VaNews
February 1, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** One Child Center for Autism
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Supporting children and families affected by developmental differences, regardless of financial circumstance, in the Greater Williamsburg area. Learn more at onechildcenterforautism.org ([link removed]) .
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Top of the News


** Manassas Park clinic administers more than 500 ‘no appointment’ COVID-19 vaccines ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

Getting an unexpected COVID-19 vaccination was a little like winning the lottery, or, as George Chichester of Manassas Park put it, like getting “a golden ticket.” “I have a ticket! A golden ticket!” Chichester said as he stood in line outside the Manassas Park Community Center Friday afternoon. The ticket was actually dark blue, but that was beside the point. Its number – 489 – meant Chichester would be one of 551 people to receive a Moderna COVID-19 vaccination made available on a first-come-first-served basis Friday, Jan. 29, to anyone in the state’s 1a and 1b groups.
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** Vaccine supply continues to be 'limiting factor' in Fredericksburg region ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The buildings are ready, the vaccinators trained. Starting Monday, the Rappahannock Area Health District will offer a COVID-19 vaccination clinic, every day of the week in one of its localities, and will continue to do so on the same day each week throughout February. The local health district covers Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. . . . Now, if only there were enough vaccines for all those ready to give and receive them.
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** Where have all the vaccine doses gone? Incomplete data leaves that an open question ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia’s hospitals appear to be sitting on a stockpile of vaccines, but health officials are not yet sure how many of the 119,000 unaccounted-for first doses are stored in deep freezers or are already at work boosting someone’s immune system. Hospitals also are storing 176,000 second doses of COVID-19 vaccine that Virginia health officials want them to begin using as first doses in order to shield more vulnerable people from the risks of becoming seriously ill and dying from the virus. Dr. Danny Avula, who is leading Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccine response, said during a media call Friday that his staff is still attempting to figure out how many unused doses exist.
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** Census delay helps GOP in one statehouse, Dems in another ([link removed])
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By MATTHEW BARAKAT AND MIKE CATALINI, Associated Press

The Census Bureau’s missed deadlines could be a boon for Virginia Republicans but a bust for the New Jersey GOP — and the reverse for Democrats — as the only two states with legislative elections this year do so without the data they need to draw new boundaries. The 2021 election cycle, the first since Democrats took control of the White House and Congress, is also supposed to be the first conducted after redistricting based on changes captured in the once-a-decade census required under the Constitution.
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** Second recent settlement in solitary confinement suits against Virginia Department of Corrections ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A $150,000 settlement that includes a transfer to a New Jersey prison has been reached in the case of a mentally ill Virginia inmate allegedly held in solitary confinement for 600 days leading to his mental and physical collapse. Tyquine Rahmer Lee, 28, of Portsmouth, was transferred Jan. 19 in accordance with the settlement of a federal suit filed by his mother, Takeisha Brown. Lee and Brown were represented by the MacArthur Justice Center and pro bono attorneys from the law firm Williams & Connolly LLP. The transfer moves him closer to his mother, who is his legal guardian, said his lawyers. They said his mother also plans to request a conditional pardon.
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** Wells Fargo shifting hundreds of jobs from Innsbrook to St. Louis and Minneapolis ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, Richmond BizSense

In a blow to its local workforce, financial giant Wells Fargo is cutting hundreds of jobs from its Innsbrook hub as it looks to move those positions to other locales. The company confirmed last week that 320 jobs from its Wealth & Investment Management division at its campus at 4340 Innslake Drive are being eliminated. The company expects to transfer an unknown number of those positions to its offices in St. Louis and Minneapolis.
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** Large, profane Virginia Beach yard sign shocked neighbors, but it’s 100% legal ([link removed])
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By JOANNE KIMBERLIN AND JANE HARPER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

