By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
All 4,000 appointments were snagged within a couple of hours Wednesday morning for COVID-19 vaccination clinics this weekend in Roanoke. “For me, it was really heartening to know there is this level of interest in the community, and really encouraging that our community is this interested in protecting themselves,” said Chad Alvarez, senior director of Carilion Retail Pharmacy, who is leading the clinic’s COVID-19 vaccine task force.
By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Employers told nearly 800 Realtors and credit union workers in the Richmond area they could sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine that federal and state guidance said they’re ineligible to receive. More than 400 were scheduled for a vaccination event Sunday while thousands of health care workers, teachers and long-term care residents continue to wait for doses that are in short supply.
By GABRIELLA MUÑOZ, Washington Times
The Department of Education has opened an investigation into allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools did not provide a “free appropriate public education” to students with disabilities and special needs during the coronavirus pandemic. The school system was notified last week that the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights initiated a discrimination investigation, according to a copy of the notice obtained by The Washington Times. The letter cited a September report by WUSA9 detailing the frustration felt by families with special need students due to virtual learning at the start of the school year, though the county government supported child care for some general education students inside school buildings.
By JUSTIN FAULCONER, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Before a packed room of residents voicing opinions for and against state restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, the Amherst County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to formally request the General Assembly get involved in Virginia’s safety directives affecting residents and businesses. The board was set to consider a resolution asking lawmakers to limit the executive powers of Gov. Ralph Northam in passing down restrictions, but the motion instead directed County Administrator Dean Rodgers to send a letter on supervisors’ behalf to state legislators, asking them to use their authority to step in and not leave the emergency powers solely to the governor.
By OLIVIA DIAZ, VCU Capital News Service
A House subcommittee rejected legislation on Friday that would provide financial vouchers to families of students within public-school districts that solely provide remote instruction. Del. Michael Webert, R-Marshall, filed HB 1742 to create a prorated voucher equal to school districts’ per-student state taxes. These financial vouchers would be given to parents who withdraw their children from public schools in exchange for in-person instruction in an alternative setting. The Pre-K-12 Education subcommittee, which has a Democratic majority, rejected the bill in a 5-3 vote along party lines.
By GRAHAM MOOMAW AND NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury
The company that operates Virginia’s only private prison doled out campaign contributions to 29 Virginia lawmakers ahead of a push to pass legislation banishing the for-profit corrections industry from the state, according to campaign finance records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. And when the bill came before a Senate panel last week for its first hearing, it died a quick and sudden death, with some of the legislators who received the donations speaking most forcefully against it. Lawmakers, who almost always maintain that there is no connection between campaign contributions and their legislative decision making, called it a coincidence.
By GORDON RAGO, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
As Joe Biden took center stage Wednesday just before noon, Americans across the country could watch online or on television as the 46th president of the United States was sworn in. But as the historic event unfolded, students in Chesapeake likely were not getting a front row seat. School leaders asked teachers not to show the ceremony live to students, citing the “ever changing political climate,” according to an email obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
The Full Report
45 articles, 20 publications
The Virginia Public Access Project
The average amount spent by winning mayoral candidates in Virginia in fall 2020 ranged from $1.1 million in Richmond to $32,000 in Suffolk. This visual takes a look at the varied costs of city council, mayoral and school board elections in Virginia. (The numbers exclude some small cities where not all winning candidates e-filed campaign finance reports with the state Department of Elections.)
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 MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
Localities that don’t wish to have marijuana retailers in their jurisdictions may be able to opt out via referendum, according to a recommendation from a Senate panel examining a proposal to legalize the drug in Virginia. The panel’s recommendation is a departure from the proposal crafted by Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration, which would instead call for localities to opt in via a city ordinance.
By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
A panel in the House of Delegates advanced legislation Wednesday that would abolish suicide as a crime in Virginia. Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, who introduced the bill, said that suicide should be treated as a symptom of a mental illness. “There’s no reason to treat suicide as anything other than a disease,” Simon said in an interview following a quick 17-5 vote in the House Courts of Justice panel. Suicide isn’t listed as a crime in the Virginia code, but rather through common law — the collection of decisions by judges over the years that have deemed it such.
