READ
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** Sea shanties are here to save us ([link removed])
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By TRAVIS M. ANDREWS, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

What’s your favorite sea shanty? Perhaps its “The Scotsman.” Maybe you’re more of a “Drunken Sailor” fan. But let’s be honest, it’s probably “The Wellerman.” . . . If this strikes you as an odd question to pose in 2021, then you haven’t spent much time online this week. Over the past few days, seemingly everyone on TikTok and Twitter paused their conversations about the chaos of early January to discuss … sea shanties. You know, the 18th-century working songs sung by sailors laboring on merchant ships.


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