VaNews
January 29, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Retired Teachers Association
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January 31 is Virginia's Retired Teachers Day, but we celebrate it today as we advocate for high-quality public schools and a strong Virginia Retirement System.
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Top of the News


** Census delays likely to blow up the state's redistricting timeline ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Census delays are squeezing Virginia’s timeline for reapportioning its House of Delegate seats in time for the fall elections, when all 100 seats will be up for grabs. U.S. Census Bureau officials said this week that reapportionment data needed to redraw political boundaries will not be delivered before July 31 — weeks after the state’s scheduled June primary and just 94 days before the fall elections.
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** Early data shows extent of learning loss among Virginia students ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Early data from Virginia schools suggest that more students are struggling academically as the majority of divisions continue to operate totally or partially remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a concern that educators have raised as they continue to navigate virtual instruction. According to a survey of 132 local districts conducted by the Virginia Department of Education, 40 ranked failing students as the biggest issue with remote learning — above even access to reliable internet, which was the highest concern for about 35 divisions.
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** Northern Virginia schools begin vaccinating staff, plan tentative return to classrooms ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

In fits and starts, Northern Virginia schools are starting to vaccinate teachers and staff while officials, facing increasing pressure from elected officials and families, set tentative dates for reopening. Thousands of employees in Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Arlington County and Alexandria have already received the first of two doses of the coronavirus vaccine. But efforts in Fairfax hit a major snag this week, when a shortage of supply forced the cancellation of thousands of scheduled educator vaccinations — although the school system was later able to restore some of these appointments.
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** Virginia dad speaks out on viral rant against school closures: 'My blood started boiling' ([link removed])
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By YAEL HALON, Fox News

The Virginia father whose recent angry outburst against local school closures went viral told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Thursday that he hopes his message will reach leaders on both sides of the political aisle so children can begin to return to their classrooms after struggling through months of virtual learning. Brandon Michon, a father of two children aged five and eight, grew increasingly angry as he addressed a meeting of the the Loudoun County School Board. "Look, we've gone for months to these school board meetings and as parents, you know, our voice wasn't being heard," he told Carlson.
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** Sentara Defends Vaccine Prioritization For Its Patients ([link removed])
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By IAN MUNRO, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

On Thursday, Sentara defended its stance of prioritizing patients 75 and older who use its doctors as primary care providers over patients 75 and older who don’t in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, citing limited resources. “It really comes down to our limited resource. The area Sentara Medical Group, which is providing the outpatient vaccinations, [most recently] received 800 doses of vaccine with no guarantee of receiving any more. So we had to come up with some sort of criteria,” Bruce Clemons, executive director for primary care for Sentara Blue Ridge, said in a phone interview.
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** Independent ombudsman proposed for Virginia prisons ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Lawmakers in the House of Delegates are advancing legislation to hire an independent ombudsman to investigate complaints and conditions in Virginia’s prisons, which have faced a string of lawsuits alleging mistreatment and subpar medical care. “They’ll be able to go into a facility and see things before they become problems and fester in civil rights litigation,” said the bill’s sponsor, Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington. . . . The proposal won enthusiastic support Thursday when it was heard by the House’s public safety subcommittee, advancing with bipartisan support on a 7-1 vote.
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** Friday Read ‘Hopefully it won’t be forgotten’: With no survivors left, Tidewater’s Pearl Harbor Survivors Association disbands ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

At its height in the 1970s and ‘80s, the Tidewater chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association boasted several hundred members — sailors who’d survived the infamous 1941 attack and lived to tell the tale. They gathered often to share lunch at the club or picnic, and for more somber occasions like an annual Dec. 7 memorial ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. Members watched each other “get married, buried and have grandkids,” said Gerry Chebetar, whose father Frank served as the chapter’s longtime president.
The Full Report
56 articles, 29 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** From VPAP How Representative are Virginia's Representatives? ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

This 40-second animated video breaks down the current 139 members of the Virginia General Assembly by age, gender, race, educational attainment and other demographic characteristics.
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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 to 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


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Virginia lawmakers look to extend gun ban around state Capitol ([link removed])
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By NICK IANNELLI, WTOP

