VaNews
January 20, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** Hefty Wiley & Gore
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Representing Virginia localities and providing state government relations services since 1994.
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Top of the News


** Va. lawmakers begin taking up dozens of election bills amid swirl of conspiracies ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

A 7 a.m. subcommittee discussion on the finer points of election administration isn’t normally the type of Virginia General Assembly meeting that leads to anger and hurt feelings. But with the nation still reeling over departing President Donald Trump’s myriad falsehoods about the 2020 election and the Capitol mob that believed them, these are not normal times. As Republican delegates pitched ideas early Tuesday morning for how Virginia could reduce confusion and restore public confidence in the election system, some Democrats made clear they weren’t particularly interested in hearing how the party of Trump plans to fix a Trump-driven problem.
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** Not so fast on marijuana legalization in Virginia, group says ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A coalition of medical experts, law enforcement officials and community leaders launched a push Tuesday to block the legalization of marijuana in Virginia, citing risks of overdose, driver impairment and youth addiction. “Marijuana legalization poses a great threat to safety,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told reporters during a press conference via Zoom as a Senate subcommittee gathered to consider proposed legislation to loosen restrictions on the substance. “It makes the roads dangerous for us to drive on.” Their announcement came a week after Gov. Ralph Northam pushed language to legalize marijuana sales with the backing of state Sens. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria.
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** Two Virginia GOP delegates stripped of committees for claiming election fraud demand to be reinstated ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER AND LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Virginia Senate took action Tuesday to sanction a Republican member who praised the U.S. Capitol rioters as "patriots," while two GOP members of the House of Delegates complained that their punishment for seeking to "nullify" the state's slate of presidential electors amounted to stifling free speech. Just a day before President-elect Joe Biden was to take office in Washington, the impact of President Trump's attempt to hold onto power and his followers' attack on the U.S. Capitol this month continued to reverberate two hours down the road in Richmond.
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** Virginia bill would end civil commitment of sex offenders ([link removed])
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By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

Two Virginia Democratic lawmakers are spearheading a push to repeal a decades-old law that allows the state to hold certain sex offenders at psychiatric facilities indefinitely after their criminal sentences if they are deemed “sexually violent predators.” Critics say civil commitment laws are fundamentally unfair and violate the constitutional prohibition against punishing someone twice for the same crime. Supporters counter that the laws protect society from repeat offenders who are unable to control their behavior.
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** Settlement reached in case of Virginia inmate allegedly held in solitary for more than 12 years ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A settlement has been reached in a suit filed by the ACLU of Virginia and others on behalf of a non-English-speaking, mentally ill inmate who allegedly was held in solitary confinement for more than a dozen years. Under the terms of the agreement, Nicolas Reyes, 55, a native of El Salvador, will be paid $115,000 in compensation for alleged damages — what the ACLU contends were "the horrors of solitary confinement."
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** Mary Washington giving vaccine bonuses as older residents are frustrated by system ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

While older residents of the Rappahannock Area Health District are registering by the thousands to express their interest in getting vaccinated against COVID-19—and becoming ever more frustrated because they haven’t gotten appointments—Mary Washington Healthcare is paying its workers to take the shot.
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** Prince William middle school teacher placed on leave after telling students he attended U.S. Capitol protest ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

A teacher at Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge has been placed on leave after appearing to tell his students during a Zoom class last week that he was present at the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. A student in the class took a video of the teacher, Benjamin Plummer, talking about his experience during the incident and shared the video on social media. The principal of the school then sent a letter to parents on Friday, Jan. 15, saying that Plummer had been placed on leave.
The Full Report
58 articles, 30 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Dissecting Donations to Statewide Candidates ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Where did candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General raise campaign contributions last year? This interactive visual shows the percentage of money that each candidate raised from seven types of sources, ranging from small-dollar donors who gave $100 or less to businesses that lobby the General Assembly. There's also an option to view each category by dollar amount.
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** VPAP Visual Reversal of Fortune ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

In the first year since taking control in both chambers of the Virginia legislature, Democrats have turned the fundraising tables on Republicans. This visual shows the off-year totals raised by incumbent state legislators during the last decade.
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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 calls FEMA denial ‘a slap in the face’ ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

In a tweet Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam decried the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of federal funding for the Virginia National Guard presence at the U.S. Capitol as a “slap in the face” by President Donald Trump. “Virginia was there to defend the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — and we are committed to ensuring a peaceful transfer of power tomorrow. Now, the same president who incited this terrorism has denied us support in our efforts to stop it,” the governor tweeted. “A slap in the face.”


