By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
From the moment Dr. Cynthia Morrow’s mother heard that older people were eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in the Roanoke Valley, she’s lobbied hard for her shot. “My mother, every day when I come home, asks, ‘Is it my turn yet? Can’t you get me into one of those clinics?’” Morrow’s 89-year-old mother is asking the same question that hundreds, if not thousands, of elderly people in the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts asked of her and her colleagues last week. And they were just as frustrated by the answer: Just because you are eligible doesn’t mean there’s a dose waiting for you. It’s going to take time.
By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
Virginia will need mass community vaccination sites to reach the state’s goal of giving 50,000 shots a day to achieve “herd immunity” to COVID-19. But the state likely won’t get enough vaccines to make that happen until March or April, state officials said Saturday. That’s because the state’s current rate of vaccination supply, which is between 100,000 and 110,000 doses a week, likely won’t change until vaccines from new suppliers, such as Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, become available, said Dr. Daniel Carey, Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources, and Dr. Danny Avula, the Richmond physician overseeing the state’s vaccination efforts.
By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
That shot in the arm doesn’t come with a shield of invincibility. Health officials stress that getting the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t mean a person should immediately get rid of the face mask, go out to eat, hang with friends or hug their grandchildren. It can take up to two weeks after the first dose for the immune system to start to kick in, and full protection doesn’t come until about a week after the second dose, said Dr. Christopher Newman, chief medical officer at Mary Washington Healthcare.
By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
State Republican Party leaders on Saturday abruptly adjourned a meeting called to reconsider how the GOP will select its nominee for governor this year, angering participants who'd hoped to switch a planned convention to a primary. The party’s governing body had gathered in an online meeting to reconsider its December vote to hold a nominating convention instead of a statewide primary. But members of the State Central Committee never got the chance to vote on it, leaving the convention plan intact — at least for now.
By JONATHAN EDWARDS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
A state lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require local civilian leaders to give police departments approval before they could use facial recognition technology. Del. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, this week filed House Bill 2031, which would ban most law enforcement agencies from using such technology unless city or town leaders pass an ordinance authorizing its use.
By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury
As the 2021 General Assembly session begins, lawmakers are set to consider a slate of bills that aim to reform Virginia’s system of electric utility regulation with the goal of bringing down customer bills. “This work is an extension of the work we did last session to commit Virginia to massive clean energy investments,” said Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville. “There’s two pieces going on here: There’s confronting climate change and investing in clean energy. And then there’s doing it at a fair price.” More than a dozen legislators, largely from the House of Delegates but drawing on both sides of the aisle, are behind the push, which builds on a smaller handful of proposals put before the General Assembly in 2020.
By EVAN GOODENOW, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Instead of standing trial on Thursday in Frederick County Circuit Court, drive-by shooting suspect James Bailey McKeegan quarantined in a pod at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center due to a coronavirus outbreak at the jail. The same day, Frederick and Winchester general district courts remained closed for a fourth straight day due to a staffer contracting COVID-19. And on Jan. 11 in Clarke County Circuit Court, a probation revocation case involving a defendant facing up to six years imprisonment had to be delayed because Dustin Glen Johnson was stuck in the jail without access to a lawyer.
The Full Report
38 articles, 18 publications
The Virginia Public Access Project
At the start of each year, there is a flurry of fundraising before a ban on political donations takes place during the annual session of the state legislature. A state law that took effect this year requires candidates for statewide office and the General Assembly to disclose any donation over $1,000 received from January 1st until the start of the session. VPAP has posted lists of the top recipients.
The Virginia Public Access Project
Hopefuls for Governor raised $11 million in 2020, a record amount for the year before the election. Half of the money was raised by a single candidate, former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe. Republicans raised less than $2 million, the lowest amount since VPAP began keeping records in 1997. This interactive visual lets you see where things stood at the start of the last six gubernatorial cycles.
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.
By TOM JACKMAN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) announced Thursday that he is launching the state’s first Conviction Integrity Unit, to identify and overturn wrongful convictions. Such units have been created in dozens of local prosecutors’ offices across the country and have participated in hundreds of exonerations, but only a handful of state attorneys general have started them.
By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
When business owners across the commonwealth had to lay people off or make the financial decision to temporarily close, Hermie Sadler has kept his convenience stores in Southside open. He credits electronic gaming machines with helping his businesses get by as the coronavirus pandemic wrecks others. “In a dark time, they’ve been a bit of help in getting us through this,” Sadler said.