After successfully passing a long list of gun control measures last year, Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly are once again working to advance a number of bills related to firearms. One piece of legislation being considered by the House of Delegates would expand and toughen a gun ban that is currently in effect at the state Capitol building. Under the bill, the ban would also apply to Capitol Square and surrounding streets and sidewalks that lawmakers use.
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** “The People We Serve Are Paying Too Much for Energy:” Virginia Lawmakers Are Targeting Dominion Energy ([link removed])
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By PATRICK WILSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

In a bid to lower some of the highest electricity bills in the nation, Virginia lawmakers are pushing legislation that would strengthen oversight of the state’s largest utility, Dominion Energy, potentially setting up hundreds of millions of dollars in customer refunds. The package of seven bills is designed to restore authority to Virginia’s State Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities and other business interests. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch and ProPublica reported in October, years of Dominion-backed laws have left the agency hobbled as residential power bills have soared.
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** Virginia lawmakers squash repeal of civil commitment law ([link removed])
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By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

Virginia lawmakers have squashed a proposal to repeal a decades-old Virginia law that allows the state to hold certain sex offenders at a psychiatric facility after they complete their criminal sentences. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to send the bill to the Virginia State Crime Commission for a study, ending its chances of being passed this year. Democratic Sen. Joe Morrissey, the lead patron of the bill, argued that the current law is unfair and punishes offenders twice for the same crime.
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** Democrats still seek unity on expungement push ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Automatic expungement – a key element of Virginia Democrats’ criminal justice initiatives – has momentum this year at the General Assembly. At least three measures introduced in the 2021 session would provide plans for automatic expungement of criminal records, while another proposal would set up a petition-based expungement regime. Similar proposals foundered at a 2020 special session over disagreement about whether the process should be automatic.
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** House Passes DMV Bills Aimed At Those With Disabilities ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

When it comes to filing legislation, most of the time bills are presented in the interest of a lawmakers’ constituents. One of Del. Rob Bell’s bills hits closer to home. Bell, R-Albemarle, filed House Bill 1960 to allow the owner of a vehicle to identify when a regular driver other than the owner is someone who has a disability that can impair communication, such as hearing loss or autism.
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** Va. lawmakers consider making more red flag law data available for research purposes ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

It’s been more than six months since Virginia’s red flag law took effect. Apart from a few news articles, there’s been little data on how authorities around the state are using it to seize guns from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. Legislation proposed in the House of Delegates would change that, giving researchers more access to information kept in a State Police registry meant to track who substantial risk orders have been filed against in Virginia courts.
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** Amherst County officials oppose legislation to end immunity for law enforcement ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN FAULCONER, Amherst New Era Progress

Amherst County officials are formally expressing opposition to proposed legislation in the current Virginia General Assembly session aimed at ending qualified sovereign immunity for law enforcement officers, a shield against civil lawsuits. Jimmy Ayers, of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, during the board’s Jan. 19 meeting requested the county write the state legislature to oppose House Bill 2045, proposed by Del. Jeffrey Bourne, D-Richmond.
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** Bill targeting Dulles Greenway toll hikes moves forward ([link removed])
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By JACK MOORE, WTOP

A bill that could make it more difficult for the Dulles Greenway’s operators to hike tolls on the 14-mile stretch of road between Dulles International Airport and Leesburg, Virginia, is moving ahead. The Virginia State Senate Transportation Committee approved the measure Thursday on a 12-3 vote. The Senate bill, which is identical to a House version approved unanimously in committee earlier this week, now goes to the Senate floor for the first of three required readings.
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** Morrissey talks action in legislative session ([link removed])
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By CALEB M. SOPTELEAN, Village News

Despite the efforts of freshman Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) to avoid the censure of Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield), it appeared that the Senate would vote to censure her this week. “I worked tirelessly so we could come to a compromise,” Morrissey said on Saturday, noting he supports the freedom of speech. The compromise included Chase apologizing for certain things and denouncing certain things, Morrissey said.
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** No vote on bill to let Greene out of RSA ([link removed])
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By TERRY BEIGIE, Greene County Record

The Virginia Senate had neither voted nor debated Senate Bill 1355, that allows Greene County to withdraw from the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) by press time. Instead, on Jan. 26, the bill was recommitted to the Committee on Local Government, which is next scheduled to meet on Monday, Feb. 1, at 9 a.m. SB 1355, introduced by Sen. Emmett Hanger Jr., R-24th, would make it possible for a locality to withdraw from RSA.