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Senate panel chafes at proposed Virginia ABC oversight of legal marijuana market ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia lawmakers face a heavy lift when it comes to the creation of a legal marijuana market, the cornerstone of a proposal by Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration to legalize the drug in the state. Who should oversee that market and the regulations that would rule it became an early source of debate between the administration and senators, some of whom argued Tuesday that a new agency should be responsible for the industry and that the legislature should decide who sits on the boards that would guide the process.
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** House hears proposals to limit governor’s power during emergencies ([link removed])
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By EMMA DAVIS, VCU Capital News Service

Two constitutional amendments that would limit executive power and give the General Assembly more authority during states of emergency were heard by a Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee Monday. The privileges and elections constitutional amendments subcommittee held a voice vote ​to pass by the amendments for two weeks. The committee ​will vote on all constitutional amendments heard this session on Feb. 1. Del. Tony Wilt, ​R-Harrisonburg​, filed ​HJ 513​ to require the governor to get ​approval from the General Assembly to issue a state of emergency that restricts the operations of private businesses, nonprofit entities or people for more than 45 days.
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** Senate panel backs $4 increase in vehicle registration fees to boost state police salaries ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia State Police won the first round of its annual push for money to boost pay and correct salary inequities that it blames for an escalating exodus of troopers from the law enforcement agency's ranks. The Senate Finance Committee voted 12-3 on Tuesday for legislation, proposed by Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, to tack a $4 fee on vehicle registrations to generate almost $29 million a year for a new public safety trust fund to boost trooper salaries, including those of veteran employees who lag behind new hires for compensation. Separately, a House transportation subcommittee voted 7-1 on Tuesday to endorse an identical bill filed by Del. Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth.
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** Bill Seeks to Ban Guns on Capitol Square, Adjacent Streets ([link removed])
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By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE-FM

A committee of the Virginia House of Delegates will consider a bill to outlaw the possession of firearms on Capitol Square and surrounding streets. This comes a day after small groups of armed pro-gun activists gathered near the Capitol building on state property, where a city ordinance banning guns at public events wouldn’t apply. “If you want to persuade me or you want to unelect me, there’s nothing more American than that,” said Del. Mark Levine, a Democrat from Alexandria, who introduced the bill. “But I’m really tired of people thinking that if they have a gun, they get to make the rules.”
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** Bill that would have made college athletic fees optional fails to gain approval ([link removed])
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By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A bill that would have made college athletics fees optional for students in Virginia failed to gain approval Monday in the senate higher education subcommittee. A college’s athletics fee typically pays for a student’s admission to intercollegiate sporting events and ranges from $326 annually at Virginia Tech to $3,650 at Virginia Military Institute. Students are required to pay whether they attend games or not.
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** Legislation aims to reduce barriers for energy storage projects ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

In 2020, lawmakers seeking to speed the development of renewables and wean Virginia off fossil fuels made a host of changes to state law that aimed to smooth local approvals of large-scale solar farms. This year, they’re wielding the same tools to encourage the growth of energy storage. “This is really a logical next step,” said Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, a patron of one of the measures. “Battery storage is a key element in the broader clean energy picture.”
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** Legislation Aims to Clear Up Confusion About Conservation Easements ([link removed])
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By JAHD KHALIL, WVTF

The General Assembly is considering bills this session that would regulate the way courts rule on disputes over conservation easements, a type of contract that protects privately-held land in pursuit of conservation goals. . . . Last session Gov Northam’s administration supported a bill that would have had courts err on the side of the conservation organization that holds easements, but the bill stalled and wasn’t passed. The bills in this year's session, introduced by Delegate Michael Webert and Senator Chap Petersen, say that courts should interpret ambiguity in favor of the easement's original intent instead.
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** Stripped of committee assignment, Delegate Cole pushes for voter ID ([link removed])
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By RICK HORNER, Potomac Local (Subscription Required)

