VaNews
February 11, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Maritime Association
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The Virginia Maritime Association ([link removed]) concludes our first 100 years of service with thanks to all who have contributed to 100 years of port industry growth.
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Top of the News


** Leaders in Washington region ask FEMA for help in vaccinating federal workers ([link removed])
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By JULIE ZAUZMER, RACHEL CHASON AND REBECCA TAN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Leaders in the District, Maryland and Virginia made a joint request to the federal government this week, asking that it take responsibility for vaccinating tens of thousands of essential federal workers who live in the Washington region. “Our request, we acknowledge, is a little bit unconventional and unique. But we would like for it to be entertained and approved,” D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt said at a D.C. Council meeting Wednesday where she discussed the request.
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** Tech woes are a serious barrier in Virginia’s efforts to schedule vaccine appointments ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

From local health departments to the coordinator of Virginia’s vaccine campaign, there was no debate that VAMS wasn’t working. The software system, provided to states by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was meant to offer a coordinated platform for scheduling, tracking and reporting thousands of immunizations. But within weeks, it was clear the system had major problems.
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** Quarantined cadets intermixed with others at Saturday event, VMI acknowledges ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

VMI’s spokesman on Wednesday acknowledged that quarantined cadets were not fully separated from their peers for the entirety of an annual event last weekend. “In retrospect, we needed to ensure that they stayed separate,” Bill Wyatt said in an interview Wednesday. “And judging from some of the photos that I’ve seen — and like I said, I’m still trying to confirm it. Did that in fact happen? I think [separation] happened most of the day. But toward the end, things get a little hectic, and it appears that it might not have stayed that way for the entire day.”
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** Report: Racist Virginia laws are gone, but inequities linger ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Virginia needs sweeping changes to its schools, housing laws, criminal justice system and other areas of policy to remedy the legacy of centuries of government-sanctioned racial oppression, according to a new report the state released Wednesday. It’s the latest effort of a commission empaneled by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, which began its work in 2019 with an examination of racist laws that — though long unenforced — had remained on the books. Wednesday’s report, provided to The Associated Press ahead of its public release, concludes that the impacts of those now-purged laws have persisted in varying degrees, and it recommends dozens of policy changes to “dismantle this structure, and to address the lingering and disparate effects of Virginia’s segregationist past.”
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** Virginia budget provides COVID-19 relief, supports priorities in transportation, broadband ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The General Assembly released the state’s spending plan Wednesday, which includes significant investments in broadband expansion and funding to support bringing passenger rail service to the New River Valley. The budget includes measures to help Virginians struggling to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic as well as priorities for Democrats who control the General Assembly, including raising the pay for teachers, setting up a system to oversee the legalization of recreational use of marijuana, and various criminal justice reform policies.
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** General Assembly’s judicial interviews devolve into ‘s***show’ ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

The General Assembly broke from its staid and often secretive approach to making judicial appointments this week when a hearing to interview candidates devolved into a spectacle that prompted one exasperated senator to let loose a string of expletives. The General Assembly was interviewing Katie Uston, the former assistant counsel at the Virginia State Bar, for a circuit court judgeship in Alexandria. The proceedings are typically marked by subdued back-and-forths and softball questions like “why do you want to be a judge?” — with the real work of selecting candidates hammered out in private among lawmakers who represent the given judicial district.
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** Reddit Is America’s Unofficial Unemployment Hotline ([link removed])
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By ELLA KOEZE, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

In early December, Alex Branch’s car broke down. A 23-year-old former arcade employee in southern Virginia, Mr. Branch had been receiving unemployment benefits since he was laid off in March, and figured he would have no problem paying for the repairs. But when he checked his bank account, he was troubled to find that the payments had stopped. He had failed to get useful information from his state's unemployment office before, so he turned to the one place he figured he could get an explanation: Reddit. “I’m very confused and have no idea what to do,” Mr. Branch wrote on r/Unemployment, a Reddit forum whose popularity has skyrocketed during the pandemic.
The Full Report
68 articles, 33 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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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.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Northam teams with Maryland, D.C. counterparts to press for more vaccines for federal employees, shipyards ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser are asking federal officials to do more to support COVID-19 vaccinations for federal employees and essential defense contractors. Those workers include many in Hampton Roads, said Alena Yarmosky, Northam’s press secretary.
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** Petition asks Virginia governor to reopen wedding and event venues ([link removed])
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By STEPHANIE HARRIS, WAVY-TV