There it was, printed in vivid, in-your-face-size letters in full public view: The F-word, on a fence surrounding a yard on North Lynnhaven Road. No point in divulging the exact address. Whoever lives there has the right to display foul language — even the ultimate curse word — on their property. “There is no City ordinance that regulates signage based on offensive statements or profanity,” Virginia Beach’s communications director, Julie Hill, explained in an email to the newspaper.
The Full Report
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Legislator-to-Lobbyist ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Fourteen former General Assembly members have registered this year to lobby their former colleagues. They are among 39 legislators who have turned lobbyist 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 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 courts could consider a defendant’s autism diagnoses under proposed law ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Virginia lawmakers are advancing legislation that would allow more defendants in criminal cases to present evidence that they suffer from mental illness or intellectual disabilities. Current state code bars judges and juries from hearing such testimony before the sentencing phase of a trial except in cases in which a defendant pleads not guilty by reason of insanity — a defense that’s difficult to raise in Virginia and, if accepted, can result in indefinite detention in a state mental hospital. “This is particularly important for people who have autism or who are on the spectrum who often just don’t have intellectual understanding of what certain behavior is,” said Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, who is carrying the legislation in the Senate.
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** Virginia, which has executed more people than any other state, may abolish the death penalty. ([link removed])
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By PETER DUJARDIN, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

The first recorded public execution in Virginia took place at Jamestown in 1608 — with another 1,389 people put to death in the Old Dominion since that time. But after more than 400 years, the state’s days of capital punishment may be numbered. Though Virginia has executed more people than any other state since Colonial times, it’s been nearly four years since its last execution — and 10 years since juries handed down the state’s last two death sentences.
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** Democrats push to preserve pandemic voting access measures ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

After the November election, legislators knew changes to Virginia’s election laws were in order. Democrats and Republicans had differing views of what those changes should be. Encouraged by a presidential election with high voter turnout, Democrats are working to codify many of the changes the state put into place for the pandemic that broadened ballot access. At the same time, they are chastising Republicans who want to roll back those changes on the basis of restoring “election integrity,” saying they shouldn’t cast doubt on voting measures that don’t contribute to widespread fraud.
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** Chafin leaves legacy in elder abuse legislation ([link removed])
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By MIKE STILL, Kingsport Times News

Virginia state Sen. A. Benton Chafin Jr. died days before the 2021 General Assembly session, but a piece of legislation he planned to advocate will strengthen protections for incapacitated adults facing physical and financial abuse. Wise County and Norton Commonwealth’s Attorney Chuck Slemp III and 1st District Delegate Terry Kilgore said that Chafin’s Senate Bill 1297, passed identically by the House of Delegates and Senate last week, gives adult protective workers the ability to intervene in situations of elder abuse and abuse of younger adults dependent on others for care.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** VEC to relocate, expand Buchanan County call center ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

Amid record-breaking unemployment claims filed during the pandemic, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) will relocate and expand its Buchanan County customer service call center, adding up to 110 jobs, the agency announced Friday. The need for relocation and extra space began last year as more VEC employees responded to issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** One year after Clean Economy Act’s passage, solar land use tensions linger ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