By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE-FM
Lawmakers in the Virginia House approved legislation Wednesday that would require law enforcement officers to render aid to someone who has a life-threatening injury or condition and report to supervisors any misconduct they witnessed from their fellow officers, including bias-based profiling. The bill also expands the definition of bias-based profiling to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Officers who violate these conditions could be fired or demoted.
By CHELSEA DONOVAN, WTKR-TV
Balloon releases are a staple at weddings, memorials, sporting events and ceremonies. "People think it goes up to heaven, but it doesn't. It comes down in our beaches and waterways," said Virginia Beach Delegate Nancy Guy. Guy continues her charge on House Bill 2159, which would ban all intentional balloon releases – those made up of latex and foil specifically.
By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM
Virginia voters will no longer be able to carry firearms into polling locations under legislation advancing in the General Assembly. Republicans and gun rights activists argue the bill is unnecessary given the commonwealth’s existing laws prohibiting voter intimidation. And they’ve questioned how gun owners with concealed carry permits could scare other people if their weapon was out of sight. But Democrats have so far sided with gun control activists, the League of Women Voters and the Voter Registrars’ Association of Virginia in arguing the rules are needed.
By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury
A Senate committee threw its support Wednesday behind a bill that would exempt proprietary information in carbon sequestration agreements with a public body from Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. Senate Bill 1343, sponsored by Jill Vogel, R-Fauquier, aims to incentivize owners of forestland in Virginia to keep those lands forested as a way to both offset carbon emissions linked to climate change and improve water quality.
By SAM WALL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Six Republicans are vying to become the nominee Thursday to try to succeed their late partymate in the 38th state Senate District. Sen. Ben Chafin, who was 60, died from complications related to COVID-19 on New Year’s Day. . . . Thursday’s GOP firehouse primary—to include numerous voting locations around the district—includes Jony Baker, Chad Dotson, Travis Hackworth, Elijah Leonard, Kimberly Lowe and Tamara Neo. And it appears the March election will be competitive. On Wednesday night, former Radford city councilwoman and healthcare provider, Laurie Buchwald, announced her intention to seek the Democratic nomination in the 38th.
By ANGELIQUE ARINTOK, WCYB
An effort to speed up the special election for an open seat in Virginia's 38th senate district is squashed. Judge Patrick Johnson of Buchanan County heard the expedited case Wednesday afternoon. He offered both sides a chance to present their arguments. Attorney Tim Anderson of Virginia Beach filed the lawsuit. He claimed the governor unfairly pushed the special election to March 23. . . . The Virginia attorney general's office responded with a motion to dismiss, based on the current law. The judge granted it.
By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Virginia will rename Camp Pendleton, the 325-acre state military reservation in Virginia Beach named for the Confederate Army’s chief of artillery. A working group from the state’s veterans affairs and defense agencies and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is reviewing several alternatives, said Alena Yarmosky, Gov. Ralph Northam’s press secretary.
By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Virginia is set to adopt workplace safety standards for COVID-19 prevention that will be in place at least until Gov. Ralph Northam’s state of emergency declaration is lifted. Virginia’s Safety and Health Codes Board last week voted 9-4 to maintain a list of emergency workplace safety rules that were adopted last year as temporary, mandatory COVID-19 prevention measures. Virginia initially approved the regulations in July, becoming the first state in the nation to do so.
By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
Henrico County-based insurance giant Genworth Financial Inc. has started notifying some of its employees that their jobs are being eliminated after the company's planned merger with a China-based investment firm was indefinitely delayed. A spokeswoman for Genworth, which has thousand of employees in Virginia mainly in the Richmond and in the Lynchburg areas, confirmed on Wednesday that the company is starting notifying employees of job reductions.