The wedding and event industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. A petition asking Gov. Ralph Northam to safely reopen these venues for larger groups in Virginia now has more than 2,000 signatures. The woman who started it, Kelsey Ann Leeper, is the manager at the Historic Post Office in Downtown Hampton.
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** Meet the legal eagle guiding Governor Northam ([link removed])
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By HENRY GRAFF, WRIC-TV

We don’t see her much on camera, but the governor’s attorney has a front-row seat to some of the most critical decisions being made in the state. From COVID-19 restrictions to the fate of Confederate statues, Rita Davis is the legal brain guiding Gov. Ralph Northam’s policies. “I didn’t have any personal experience with that. It just like, it felt right for me. It was like a calling,” said Rita Davis, Counsel to Governor Northam.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Budgets boost salaries for teachers, state employees; ABC property in play ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

The General Assembly money committees delivered on Gov. Ralph Northam’s pledge to increase teacher salaries by adopting competing budget proposals on Wednesday that would boost pay by 3% to 5% in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The House Appropriations and Senate Finance & Appropriations committees also proposed to give state employees and other state-supported workers the 3% raise they lost last year to the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic — and a little more in the House spending plan, which seeks to increase pay by 3.5%.
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** Hesitancy, heated disputes could hamper Virginia's marijuana legalization plans ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, described a measure to legalize marijuana as the biggest bill he’s seen in his 30 years in Richmond. Deeds and other Democrats have expressed support for legalization, but the legislation faces many unresolved questions and disputes, with about two weeks left on the clock. How soon should the state stop punishing people for possessing small amounts? What new crimes make sense in a legalized market?
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** Hazard pay on way to home health agencies ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

One-time hazard pay is on its way to almost 26,000 aides for home health care and personal care attendants who serve elderly and disabled Virginians in their homes. However, the General Assembly still must decide whether to raise reimbursement rates for serving Medicaid recipients to help offset pending increases in the minimum wage and, if so, by how much.
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** Elected Officials, Health Leaders Urge Vaccine Patience ([link removed])
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By KARA CLARK RODRIGUEZ, Loudoun Now

Many of Loudoun’s elected delegation to the General Assembly took part in an electronic town hall meeting Tuesday evening focusing on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Loudoun. Both they and health leaders said they understood the frustration felt by many in Loudoun and statewide about the low vaccine supply, but urged patience. Although many have been waiting anxiously for their first dose of the vaccine, Sen. John Bell (D-13) said Virginians have a lot to be proud of.
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** Med-mal ‘relief’ bill defeated ([link removed])
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By JASON BOLEMAN, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

A bill that would have provided a “relief valve” for Virginia’s medical malpractice cap has died in a General Assembly subcommittee. Under Senate Bill 1107, proposed by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Moneta, the medical malpractice cap would be lifted in cases of “substantial or permanent loss or impairment” of a bodily function, brain injury, substantial disfigurement and “any other special circumstance” that warrants a finding that the cap would deprive the plaintiff of just compensation.
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** Legislative Efforts To ‘Police the Police’ Fall Short ([link removed])
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By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE-FM

Virginia Democrats continued to push for legislation this session to hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct. But most of those efforts to “police the police” were cut short. A proposal to require police agencies to release body-worn camera footage to the public following use-of-force incidents failed to pass the House of Delegates. This disappointed police reform advocates like Chelsea Higgs Wise.
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** Bill requiring consideration of autism, mental illness in criminal justice system passes in Virginia ([link removed])
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By JACKIE DEFUSCO, WRIC-TV

Advocates say a law that bars Virginia courts from fully considering a person’s disability or mental illness is causing defendants with autism to fall through the cracks. A recently passed bill would require judges to take these conditions into consideration in more stages of the criminal justice system. Some prosecutors fear there could be unintended consequences.
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** Law to honor legacy of Chesapeake woman would help find those with autism who go missing ([link removed])
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By CHRIS HORNE, WAVY-TV

A new Virginia law in the works will close a loophole for people with autism. Right now, it’s known as House Bill 2216 in the General Assembly, but it’s fully expected to become law July 1 as the Jamile Hill Law for Justice. Hill, 29, wandered off from her home off Bainbridge Boulevard in October. She drowned in a swampy area about a mile away. Family friend and state Del. Cliff Hayes (D-Chesapeake) attended her memorial.
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** Would-be judges getting more public scrutiny from Virginia legislators ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The day Virginia legislators interview candidates for judgeships is usually boring. The candidates come before a panel of lawmakers, talk for a few minutes about why they want to be a judge, answer a few questions, answers to which could be found on their resume, and leave. Tuesday was different. Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, was grilling Kathleen Uston, who was interviewing for a circuit court judgeship in Alexandria, about her qualifications.
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** State senate declines to reappoint Chesterfield judge ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer

Despite bipartisan support from current and former elected officials, members of the local bar and the Virginia conference of the NAACP, one of Chesterfield County’s two Black judges will not be reappointed to the General District Court when her current six-year term expires March 31. Because of opposition from two of the three state senators who represent parts of Chesterfield – Democrats Joe Morrissey and Ghazala Hashmi – the Senate Judiciary Committee declined to certify Pamela O’Berry’s name for consideration by the full chamber during the 2021 General Assembly session.
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** DMV Data Legislation Currently Under Consideration by State Senate ([link removed])
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By JAHD KHALIL, WVTF

Earlier this year, Virginia residents with an undocumented immigration status could apply for a Virginia driver privilege card for the first time. But advocates were concerned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could use the DMV data without a court order. The DMV knows a lot about you, says Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, the legal director of the Legal Aid Justice Center. . . . This led Delegate Kathy Tran of Fairfax to author a bill that would protect drivers’ private information.
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** General Assembly scuttles waterway access fees ([link removed])
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By TAD DICKENS, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A legislative snag for recreational paddlers and tourism concerns snapped on Wednesday, via Virginia budget amendment. Lawmakers looked to deal with boat ramp parking issues when they voted in February 2020 to institute fees at Department of Wildlife Resources-run boating access ramps. But in what one delegate called an unintended consequence, the fees would have created issues for outfitters and other businesses on commonwealth waterways.
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** Committee approves measure to honor Chafin and boost Breaks park project ([link removed])
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Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Virginia’s Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday adopted a budget amendment in memory of Sen. Ben Chafin, who died Jan. 1. The budget amendment, sponsored by Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, would provide $1.4 million in the first year of the budget to modernize and repair lodge units and the Rhododendron Restaurant at Breaks Interstate Park in Dickenson County.
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** Va. Senate paves way for class actions in state courts ([link removed])
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By JASON BOLEMAN, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Virginians would be able to try class action lawsuits at the state level under a bill passed by the Virginia Senate this month. Senate Bill 1180, introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County, would amend Virginia Code § 8.01-267.1 to permit class actions in state courts. Presently, class actions are allowed only in Virginia’s federal courts. Virginia and Mississippi are the only two states that do not allow class actions at the state level.
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** Local student helps affect policy change ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Thanks to the bipartisan efforts of Virginia youths, students across the commonwealth will likely soon be able to get time off school to participate in civic events. HB 1940, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, seeks to allow middle- and high-school students to have at least one day-long excused absence a year in order to engage in a civic or political event. The bill has been championed by Virginia students both Democrat and Republican, including Western Albemarle High School senior Hadrien Padilla.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Cox says GOP candidates face ‘different electoral landscape’ after year of Democratic control ([link removed])
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By DEAN MIRSHAHI, WRIC-TV

Kirk Cox, the former Virginia House speaker seeking the GOP nomination in the governor’s race, believes Republican candidates face a different electoral landscape than in 2019, when Democrats took control of the state legislature for the first time in a generation, citing the policies implemented under one-party rule since then. Del. Cox (R-Colonial Heights), who narrowly won reelection with a redrawn district but lost his leadership role after Republicans lost the House two years ago, said Wednesday that Democratic candidates will have to defend the party’s platform in upcoming elections. He pointed to proposals previously defeated under GOP-control that Democrats have advanced.
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** 'Trump in heels' emerges as problem for GOP in Virginia ([link removed])
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By JULIA MANCHESTER, The Hill

A Virginia state senator and gubernatorial candidate who has described herself as “Trump in heels” is emerging as a problem for the state’s Republican party as they seek to take the governor’s mansion. Amanda Chase boasts enthusiastic grassroots support in pockets of the state. But she has also drawn bipartisan rebuke for incendiary statements calling for martial law to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seemingly expressing support for the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol. That's left Democrats eager to paint her as the face of the state’s Republican Party.
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** Gubernatorial candidate talks COVID-19, schools business ([link removed])
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By ALEX BRIDGES, Northern Virginia Daily