Spotsylvania County: 6,350. Fauquier County: 3,500. King William County: 1,262. Each number recited by Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin, to a House panel during the second week of the 2021 General Assembly session represented the number of acres that local governments in Virginia have approved for solar projects to date. To some, the tallies are a point of pride for a state that until recently solar developers saw as one of the toughest markets on the East Coast. To others, they are nothing short of a threat to a way of life that centers on agriculture and timber.
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** Salem internet provider brings cyberspace to uncharted territory ([link removed])
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By LUKE WEIR, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Business is booming and customers are zooming as Salem-based internet provider B2X Online brings rural Roanoke-region households into cyberspace. During the last four months, the family-owned company responded to a rush of government requests for expanded internet access in remote areas of Roanoke, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties, said B2X CEO Warren Kane.
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** Crown Holdings' plans for Commonwealth Crossing will be largest initial industry investment in Henry County ([link removed])
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By KIM BARTO MEEKS, Martinsville Bulletin (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A metal packaging company’s plans to spend $145 million constructing a production facility in Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre and create 126 new jobs will be the largest ever initial industry investment in Henry County, local officials said. The governor’s office announced Thursday that Crown Holdings, Inc. will build a 355,000-square-foot facility for manufacturing aluminum beverage cans on lot 4, a 55-acre tract in the Commonwealth Crossing industrial park near the Virginia-North Carolina state line.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Yes, Virginia, your E-ZPass could be deactivated if you don’t use it enough — even during a pandemic ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Many Virginians aren’t using toll roads as much as before the pandemic, and the people that manage their E-ZPasses are deactivating their accounts for it. “I’m curious how many other people this is happening to,” Brock Vergakis, a former Virginian-Pilot reporter, wrote via text along with a screenshot of a deactivation email from the operators of the transponders. “Such a pain.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** The pandemic hit Virginia community colleges hard. Will things get better in 2021? ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Fewer students enrolled this fall at Virginia community colleges than in any year since 2002. Fall headcount fell 4.6% from last year, according to a report to the state community college board last week. That’s better than national averages but bigger than recent years. Some of the biggest drops were among students whose parents didn’t go to college, older adults and non-white students.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia reports 2,258 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, with a caveat ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia reported only 2,258 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, but state health officials said testing and case numbers were affected by surveillance system upgrades done over the weekend. The new cases bring the state’s cumulative total since the beginning of the pandemic to 504,779, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
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** Thousands trek to Saturday’s vaccine clinics ([link removed])
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By JOANNE KIMBERLIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Almost a year into the pandemic, the scene still seemed surreal: Thousands of masked people converging Saturday on Scope — some in wheelchairs, some with walkers — eager for a vaccine that could save their lives and make the world normal again. The sight was the same across Hampton Roads, where three-large scale COVID-19 vaccination clinics aimed to inject 13,000 arms by the end of the day.
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** Vaccine event at raceway draws thousands of seniors ([link removed])
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By BILL LOHMANN AND KARRI PEIFER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

An estimated 4,800 senior adults descended on Richmond Raceway on Saturday to get COVID-19 vaccine shots. So many people showed up early that the start of the morning became a scene of long wait times and confusion that led some to leave without a shot. The Richmond and Henrico health districts tweeted around 9 a.m. that some morning appointments were moved to the afternoon and anyone registered for a shot should check their email before heading out. . . . A total of 4,854 people received a shot, organizers confirmed late Saturday night.
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** Va. vaccine coordinator: Availability improving, but ‘still nowhere near where we need to be’ ([link removed])
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By MELISSA HOWELL, WTOP

Northern Virginia residents continue to be concerned about getting access to the coronavirus vaccine, but health officials stress the process is improving. They said the state’s ability to distribute and track the vaccines is getting better compared to earlier in January, but the top problem continues to be access to doses. In a virtual forum on Saturday morning, Virginia Sen. Barbara Favola and Delegate Kathleen Murphy invited Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, Director of Health for Fairfax County and Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator, to give an update.
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** COVID-19 outbreaks in Lynchburg-area jails grow ([link removed])
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By RACHEL MAHONEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

The spread of COVID-19 around jails in the Lynchburg area that started over one month ago now has infected more than 200 inmates and staffers, and one inmate died from the disease in the past week. The Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority, which runs facilities in Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell and Halifax, counted a total of 191 positive COVID-19 cases among inmates and 26 among staff as of Thursday, according to administrator Joshua Salmon.
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** COVID-19 vaccination events provide valuable hands-on training for nursing students ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

In addition to their regular classes and normal clinical hour rotations, nursing students at Averett University and Danville Community College are even busier these days. Among the hundreds of volunteers who have helped facilitate large-scale COVID-19 vaccination events in the last week, there is a small army of aspiring medical professionals lending their hands and their time to support the cause.
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** More than 1,200 teachers, school staff receive shots ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