Delegate Mark Cole (R-Spotsylvania, Stafford) was recently removed from the House Privileges and Elections Committee in Richmond after signing his name a letter that cast doubt on the results of the Presidential Election on November 3. . . . In spite of the rebuke, Cole is introducing several house bills that will tackle several issues, two of those bills will deal with voting policy.
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** Loudoun, Winchester NAACP Push for LaRock’s Ouster ([link removed])
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Loudoun Now

The leaders of the Loudoun and Winchester Area chapters of the NAACP this morning worked to turn up the heat on efforts to push Del. Dave LaRock (R-33) from office for his participation in the Jan. 6 rally for President Trump in Washington, DC, which led to a violent insurrection. A group of NAACP representatives gathered in front of the Loudoun County Government Center in Leesburg to denounce LaRock’s words and actions leading up to that rally, the deadly riot that followed, and his defense of those actions since then.
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** Loudoun Co. board votes in favor of calling for resignation of Del. Dave LaRock ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors in Virginia voted early Wednesday in favor of a resolution that calls for the resignation of Del. Dave LaRock, who represents portions of Loudoun, Clarke and Frederick counties. Chair-At-Large Phyllis Randall and supervisor Juli Briskman had been critical of LaRock’s comments and actions about the 2020 presidential election. The resolution focuses on the Republican’s repeated statements that the 2020 election was “rigged” and fraudulent votes were cast.
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** Senate panel advances censure of Sen. Amanda Chase; Senate strips her last committee ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A Virginia Senate committee voted along party lines on Tuesday to back the censure of Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, for allegedly supporting an insurrection by supporters of President Donald Trump in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol while Congress was certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
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** Virginia Senate moves to censure lawmaker over Capitol riot ([link removed])
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By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

The Virginia Senate is advancing a resolution to censure a GOP lawmaker for “fomenting insurrection against the United States,” saying she helped incite the storming of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. A Senate committee voted Tuesday to approve the censure resolution against Sen. Amanda Chase, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump who attended the president’s rally before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
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** Senate lawmakers strip Chase of her last committee assignment ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER AND GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

Lawmakers in the Virginia Senate stripped Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, of her last committee assignment Tuesday. The post — a seat on the chamber’s typically sleepy panel on local government — is hardly sought after. But the decision, pushed by Democrats seeking to punish Chase for her support of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, prompted a half hour of debate as some in the GOP worried about the precedent the decision might set.
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** Progressives Are Ready To Strengthen Labor Unions In Virginia. Moderate Democrats, Not So Much ([link removed])
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By ALLY SCHWEITZER, DCist

More than a year after Democrats took control of Virginia’s legislature, a law loathed by labor unions is still on the books. Del. Lee Carter (D-Manassas) says that’s not an oversight. Many Virginia Democrats continue to protect the commonwealth’s 74-year-old “right to work” law, says Carter, a self-identified socialist who is seeking to repeal the statute during the new legislative session that began last week. This will mark the third time that Carter has sought to overturn the law, which weakens labor unions by allowing workers to opt out of paying dues even if they’re covered by a union contract.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** 6 GOP Va. Senate hopefuls discuss issues ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

On Thursday, voters across Virginia’s 38th Senatorial District will head to eight makeshift polling places to select a Republican nominee for the March 23 special election. At stake, the unexpired portion, nearly three years, of the term of former Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Lebanon, who died Jan. 1. The seat has been in Republican hands for six years and is expected to remain there, as no Democratic candidate has yet emerged. The state filing deadline is Friday.
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** GOP candidate for SWVA special senate election to be chosen Thursday ([link removed])
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By BIANCA MARAIS, WJHL-TV

The 38th Senate Legislative District Republican Committee will host a canvass vote on Thursday for voters to select the GOP candidate for the special election in March to fill the late Sen. Ben Chafin’s seat. “It’s a party-run process, and it’s how we will determine who the Republican nominee will be,” Jack Morgan, 38th Legislative District Chair told News Channel 11’s Bianca Marais.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia Department of Labor investigating Richmond buses' COVID safety measures ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Just days after GRTC announced the second death of an employee due to COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry opened an investigation looking into a complaint that the transit company is not adequately enforcing health safety regulations. GRTC CEO Julie Timm on Tuesday disclosed that the department was looking into the complaint and the death. “We’ll of course need to wait for the investigation ... but our internal assessment did not find any relation to the work environment that causes death,” Timm said during a GRTC Board of Directors meeting.
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** In purge of Confederates, Virginia plans to rename Camp Pendleton ([link removed])
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By JEFF SOUTH, Virginia Mercury

Camp Pendleton, the state military reservation in Virginia Beach named for a Confederate general, likely will be renamed soon. Next month, a panel of state officials plans to recommend a new name for the Virginia National Guard training facility, which was named for William Nelson Pendleton, a Virginian who served as Gen. Robert E. Lee’s chief of artillery. Gov. Ralph Northam has “directed his administration to review and recommend a replacement name for Camp Pendleton,” Alena Yarmosky, the governor’s press secretary, said in an email last this week.