A Republican eyeing a run for Virginia governor blasted restrictions meant to stop the spread of COVID-19 and urged the state to let students back in schools. Charlottesville resident Pete Snyder made a campaign stop in Strasburg on Tuesday as he traveled around the Northern Shenandoah Valley before heading east to Northern Virginia. Snyder, 48, is seeking the Republican Party nomination to run for governor in the November election. After meeting residents at the Queen Street Diner, Snyder spoke by phone about the coronavirus pandemic, gun rights and other topics.
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** Gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin visits Charlottesville ([link removed])
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By DANIEL GRIMES, WVIR-TV

Gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin calls the impeachment hearings of former President Donald Trump “political games.” Youngkin made a stop through Charlottesville early Wednesday, February 10, where he also criticized Governor Ralph Northam’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. The Republican claims the rules have changed too often, and the vaccine rollout has been mismanaged.
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** Former think tank leader joins race for Virginia governor ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Peter Doran, a former Washington think tank executive and author, joined the crowded race for Virginia governor this week with a promise to phase out the state income tax. “We’re going to zero percent,” Doran, 45, says in a campaign video. In an interview Wednesday, he said the state could wind up with more revenue without the tax because the change would fuel business and population growth. Doran, who lives in Arlington County, is the sixth Republican to seek the party’s gubernatorial nomination. Five Democrats and an independent also are seeking to succeed Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who is prohibited by the state constitution from seeking back-to-back terms.


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** State Report Calls 2020 Election Most Successful In Virginia's History ([link removed])
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By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM

A new report from Virginia’s Department of Elections calls the 2020 election “the most safe, secure, and successful” vote in the history of the state. The report also details shortcomings in Richmond’s election administration, where the state noted a litany of problems that included the discovery of 1,000 unprocessed absentee ballots during early voting. The November election set a statewide record for turnout, with nearly 75% of registered voters casting a ballot. The pandemic and a loosening of absentee voting laws also led to a surge in early voting, with nearly 60% of Virginia voters casting ballots before Election Day.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Supervisors Want Tour Of Overcrowded Regional Jail ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Before the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors makes any decisions on a proposal to expand and renovate Middle River Regional Jail, supervisors expressed a desire to tour the facility to see firsthand what the overcrowding situation looks like. “It’s better to have eyes on things and get a sense of things,” District 4 Supervisor Bill Kyger said. “I think I need to see it so I can be more confident with what I will be asked to make here.”
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** Outdoor foundation grants go to park in Rocky Mount, town square in Buena Vista ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A park in Rocky Mount and a town square in Buena Vista are among the 33 projects statewide to receive nearly $2 million in grants from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Approved Tuesday by the foundation’s board, the grants are intended to further public access to open spaces in communities that in the past have been overlooked or underserved.
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** Spotted lanternfly quarantine to impact Clarke, Warren county businesses ([link removed])
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By MICKEY POWELL, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will expand its spotted lanternfly quarantine to Clarke and Warren counties in mid-March. That means businesses in those counties will have to comply with special permitting and shipping requirements. Frederick County and Winchester are the only localities already under the quarantine. The spotted lanternfly (scientific name Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive species that is destructive to trees, crops and other plantings.
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** Grant to provide training for STEM teachers in rural areas ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Virginia will receive a $10.8 million, five-year federal grant for enhanced teacher training in science, technology and related fields, state officials announced Wednesday. Nonprofit education organization Virginia Ed Strategies secured the grant, one of seven issued this year by the Department of Education. The project was selected from a field of more than 140 nationwide applicants and focuses on teachers in rural areas who teach STEM+C [science, technology, engineering, math and computers].
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** Va. education nonprofit receives $10.8M grant ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLA MUÑOZ, Washington Times

The education nonprofit Virginia Ed Strategies announced Wednesday that it has secured a $10.8 million federal grant to expand teacher training in the commonwealth. “These funds will support the development of the Professional Learning by Choice community, or ‘Choice’ as we’re calling it now,” said Jennifer Stevens, the group’s president and CEO. “Over the next five years, Choice will allow for teacher-directed professional development opportunities for at least 2,100 secondary science, mathematics and computer science teachers across the commonwealth — the majority of whom will be from rural school divisions.”