More than 1,200 Prince William County school teachers and staff rolled up their sleeves to receive COVID-19 vaccinations Saturday during the first of a two-day “mass vaccination” event at Unity Reed High School. Another 1,200 inoculations are scheduled for Sunday and will proceed despite the expected snowstorm, according to School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef.
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** After 7 weeks, only 7% of Virginians have received even a single vaccine dose ([link removed])
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By ELISHA SAUERS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia’s rate of putting shots in arms has picked up, but after seven weeks of vaccinating, 93% of the state’s population still hasn’t received a single dose of the two-part series. About 698,000 doses — or 59% of the 1.18 million distributed — had been injected as of Friday, according to data collected by the Virginia Department of Health. In the entire state, only 98,500 people had both the initial shot and the booster three or four weeks later.
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** Wintry weather cancels vaccine clinic in Caroline ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The region’s wintry weather has canceled Monday’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Caroline County—which was supposed to mark the debut of the Rappahannock Area Health District holding such events, every day of the week in one of its localities. As a result, the Caroline appointments will be rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 8.
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** Northern Virginia vaccination numbers don't include military, federal employees ([link removed])
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By BRUCE POTTER, Inside NOVA

Over 140,000 Northern Virginia residents have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Virginia Department of Health data, but that does not include federal employees and current and retired military service members who may have received vaccines through the federal government. The state health department confirmed to InsideNoVa this week that its online vaccine dashboard does not include vaccine doses that have been administered by federal entities, which includes the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** A Civil War monument honoring Union Troops could be built on the Eastern Shore ([link removed])
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By DENISE M. WATSON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

That Arthur T. Carter is spearheading an effort to build this Civil War monument sounds about right. Especially when folks consider his lineage. His grandfather was born enslaved in Eastville, the seat of Northampton County and where Carter and a newly formed group want a towering statue to honor African American and white Union soldiers in its historic square. So many remembrances, particularly in Virginia, are typically one or the other.


** LOCAL
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** D.C.’s ex-police chief hopes to build trust in Virginia county where some have been wary of police ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN JOUVENAL AND ANTONIO OLIVO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Peter Newsham, the former D.C. police chief who stunned city officials when he announced his departure in November, said he plans to increase the diversity of Prince William’s police force and push officers to engage more with the community when he takes over as chief of that department on Monday. But building trust could be a tall order in this changing suburban community, where heightened anger over police practices has fueled calls from some activists for his appointment to be rescinded as soon as it was approved.
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** Chesterfield's youngest are returning to school Tuesday, two months earlier than originally recommended ([link removed])
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By JESS NOCERA, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Come Tuesday morning, nearly 14,000 of Chesterfield County Public Schools’ youngest learners will be back in a classroom five days a week. The elementary schoolers will join 1,000 select special K-12 education students who returned at the end of September. Students in the career and technical centers also return Monday.
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** Chesterfield Families Making Different Choices on In-Person Education ([link removed])
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By IAN M. STEWART, WCVE-FM

When parent Ashley Henry watched the school board vote 4 to 1 to approve face-to-face instruction earlier this month, the decision to send her second grader back to Grange Hall Elementary School in Moseley was a no-brainer. “I feel totally confident. And I think part of the reason I feel that way is because we've been in a daycare setting essentially, since March of last year. And you know, so far, so good -- knock on wood,” Henry says. Henry is a nurse, her husband is a first responder. They have two children, and their youngest son goes to a private kindergarten at a learning center.
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** Though considered essential workers, not all elected officials getting vaccinated ([link removed])
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By GORDON RAGO AND ALISSA SKELTON, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Chesapeake Mayor Rick West got his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine earlier this week. His Virginia Beach counterpart, Bobby Dyer, plans to get it as soon as he can secure an appointment. Dyer and West qualify for the vaccine due to their ages: West is 68 and Dyer 70. But they and all other council members are also eligible under Virginia’s Phase 1b of the vaccine distribution plan — they are considered essential workers needed to maintain continuity of government, according to Larry Hill, a spokesperson for the Health Department.
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** Toano Historical Society determined to save the Gatewood house ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLE RENTE, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

