VaNews
February 16, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** Yvonne Callahan
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In loving memory of Vince Callahan, and in commemoration of our marriage on "Crossover Day," February 15, 2006.
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Top of the News


** Northam gives assembly additional $730.2 million to work with in budget ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam has found an additional $730.2 million in state revenues that General Assembly budget negotiators can use for a revised two-year spending plan, primarily because of strong sales tax collections over the Christmas holiday season. The assembly money committees had expected more revenue because of Virginia's surprisingly strong economic performance in this fiscal year, but Northam gave them a new revenue forecast on Monday that includes $410 million the first year and $320 in the second that will help them fashion a final budget over the final two weeks of the legislative session.
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** Virginia Senate Democrats kill electric rate reform bills ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

A Virginia Senate committee on Monday killed a series of bills that advocates had argued were needed to free up state regulators to set electric rates that are reasonable and fair. The Senate Commerce and Labor committee made quick work of deciding not to advance the five bills, which had all cleared the House of Delegates with bipartisan support.
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** Assembly passes bill to move all spring municipal elections to November ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The Virginia General Assembly gave final passage Monday to a bill to move any municipal elections still held in the spring to November. Voting rights groups and residents in favor of the proposal said it would boost voter participation. But as the bill moved through the Democratic-controlled legislature, local elected officials expressed worry to lawmakers that national partisan politics would taint local races and voters would lose focus on local issues that affect them most.
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** VRE ridership still down 90%; future projections ‘uncertain’ ([link removed])
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By JARED FORETEK, Inside NOVA

On Tuesday morning, Alex Friedman and a handful of other passengers watched their northbound Virginia Railway Express train pull into the Woodbridge station right on time. He was taking it to L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, where he would disembark and go to his engineering office in the city. On a normal weekday a year ago, Friedman would have been joined by hundreds of other passengers. But as with all other forms of commuting, VRE’s ridership has seen a massive decline since last March, causing the system to run fewer daily trains, and leaving it uncertain about ridership projections over the next few years. On the current “special” weekday schedule, only 18 trains service the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines, down from 32 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridership is about 90% below pre-pandemic levels.
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** School divisions pursue virtual academy ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

A proliferation of online learning, spurred by concerns over COVID-19, is prompting at least 10 Southwest Virginia school districts to work toward establishing a regional virtual academy. Bristol Virginia Superintendent Keith Perrigan, who also serves as president of the Virginia Coalition of Rural Schools, helped initiate the conversation three months ago. The city School Board agreed to participate in January, and, since then, nine other systems in Region VII — Bland, Giles, Pulaski, Radford, Russell, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe counties — have also joined.
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** Lawmakers Call for Volunteers to Fill Teacher Gap ([link removed])
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By ALAN RODRIGUEZ ESPINOZA, WCVE-FM

State Senators Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico) and Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) called on Gov. Ralph Northam to form a Teachers Reserve Corps on Monday to address a statewide teacher shortage. Their proposal calls for largely unpaid volunteers to fill in for educators that can’t work in person during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators outlined the plan at a press conference but left many of the details broad, describing their push as a “call to action,” not a legislative proposal. They said the idea has Northam’s support. Alena Yarmosky, a spokesperson for the governor, said the administration “supports measures to boost the state’s teacher workforce.”
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** Mail delays wreaking havoc with bill-paying ([link removed])
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By BRYAN MCKENZIE, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

If someone tells you that the check is in the mail, there’s a good possibility that they’re not only telling the truth but that the check will be there for a while. The U.S. Postal Service is finding it hard to deliver mail on time — and that’s having a financial impact and causing inconvenience for many. From social media to complaints to the Better Business Bureau, postal patrons are telling horror stories of bills that don’t arrive, payments that never show up, Christmas cards languishing in faraway places and packages making peculiar, circuitous routes home.
The Full Report
51 articles, 29 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.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Virginia reports $730 million budget windfall ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said Monday that his administration has identified a windfall of $730 million in unexpected tax revenue as the General Assembly works on the state's two-year spending plan. The late Valentine’s Day gift for lawmakers who are hammering out the budget is the latest sign that Virginia’s economy was not hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as had been feared.
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** Virginia lawmakers have $730.2 million more to work with on state budge ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLA MUÑOZ, Washington Times