By ASHLYN CAMPBELL, The Breeze
Students living on campus will need to secure a negative COVID-19 test to be able to return to their dorms. JMU announced last month in a newsletter that it’d be implementing new COVID-19 entry testing for on-campus students prior to the spring semester to prevent transmission of the virus. . . . According to JMU’s entry testing FAQs, students living on campus have the option of completing entry testing at JMU’s Convocation Center between Jan. 29-31 by signing up for a one hour time slot. Students may also get tested at home prior to returning to Harrisonburg — either within 24 hours using a rapid antigen test or 48 hours using a PCR test. If students test positive, it’s recommended they return home to isolate.
By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
As Liberty University prepares to start in-person classes next week, school officials on Wednesday reported 60 active COVID-19 cases among the university’s students and employees. Liberty students began moving back to campus late last week for the start of the spring semester. The first week of classes is currently being held online to help prevent an influx of COVID-19 cases as students from across the country descend on Lynchburg from winter break.
By CLAIRE DARCY, Commonwealth Times
Since 2016, VCU students have flocked to a bright red bicycle stationed on campus for a hot cup of free coffee. The servers, however, offer more than advertised. Created by John Freyer, an associate professor of cross disciplinary media, the free hot coffee bike is used in tandem with Rams in Recovery, VCU’s collegiate recovery program, to foster discussion about substance use and destigmatize addiction recovery. “It’s a place for people to be in conversation,” Freyer said. “Because it takes a little while to make cups of coffee, it created a perfect window for us to train people on Narcan.”
By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury
The Lord Fairfax Health District vaccinated more than 2,000 people last week at two walk-up clinics in Clarke County. . . . In the neighboring Blue Ridge Health District, officials are still working to finish immunizing the health care providers prioritized in the first phase of Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccine campaign. It’s not that they don’t have plans for the same large-scale clinics. . . . But the district hasn’t staged the same sort of walk-up events — in part because it hasn’t had the time or the staff.
By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Exactly a year after the first of nearly 25 million people to test positive for coronavirus was reported in the U.S., Joe Biden took the presidential oath of office and vowed to fix the chaotic vaccine rollout that's challenged Virginia's push to speed up distribution. As of Tuesday, the state was 49th in the country for shots used - a ranking state officials have chalked up to faulty data entry systems that spew out unreliable numbers to the state database. Identifying the errors and verifying vaccinations have resulted in a 3-day lag on the Virginia Department of Health site.
By KATHERINE KNOTT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Difficult decisions are ahead for the Blue Ridge Health District as officials figure out how to fairly allocate a limited supply of the COVID-19 vaccine. Starting next week, the health district will receive 2,950 doses weekly to administer the first shot of the vaccine, following a change in how the state doles out COVID-19 vaccines. Previously, allotments were based on requests from health districts; they are now based on population.
By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)
While pleased to be treating fewer COVID-19 inpatients, Ballad Health officials this week are bracing for the potential impact a variant strain of the virus could have. The health system reported 231 inpatients Wednesday, down from 301 one week ago and 350 two weeks ago, when the system was in the midst of a post-holiday surge of new cases.
By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Sentara Healthcare doctors will begin giving coronavirus vaccines to some of their elderly patients in Virginia. Sentara officials said Wednesday they will start by offering “a limited number of vaccines” to patients who have a Sentara Medical Group primary care provider, starting with people ages 75 and older, a portion of the state’s priority group known as Phase 1b.
By RACHEL MAHONEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)
Centra Health officials are trying to expand community immunity with plans to get vaccines in patient arms by today. The provider reported updated numbers at a Wednesday news conference, and the Central Virginia Health District, which encompasses Lynchburg and the surrounding counties, updated its website Wednesday to reflect the area now is in the next phase of vaccinations.
By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)
The Peninsula and Hampton health districts are making plans for vaccination clinics at the Hampton Roads Convention Center and Christopher Newport University. Peninsula city managers and county administrators signed a letter Monday saying that they were planning several COVID-19 vaccination sites for the Peninsula and hoped to get state approval this week.