Sitting at the corner of the Toano Middle School property, the once-glorious mansion now rests at the precipice of crumbling down. It’s a brick shell with a mysterious appeal for anyone curious enough to explore the 7000 block of Richmond Road. The ceiling exposes the interior to the elements, vines cling to the outside exterior as if to hold the walls up, and there is most likely mold from the humid summers Virginia is known for. But there are people who want to see the house restored to its former glory. It’s called the Gatewood House, and there is feud over its future.
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** Madison supervisors vote not to support bill to allow Greene to leave RSA ([link removed])
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By GRACIE HART BROOKS, Madison Eagle

ASenate Bill regarding the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) was the topic of an emergency called meeting Sunday. Madison County Supervisors convened in an emergency meeting Sunday afternoon via video conference to discuss the county’s position on Senate Bill 1355. The bill would allow any member locality of RSA to withdraw from the authority regardless of any outstanding bonds.
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** EDA reaches confidential settlement for $460,000 ([link removed])
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By ALEX BRIDGES, Northern Virginia Daily

The Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority settled a civil dispute on Friday for $460,000 but with whom remains confidential. The EDA Board of Directors voted at a special meeting to adopt a resolution in which it states that the board reached a mediated settlement with a party for the amount. The terms of the settlement prohibit the parties from revealing any of its contents.
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** Northern Neck localities get $10 million broadband grant ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A $10.3 million state grant that will provide the first phase of fiber-to-the-home broadband in the underserved Northern Neck is being hailed as a game-changer for businesses and a much-needed boost for residents who’ve tried—often with frustrating results—to do their jobs and schoolwork from home during the pandemic.
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** Synthetic marijuana a growing problem at Danville Adult Detention Center ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

Inmates ingesting synthetic marijuana has become a problem at the Danville Adult Detention Center. The trend has the facility's director, Frank Mardavich, concerned about dangerous reactions inmates have had under the drug, also known as K2, spice or spike."

Today's Sponsor:


** One Child Center for Autism
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Supporting children and families affected by developmental differences, regardless of financial circumstance, in the Greater Williamsburg area. Learn more at onechildcenterforautism.org ([link removed]) .


** EDITORIALS
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** Virginia is still a migration loser ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

During 2020, more people moved out of Virginia than in, according to United Van Lines’ 44th National Migration Study, which was released earlier this month. Though the population outflow was somewhat balanced by an influx of people moving here from other states, the net result was that Virginia lost residents while its immediate neighbors and competitors to the south—North Carolina and Tennessee (the 6th and 7th destinations in the nation for inbound movers)—gained population.
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** Supervisor Ronald Scearce needs to mask his dangerous words ([link removed])
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Danville Register & Bee Editorial

