VaNews
February 18, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** The Virginia Press Association
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In these difficult times, trusted local journalism is needed more than ever. We support the ideals of a free press in a democratic society.
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Top of the News


** Virginia lawmakers reach compromise to seal past criminal convictions ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Democrats in the House and Senate have been at odds for more than a year over dueling proposals to allow people convicted of certain crimes to have their criminal records sealed. On Wednesday, lawmakers in the two chambers announced they’d finally resolved their differences. . . . The legislation would allow the automatic sealing of nine misdemeanor convictions after seven years, provided the person has not been convicted of any other crimes. The offenses include underage possession of alcohol, use of a fake ID, petit larceny, trespassing, disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
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** Assembly sends coal tax credits bills to Gov. Northam, continues talks on SW Virginia data centers ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The General Assembly gave final passage to legislation eliminating the costly coal tax credits, sending a pair of bills to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk for his signature. Lawmakers approved scrapping the two coal tax credits, which Southwest Virginia takes advantage of, after a critical report from the legislature’s watchdog agency found that the tax credits — among the state’s largest — generated economic losses for the state and produced few jobs. If Northam signs the bills, the coal tax credits will end in January.
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** Virginia launches phone hotline to help people preregister for COVID vaccines ([link removed])
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By LUANNE RIFE, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A month after half of all Virginians became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that a call center is up and running to answer their questions. The hotline, 877-VAX-IN-VA, or 877-829-4682, came a day after Tuesday's launch of vaccinate.Virginia.gov, a centralized preregistration system that allows people to express interest in getting the shots and gives vaccinators the ability to strategically invite the oldest and most frail to their clinics.
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** COVID cases are rising on Virginia's college campuses again ([link removed])
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By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Christopher Newport University has suspended three student organizations and dismissed 15 students from campus. Liberty University’s president apologized after hundreds of students, many unmasked, participated in an on-campus snowball fight and posed together for photos. Virginia Military Institute acknowledged a failure to keep students separated from cadets who were supposed to be in quarantine as they marched alongside the rest of the student body earlier this month. Though COVID-19 cases are on the decline in Virginia, universities are still reporting hundreds of infections this semester.
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** Virginia Beach teachers’ association readies for collective bargaining push ([link removed])
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By PETER COUTU, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Beach Education Association, which represents nearly one-third of the division’s roughly 5,000 public school teachers, is starting its push for collective bargaining rights, setting up a possible fight with the administration and school board in the coming months. The effort comes after the General Assembly in 2020 passed a law allowing public employee unions to negotiate on pay and benefits, as long as local school boards or city councils authorize it. The legislation, championed as a watershed moment when it passed, marks the first time teachers in Virginia have been eligible for collective bargaining rights since 1977.
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** NC shifting policy on vaccines for visitors from out of state ([link removed])
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By TRAVIS FAIN, WRAL

The state has shifted its policy on vaccinating people from across state lines, saying vaccine providers no longer have to offer coronavirus inoculations to people who don't live, work or spend "significant time" in North Carolina. The move follows a shift in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance last week – guidance that top state health officials said once required vaccinators to take all comers, provided they met the state's tiered vaccine eligibility plan. . . . George Allen, a former Virginia governor, traveled more than an hour from Virginia Beach, Va., to Elizabeth City last Friday to get his shot at a Walgreens, then tweeted about the trip, posting pictures on social media.
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** Driving force: Meet the woman behind VDOT NoVa’s hilarious, endearing and critical Twitter ([link removed])
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By WILL VITKA, WTOP

When you think of D.C.-area transportation agencies, “comedy” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But that’s what makes the official Northern Virginia Department of Transportation Twitter account a standout. It provides information crucial for drivers and a healthy, sometimes gut-busting, dose of humor, which always seems in short supply during the coronavirus pandemic. And you can thank VDOT Spokesperson and Senior Public Affairs Officer Ellen Kamilakis for that.
The Full Report
62 articles, 34 publications
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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Unemployment Claims Persist ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

The sudden shock of the COVID-19 pandemic led to weekly jobless claims in Virginia at a level four times higher than at the height of the 2008 recession. This interactive visual shows that Virginia's jobless figures have improved, but ongoing unemployment claims remain three times higher than they were one year ago.
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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: Inoculation rate is rising but more vaccine needed ([link removed])
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Associated Press