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Virginia will help Newport News upgrade Menchville Marina, one of state’s largest oyster landing sites ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Another round of upgrades is coming to the Menchville Marina in Newport News, which hundreds of watermen use to bring oysters ashore. For the second year in a row, the city received a $250,000 grant from the state’s Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund. The grant will provide funds to help cover the cost of the installation of three floating dock systems, permanent restrooms and about 380 feet of riprap to stabilize the shoreline, according to a news release from the city. The project will ensure the docks meet current code standards, and old docks, debris and pilings will be removed.
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** Charlottesville-based bank says it is the first in the country to allow Bitcoins to be bought and sold using its ATMs ([link removed])
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By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A Virginia bank says it has become the first commercial financial institution in the country to let users buy and redeem the digital currency known as Bitcoin at its automated teller machines. Charlottesville-based Blue Ridge Bank announced Wednesday that it now provides access to Bitcoin at its 19 ATM locations, both at its branches and off-site ATMs, in the Piedmont, Southside and Shenandoah Valley regions of Virginia. Later this year, ATMs operated by Virginia Commonwealth Bank - which merged with Blue Ridge Bank this month - in the Richmond region and elsewhere will be able to provide the Bitcoin access.
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** Former cheerleaders settle with Washington Football Team as program’s future is in doubt ([link removed])
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By BETH REINHARD, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Former Washington Football Team cheerleaders who appeared in lewd videos that team employees secretly produced from outtakes of 2008 and 2010 swimsuit calendar shoots have reached confidential settlements with the team. “The matter has been resolved,” Cindy Minniti, an attorney representing the team and owner Daniel Snyder, said when asked about dozens of ex-cheerleaders represented separately by attorneys Lisa Banks and Gloria Allred. None of the lawyers would provide any details on the terms of the settlements.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** White’s Ferry to remain closed after both sides say negotiations failed ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN WM. MOYER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A historic ferry that shuttled travelers across the Potomac River for centuries before a long-simmering land dispute shuttered it in December will remain closed after negotiations to reopen it failed, representatives of both sides of the dispute said this week. White’s Ferry, which served hundreds of commuters each day between Loudoun and Montgomery counties, opened in the 18th century. It closed days after Christmas when its operator said he could not agree on a deal with the owners of Rockland Farm, who said the ferry service was trespassing on its property to land its cable-run boats.
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** Metro's Blue Line closing for three months starting Saturday ([link removed])
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Inside NOVA

Metro is reminding customers that beginning this Saturday, there will be no service on the Blue Line until May 23 for platform reconstruction and station improvements at two stations. The work will be at the Arlington Cemetery and Addison Road stations, which will both be closed. Metro is rebuilding the platforms and installing more energy-efficient LED lighting, slip-resistant tiles and new digital signage.
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** Metro seeks bond sales to raise $360 million for capital projects ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Weeks after a federal bailout helped Metro veer away from a fiscal crisis, the transit agency plans to borrow $360 million through bond sales to expedite construction projects officials say will make the system safer. While the economy struggles under the weight of a nearly year-long pandemic, Metro’s construction plan is pushing forward with upgrades and renovations intended to improve system reliability — even as the future of public transit and commuting remains cloudy.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Hundreds of CNU students are sick or in quarantine as COVID-19 surges ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Christopher Newport University is in the middle of its largest wave of COVID-19 cases this school year, a little over two weeks after in-person classes started. As of Wednesday, 129 students and six employees had active cases. On average, 171 students were in quarantine each day last week, about 3.5% of the student body.
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** COVID-19 cases at Lynchburg-area colleges fall for second week ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Lynchburg-area colleges and universities Wednesday reported a total of 59 active COVID-19 cases among students and staffers, marking the second week in a row the total has fallen at local institutions of higher learning. Liberty University reported 39 total cases, continuing a steady two-week decline in the number of active cases on campus, according to weekly updates from the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Virginia reports 3,203 new COVID-19 cases ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia on Wednesday reported 3,203 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state's cumulative total during the pandemic to 537,319, the Virginia Department of Health reported. As of Wednesday morning, there had been 6,932 COVID-19 deaths in Virginia, an increase of 34 from Tuesday.
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** Richmond, Henrico release vaccine data by race ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia health leaders have repeatedly said equity is at the core of the state’s coronavirus response, but the state doesn’t publish the figures that could measure its success. As of Wednesday, the Virginia Department of Health’s vaccination website doesn’t include local breakdowns of demographics, which makes it nearly impossible to gauge whether heavily impacted communities are receiving a fair distribution of vaccinations.
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** Health director: Vaccines progressing, though mostly now as second doses ([link removed])
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By JOSETTE KEELOR, Northern Virginia Daily