Virginia lawmakers will have millions of dollars worth of wiggle room as they hammer out the differences between the House and Senate budget plans. Gov. Ralph Northam told lawmakers Monday that his team has found an additional $730.2 million in state revenue for the more than $135 billion two-year budget. That means total revenues and transfers for fiscal 2021 can be increased by $410.1 million and by $320.1 million for fiscal 2022.
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** House Democrats introduce their own version of in-person school legislation ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Virginia House Democrats unveiled legislation Monday that would require public school districts to offer at least some access to in-person learning by the 2021-2022 school year as educators continue coping with the coronavirus pandemic....Some Republicans, who have made reopening schools a priority during the legislative session and on the campaign trail in the governor’s race, said the measure did not go far enough to get kids back to mostly in-person instruction.
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** Bills on educators' cultural competency pass both chambers of Virginia legislature ([link removed])
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By KENYA HUNTER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Legislation backed by Gov. Ralph Northam that would require teachers to complete cultural competency training to keep their license is on the fast track to becoming law. Identical bills sponsored by Del. Clint Jenkins, D-Suffolk, and Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, cleared both legislative chambers Monday and will head to Northam’s desk for approval.
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** Va. Senate committee kills bills aimed at Dominion Energy over-earnings ([link removed])
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By PATRICK WILSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

For a second year, state senators killed legislation from the House of Delegates aimed at stopping over-earnings by the state’s largest electric utility, Dominion Energy, and restoring control to state regulators on setting future rates. Led by Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, a mix of Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on Monday rejected the package of House bills.
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** Electric utility rate reform efforts quashed by Senate committee ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on Monday swiftly killed the last of more than half a dozen bills this session that aimed to reform Virginia’s system of electric utility rate review, which is seen by Wall Street investors as favorable to the utilities and by critics as an example of legislative capture by companies with an outsize influence over the General Assembly. The move angered the growing number of groups and lawmakers of both parties in Virginia that over the past few years have been lobbying to roll back regulations seen as enabling excessive profits for the state’s two largest electric monopolies, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power.
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** Democrats Advance Virginia Voting Rights Act ([link removed])
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By BEN PAVIOUR, WCVE-FM

Virginia could be the first state in the South to get its own Voting Rights Act under legislation headed to Gov. Ralph Northam. The Virginia Voting Rights Act is designed to prevent last-minute poll closures and other election changes that could disproportionately affect voters of color. The House of Delegates approved the bill from Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) in a party-line vote on Monday. The Senate is set to vote on identical legislation from Del. Cia Price (D-Newport News) this week. Backers say it's partly a response to a 2013 Supreme Court decision that effectively stripped the federal government's close oversight over elections across the South, including Virginia.
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** Virginia Senate passes legislation addressing loophole surrounding gun sales ([link removed])
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WAVY-TV

The Virginia chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action is applauding the Virginia Senate for passing legislation to address a loophole surrounding gun sales. The Charleston loophole allows gun sales to move forward by default after three business days—even if a background check has not been completed. The “No Check, No Sale” bill is aiming to close that loophole. The increased volume of gun sales during the pandemic and delays in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) have highlighted concerns about the Charleston loophole––a gap in federal law (named after the loophole that allowed the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooter to acquire his firearm).
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** Differing bills on expungement of criminal records making their way through General Assembly ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

As local advocacy groups call for broad and automatic expungement of Virginia criminal records, more narrow legislation is a cause of division within the General Assembly. Recently, representatives from several Charlottesville-area advocacy groups gathered at the Free Speech Wall on the Downtown Mall to advocate for pro-expungement legislation.
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** Habitual offender repeal crosses over to House ([link removed])
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By JASON BOLEMAN, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