The number of coronavirus vaccine shots that have been given in Virginia is ticking up, but the state is still falling short of its desired inoculation rate because too few vaccines are coming in, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday. “On average, we’re giving almost 34,000 shots per day,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference. “As you know, our goal is to be doing 50,000 shots a day. We have the infrastructure to do that — when we can get the supply.”
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** Virginia will allow up to 250 people at outdoor sports events starting Monday ([link removed])
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By SIERRA JENKINS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia will move to increase the number of people allowed to attend outdoor sporting events, Gov. Ralph Northam said in a news briefing Wednesday. As high schools and colleges get ready for an outdoor sports season, this will allow more people to attend games. Northam said attendance capacity will increase to 250 people.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Lawmakers reach compromise on criminal record expungement ([link removed])
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By PATRICK WILSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Democrats in the House and Senate who had been at odds over legislation to allow criminal record expungement reached an agreement that advocates said will be a huge improvement for Virginia. House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, outlined the changes Wednesday when the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced her bill. She said the compromise would “remove barriers and address systematic inequities to provide a clean slate for Virginians who have paid their debt to society or have had charges deferred or dismissed.”
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** Reinsurance could be an answer to sky-high premiums. But there’s debate on who should take on the cost. ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

State lawmakers are moving forward with a measure aimed at lowering premiums for Virginians who purchase health insurance on the state exchange. But there’s still no agreement on who should pay for the program, which would subsidize the costs of high-risk patients for insurance companies. Better known as reinsurance, it’s a concept that’s gaining traction in Virginia — largely based on the experiences of more than a dozen other states that have implemented similar programs. Under the model proposed by Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, Virginia would establish a designated reinsurance fund using state contributions and a significant federal match.
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** General Assembly votes to give undocumented students access to college financial aid ([link removed])
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By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Both chambers of the General Assembly have approved bills that allow undocumented immigrants to receive financial aid at Virginia colleges. The Senate on Wednesday passed the bill by a vote of 20-18, two days after an identical version was approved by the House. Gov. Ralph Northam has expressed his support.
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** Business groups ask Va. lawmakers for higher PPP tax deductions ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Virginia’s two legislative bodies have not yet agreed on an amount that Virginia businesses can deduct from federal Paycheck Protection Program loans they received last year, and how much of the loans they’ll have to pay state taxes on. Business groups are asking state lawmakers to allow higher deductions — especially for sectors like hospitality and restaurants that are still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impacts.
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** How much of a tax break should businesses who received federal loans get? ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

Because COVID-19 hasn’t hit Virginia’s economy as hard as officials thought it might, Gov. Ralph Northam says policymakers will have an extra $730 million to work with as they finalize the next state budget. Instead of building that revenue into a spending plan that includes raises for public employees and funding boosts for pandemic-rattled school systems, some business groups want the state to use its newfound flexibility to offer more tax relief to companies that took federal Paycheck Protection Program loans to get through the crisis.
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** Virginia Lawmakers Say Yes to Cocktails To-Go ([link removed])
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By JENNI BERGAL, Stateline

The Virginia General Assembly has passed a bill that would allow restaurants, bars and distilleries to offer cocktails to-go. The measure, which would be effective until July 1, 2022, won unanimous approval in the Senate and an overwhelming majority in the House. It now goes to Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who already had issued an executive order in April temporarily allowing the practice.
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** Virginia says no, for now, to letting bicyclists roll through stop signs ([link removed])
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By LUZ LAZO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The Virginia Senate on Wednesday sidelined a proposal that would have allowed bicyclists to yield instead of halt at stop signs. Instead, lawmakers voted to commission a police study of the rule as enacted in other states. They also voted to require drivers to change lanes when passing bicyclists if three feet of distance isn’t possible and to allow two cyclists to ride side by side in a lane. Bicycle advocates say the measures are a step forward in making roads safer for a growing number of Virginians using bikes, particularly at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has spurred a boom in bicycling. But they also lamented the legislature’s lack of support for the stop-sign provision, which supporters argued could reduce serious crashes involving bicyclists.
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** Lawmakers Move to Strike Virginia’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban ([link removed])
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By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE-FM

Virginia is on track to remove a section of its constitution that defines marriage as solely between one man and one woman. The now-defunct provision enshrined the state’s ban on same-sex marriage when it was ratified in 2006. It signalled to the rest of the country, and to the world, that more than half of Virginia voters were not open to legal recognition of same-sex couples. But 14 years have passed and advocates for marriage equality say voters are now largely on board with same-sex marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land in 2015, and now state lawmakers say it’s time to align Virginia’s constitution with federal law.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** GOP gubernatorial hopeful expresses frustration with uncertain nominating process ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