As first-dose COVID-19 vaccination clinics around the area have largely been at a standstill in recent days, Dr. Colin Greene, director of the Lord Fairfax Health District, assured residents that vaccines are still being shipped to the district each week. Most recently, COVID-19 vaccines have gone to second-dose clinics, he said, because patients who received doses in mid-January are due to receive their booster shots.
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** Virginia health officials: Getting a COVID vaccine at CVS is like getting the best concert tickets ([link removed])
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By MONIQUE CALELLO, News Leader (Metered Paywall - 3 to 4 articles a month)

Virginia's state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula is straightforward about the situation that unfolded when Virginians tried to get a vaccination appointment at CVS Health. "This is not a system that allows equitable access," said Avula. When it comes to a potentially life-saving vaccine, the current system in place to make sure priority groups are first in line is not working.
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** Prince William lagging other area localities in COVID-19 vaccine administration ([link removed])
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By NOLAN STOUT, Inside NOVA

Prince William County is lagging behind nearly all other Northern Virginia localities in vaccinating residents against COVID-19, and nearly 50,000 people are on the local waitlist for their first dose. As a result, County Executive Chris Martino told the Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday, it could be months before many area residents are vaccinated. “We’ve got quite a backlog that’s going to take us some time to work through,” Martino said.
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** New cases, hospitalizations dropping, but virus infection rates remain high in Fredericksburg area ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Rappahannock Area Health District officials plan to move forward with COVID-19 vaccinations on Thursday. If that changes because of worsening weather, an announcement will be posted on the health district’s website at vdh.virginia.gov/Rappahannock, and those with appointments will be called or emailed. Meanwhile, the average number of new weekly COVID-19 cases has dropped for the last few weeks, and the area’s three hospitals are seeing fewer patients.
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** Riverside expands Phase 1B vaccine access to patients with specialty doctors, not just primary care ([link removed])
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By MAGGIE MORE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Riverside Health System will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to elderly Phase 1B patients with specialty care doctors in the Riverside system, a Wednesday morning news release announced. The change is an expansion of access to the vaccine for patients with Riverside doctors who are not their primary care physician.
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** Roanoke Rescue Mission clinic brings vaccine to vulnerable population ([link removed])
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By ALICIA PETSKA, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Nearly 100 people staying at the Roanoke Rescue Mission were able to start the COVID-19 vaccination process Wednesday, extending protection to one of the region’s most vulnerable populations. The Rescue Mission and other homeless shelters became eligible for the vaccine with the launch of Phase 1b last month.
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** Sentara apologizes to minister for its handling of vaccination appointment ([link removed])
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By BRIDGET MANLEY, Harrisonburg Citizen

After Sentara RMH turned away Christina Rivera from a vaccination appointment nearly two weeks ago, the hospital administration has since apologized, rescheduled her vaccination and will use the situation as part of diversity training for staff. Rivera, part of the senior lead ministry team at the Church of the Larger Fellowship, had signed up for a vaccination through a Virginia Department of Health website and showed up at the hospital at the appointed time she was given. But after hospital staff turned her away, she said three security officers prepared to escort her out of the hospital. Rivera, who is Latina, wrote a blog post describing her experience, which sparked discussion across social media about equity and racism in healthcare.
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** Now you can get notified of possible COVID-19 exposures without an app ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

If you don’t have — or want — Virginia’s COVIDWISE app on your phone, there’s another way to find out electronically about possible exposure. The Virginia Department of Health has launched “COVIDWISE Express” for people who have iPhones. When a user enables exposure logging on their phone, the device will use the new program, according to a news release. It works without having to download an app.
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** Local Assisted Living Centers are Marketing Residencies with ‘Priority’ Vaccine Access ([link removed])
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By MATT BLITZ, Reston Now

Several local assisted living and senior centers are advertising vaccinations if seniors make reservations for residencies, a marketing tactic that is raising concern among county and elected officials. Reston Now has found at least three businesses have advertised either through social media or on their website that if an individual pays to become a resident of the assisted living or senior center by a certain date, they’d receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This comes as regional localities continue to have immense challenges with distributing COVID-19 vaccines to all who are eligible.
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** Supervisors raise concerns about lack of race and ethnicity data in local vaccine distribution ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

Local elected officials are raising concerns about whether the Prince William Health District’s COVID-19 vaccinations are reaching minority residents who have experienced disproportionately high numbers cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations. But the health district and county staff say they are unable to provide demographic data for vaccinations at the local level. Prince William County staff faced questions from county supervisors Tuesday afternoon about the lack of demographic data on vaccine distribution and why the only CVS offering vaccine in the county is in Gainesville, which has seen fewer cases of COVID-19 than either Woodbridge or Manassas. County staff could not provide the answers to those questions.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Trust buys Virginia land to honor Black Civil War soldiers ([link removed])
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Associated Press