By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
When Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act last spring, many employers were required to offer two weeks of paid sick leave to anyone who got sick with COVID-19 or had to quarantine because they’d been exposed, and up to 12 weeks of partially paid family and medical leave for parents who had to stay home with a child whose school or day care closed. Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly unsuccessfully proposed different forms of family or sick leave last year.
By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury
The Virginia GOP’s central committee meeting ended abruptly Saturday as members continued a heated fight over whether they should pick their statewide nominees this year through a convention or an open primary. The committee had agreed in early December to hold a convention, but to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, a second vote was necessary to allow the event to proceed remotely with votes collected at drop off locations around the state. And, on Saturday, that vote failed.
By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe is in a dominant financial position in his bid to return to the Executive Mansion, according to reports compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. McAuliffe, governor from 2014 to 2018, raised nearly $6.2 million last year and had $5.5 million in cash as of the year-end financial report, far outpacing his Democratic and Republican rivals. McAuliffe, one of five Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in a June primary, first made his name in the national party as a prolific fundraiser.
By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Democrat Terry McAuliffe has more money for his comeback campaign for Virginia governor than all of his Republican and Democratic rivals combined, according to end-of-year fundraising totals released Saturday. McAuliffe, who left office in January 2018, had $5.5 million in cash on hand as of Dec. 31, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
By JACLYN BARTON THE (WAYNESBORO) NEWS VIRGINIAN AND MIKE GANGLOFF THE ROANOKE TIMES, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Demonstrators on Saturday called for Western Virginia’s congressional representatives to resign, connecting Republican opposition to election results to the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol. At peaceful events in Staunton and Salem, protesters chanted and waved signs to show their disapproval of U.S. Reps. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, and Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
By SIMONE MCKENNY, WHSV
For the second week in a row, residents from the Shenandoah Valley are rallying for Congressman Ben Cline to resign. “I think that people are very upset about Mr. Cline violating his oath of office by lying about what was a free and fair election,” said rally organizer, William Walker. Cline represents the sixth district in the commonwealth of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives.
By IAN MUNRO, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, has been named one of the new members to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, according to federal documents. The committee is responsible for government funding of operations and made of 12 subcommittees currently with 30 Democrats and 23 Republicans.
By ZACH MERCHANT, WUSA
With DC preparing for an inauguration featuring security like no other, some lawmakers hope the event marks a return to some normalcy for the city. If all goes according to plan, Wednesday's inauguration will be the culmination of a turbulent two weeks — and a chance to turn the page on them — for legislators like Virginia Democrat Don Beyer. "The alarms went off, the public affairs system — they said pull the curtains, lock the doors, turn off the lights," said Beyer, recalling the events of January 6th.
By CHARLES PAULLIN, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
A local distillery and its owner have been indicted by a Shenandoah County grand jury on 115 counts of charges relating to dumping over 40,000 gallons of industrial waste into a stream. Filibuster Distillery LLC, located at 80 Maurertown Mill Road, Maurertown, was charged with 47 counts of discharging industrial waste without a permit into a state water, one count of discharging industrial waste into a publicly owned waste treatment works, and one count of altering state water without a permit and making it detrimental to public health.
By JOE DASHIELL, WDBJ
Governor Ralph Northam has proposed a $50 million budget amendment that would help extend passenger rail service to the New River Valley. On Friday, Virginia Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine said negotiations with Norfolk Southern are very close to producing an agreement. Valentine briefed members of the House Appropriations Committee during a virtual meeting.
By STAFF REPORT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Amtrak announced Saturday that it’s canceling all Northeast Regional trains south of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday and Wednesday, which includes all Virginia stations. “After last week’s violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, we are taking extra steps to continue ensuring the safety of our employees and customers in Washington, D.C., and across our network as we prepare for the inauguration,” Amtrak officials said in a news release.
By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Avast majority of employees at Virginia Tech and Radford University say they’re likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available. More than 87% of Tech employees and 81% of Radford employees are interested in being vaccinated, according to surveys conducted by the universities’ human resources departments. Another 4% of Radford employees said they have already been vaccinated and 9% are undecided, per preliminary results of Radford’s survey, which closes Monday.
By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
Virginia set a daily record for new cases on Saturday, then blew that record out of the water on Sunday as almost 10,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a single day. Across the state, an additional 9,914 people tested positive for the virus in Sunday’s report, a day after Virginia recorded 6,757 new cases.