** CONGRESS
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** Warner tackling tension between White House, intelligence agencies ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

On the Senate’s first day back Tuesday, looking ahead to Joe Biden’s inauguration, Sen. Mark Warner found himself again focused on one of the most contentious areas of the past four years — tension between the White House and intelligence agencies. And, he said, he walked out of the Intelligence Committee’s hearings in a novel frame of mind. “I’m feeling encouraged,” he said.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Virginia's economic development posts 'solid year' despite pandemic, but recovery uneven ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia just completed "a really solid year for economic development, despite the pandemic," but the state's ongoing economic recovery is leaving behind many of the people hurt the most, the architect of the state program said Tuesday, Stephen Moret, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, said Virginia has recovered more than half of the jobs that it lost after the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, but not in many of the businesses that employ people who have lost the most - people with low education, and women and people of color who work in low-wage jobs in the hospitality and other sectors.
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** Intertape Polymer expanding in Pittsylvania County, will create 50 new jobs ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. plans to expand its Pittsylvania County manufacturing operation and create 50 new jobs, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday afternoon.
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** In a rare rebuke, FERC fails to approve Mountain Valley Pipeline's proposal ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Federal regulators hit the brakes Tuesday on a request to speed up construction of a portion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, throwing another wrench into the problematic project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission deadlocked 2-2 on Mountain Valley’s request to bore under streams and wetlands along the pipeline’s first 77 miles in West Virginia.
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** GE alleges Siemens Energy used stolen trade secrets to rig contract bids ([link removed])
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By MIKE SPECTOR, Reuters

General Electric Co accused a Siemens Energy AG subsidiary of using stolen trade secrets to rig bids for lucrative contracts supplying gas turbines to public utilities, and cover up improper business gains totaling more than $1 billion, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday....In the course of GE’s bid for business with Dominion, the lawsuit alleges, a senior Dominion employee started sending to a Siemens account manager confidential business information GE had submitted. The information also included Dominion’s analysis of all bids, giving Siemens a “blueprint” to win contracts worth up to $340 million with the utility for the business, known as the Peakers Project, GE alleged.
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** BH Media enters agreement to sell Daily Progress building ([link removed])
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Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

BH Media Group, former owner of The Daily Progress, has entered into an agreement to sell the newspaper’s headquarters at 685 Rio Road West, according to Peter Yates, president and director of sales and marketing for The Progress. Following the sale and a renovation of the building, The Progress will occupy a portion of the building under a long-term lease with the buyer.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Dashboards track COVID-19 cases, outbreaks at Virginia colleges ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Two new data dashboards aim to track COVID-19 cases and outbreaks at Virginia’s colleges and universities. The Virginia Department of Health unveiled an outbreak dashboard Tuesday to raise awareness of how the virus has spread at institutions of higher education. The department also highlighted a new dashboard hosted by colleges that contain overall case numbers.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Chesapeake, Hampton set coronavirus case records as Virginia continues to grapple with holiday surge ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The coronavirus surge from Christmas and New Year’s is not over yet. The number of new cases in Virginia continues to swell, more than two weeks into 2021. Nearly 29,000 new coronavirus cases were reported over the holiday weekend, including 4,526 new cases overnight. On Saturday, 6,757 cases were reported, 9,914 on Sunday, 7,245 on Monday and 4,526 on Tuesday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
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** Peninsula leaders say they’re ‘frustrated’ about vaccinations ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, DAVE RESS AND LISA VERNON SPARKS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Weeks into Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination effort, leaders across the Peninsula say they’re concerned by a lack of availability in the area. Some health districts in other parts of the state have already started vaccinating Phase 1b recipients, the second group of people to eligible to receive the vaccine. It includes first responders, teachers, other essential workers and anyone age 65 or over.
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** County official: At current rate, COVID-19 vaccinations for priority groups will take months ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