A bill that reinstates the driving privileges of thousands of Virginians labeled as “habitual offenders” has been taken up by the House of Delegates. Senate Bill 1122, sponsored by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Moneta, would repeal the remaining provisions of the Habitual Offenders Act and reinstate the driving privileges to those who lost their drivers licenses solely because of a violation under the Habitual Offenders Act.
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** Virginia might stop seeking child support payments from parents of incarcerated youth ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

Virginia has a law on the books that requires the state Department of Social Services to seek child support payments from parents of juvenile offenders in custody, ostensibly to help cover the costs of housing and educating incarcerated youth. It only brings in about $300,000 to $400,000 per year, a tiny fraction of the Department of Juvenile Justice’s total budget of roughly $232 million. But the impact on low-income families is no small matter, advocates say. That’s why state lawmakers are pushing to get rid of the practice altogether.
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** Should the death penalty be put to death? The verdict is not unanimous. ([link removed])
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By JOHN CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

Virginia appears on the verge of doing away with capital punishment, and, perhaps predictably, attorneys across the Southside — including one lawmaker — have strong opposing viewpoints. The Virginia Senate voted Feb. 3 to abolish the death penalty, and the House of Delegates did the same two days later. Should Gov. Ralph Northam add his signature, Virginia — a state with a reputation for executions — would become the first from the former Confederacy to take that step.
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** Virginia is on its way to abolishing the death penalty. Meanwhile, a mother shares both grief and relief ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLE RENTE, Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily (Metered paywall - 3 articles per month)

Since 1976, 113 Virginians have been executed, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Now, it appears Virginia is on its way to ridding itself of the death penalty, joining 22 states that have already done so. So who are some of the Virginians who support abolishing the death penalty? One group is Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VDAP), who sent a letter and a petition titled “Virginia Murder Victim Family Members Call for Death Penalty Abolition” with 21 signatures to the General Assembly on Jan. 27. Neva Herrington, a retired teacher from Northern Virginia Community College and a Williamsburg resident, has been a member of VDAP for years and was one of the people who signed the petition.
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** Senators balk at plan for electronic signatures on wills ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

A proposal to make it possible for Virginians to sign their wills even though they may be isolated for pandemic or other reasons has died in the General Assembly. Skeptical senators concerned about mischief in the execution of wills say a plan to allow electronic signatures on testamentary documents needs more study. Despite a favorable reception in the House of Delegates, legislation crafted by the Wills, Trusts and Estates section of the Virginia Bar Association twice met defeat on the Senate side of the Capitol this month.
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** Budget plan would boost computing power in region ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A pending budget proposal could ease the financial strain on an advanced manufacturing research center outside of Petersburg and create a new research facility driven by powerful computers and high-speed internet outside of Richmond. All of it is aimed at economic development driven by data technology that has become central to Virginia’s economy.
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** Tax dropped from bill to create 'reinsurance' pool for high-cost consumers, lower premiums for others ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A proposed tax on some health insurance policies is no longer part of legislation to create a state “reinsurance” program to lower the cost of health insurance premiums by creating a separate pool for people who require the most expensive medical care. House Bill 2332, proposed by Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, passed the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee by a 12-2 vote on Monday after the panel eliminated a 1% fee on premiums for large-group and individual policies ...
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** Dems advance diverse judicial candidates ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

After a rocky start marked by protests from participating legislators, senators and delegates used Zoom to interview a notably diverse and mostly well-received field of 29 candidates for 28 open judgeships in Virginia’s trial courts last week. Legislators heatedly objected to lengthy questioning of the first judgeship candidate, and the meeting chair struggled to set ground rules for the proceedings.
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** Herring asks judge to dismiss Chase's suit to overturn censure ([link removed])
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By ANDREW CAIN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is asking a federal court to dismiss Sen. Amanda Chase’s lawsuit that seeks to overturn her Senate censure and to restore her seniority. Herring asserts that senators acted within their authority, that federal courts are not the place to settle political disputes and that both defendants — the Senate and Clerk Susan Clarke Schaar — have immunity.
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** AG asks federal court to throw out Chase's censure lawsuit ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Attorney General Mark Herring has filed a motion in federal court asking for dismissal of state Sen. Amanda Chase's lawsuit to overturn her Jan. 27 censure by the chamber. In the motion, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Herring claims that the Senate acted " entirely consistently with its own rules when considering and approving the resolution of censure" when it voted 24-15 to reprimand Chase over what it called unbecoming conduct by a senator.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate launches ‘election integrity task force’ ahead of combative race ([link removed])
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By BROOKE SINGMAN, Fox News

Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin launched an election integrity task force on Monday as the campaign to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam heats up. Youngkin, who announced his campaign last month, said he would make election integrity a "top priority." "This is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue, it’s a democracy issue," Youngkin told Fox News. "Both parties have long raised concerns, and we must restore Americans’ faith in the integrity of our elections."
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** Patrick County attorney to challenge Poindexter in Republican primary ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A Patrick County attorney announced Monday he was launching a primary challenge to Del. Charles Poindexter, a longtime member of Virginia’s House of Delegates. Poindexter, a 78-year-od farmer and retired engineer, has represented the 9th House District — which is composed of Patrick County and parts of Franklin and Henry counties — since 2007.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Virginia’s Department of Elections to begin audit of ballot machines used for 2020 presidential, Senate elections ([link removed])
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By DEAN MIRSHAHI, WAVY-TV

Virginia’s 133 localities will take part in a statewide post-election Risk Limiting Audit of the 2020 U.S. presidential and Senate elections, a procedural step where ballot scanner machines used in November will be inspected. The Virginia Department of Elections, working with the non-profit VotingWorks, will coordinate the audit, which will begin Feb. 16 for general registrars and Electoral Board members. According to VotingWorks’ projection, localities will need to retrieve around 1,423 ballots in order to make it an accurate audit.
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** Virginia prison staff, officials sued over dog mauling allegations ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Two men allegedly injured by prison security dogs — one of whom was partially disabled — have filed civil rights suits accusing the Virginia Department of Corrections of the systemic, brutal use of canines on prisoners. Curtis J. Garrett, 29, a former inmate, says he was attacked by dogs in 2018 at the Sussex II State Prison, leading to permanent physical injuries and a mental breakdown requiring psychiatric hospitalization. Corey E. Johnson, 51, an inmate at Red Onion State Prison, was allegedly mauled by a dog there last May. Both inmates contend they were obeying orders and not resisting corrections officers when attacked by the dogs, according to the suits filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond and Roanoke.
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** An empty podium: Fairfax not staffing all cases; victims still must get notice ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Subscription required for some articles)

Even if a commonwealth’s attorney decides not to staff certain misdemeanor cases, the prosecutor’s office still has the obligation to make sure crime victims are provided notice of their criminal proceedings, a Fairfax County judge has ruled. The judge’s decision last month – calling out the county prosecutor’s office for failure to notify a crime victim of an upcoming trial date – fuels an ongoing controversy over staffing decisions by Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.
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** New survey highlights value of Black travelers to Virginia ([link removed])
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By PHILIP TOWNSEND, WVEC

A new survey, sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, is giving us insight into the value of Black travelers in Virginia and the region. While the data is from 2019, the numbers will help tourism leaders shape and build upon local attractions to bring more diverse travelers to the area. “We are going to use those insights to help guide us along the way," said Phyllis Terrell.