When last we left Pittsylvania County Supervisor Ronald Scearce in December, we thought him just to be irresponsibly dangerous to his constituents and himself. But that’s before he opened his mouth a second time and really showed us the substance of his character. Let’s review what we know about Scearce, supervisor for the Westover District and – this is truly inconceivable – vice chair of the board.
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** How much does Virginia want everyone online? ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Today is a landmark day in Wise County. This morning, more than 100 students will get something they’ve never had before — internet access. This internet service will come not from traditional telecoms that have laid fiber, but from Elon Musk’s network of Starlink satellite whizzing overhead and beaming internet down to remote places where, realistically, fiber will never reach because it’s simply not economical, even with massive government subsidies.
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** Why does Virginia rank so low in vaccine distribution? ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The great philosopher Ricky Bobby tells us in “Talladega Nights” that “if you ain’t first, you’re last.” That may be true in sports but it’s not when it comes to the rankings of which states have done the best job administering the COVID-19 vaccines. One state is first, one state is last and then there are 48 others in between. Unfortunately for Virginia, we’ve generally been toward the bottom of that list — and one day did indeed hit dead last. We’ve since moved up, but we’re still not first — not anywhere close to it. That begs the question “why?”
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** Support regional transportation authority ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Northern Virginia has one. So does Hampton Roads. And both use their regional transportation authorities to raise billions of dollars for local road and transit projects that the state can’t or won’t fund. Local officials and business groups in Fredericksburg are now urging the General Assembly to allow this region to have its own regional transportation authority as well.
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** Welcome signs of progress in Virginia’s vaccine rollout ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Those outraged about the sluggish pace of coronavirus vaccination in Virginia can find some small measure of comfort in measures announced by Gov. Ralph Northam this week. He has heard the criticism directed at him from across the commonwealth and is taking action. That doesn’t excuse the problems thus far, nor does it absolve the governor’s responsibility for them, but if the goal is to expedite vaccinations, streamline the process and, hopefully, get Virginia up and running again, then there is reason for cautious optimism.


** OP-ED
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** Wallace: General Assembly will stifle business if it does not pass conformity legislation ([link removed])
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By GARY WALLACE, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

There still are underlying challenges to our economy as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that we must face, namely that small and mid-sized businesses continue to struggle due to a slow economy. That is why it is critical that such businesses be able to retain as much of their earned income as possible. Congress recently assisted by allowing businesses to deduct qualified expenditures related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness.

Wallace is managing partner at Glen Allen-based Keiter.
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** Bradshaw: State inspections can prevent unintended consequences of COVID-19 pandemic ([link removed])
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By ROBERT N. BRADSHAW JR, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

There’s a hidden danger tied to the COVID-19 pandemic that many people won’t even recognize until it’s too late. It has to do with you being behind the wheel of a vehicle that has not been driven as often as usual because you’re working from home, or social distancing and not going out often. A year of not driving like normal begs the question: Is your car safe?

Bradshaw is president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia.
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** Reed: States Are Reforming the Way We Elect the President in 2024—Virginia Should Join In ([link removed])
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By WORNIE REED, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Election 2020 was likely to be the last Presidential campaign under the current Electoral College system. That is, the last time we watch states turn “red” or “blue” on election night and cheer or cry based on the outcome in a handful of so-called “battleground” states. This is good news. One person, one vote is a longstanding principle in American elections.

Reed is professor of sociology and Africana Studies and director of the Race and Social Policy Research Center at Virginia Tech.
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** Stanley: A conservative viewpoint on ending the death penalty ([link removed])
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By BILL STANLEY, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

I am a conservative Republican, and I am against the death penalty. During the ten years I have been privileged to represent the 20th District in the Virginia Senate, I have consistently opposed efforts to expand it. That may seem counter-intuitive for those who assume conservatives must support the death penalty as a key component of Republicans’ “tough on crime” stance. In my view, you can be “tough on crime,” be a conservative Republican, and be against the death penalty for both moral and legal reasons.

Stanley, R-Franklin County, represents District 20 in the Virginia State Senate
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** Kelley: Times change, but the mission has not ([link removed])
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By BRIAN KELLEY, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The news last week that the building that’s been home to The Roanoke Times since 1914 is up for sale caused concern for many of our staff and readers in our region. Since the conclusion of the sale last year of The Roanoke Times and nine other Virginia daily newspapers to Lee Enterprises, we have been at 201 W. Campbell Ave. S.W. as a tenant of our prior owner, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which retained the real estate. That is who put the property up for sale.

A journalist for 34 years, Brian Kelley has been with The Roanoke Times since 1993.
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** Gebriel: Safety valves don’t solve problem of mandatory minimums ([link removed])
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By TINSAE GEBRIEL, published in Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

THE FREE Lance–Star recently published a piece from its editorial board entitled, “Middle ground on mandatory minimums,” advocating for a safety valve approach to Virginia’s mandatory minimum sentencing. Though safety valves have been touted as the “middle ground” between having mandatory minimums and removing them entirely, this argument ignores an important facet of the problem.