Fauquier Now
This region’s demand for COVID-19 vaccine dwarfs the supply, according to the Rappahannock Rapidan Health District director. “Please, understand that our health district, along with the rest of the state, is facing a severe shortage of vaccine in relation to the demand,” Dr. Wade Kartchner said in an email Tuesday afternoon. “We will be expecting only 600 to 1,500 doses of vaccine each week for the next 4 to 8 weeks, and have nearly 25,000 people in the queue.”
By JASMINE FRANKS, Community Newspapers of Southwest Virginia
Newly eligible people eager to receive their coronavirus vaccine in the Mount Rogers Health District are likely to have a wait on their hands. On Friday, Virginia expanded its Phase 1b population to include everyone 65 and older and those between 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions. In a Saturday press release, however, the health district said many of its community partners, including Food City pharmacies, did not receive additional doses of the vaccine last week to accommodate the higher demand.
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Charlie Diradour woke up on his 57th birthday with an extra reason to celebrate. President-elect Joe Biden was about to take the oath as the 46th president of the United States after a journey that took him through Richmond for a fundraiser 17 months ago that Diradour and other local Democrats organized for Biden's campaign.
By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday took on special significance for members of the nation’s oldest sorority for Black women. Just a few hours after watching the inaugural celebration live, Roberta Walker, a graduate of Hampton University, beamed when someone in a parking lot recognized her pink Chuck Taylor sneakers and pearl necklace as trademarks of the new vice president and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
By ASTEAD W. HERNDON, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)
Susan Bro recognized the palpable anger and open bigotry on display in the mob that attacked the United States Capitol this month. It reminded her of the outpouring of hate that killed her daughter, Heather Heyer. That was in 2017, when white supremacists, self-avowed neo-Nazis and right-wing militias marched on Charlottesville in the name of intolerance — and former President Donald Trump — and one of them drove a car into a crowd, fatally injuring Ms. Heyer. More than three years later, Ms. Bro and other Charlottesville residents say they have a message for the nation after the latest episode of white violence in Washington, and for President Biden, who is emphasizing themes of healing and unity in the face of right-wing extremism. Healing requires holding perpetrators accountable, Ms. Bro said. Unity follows justice.
By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
The Ohio-based neo-Nazi group the Traditionalist Worker Party will pay a Unite the Right car attack survivor $10,000 and be removed as a defendant in a federal lawsuit. The suit was filed on behalf of William “Bill” Burke in May 2019 in the Southern District of Ohio U.S. District Court. Burke was among the dozens of people injured when James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into a crowd of anti-racist counter-protestors. Fields has since been convicted of murdering Heather Heyer and of committing federal hate crimes.
By COLLEEN CURRAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
A survey from The Valentine reports that 65% of respondents from the Richmond region believe museums should acquire Confederate monuments from Monument Avenue and display them with context. The survey was conducted in October and November of last year. Over 1,000 respondents answered 18 questions on Lost Cause public art, monuments, and museum experiences.
By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
With several top-level positions in Richmond City Hall currently held by interim officials, the city’s director of planning and chief of staff to the City Council have resigned. Mark Olinger, director of the city’s Department of Planning and Development Review, resigned last week. City Council Chief of Staff Lawrence Anderson, who was came to work for the city in November 2019, resigned earlier this month.
By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners has ordered a probe into whether agency staff followed procurement rules after the collapse of a $35 million development deal in Jackson Ward. The project would have brought a 115-room hotel, 63 apartments and retail space to a property owned by RRHA. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a spate of leadership changes, RRHA halted negotiations with the developer, The M Companies, last year.
By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Virginia Beach residents who have been unemployed at some point during the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for personal real estate and personal property tax relief. The final deadline to apply is Jan. 31. The program was created by the city to provide financial assistance to those who have lost their jobs, been furloughed or experienced a reduction in work due to COVID-19.
By JULIA MARSIGLIANO, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)
Some families looking to send their kids back to school may have to wait just a little bit longer. The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools announced on Tuesday most students won’t start transitioning to hybrid-learning classes until Feb. 22 at the earliest. Officials said the setback is due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the community, contract tracing delays at the health department and the process of vaccinating teachers and staff.