** CONGRESS
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** Warner visits Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank to discuss food insecurity ([link removed])
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By ADELE UPHAUS–CONNER, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner visited the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank Monday afternoon to discuss ways legislation can address the food insecurity that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis both locally and nationally. The Virginia Democrat—who earlier this month introduced legislation co-sponsored with Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas that would expand access to healthy food in areas designated as food deserts—toured the food bank’s facility with new CEO and President Dan Maher, as well as Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and food bank employees.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Appalachian Power issues RFP for solar, wind projects ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY LAKE, Va Business Magazine

Appalachian Power Co. on Monday issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for up to 300 megawatts of solar and/or wind generation resources. This is the first in a string of RFPs that the company will issue this year to comply with the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires that the company achieve 100% carbon-free energy generation in its Virginia service territory by 2050.
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** Wedding venue owners say social gathering restrictions favor restaurants, other retail ([link removed])
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By LISA VERNON SPARKS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The pandemic has sowed chaos in the wedding industry for almost a year, and some of the businesses that rely on all those happy couples are asking for help. One reason has to do with the limits on social gatherings. Since March they have fluctuated — going from zero to 10, 25, 50, up to 250 at one point, ultimately crashing back down to 10 following a post-holidaysurge in coronavirus cases.
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** Colonial Downs pitches 'The Rose,' a hotel and casino-sized gaming facility at Dumfries landfill site ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

Less than two months after opening its first off-track betting parlor in Northern Virginia, the owners of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium are unveiling much bigger plans for Dumfries and Prince William County. “The Rose,” a $389 million "gaming and entertainment destination,” featuring a 200-room hotel, eight restaurants and 50,000 square feet of gaming space, is being pitched for the current site of the Potomac Landfill, located off Interstate 95 and Va. 234.
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** Cinemark 18 movie theater in Military Circle closes ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Cinemark 18 — the movie theater at Military Circle Mall in Norfolk — has closed permanently, according to the theater’s website. The BigScreen Cinema Guide, a self-proclaimed resource “about movies for movie enthusiasts, published by movie enthusiasts” said Friday that the last time it received showtimes from the theater was Thursday. Phone calls to the theater were unanswered Sunday.
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** VIR hotel, related mixed-use project eyed in Alton area ([link removed])
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By LIZA FULTON, South Boston News & Record

Virginia International Raceway wants to build a new 100-room hotel, villas and apartments at the Alton-area complex, but there’s an obstacle standing in the way — a lack of potable water from the track’s well system. “In the next five years, we plan to double our investment,” said Connie Nyholm, VIR owner and chief executive officer. Nyholm spoke of the track’s plans at a Wednesday work session and retreat of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Widening of Va. Route 28 set to begin in Fairfax Co. ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

Construction preparations begin Monday in Fairfax County to widen Virginia Route 28 from near the Prince William County line to the interchange at Route 29 in Centreville. The 2 1/2-mile stretch of state road will be widened from four to six lanes between the bridge over Bull Run, located just south of Compton Road, up to Route 29, shortly before the entrances to Interstate 66.
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** Danville sells cheapest gallon of gas in Virginia ([link removed])
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By ELIAS WEISS, Chatham Star Tribune

A statewide survey today found that Danville is selling the cheapest gallon of gasoline in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Danville City not only sells the cheapest individual gallon, but has the lowest average price per gallon of gas citywide out of Virginia's 133 counties and independent cities. One gas station in Danville is currently offering the price of $1.87 per gallon, while the citywide average is $2.21, according to Gas Buddy.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** Va. records lowest daily increase in COVID cases since November, but officials warn of letting guard down ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia recorded 1,539 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the lowest single-day increase the state has seen since November. The percentage of people testing positive for the virus dropped to 9.3% over the weekend and 284 fewer patients were hospitalized with the coronavirus since Friday’s update, according to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.
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** Vaccine-hoarding, shipping mishaps spark confusion about second doses ([link removed])
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By RACHEL CHASON, ERIN COX AND JENNA PORTNOY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Securing an appointment for a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine might feel like a victory. But then there is round two. Scarce supply of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has stirred anxiety about whether the required second dose will be available. Different protocols in different jurisdictions — as well as several mishaps in recent weeks — have added to the frustration and concern in the greater Washington region.
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** Hospitals have gotten the lion’s share of Virginia’s early vaccine shipments — raising concerns over equity ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