Local COVID-19 vaccine distribution is more limited than expected this week, and county officials are now warning that it could take months to vaccinate priority groups in the Prince William Health District. Prince William County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Misner detailed the health district’s vaccination efforts in a presentation to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Tuesday, saying the slow vaccination rate is “the unfortunate reality of the situation.”
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** Blacksburg's Warm Hearth begins COVID-19 inoculation drive ([link removed])
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By TONIA MOXLEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Mardi Gras is next month, but a little bit of carnival spirit swirled around Warm Hearth Village Tuesday. It was the second day of COVID-19 vaccination clinics on the 200-acre senior living campus. And while the balloons and the beaded necklaces were fun, the syringes were the center of the celebration.
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** Private providers to begin vaccinating older, vulnerable patients in the Roanoke Valley ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Some independent health care providers in the Roanoke Valley will begin this week vaccinating their patients who are most vulnerable to poor outcomes from COVID-19. Dr. Cynthia Morrow, director of the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, said Tuesday that doctors and pharmacies are receiving 650 doses this week under the condition that they must use them all within the week and file reports showing they were used.
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** Roanoke Health Director: Limited Vaccine Supply is "Heartbreaking" ([link removed])
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By DAVID SEIDEL, WVTF

The director of the Roanoke City-Alleghany Health District called the limited COVID-19 vaccine capacity "heartbreaking." And Dr. Cynthia Morrow said an increase in supply is not expected until late March. Morrow urged patience during a weekly call with reporters. She noted that the region is only in the second week of expanded vaccine eligibility. But Morrow said the frustration from people who are eager to get vaccinated is justified. "We too are frustrated that we have neither the vaccine supply nor the infrastructure to vaccinate everybody at once," she said.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** U.S. files conspiracy charge against Oath Keeper leader in alleged plot against the Capitol ([link removed])
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By SPENCER S. HSU, TOM JACKMAN AND DEVLIN BARRETT, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

U.S. authorities have leveled the first conspiracy charge against an apparent leader of an extremist group in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, arresting an alleged Oath Keeper who is accused of plotting to disrupt the electoral vote confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory and proposing further assaults on state capitols. Thomas Edward Caldwell, 66, of Clarke County, Va., was taken into custody before 7 a.m. on four federal counts, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States in the attack on the Capitol. The conspiracy charge is reserved for offenses interfering with or obstructing the lawful operation of government.
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** ‘This Kettle Is Set to Boil’: New Evidence Points to Riot Conspiracy ([link removed])
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By CHARLIE SAVAGE, ADAM GOLDMAN AND NEIL MACFARQUHAR, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

In the days leading up to the Jan. 6 riot, Thomas Edward Caldwell, an apparent leader of the far-right Oath Keepers, had a message for the militia members he had organized to mobilize against Congress: “This kettle is set to boil.” Court documents unsealed on Tuesday said Mr. Caldwell, a 66-year-old from rural Virginia, advised the others on Dec. 31, “It begins for real Jan 5 and 6 on Washington D.C. when we mobilize in the streets. Let them try to certify some crud on capitol hill with a million or more patriots in the streets.”
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** Insurrectionist suspect active in local politics ([link removed])
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By EVAN GOODENOW, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Insurrectionist suspect and alleged far-right militia member Thomas Edward Caldwell is active in Clarke County Republican politics. Caldwell and his wife Sharon are constituents of Del. Dave LaRock, R-Hamilton, who said on Tuesday that he has known them since he took office in 2014. "Tom is a wonderful man. He and Sharon have been very supportive of me," said LaRock, who represents Virginia's 33rd District, which includes parts of Clarke, Frederick and Loudoun counties.
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** Coast Guard closes Potomac and Anacostia rivers as a precaution ([link removed])
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By BRUCE LESHAN, WUSA

Thousands of people have contacted law enforcement with tips since the insurrection at the Capitol, including a Virginia woman who suspected she might have spotted rioters planning to invade Washington by boat. The Coast Guard says it's ready for that possibility, but has no intel suggesting it will really happen. . . . Dozens of small boats and a large cutter are cruising the Potomac River and the Anacostia River, with 240-caliber fully automatic rifles mounted to their bows, and heavily armed Coast Guardsmen aboard.
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** Teacher on leave after video circulates defending mob march ([link removed])
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By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press