** REDISTRICTING
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** US House data not ready until April, states’ data after July ([link removed])
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By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press

The U.S. Census Bureau is aiming to deliver the long-delayed numbers used for divvying up congressional seats by the end of April, but a holdup on redistricting data could disrupt several states’ abilities to redraw their own legislative maps ahead of upcoming elections, an agency official said Wednesday....The delay in the release of redistricting data could be problematic for states that have deadlines this year for redrawing their districts. New Jersey and Virginia also have elections this year.
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** Census Delays Push Virginia Elections Into ‘Uncharted Territory’ ([link removed])
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By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM

The U.S. Census Bureau won’t hand over key data Virginia needs for redistricting until at least July 30, placing the state in a unique bind. Virginia is the only state holding legislative elections this year; all 100 members of the House of Delegates are up for election. Despite past delays at the bureau, many lawmakers held out hope that Virginia’s new redistricting commission would have time to draw legislative districts ahead of bumped-back August primaries. The timeline announced by a Census spokesperson in a webinar on Wednesday makes even that schedule impossible.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Va. assessment shows more students need reading help ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Reading assessments for Virginia’s youngest learners show that significantly more kindergartners and first-graders are struggling to read on grade level than the year prior. The number of kindergartners and first-graders in need of early reading intervention shot up 10% year over year, according to Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening data, a tool used by all Virginia school divisions except for Fairfax
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** Hundreds of Pandemic Rule Violation Complaints Filed With Health Department ([link removed])
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By CAROL VAUGHN, Eastern Shore Post

The Eastern Shore Health District during the coronavirus pandemic has received hundreds of complaints about businesses alleged to have violated the governor’s executive orders requiring mask wearing and other measures meant to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Post made a request under the Freedom of Information Act for complaints made to the health department about alleged violations and responses by the health department.
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** Virginia approves Alleghany County, Covington school consolidation ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Virginia Board of Education on Thursday approved the consolidation of Alleghany County Public Schools and Covington Public Schools, finalizing a two-year effort to merge the school systems. The two school systems will form a single school division, effective July 1, 2022, and the two student bodies will merge at the start of the 2023-24 school year, according to the consolidation proposal.


** CONGRESS
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** Kaine preparing resolution to condemn Trump for role in insurrection, bar him from holding office ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

If the U.S. Senate lacks enough Republican support to convict former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, Sen. Tim Kaine is preparing an alternative to condemn him for his role in inciting an insurrection that resulted in a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol. Kaine, in a news conference on Thursday, said his proposed “condemning resolution” would go further than a Senate censure of the former president.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Number of Virginians seeking unemployment benefits remains high ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The number of Virginians claiming unemployment benefits remained elevated last week as economists say job growth is slowing. While the number of first-time claims for traditional state unemployment benefits dropped 13% during the week ending Jan. 23, to 18,312, the number of claims for those same benefits week after week rose 5.4% to 67,298, according to the latest statistics from the Virginia Employment Commission.
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** Crown Holdings to bring 126 jobs to Commonwealth Crossing ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Crown Holdings, Inc. is investing $145 million to build a facility to make aluminum beverage cans at the Commonwealth Crossing Business Center in Ridgeway, the governor’s office and Henry County announced on Thursday. The facility will be 355,000 square feet and bring with it 126 new jobs that Gov. Ralph Northam in a statement called “high quality.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** W&L rector says board needs more time to decide whether to drop Robert E. Lee's name ([link removed])
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By GRACE MAMON, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

In August, the Washington and Lee Board of Trustees said it may take six months or more to decide whether the university will drop Robert E. Lee’s name. The board formed a special committee in July to review the university’s symbols and name. Now nearing the six-month mark, the special committee has finished its work. But a Thursday email from Mike McAlevey, rector of the board, said “we need more time.”
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** William & Mary works to balance books, find savings amid expected $30M-$40M shortfall ([link removed])
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By WILFORD KALE, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)