Gebriel is the deputy director of policy for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), a nonprofit criminal justice advocacy organization.
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** Morse: Standards of Quality debate one worth having in Virginia ([link removed])
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By GORDON C. MORSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

“The more than 40,000 members of the Virginia Education Association believe that every child deserves a great public school.” It’s time to discuss Virginia’s educational Standards of Quality and, you know, the VEA’s slogan has a nice ring to it. It gets at the heart of our aspirations. The public schools ought to be great. All of them. For every student. In the abstract, funding Virginia’s public schools is a no-brainer. That’s good for everyone. You immediately respond, “Sure.” But then you get down to cases.

After writing editorials for the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot in the 1980s, Gordon C. Morse wrote speeches for Gov. Gerald L. Baliles.
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** Morales and Ring: Broad support exists for ending mandatory minimums in Virginia ([link removed])
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By STEPHANIE MORALES AND KEVIN RING, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia legislature is currently considering a bill to eliminate the state’s more than 200 mandatory minimum sentencing laws, joining with more than 30 states that have repealed or reformed their mandatory minimum laws in the past two decades. Although we are two people with differing political affiliations, we support this bill.

Morales has been the commonwealth’s attorney for Portsmouth since 2015. Ring is the president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a national nonprofit criminal justice advocacy organization.
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** Oliver: On vaccine, minority groups should choose hope over skepticism ([link removed])
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By DR. NORMAN OLIVER, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The United States is facing a growing health crisis made worse by its past mistakes. For centuries, our nation’s public health institutions inflicted neglect and intentional abuse on our communities of color. The result is an understandable mistrust of government and healthcare agencies at the very time when the commonwealth needs widespread acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. The first step to overcoming skepticism about the vaccine is to acknowledge that we have earned the mistrust held by African American and Latinx communities after past misdeeds and current systemic racism.

Virginia Health Commissioner, M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A., has a long record of studying health inequities, particularly as it affects racial and ethnic minorities.
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** Haymore: GO Virginia's vision becoming a reality in central Virginia ([link removed])
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By TODD P. HAYMORE, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The future of economic growth in Virginia lies both with investors creating new opportunities as well as distinctive strategies deployed by the commonwealth to help make those opportunities a reality. As a cabinet secretary and agency head under three governors of both political parties, I spent almost 12 years proudly serving Virginia with the goal of helping create new economic opportunities for our citizens through both traditional and new, distinctive approaches.

Haymore is managing director of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s public affairs consultancy.
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** Copenhaver: A Christian case for abolition of the death penalty ([link removed])
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published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Legislators in the General Assembly soon will be voting on a measure to abolish the death penalty in Virginia. Support for the death penalty has been waning but it still is strong among Christians. White Protestants are the strongest supporters of the death penalty. As an opponent of the death penalty, this concerns me because more than 70% of our representatives fit this demographic. I hope to persuade readers that abolition is more consistent with Christian moral reasoning.

Copenhaver is a professor emeritus of religion and philosophy at Shenandoah University.
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** Biberaj, Descano and Porter: It’s time for second chances in Virginia ([link removed])
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By BUTA BIBERAJ, STEVE DESCANO AND BRYAN PORTER, published in Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

As the Virginia General Assembly begins its session, legislative leaders should focus on how they might build on the accomplishments of the summer special session and take the next steps on criminal justice reform. Among our justice system’s primary defects are the collateral consequences that follow community members for a lifetime after they are charged with a crime. Unfortunately, a bill that would have allowed many such community members to eventually expunge their records died in conference committee at the end of the special session.

Biberaj is the Loudoun County commonwealth’s attorney. Descano is the Fairfax City and Fairfax County commonwealth’s attorney. Porter is Alexandria’s commonwealth’s attorney.


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