A northern Virginia middle school teacher has been placed on leave after he apparently told students in a virtual classroom that he attended the Jan. 6 mob march on the Capitol and described it as a peaceful event. The short video circulating on social media appears to show Benjamin Plummer, a teacher and soccer coach at Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge, talking to students about the Jan. 6 march and attack on the Capitol.
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** Virginia Beach man charged with entering U.S. Capitol during riots turns himself in ([link removed])
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By JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A Virginia Beach man charged with being part of a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier this month was ordered released on a personal recognizance bond Tuesday after turning himself in to the FBI. Jacob “Jake” Hiles surrendered Tuesday morning at the FBI office in Chesapeake, spokeswoman Christina Pullen said.
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** Two Virginia Police officers charged in connection with Capitol riots appear in federal court ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL RUIZ AND JAKE GIBSON, Fox News

Two Virginia police officers accused of making off-duty appearances at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were ordered to give up their firearms by a federal judge Tuesday. Officer Jacob Fracker and Sgt. Thomas Robertson, of Rocky Mount, Va., are both accused of trespassing at the Capitol and taking part in the riot. Their department placed each of them on administrative leave. Government prosecutors did not seek to detain either of the men but did ask that their travel be restricted and that they not be allowed to possess any firearms during a virtual hearing. The judge agreed and restricted both men from possessing firearms or traveling outside of Virginia.
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** Phase 2 of the First Baptist Church archaeological project begins; foundations donate millions ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLE RENTE, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

The excavation of the First Baptist Church on Nassau Street continues to make progress in unearthing the story of the church’s early congregants and their worship experience. This month, Colonial Williamsburg archaeologists launched a second, 18-month phase of excavation. . . . Colonial Williamsburg announced the receipt of a sum of nearly $3 million in philanthropic support.


** LOCAL
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** As schools secure more vaccines for staff, teachers' union says in-person classes are still unsafe ([link removed])
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Prince William Times

Prince William County schools announced Tuesday it has secured about 3,000 COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers and staff over the next two weeks – enough to cover just fewer than half of the 7,000 staff members currently working in county schools. The move will speed up the vaccination process by a few weeks for about a quarter for the school division’s total 12,000 staff members, all of whom were already scheduled to have access to vaccinations at INOVA Fairfax hospital beginning on Saturday, Jan. 30.
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** Proposed zoning changes would make homeless shelters easier to open in Richmond ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

New homeless shelters cannot open in any Richmond zoning district by right. That would change under a proposal Mayor Levar Stoney’s administration is advancing. The Stoney administration has proposed a slate of changes to the city zoning code that would make it easier for property owners seeking to open and operate new emergency, transitional or permanent supportive housing without first securing a conditional use permit or winning approval from the City Council.
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** Chesterfield delays teacher vaccine rollout ([link removed])
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By JESS NOCERA, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Chesterfield County Public Schools is delaying its coronavirus vaccine rollout for teachers after receiving only 750 doses instead of an estimated 4,000 shots, schools Superintendent Merv Daugherty told staff in an email Tuesday afternoon.
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** Hundreds in Hampton Roads have applied for utility relief. Federal funds can help cover the bill ([link removed])
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By GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

How often is it that your utility company calls to tell you they have money to help pay your bill? As the coronavirus pandemic has worn on, it’s been the case for many public utility departments in Hampton Roads over the last several weeks as they’ve scrambled under a newly established state relief program designed to help people behind on their water and sewer bills.
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** Bus driver shortage in Fredericksburg leads to change in hybrid program ([link removed])
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By ADELE UPHAUS–CONNER, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A shortage in the transportation department at Fredericksburg City Public Schools has resulted in changes to the hybrid in-person model that began this week. Under the approved return-to-school plan, city school students who chose the hybrid model were divided into one of four zones. Zones A and B were to attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays—Tuesday only this week because of Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday—and Zone B on Thursdays and Fridays.
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** Caroline approves $500 bonus for overlooked sheriff's deputies ([link removed])
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By DAWN HAUN, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The Caroline Board of Supervisors has approved a one-time bonus of $500 for county sheriff’s deputies who did not get a state supplement. Virginia lawmakers last year approved a mandatory one-time, $500 payment to all sworn Sheriff’s Office personnel funded by the state Compensation Board. In addition to the 24 positions funded by the Compensation Board, the Caroline Sheriff’s Office employs 20 locally funded deputies.
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** Apparent COVID-19 outbreak at Rappahannock County High School leads to distance learning ([link removed])
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By JOHN MCCASLIN, Rappahannock News (Metered Paywall)