In the early weeks of Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, hospital systems in five local health districts requested, and received, tens of thousands of doses — a disproportionately larger share than pharmacies, community health clinics and even the local health departments charged with overseeing the state’s immunization plan. In Chesterfield, for example, HCA Virginia requested 27,775 first doses from Dec. 14 to Dec. 20 and ultimately received 18,275 — more than enough to vaccinate what Jeff Caldwell, the system’s vice president of communications, described as more than 17,000 total employees across the state.
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** Fairfax County residents report problems with vaccine registration as county opts out of state system ([link removed])
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By JESS ARNOLD, WUSA-TV

Fairfax County has decided not to join the state's vaccine registration system launching Tuesday, prompting some neighbors to express concern over the problems they're still facing. “I was very excited that they were going to have a registration system online thinking it would be easy and efficient, and in reality it wasn’t any of those things," Chrissy Seminaro, who lives in Fairfax County said. Others shared a similar sentiment on the county health department's page over the weekend. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Chair Jeff McKay, said Saturday that the county decided to stick with their own system since it had invested so many resources into it already. He wants to see how the state's rollout goes before deciding to make the transition.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** A Black Soldier’s Heroism, Overlooked in 1965, May Finally Be Lauded in 2021 ([link removed])
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By DAVE PHILIPPS, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

Capt. Paris Davis was in the thick of a pre-dawn raid on an enemy camp in Vietnam when a grenade blasted out several of his teeth and, more troubling, tore off part of his trigger finger. Then enemy fire started pelting the Special Forces team he commanded. His most experienced sergeant was shot down. Then the demolitions specialist. Then the only medic. It was June 18, 1965, and according to after-action reports, 26-year-old Captain Davis was suddenly the last American standing with a ragtag company of 90 South Vietnamese volunteers, pinned down by hundreds of enemy troops.


** LOCAL
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** Loudoun County closes COVID-19 vaccine pre-screen survey, transitions to statewide system ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Loudoun County will join localities across the commonwealth in providing a unified process for people in Virginia to pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result of the new statewide system, the Virginia Department of Health directed all local health districts to close their pre-registration forms and surveys at 5 p.m. on Friday to allow for existing registration data to be transferred to the new system. Loudoun County residents will not be able to register for COVID-19 vaccine for a few days.
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** Northern Neck broadband project gets more funding ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A Northern Neck partnership working to bring fiber-optic broadband to 7,500 unserved locations has gotten another $8.5 million in federal grants for a total of $18.8 million in funding. The additional money marks the second time in two weeks that the partnership, which involves an assortment of businesses and government entities, has gotten financial support for the regional fiber-to-the-home broadband network. The project will serve homes and businesses in King George, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties.
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** City Schools Employees Receive First Vaccine Dose ([link removed])
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By MEGAN WILLIAMS, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

After two vaccine clinics over the past few weeks, 85% of Harrisonburg City Public Schools employees have received their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Superintendent Michael Richards said. Both vaccine clinics were held on Fridays in case employees had side effects so they could have a few days to recuperate. Richards worked with the Virginia Department of Health and the city of Harrisonburg to put on the clinics.
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** Dominion Energy says it likely will be Tuesday before all lights are back on in Petersburg ([link removed])
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By TAMICA JEAN-CHARLES, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Almost 14,000 Petersburg residents as of Monday afternoon are still without power after this weekend’s ice storm, says Dominion Energy. Seven hundred bucket trucks are said to be on the ground in Petersburg. The energy company says they hope to have power restored in the remaining 13,868 houses by 8 p.m. Tuesday. “We’re asking people to be very patient with us, they’re moving,” said Sharonda Shepard, a representative from the Dominion Energy media department.
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** BOS requests ‘interim solution’ for town’s post office trouble ([link removed])
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By RACHEL NEEDHAM, Rappahannock News (Metered Paywall)