By NOLAN STOUT, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Charlottesville’s City Council was berated by a few residents at its meeting Tuesday for the process of hiring its city manager, while two councilors said the community needs to get past a churn of negativity and attacks. Last week, the council announced it had hired Chip Boyles, executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, as city manager. The city plans to conduct a public search for a city manager possibly in 2022.
By LUKE WEIR, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Almost 300 households dotted in rural and remote areas of Roanoke County are gaining access to high-speed internet service while construction nears completion on $880,000 of infrastructure improvements. Federal coronavirus relief funding paid for the Roanoke County broadband expansion projects in its Vinton, Catawba, Cave Spring and Windsor Hills districts.
By YANN RANAIVO, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Montgomery County Public Schools will return to a phase of instruction next week that will allow seventh to 12th-graders to return to the classroom. The measure, which the county’s School Board passed on a 5-1 vote Tuesday night, ends a phase level that the school district temporarily shifted to last month to address an exceptional shortage in substitute teachers.
By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
Salem City Schools is rolling out interventions aimed at providing additional support to students who are learning partially or fully virtual. With the second semester set to begin next week, educators are making a concerted effort to give students additional face-to-face opportunities to boost their ability to do well academically. Students who have struggled with 100% online learning — those who are failing classes or nearly failing — are being encouraged to return to in-person instruction, space permitting.
By MIKE STILL, Kingsport Times News
A one-page agenda turned into a three-hour meeting for the Pound Town Council, including questions about the town clerk’s employment future. Town Clerk Jessica Adams’ future as a town official followed cancellation of a public hearing on Pound’s proposed boundary adjustment. Adams was not present for the meeting.
Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)
On the criminal justice front, the General Assembly should proceed with great caution on certain proposals, such as banning the death penalty and eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing. But lawmakers do have an opportunity to reform the cash bail system, which clearly discriminates against lower-income individuals and is responsible for thousands of unnecessary incarcerations in the commonwealth.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
Each week, economists at the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) measure the health of our commonwealth’s workforce. A core sign of concern is the level unemployment claims, and more than 10 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginians continue to weather a rattled economy marred by layoffs, pay cuts, reductions in hours or a need to change industries altogether.
By WARREN FISKE, WCVE-FM
Del. Kirk Cox has been leading Republican criticism that Virginia is off to a slow start in getting COVID-19 vaccines into the arms of citizens. Cox laid the blame on outgoing Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam on Jan. 13 during the GOP response to Northam’s State of the Commonwealth speech. “The Northam administration’s ability to distribute and administer vaccines has been extremely disappointing,” Cox said. “Ranking in the bottom third of states nationally, every state we border is doing a better job than Virginia in administering this life-saving vaccine.”
By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)
About the same time three Republican lawmakers in Richmond were publicly urging Mike Pence to defile the U.S. Constitution by blocking the election of President Joe Biden, a Republican lawyer in Richmond was privately counseling the then-vice president to defend the Constitution by affirming Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. The seditious suggestion of Dels. Dave LaRock of Loudoun, Mark Coles of Spotsylvania and Ronnie Campbell of Rockbridge would cost them their seats, respectively on the transportation, elections and courts committees. It had the Democratic House Speaker, Eileen Filler-Corn from blue Fairfax, seeing red.
By DEBRA FREEMAN AND KENNETH GILLIAM, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The General Assembly recently went back into session, and now is a good time to think about Virginia’s future. It’s also a good time to evaluate whether we are truly moving toward a more just and progressive future, and what exactly that looks like. In the 2019 statewide elections, communities of color voted in record numbers to see our elected officials take a new path — one that calls for more than inclusion and tolerance but an unapologetic embrace of democracy, justice and progress.
Freeman is communications director of the New Virginia Majority, an advocacy group in Richmond. Gilliam serves as the group’s policy director.
By JAMES J. FEDDERMAN, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
Imagine what would happen if the food safety standards set by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were ignored and went unenforced by Congress. We’d be outraged. People would be exposed to obvious, dangerous and unnecessary risks, and the pushback would be enormous. Unthinkable.
Fedderman is president of the 40,000-member Virginia Education Association.
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