News sent to the homes of high school students this evening from Rappahannock County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shannon Grimsley is not what parents and guardians wanted to hear: “We are switching RCHS to distance learning on Tuesday, January 19 in order to complete contact tracing and further monitor [a new] outbreak to determine if there are additional risks of exposure or the need to quarantine classes according to our COVID School Response Plan …" . . . The unfortunate news surrounds “what appears to be an isolated outbreak associated with the RCHS wrestling team,” revealed the superintendent.
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** Students return to classrooms -- again ([link removed])
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By ROBIN EARL, Fauquier Times

Fauquier County’s 20 public schools welcomed students back to school buildings this week after two weeks of all-remote learning following the holiday break. Although smiles were mostly hidden behind masks Tuesday, teachers and students seemed excited to be taking another tentative step toward normalcy. By the end of this week, 6,891 Fauquier County students will have returned to their classrooms part time. Half of those whose families chose the hybrid model will attend school Monday and Tuesday and the other half Thursday and Friday. They’ll also have three days of asynchronistic learning from home.
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** Mitigation strategies against COVID-19 in Roanoke County schools working, officials say ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The percentage of students and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Roanoke County Public Schools remains in the single digits, according to division officials. Approximately 4% of in-person students and 6% of staff have tested positive for the virus, Executive Director of Administration Rhonda Stegall said.
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** Grant to help Roanoke expand COVID-19 education outreach ([link removed])
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By RALPH BERRIER JR., Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Roanoke will receive about $50,000 of emergency money from the state to keep residents informed about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. The Roanoke City Council accepted the money Tuesday from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and approved matching funds that will enable health care workers to reach out to non-English speakers and others in need of information.
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** Bringing out gas mask, Pittsylvania supervisor Ronald Scearce makes 'Chinese virus' comment ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

Westover District Supervisor Ronald Scearce called the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” during his opportunity to offer a report during Tuesday’s Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors meeting. The comment came while encouraging county residents to contact Gov. Ralph Northam’s office and request that the state’s face mask mandate be lifted. To hammer home his point, Scearce pulled a military-grade gas mask out of a bag at his side and compared its effectiveness to the cloth mask he wore, which featured the phrase “Trump 2020.”
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** Danville council powers forward with battery energy storage project aimed to lower electric costs ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

Danville City Council on Tuesday evening approved a battery energy storage project that officials say would save money for Danville Utilities and help lead to lower electric costs for consumers. The project will install a large outdoor battery system at a Danville Utilities warehouse site at 864 Monument St.

Today's Sponsor:


** Hefty Wiley & Gore
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Representing Virginia localities and providing state government relations services since 1994.


** EDITORIALS
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** KG should make smokers, smugglers pay ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The Harry W. Nice Bridge, crossing the Potomac River as part of U.S. 301, has traditionally been the path to savings for both northbound and southbound travelers. Go north into Maryland and liquor stores every few miles offer cheaper booze than can be obtained in Virginia. Go south into the commonwealth and, compared with more northern climes, the cigarettes are a steal. Maryland’s tax on a pack: $2. Virginia’s tax: 60 cents.
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** Biden, Harris poised to begin new era for U.S. ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Joe Biden’s path to the White House began in Virginia — philosophically and emotionally, if not physically. It concludes today when he takes the oath of office as the 46th president at an extraordinary and precarious moment in our nation’s storied history. In 2017, white nationalists paraded on the University of Virginia campus and brawled through the streets of Charlottesville, a weekend of violence that killed one person and left dozens injured.
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** The educational imperative to reopen our schools ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Each day, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) provides several metrics to the public that summarize the spread of COVID-19 in communities across the commonwealth. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths reflect the heart-wrenching toll on households across the country. On Tuesday, the U.S. surpassed 400,000 deaths. Virginia crossed 5,000 deaths in late December, and nearly 800 additional lives have been lost just since New Year’s Eve.


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