The College of William & Mary has taken some major financial steps, including selling more than $150 million in revenue bonds, to put the school in the position to cope with the anticipated $30-$40 million shortfall for fiscal year 2021, as well as possible unexpected setbacks. Fiscal year 2020 ended on June 30 with a balanced budget, overcoming a multimillion dollar deficit from the spring semester’s COVID-19 onslaught.
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** Virginia Tech nets record-shattering applications for incoming Class of 2025 ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Applications to Virginia Tech have exploded. When the university garnered national headlines in 2019 by enrolling hundreds more freshmen than expected, a record 31,974 prospective students had applied to the school. This year, the university has received 42,084 applications.
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** JMU Students To Return To Campus This Weekend ([link removed])
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By MEGAN WILLIAMS, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Although they’ve been learning virtually since last week, James Madison University students who live on campus will return beginning today for the spring semester, but only after showing they’ve tested negative for COVID-19. When the 2020-21 school year began in August, there was concern about the number of COVID-19 tests available, and the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time did not recommend testing anyone who was asymptomatic.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia reports 5,121 new COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia reported more than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases Thursday as the state’s cumulative total edges toward 500,000. The 5,121 new cases bring Virginia’s count to 493,674, the Virginia Department of Health reported. There have been 6,308 COVID-19 deaths in Virginia, an increase of 80 from Wednesday.
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** Record day for deaths from COVID-19 in Henry County and Martinsville ([link removed])
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By STEVEN DOYLE, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

COVID-19 has equaled its deadliest day in the West Piedmont Health District. There were 10 deaths revealed on Thursday, matching the record set on Sept. 15. The next highest total is seven, from August. There also were 109 new cases, the second consecutive day of a spike in the district, and four new hospitalizations as the virus re-emerged from some quieter days earlier this week.
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** Fairfax County resumes COVID-19 vaccination for educators, school staff ([link removed])
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By JOHN DOMEN, WTOP

The COVID-19 vaccination process for teachers and other staff employed by Fairfax County Public Schools is back underway after thousands of employees had their initial-dose appointments canceled this week when supplies ran out. The emails to sign up again went out late Wednesday night after the Fairfax County Health Department was alerted to a new batch of doses obtained by Inova Health. The county’s health department is coordinating with Inova to vaccinate school system employees.
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** Nearly 1,000 SPS staff receive COVID-19 vaccine ([link removed])
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By JIMMY LAROUE, Suffolk News Herald

For King’s Fork High School biology teacher Dwight Buchholz, there was never a question about whether he would get the COVID-19 vaccine. So when Suffolk Public Schools and the Western Tidewater Health District put together a two-day, closed-pod vaccination event for the division’s staff at the school earlier this week, he was all-in.
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** Richmond area is vaccinating 7,000 older residents this weekend ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Gwenn Talbot doesn’t want to die. Without a vaccine, her nightmares about the coronavirus convince her she could. The 70-year-old has put off medical appointments for months to avoid buildings littered with people, even ones scheduled to weigh the risks of having the colon cancer that killed her father. Entering a grocery store in the early hours for older adults — who, like Talbot, are at least 90 times more likely to not survive the virus than people in their 20s — is the closest she’s been to chancing her health.
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** ‘Downright scary’ vaccination chaos hits Arlington ([link removed])
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By SCOTT MCCAFFREY, Sun Gazette