By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
More than a month after coronavirus vaccines hit the market, a little less than 3% of Virginians have received all or part of the two-shot series. Gov. Ralph Northam defended the state’s roll out of vaccines at a news conference Thursday, saying Virginia had delivered all of its supplies to 160 vaccination sites statewide. The statement implied the sluggish pace of putting shots in arms falls predominantly on those who have received the products from the state — mostly hospitals.
By BRIAN BREHM, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
The COVID-19 pandemic has been in the Northern Shenandoah Valley for 10 months, but has never posed a greater threat than right now. Winchester Emergency Management Director Scott Kinsenger told City Council on Tuesday the number of people in the Northern Shenandoah Valley testing positive for the coronavirus “is climbing at an exorbitant rate, as well as the number of deaths to our citizens.”
By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The federal government’s reversal on a promise that states would receive higher numbers of vaccine doses next week to help expand access has stunted Virginia’s chances of meeting demand anytime soon. With the current supply at 110,000 doses per week, and vaccine eligibility widening Thursday to include nearly half the state, it would take Virginia nine months to get through phase two — and that’s if all those doses are given out the same week they’re distributed.
By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine
Virginia public health officials said Saturday that the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses sent to the state is likely to decrease — possibly by a significant amount — because the federal government does not have the reserve of doses it had said were being held back for second shots. Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator, said it is not clear how large the decrease will be in coming weeks.
By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times
As new COVID-19 cases reported in the Prince William Health District soared to unprecedented highs Sunday, local officials had bad news to share about local distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. A nationwide shortage in supply will likely mean a weeks-long delay in shots for those who don’t already have an appointment for a vaccination. According to Prince William Health District memo sent to elected officials Sunday morning and obtained by the Prince William Times, the health district has filled its available appointments for vaccinations through mid-February, and is now creating a waiting list for eligible residents who contact them to register for a vaccination.
By RENSS GREENE, Loudoun Now
With efforts gearing up to vaccinate a large part of its population now that eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine has been expanded to more people, Loudoun County will receive more doses from the state and open a third vaccination site. The third mass vaccination site follows the first vaccination site in eastern Loudoun and a second opened in cooperation with the school system, where school nurses are working on getting teachers vaccinated.
By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Virginia Beach’s mayor says the COVID-19 vaccine is not being distributed fast enough and the state’s coordination efforts have been “extremely frustrating and disappointing.” On Wednesday, Mayor Bobby Dyer wrote a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam asking him to fix the issues that are slowing the process. Dyer said the city has received little information about the plan for distributing the rest of the vaccines, and the Health Department has failed to answer direct questions about the number of vaccinations available.
By CHARLES WILBORN, Danville Register & Bee
Just halfway through January, the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District has already shattered the record for the most COVID-19 cases recorded in a month. And forecasts indicate it’s going to get worse. Danville and Pittsylvania County combined have added 1,604 cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus this month, surpassing the 1,536 recorded in December. The infections are expected to continue rising and perhaps peak in mid-February, according to researchers at the University of Virginia.
By LAURA MECKLER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
A 22-year-old Virginia man whose Facebook page features a photo from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was arrested near the Capitol complex Sunday, and police said he was carrying three high-capacity magazines, 37 rounds of unregistered ammunition and a Glock 22 firearm. The arrest of Guy Berry of Gordonsville, Va., was reported by D.C. police and confirmed by his aunt, who said she was his primary caregiver when he was a child and who asked not to be named to protect her privacy.
By JESSICA CONTRERA, CAROL D. LEONNIG AND KATIE METTLER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
A Virginia man was arrested after law enforcement found at least one firearm and ammunition in his truck as he tried to enter an inauguration security checkpoint near the Capitol on Friday evening with a credential that was not authorized, according to court documents. Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal drove his Ford F-150 up to a checkpoint on E Street, northeast of the Capitol, where he was met by Capitol Police officers, according to the court documents.
By JESSICA NOLTE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
In a Facebook post, a fishing charter captain from Virginia Beach said he was tear gassed last week before entering the U.S. Capitol. He said law enforcement killed a woman in front of him. Prosecutors are now using Jacob G. Hiles’ words against him, arguing those posts prove he violated federal law Jan. 6 when a mob violently breached the legislature as lawmakers voted to certify the presidential election, according to federal court documents filed Friday.