A nonprofit which preserves U.S. battlegrounds announced Wednesday that it has paid $260,000 to purchase land in Virginia where Black soldiers fought in the Civil War and were honored for their efforts. American Battlefield Trust, based in Washington, D.C., said the money will help preserve New Market Heights, which is just outside of Richmond.
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** Virginia woman arrested after Capitol riot posted photos from inside Speaker Pelosi’s office ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, WAVY-TV

A Gloucester woman faces multiple charges after prosecutors say she illegally entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, and even shared photos from inside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. Melody Steele-Smith was arrested on Jan. 20 by the FBI and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds with lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds.


** LOCAL
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** Rift arises in Fairfax over school holidays ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Religious leaders in Northern Virginia are criticizing the Fairfax County Public School board after some members signaled they won’t back a task force’s recommendation to add four religious holidays to the school calendar. A board-appointed task force has called for giving students four additional days off to observe Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Hindu festival Diwali and the Muslim celebration Eid al-Fitr.
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** Fairfax Co. approves $2K pandemic bonuses for county employees in ‘high-risk’ jobs ([link removed])
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By JACK MOORE, WTOP

Fairfax County will provide one-time $2,000 hazard pay bonuses to employees in the Virginia county who have worked through the coronavirus pandemic in “high-risk” positions. The bonuses were unanimously approved by the 10-member Fairfax County Board of Supervisors during a meeting Tuesday. The bonuses were first suggested by a board committee last month, which proposed bonus payments of $1,500. That amount was increased in the final vote to $2,000.
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** Henrico manager announces $54.8M 'generational' salary increase across 10,000-employee workforce ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOCERA, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

All 10,000 Henrico County employees, including teachers, will see a bump in their paychecks this year — a minimum salary increase of 4.4% rising to nearly 18%. Under a proposal County Manager John Vithoulkas presented to the county’s Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, a $25 million commitment to wage increases made in December would more than double, to nearly $55 million, in a spending plan to be released next month. Vithoulkas called the pay increases “generational” in an interview, noting during the meeting on Tuesday that the county hasn’t had a minimum 4% salary increase in about a decade. Board members voiced support for the plan.
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** Portsmouth has been at odds with the School Board. New council members want to change that. ([link removed])
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By JOSH REYES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Since three new council members — plus a new mayor — took office last month, Portsmouth leaders have said they want a better relationship with the School Board. One of the first places they’re looking is how the city funds schools — a perennial source of conflict, since the schools have no taxing power and depend on the city for money. About a year ago, the council voted to implement a “funding formula,” setting a share of local tax dollars that would go to schools each year. The idea was to avoid having some of the same arguments year after year.
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** Special prosecutor looking into Virginia Beach’s former lobbyist who lined up a job to work for city contractor ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Before Virginia Beach’s lobbyist retired after 44 years, Bob Matthias made plans to join the lobbying firm he helped hire for the city to handle legislative affairs in Richmond in 2021, a city memo revealed. He did so while overseeing the city’s contract with that company and began identifying himself as a representative for the firm before he left the city job — even to fellow city staffers, according to city records. Matthias’ ties to the company concerned City Manager Patrick Duhaney, according to a memo by the city auditor, because the law requires departing city employees wait one year before working for a company that receives city contracts associated with the employees previous job duties.
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** Rockingham Schools Wrap Up First Round Of Vaccinations ([link removed])
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By MEGAN WILLIAMS, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

As Jill Glick waited the required 15 minutes after receiving her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, she tightly clutched a small teddy bear while also confirming her second dose four weeks later. “The receptionist gave him to me because I was nervous,” Glick said of her co-worker at Massanutten Technical Center. As it turned out, there was no need to be nervous, the 19-year MTC bookkeeper said. The shot went fine and the whole experience lasted about 20 minutes, including the requisite waiting period to make sure she didn’t experience any severe side effects.
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** Waynesboro superintendent says summer school will not turn into mandatory, year-round classes ([link removed])
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By JACLYN BARTON, News Virginian

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s directive Friday that all schools are to reopen by March 15 was not aimed at districts such as Waynesboro, according to the city’s superintendent. Waynesboro Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Cassell told school board members Tuesday at its monthly meeting that Northam’s comments were directed primarily at divisions that have not been open for students since they closed their schools last March.
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** Winchester bans guns at city-owned properties, events ([link removed])
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By BRIAN BREHM, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