As many as 10,000 Arlington residents who thought they had a confirmed appointment for a COVID inoculation now find themselves back in various stages of limbo, as Virginia’s, and the nation’s, vaccination rollout continues to hit supply headwinds. “It’s beyond frustrating – it’s downright scary,” the county government’s director of public health, Dr. Reuben Varghese, acknowledged on Jan. 23, just hours after the county’s existing vaccine-distribution plan was tossed out and a new one substituted in its place.
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** Virginia Beach will have vaccinated 9,000 people during first week of Phase 1b at the Convention Center clinic ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Beach Convention Center sat nearly empty due to the pandemic for almost one year. But now, it is ground zero for the city’s massive COVID-19 vaccination effort, which will soon amount to 9,000 city residents getting vaccinated this week. Rooms typically used for banquets and conferences have rows of vaccination stations and chairs spaced out for vaccine recipients. The lobby has become an impromptu pharmacy where city workers and volunteers filled syringes with the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.
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** Nearly 4,000 essential workers have received the coronavirus vaccine at a clinic in Newport News ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Stephanie Martin said her coronavirus vaccination was “like butter.” Martin, an adult education teacher for Newport News Public Schools, said she was a bit apprehensive to receive the vaccine but decided to do so with encouragement from family and colleagues.
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** VDH: Crater Health is among districts with lowest shipments of COVID vaccines in Virginia ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

More than 11.000 COVID-19 vaccines have been shipped to the Crater Health District since they hit the market, and that puts the eight-locality district sixth-lowest across the state, according to the Virginia Department of Health. VDH unveiled a new online dashboard Thursday that shows a breakdown of vaccine shipments by health district.According to that map, CHD has received a total of 11,200 vials through VDH channels, which is 29th out of the commonwealth's 35 health districts.
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** Roanoke jail reports 53 cases of COVID-19 among inmates ([link removed])
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By ALICIA PETSKA, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A new round of mass testing carried out at the Roanoke City Jail has found 53 cases of COVID-19 among inmates and another 14 cases among staff, according to the Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office. The blanket testing was initiated this week in response to new cases that started appearing the week before, officials said. The results, announced Thursday, show a 12.4% positivity rate among the current inmate population of 427 people and an 8.4% positivity rate among the staff of 166 officers and other employees.
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** Ballad: January now the region’s deadliest month for COVID ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

January is now this region’s deadliest month for COVID-19, with 422 deaths since the year began. There have been 154 deaths over the past seven days across Ballad Health’s 21-county Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia service area — the most in a one-week period since the pandemic began, Ballad reported Thursday.
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** Health districts start preregistrations for vaccine: Pittsylvania County launches portal ([link removed])
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Smith Mountain Eagle

The Virginia Department of Health’s Pittsylvania/Danville Health District, with the support of the City of Danville Information Technology Department, announced Friday an online portal for those who wish to pre-register to receive COVID-19 vaccine. The portal does not reserve a vaccine or create an appointment but it does collect contact information, so that when vaccine is available, VDH can contact the public to make an appointment.
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** Shots fired at the virus during first public vaccination at Sovah-Martinsville ([link removed])
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By HOLLY KOZELSKY, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

About 320 area residents took part in a major turn-around point of the coronavirus pandemic: They were the first of the general public to get vaccinated. Sovah Health’s first vaccine clinic for the public was held Thursday in the medical center next to the hospital. The vaccine at this point isn’t for just anybody – only for people who fall into what the Virginia Department of Health has classified as Phase 1b:
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** Fredericksburg health district continues to provide free virus tests ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A lot of focus has shifted to clinics providing the COVID-19 vaccine, but local residents are still getting tested for the virus. One look at the daily case numbers illustrates the need. In the Rappahannock Area Health District, which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford, another 6,017 people have tested positive for COVID-19 this month.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Overdose spike continuing in region ([link removed])
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By EVAN GOODENOW, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The spike in fatal overdoses in the region, which reached a record high 53 last year, continues. Seven people have died in the first 26 days of 2021 in the Lord Fairfax Health District, including two in Clarke County last week. That’s according to Joshua T. Price, a state police special agent and coordinator of the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, which responds to all overdoses in the district.
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** Herring asks Va. Supreme Court to turn down appeal that's blocking Lee Monument removal ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The fate of the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue is now before the Virginia Supreme Court, where state Attorney General Mark Herring filed papers Wednesday asking the justices to turn down an appeal blocking its removal. A fence was installed enclosing the circle around the monument on Monday as part of the Virginia Department of General Services’ plan to remove the statue. However, an injunction remains in place blocking its removal pending the appeal.
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** Virginia police task force drops use of controversial gang database ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN JOUVENAL, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A Virginia gang task force has dropped use of a database that catalogues thousands of alleged gang members across the Washington region after activists raised concerns that minorities are disproportionately represented in it and its use is shrouded in secrecy. The Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force is the first local law enforcement entity in the D.C. area to discontinue use of GangNet, according to the program which oversees use of the database in the region. The database has stirred controversy in a handful of jurisdictions across the country in recent years.
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** Humpback whale research in Virginia Beach aims to prevent ship strikes ([link removed])
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By STACY PARKER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Off the coast of Virginia Beach, juvenile humpback whales are traversing the deep shipping channels going in and out of the Chesapeake Bay. They’re feasting on croaker and menhaden, using the sides of the channel to corral the fish into their mouths. Large vessels also motor through the pathway every day, putting the whales at risk for deadly ship strikes. “It’s like they’re playing in traffic,” said Andy Read, a Duke University professor who is leading a research project on humpback whales. “They’re feeding in a particularly bad place.”