By STACY SHAW, Bristow Beat
Prince William School Board member Lillie Jessie is advocating that the Superintendent close schools to allow nurses to administer first round of vaccinations to staff. The Occoquan School Board member said it would a short-term sacrifice that would make it possible for students to return to in-person learning sooner. She explains it would also protect the health of educators and employees more immediately than waiting for the current plan.
Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Historians will love Donald Trump even if they hate him: He will leave a legacy that will be talked about for a long time. His term began by smashing the paradigm of who could be elected president; it effectively ended with some of his supporters smashing the Capitol. Whatever accomplishments Trump managed will forever be overshadowed by the violence of Jan. 6.
By JENNIFER MCCLELLAN, JENNIFER BOYSKO ,BARBARA FAVOLA, AND PATRICK HOPE, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Virginia is moving towards becoming a safe haven for those seeking an abortion and reproductive healthcare, but its citizens on Medicaid, state exchange insurance, and in prison lack critical access to reproductive healthcare. Out of the many lessons this pandemic has taught us, one has to be the reaffirmation that those with the most to lose are hit the hardest in times of crisis.
McClellan, Boysko, Favola, and Hope are Democratic legislators in the General Assembly. McClellan is from Richmond; the others are from Northern Virginia.
By DEBORAH OSWALT, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Although Virginia ranks near the top of a variety of national indicators, it ranks poorly (37th) in access to mental health services. This was a documented concern long before the COVID-19 pandemic. Community health needs assessments done every three years by Virginia’s nonprofit hospitals consistently have identified lack of access to mental health services as the top unmet need. In addition, 66% of the state has been designated a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA).
Oswalt is founding executive director of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, a public-private partnership initiated by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care in 1992.
By DAWN M. ADAMS, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Since the 19th century, nurses have been at the forefront of health care, answering the call to ensure the well-being of the people within their communities. As we confront the dire health workforce challenges of this century, nurses have stepped up to become highly educated, clinically competent experts to meet the increasing health demand of patients. As a nurse practitioner myself and a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates, I can say that a lot has changed in modern nursing.
Adams, D-Richmond, represents the 68th district in the Virginia House of Delegates
By PORTER BRANNON, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Part of the Thomas Nelson Community College Mission is to change lives, empower students to succeed, and enhance the civic and economic vitality of the Peninsula. Yet, too often, the ability to complete that mission is hindered by students’ financial constraints — constraints that can make the difference for students in both attending and completing college. The global COVID-19 pandemic further distressed the fragile finances of many potential students who may now face greater challenges.
Brannon is the president of Thomas Nelson Community College with campuses in Hampton and Williamsburg.
By DUANE HARDY, KEITH JONES, JAMES PAGE AND MARVIN D. WARNER, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The events of the past year have compelled us to think deeply about Virginia’s legacy of racial oppression and terror, giving our state the opportunity to move towards healing and reconciliation. Reconciliation requires an acknowledgement of past wrongs, and a restoration of trust between those who have been harmed and those who have caused harm. One of our state’s most egregious wrongs has been the devaluation of Black life through the execution of hundreds of Black residents, sometimes for petty crimes, and other times for no crimes at all.
Hardy is co-chair of the Social Justice Committee of Henrico Ministers’ Conference; Jones is president of the Tidewater Metro Baptist Ministers’ Conference; Page is co-chair of the Virginia UMC Board of Church and Society; Warner serves in Danville.
By SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
In a year in which American constitutional democracy has faced the dual challenges of COVID-19 and false attacks on our elections’ legitimacy, one of the essential lessons has been the paramount importance of making it easy and secure for people to vote. As essayist Adam Gopnik recently noted, “The way to shore up American democracy, is to shore up American democracy.” Even if we never face another pandemic in our lifetime, the election reinforced how much easier and more effective it is to allow people to vote early and by mail.
VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, represents the 72nd District in the House of Delegates.
By TERRY MCAULIFFE, published in Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Amid a global pandemic, you have a choice: Pay for your lifesaving prescription medication or put food on your family’s table. Which do you choose? This is the harsh reality in the commonwealth, where nearly 1 in 4 Virginians stops taking prescriptions as directed because they can’t afford them. That is unconscionable, and it’s the clear consequence of a broken, predatory drug-pricing system that puts profits first. If elected Virginia’s next governor, I will fight to ensure no Virginian is faced with this choice.
McAuliffe, a Democrat, served as Virginia’s governor from 2014 to 2018 and is a candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination this year.
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