“Why do you have to have a gun everywhere you go?” That was a question raised Tuesday night by Winchester Vice Mayor John Hill near the end of City Council’s discussion regarding a proposed ban on guns and ammunition at any city government building, property or city-sanctioned event. After hearing and reading dozens of impassioned statements from area residents who either favored or supported the measure, council voted 7-2 to approve the ordinance.
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** Nearly 800 Pittsylvania County Schools teachers, staff members roll up sleeves for COVID-19 vaccine ([link removed])
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By PARKER COTTON, Danville Register & Bee

On Wednesday morning, an estimated 550 Pittsylvania County Schools teachers and staff members received their first dose of the vaccine during a distribution event at Chatham Middle School. Combined with the 255 staff members who received their first shots a week ago at the same location, the county school division managed in the span of two weeks to fulfill all of the requests from the roughly 800 employees who wished to receive a vaccine, said Assistant Superintendent for Administration Steven Mayhew.
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** Christiansburg councilman finds no takers on gun control measure ([link removed])
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By YANN RANAIVO, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

None of Christiansburg Councilman Steve Huppert’s colleagues on Tuesday voiced interest in pursuing an ordinance that would ban the carrying of guns in town buildings. Huppert recently suggested that the town consider gun control measures similar to what Blacksburg adopted last month. Starting March 1, Blacksburg will ban the carrying of firearms in town buildings, parks and streets when they are used for permitted events.
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** Outdated dispatch system causing wait time for emergencies in Richlands ([link removed])
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By KAITLYN RIVAS, WVNS-TV

Imagine calling 911 during an emergency, being transferred, and then put on hold. That is the reality for some living people in the southwestern part of Virginia. Randy Davis, the Director of the Tazewell County 911, said all the other towns in the county upgraded their systems. Davis said the Richlands Police Department is the only one still self dispatching and using decades old equipment. Because of that old equipment, Davis said the process to transfer calls is time consuming.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Maritime Association
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The Virginia Maritime Association ([link removed]) concludes our first 100 years of service with thanks to all who have contributed to 100 years of port industry growth.


** EDITORIALS
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** The curious reluctance of some Northern Virginia Democrats to help rural Virginia ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

We’ve devoted a lot of ink in print — and electrons online — over the years to the plight of Virginia’s rural schools. How many are physically falling apart but cash-strapped localities can’t afford to fix them. How they’re unable to offer some of the classes that schools in more affluent parts of the state routinely do. How the state constitution has sanctioned these kinds of disparities, with a 1994 Virginia Supreme Court ruling explicitly saying so.
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** Court packing is still a bad idea ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Frustrated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings that struck down various elements of his New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt came up with the idea to “pack” the nation’s highest court with up to six of his own hand-picked justices. But FDR’s attempt at court-packing was strongly opposed—by the justices themselves, Congress and the public at large. “Congress and the people viewed FDR’s ill-considered proposal as an undemocratic power grab,” noted Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia.
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** Firm guidance needed to reopen schools soon ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

During his COVID-19 press conference last week, Gov. Ralph Northam joined the chorus of Virginians calling for schools to reopen as soon as possible, setting March 15 as the date he’d like to see every district offer an in-person option for students. That’s all well and good, but it will take more than setting a date on the calendar for children to return to the classrooms — not without the resources and guidance to empower them to do so safely.
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** A full embrace of the G3 program ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

When COVID-19 first hit Virginia, the societal impact on education and the workforce was instant. And nearly one year into the pandemic, both spheres still are sorting out how to best move forward. As college campuses closed their doors, the idea of students staying closer to home gained traction. Community colleges seemed like a natural fit, but as families were hit with personal struggles — job losses, back rent, health issues and more — reality settled in.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: VMI, besieged by Union in 1864, now under attack by lawyers ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

About two weeks ago, for about two hours, the acting head of Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and two top aides explained its rules and traditions, via Zoom, to 38 lawyers from the firm being paid $1 million by the state to investigate racism at the besieged public college. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric Win, a Black 1985 alumnus named interim superintendent after Gov. Ralph Northam toppled a retired Army four-star, J.H. Binford “Binnie” Peay III, amid allegations of systemic racism at VMI, focused on two rigorous practices: the “rat line” for assimilating new students and the one-strike-and-you’re-out honor code, which Northam, a 1981 graduate, enforced as head of the cadet court.


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