** LOCAL
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** Fairfax County Government Workers Push for Broader Hazard Pay Plan ([link removed])
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By ANGELA WOOLSEY, Reston Now

Fairfax County should provide hazard pay to all local government workers, a union that represents more than 2,000 general county employees argues. The county is currently considering a proposal to provide a one-time $1,500 hazard pay bonus to workers who are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19. Staff say about 4,000 employees would be eligible for the benefit. However, SEIU Virginia 512 — the Fairfax County government employees’ union — says the bonus should be available to all workers, because they have all taken risks and been forced to adapt so the county can keep providing essential services during the pandemic.
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** Loudoun Co. schools chief responds after frustrated parent’s comments go viral ([link removed])
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By ABIGAIL CONSTANTINO, WTOP

The head of a Northern Virginia school system is asking for patience, grace, flexibility and comfort with the unknown amid increased media attention after a parent expressed his frustration during a school board meeting on school reopening. “Following Tuesday’s School Board meeting there has been increased media attention paid to Loudoun County, specifically regarding the reopening of schools. This has led to some inflammatory rhetoric being shared on social media and in email and phone communications with staff,” Interim Superintendent Scott A. Ziegler said in a letter to the school community.
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** ‘I’m the stranger’: Ex-DC chief Newsham aims to build relationships in Prince William Co. ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

Few people start a new job with critics already calling for their firing. When former D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham comes to work on day one as Prince William County, Virginia’s chief of police, he said he hopes to eventually win-over those who believe he’s not the right person for the job. Newsham was hired Nov. 25, 2020 by Prince William County, after 31 years with the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department — he became D.C.’s chief in 2017, and retired from the department on Jan. 1, 2021. Monday, Feb. 1 will be Newsham’s first day on the job as police chief in Prince William County.
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** Tower extension to bring high-speed internet to 575 ([link removed])
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By TERRY BEIGIE, Greene County Record

A proposed extension on a current tower on Lydia Mountain could bring high-speed internet to roughly 575 homes in Greene, Madison and Rockingham counties if approved by the Greene County Board of Supervisors. The Greene County Planning Commission unanimously approved the special use permit (SUP) for the 12-foot extension at its Jan. 20 meeting.
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** Louisa County Board members may give themselves a raise ([link removed])
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By DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian

Some members of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors say it’s time to consider giving themselves a raise. The board last voted for a pay increase in 2002, when their annual compensation rose to $9,000. The chairman gets $10,200. That’s less than the $12,668 paid to board members in nearby Orange County, which has almost the same population as Louisa. But the $9,000 figure is in line with what supervisors make on average in 13 other similar-sized Virginia localities.
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** Bedford County not likely to fund Explore Park ([link removed])
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Bedford Bulletin (Paywall for all articles)

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of the year began with a presentation from Roanoke County officials on Explore Park. The presentation was a pitch to encourage Bedford County to join with Roanoke County to develop the 388 acres of the park’s 1,100 acre footprint that lies within Bedford County.
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** Town closes out year mired in controversy ([link removed])
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By MIKE ALLEN, Franklin News-Post