Few people have ever been more relieved to see a U.S. Postal Service mailbox than the residents of Washington. But while the blue receptacle installed in front of Wine Loves Chocolate on Main Street last Friday is a welcome sight, it is no replacement for the full-service post office that the t own (and the county) has eagerly awaited for months — and Rappahannock County officials are demanding more. At last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Washington Mayor Fred Catlin told supervisors that the building contractors were scheduled to begin construction of the office’s brick walls on Feb. 8, but recent snowstorms have caused delays.
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** Bristol, Va., schools will allow cheer, band members as participants at games, despite COVID-19 restrictions ([link removed])
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By KAYLYN KLUCK, WJHL-TV

Spectators are limited at sporting events under Executive Order 72 by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. Bristol, Virginia Public Schools Superintendent Keith Perrigan wants his school system to be able to carry out a COVID-19 safety plan that would allow cheerleaders and band members to participate in upcoming football games this spring. Perrigan is concerned students will miss opportunities under the current guidelines set by Executive Order 72. “Last year’s seniors will never get that spring back. This year’s seniors have already lost a full semester of normalcy,” he said.

Today's Sponsor:


** Yvonne Callahan
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In loving memory of Vince Callahan, and in commemoration of our marriage on "Crossover Day," February 15, 2006.


** EDITORIALS
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** Slow down the foreclosure process ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Before the coronavirus pandemic, there was the housing crisis. And before the housing crisis, there was the subprime mania when banks and other lending institutions were irresponsibly loaning money to people to buy houses, sometimes not even checking if they had the income to pay the money back. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, more than half of all foreclosures during that time involved “non-traditional” loans, either subprime loans given to individuals who could not qualify for a traditional mortgage, or government-backed adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), which offered low “teaser” below-market rate monthly payments for a few years, which then went much higher after the initial period was over.
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** Beach renourishment projects show need for climate action ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

This year, the big beach replenishment project will be along the Outer Banks in North Carolina’s Dare County. Communities from Duck not far from the Virginia line south to Buxton on Hatteras Island are spending about $99 million to add sand to their ever-shrinking beaches. In the summer of 2019, it was Virginia Beach’s turn. Beachgoers navigated around closed areas towered over by giant machinery, as a dredging company worked to raise the beach 9 feet above sea level and widen it to about 300 feet. The price tag was $22.6 million.
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** Fuel-efficiency goals require shifts in infrastructure ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

This past weekend, the Richmond region woke up to the aftereffects of the worst ice storm in years. Chunks of ice that were 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick put a heavy weight on tree branches and power lines. The deep freeze resulted in more than 285,000 households without power by Saturday, The Times-Dispatch reported. Such totals had not been seen since Christmas Eve of 1998


** OP-ED
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** Fort: ODU should remove Godwin’s name from campus building ([link removed])
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By NOAH FORT, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

As part of an increasing national discussion concerning the withstanding legacies of inequality, white privilege and racism, I would like to address ongoing concerns regarding the name associated with the Mills Godwin Life Sciences Building (MGB) on Old Dominion University’s campus. In the past students voiced concern and advocated for this buildings name change, but the university allowed the issue to fade away.

Fort is a junior majoring in history at Old Dominion University
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** Philleo: Now is the time to help more Virginians drive electric ([link removed])
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By WENDY PHILLEO, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Electric vehicles aren’t just the thing of Super Bowl ads and President Joe Biden’s new plans for the U.S. fleet. They’re a hot topic of discussion and with good reason: Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in Virginia. If we are to dramatically change direction on climate, we have to make it as easy as possible — as quickly as possible — for all Virginians to drive electric vehicles.

Philleo is executive director of Generation180, a Virginia-based national nonprofit working to inspire and equip individuals to take action on clean energy.
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** Stoney: Legalize marijuana now and reinvest in Virginia's children ([link removed])
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By LEVAR M. STONEY, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Forty-four percent of Virginia’s children were not ready in literacy, math or social skills when they entered kindergarten in 2019. In Richmond and for children across the commonwealth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, that number is even higher, according to the most recent data available from the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program, a required assessment tool used in all kindergarten classrooms.

Stoney is mayor of the city of Richmond


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