The controversy that former Rocky Mount Police Department Officer Jacob Fracker and Sgt. Thomas “T.J.” Robertson lit with the selfie they took inside the Capitol Crypt on Jan. 6 ignited during an already fraught time for the town of Rocky Mount. Two activist groups have called for the resignations of Town Manager James Ervin and Police Chief Ken Criner over the town’s handling of the officers’ actions.
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** Franklin County School Board votes to keep high school on hybrid schedule ([link removed])
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By MIKE ALLEN, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Franklin County High School will stay on a hybrid schedule for the third nine weeks of school instead of returning to in-person classes four days a week. At an emergency meeting Thursday evening, the Franklin County School Board unanimously approved this change of plans after hearing high school Principal Jon Crutchfield explain that even when keeping desks 3 feet apart instead of the 6 feet recommended by the Virginia Department of Health, staff still could not find enough space to safely socially distance more than 1,600 students.
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** Martinsville City Council keeps tax report on reversion in closed session ([link removed])
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By HOLLY KOZELSKY, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The biggest topic at Tuesday’s meeting of the Martinsville City Council meeting was the one that wasn’t presented publicly: a tax report by Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley that raised significant questions about the financial impact of reversion. During closed session before the meeting, Easley presented a 25-page document, “Tax Impact of Reversion on Martinsville Businesses Martinsville & Henry County Residents,” that distilled some elements of how the business environment in the community could be negatively affected by tax changes under reversion.
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** Blacksburg council members inquire about local police attendance at Jan. 6 Capitol riot ([link removed])
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By YANN RANAIVO, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Blacksburg Councilman John Bush said he’s surprised at a response he received from Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin on this question: Did any county deputies take part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6? Following an additional question on the subject from Blacksburg Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith, Partin on Jan. 21 wrote: “Aside from Bush and yourself we have received no other inquiries regarding this matter. I am not aware of any one from our organization who was either involved with the events on January 06 or in D.C. I have no intention of conducting any inquiries or investigations of my personnel in regards to this matter.”

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Retired Teachers Association
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January 31 is Virginia's Retired Teachers Day, but we celebrate it today as we advocate for high-quality public schools and a strong Virginia Retirement System.


** EDITORIALS
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** USS Ford struggles a cause for worry? ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The continuing struggle to get the USS Gerald R. Ford combat-ready raises troubling questions that could have profound implications for national defense as well as for the Hampton Roads region. It’s crucial that everything possible be done to fully resolve the problems. There is a lot riding on the success of the Ford, the most expensive warship ever built, with an initial price tag of $13.2 billion.
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** Virginia must localize its vaccine efforts ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Over the past year, Gov. Ralph Northam has endured the persistent ups and downs of leading during a historic pandemic. In the spring, there was defiance over the commonwealth’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order. “Until we have a vaccination for it and everyone is safe and not going to contract the virus, it’s difficult to say we’re going to go back to a normal life,” he said at an April 15 briefing, per a report from NBC 29 in Charlottesville.


** OP-ED
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** Conston: Proposed college program means a path to jobs in Virginia ([link removed])
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By MARCIA CONSTON, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

After overcoming many of the challenges 2020 presented, the new year fills me with hope and optimism for the continued success of our students and the Hampton Roads community. Many Virginians are hurting from an unprecedented year: Businesses folded; schools were closed; unemployment peaked at 14.7%; and more than 22 million COVID-19 cases were reported with more than 400,000 lives lost nationwide. The year 2020 was indeed a national crisis.

Conston is president of Tidewater Community College.
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** Fitzsimmons: We can vaccinate 15,000 people weekly. Instead, we are forced to sit idle. ([link removed])
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By TRACY FITZSIMMONS, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Sometimes, good things really do come in small packages. In the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, this has come in the form of a small university partnering with a small health system and a semirural health district to get thousands of people vaccinated. It is a model that is replicable across the country because it requires nothing but community partnership, an all-hands-on-deck attitude and a deep-seated belief that all the diverse peoples in our community are lives that deserve to be saved — no matter their political persuasion, color, religion, housing status or income level.

Fitzsimmons has served as president of Shenandoah University since 2008.


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