State Sen. Amanda Chase has found an unlikely ally in her legal fight against state Republican leaders over the process of nominating the statewide ticket for the November election. It's one of her competitors for the GOP gubernatorial nod. During an appearance Tuesday morning on Charlottesville radio station WCHV, former investment firm executive Glenn Youngkin said he could "sympathize" with Chase regarding the Republican Party of Virginia's State Central Committee, which voted last December to select the ticket via convention, but has delayed a vote on how to hold the convention in accordance with COVID-19 pandemic protocols for public gathering. In doing so, Youngkin became the first of Chase's challengers to comment on her lawsuit, which is expected to be heard Friday in a Richmond Circuit courtroom.
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** Lee Carter's campaign staff unionizes ([link removed])
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By BRANDON JARVIS, Virginia Scope

The campaign staff for Del. Lee Carter (D-Manassas) announced on Wednesday that they have formed a union. This is another development in the race as his campaign is seeking to run to the left of the rest of the other Democratic field. Josh Stanfield, Carter’s campaign manager said it was important for healthcare reasons. “For me,” Stanfield texted, “it’s all about healthcare and making sure the campaign covers 100% of insurance costs for workers.”
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** Democrats Win Election Lawsuit ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Candidates running for a seat in the House of Delegates this November will be allowed to collect petition signatures digitally after seven Democrats won a lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Elections. The lawsuit was filed on Feb. 2 in Richmond Circuit Court, which approved a consent decree agreement Thursday. “It’s great,” candidate Jennifer Kitchen said Wednesday. “I’m excited we won and that it didn’t take long.”


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Recovery? Va. economy, revenues buoyed by consumer demand, big business ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia collected slightly more tax revenue in the past 11 months than it did in either of the previous two years, despite a public health emergency that has devastated parts of the state economy that can’t fully reopen because of the COVID-19 pandemic. State tax revenues are still about $800 million below what the General Assembly included in the two-year budget it passed on March 12 — the same day that Gov. Ralph Northam declared the emergency — but Virginia’s economy has been lifted by resurgent consumer demand and large, technology-driven companies that have been able to operate remotely.
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** UVA Health signs letter of intent to acquire full ownership of Novant Health UVA Health System ([link removed])
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By ERIC SWENSEN, UVA Today

Novant Health and UVA Health are in discussions for UVA Health to acquire full ownership of Novant Health UVA Health System, a Northern Virginia regional health system owned by the two institutions under a joint operating company. Currently, Novant Health has 60% ownership and UVA Health has 40% ownership of the joint operating company. Under this proposed new arrangement, UVA Health would have 100% ownership of all of the facilities and assets currently part of the joint operating company, including an integrated network of outpatient services and the following hospitals: Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center, Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center and Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center.
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** Novant enters talks to sell majority stake in northern Virginia healthcare system ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CRAVER, Winston-Salem Journal

Novant Health Inc. is in discussions to sell its 60% stake in the northern Virginia regional health system that it owns with UVA Health. The two groups formed a joint operating company that debuted in January 2016. The groups released a statement Wednesday about the potential divestiture, saying they are "in discussions" with the goal of closing the transaction by July 1.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Metro to reduce train frequencies during peak periods as pandemic patterns evolve ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Metro this week began reducing Metrorail service during peak commuting hours because of low usage while saying it will boost Metrobus service as new commuting trends emerge during the coronavirus pandemic. The transit agency referred to the changes as a way to “normalize” rail service — its response to a new normal that has prompted a shifting of resources during a pandemic in which many workers no longer commute to offices. Those who do use public transit often are essential or service workers with schedules that deviate from 9-to-5.
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** A New Maryland Law Could Bring MARC Service to Crystal City ([link removed])
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By MATT BLITZ, ArlNow

A new Maryland law greases the wheels for Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) train service to come to the new Crystal City station set to open in 2024. HB 1236 — First Step for MARC Commuters Act — calls for the Maryland Transit Authority to “engage in good-faith negotiations” for a pilot program that would extend MARC service into Arlington and Alexandria. It could one day allow workers at Amazon’s HQ2 to commute in via rail from Baltimore or the Maryland exurbs. The National Landing Business Improvement District calls the act a good “first step.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Assume COVID-19 variant is present, Virginia Tech president says ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said late Tuesday that people should assume a COVID-19 variant is present in the Blacksburg community. Students are becoming sicker and the number of positive cases are increasing, he said. “So far this semester, our positivity rate at Virginia Tech has been lower than it was during the early weeks of the fall semester. By this point in the fall, positivity was declining. It is now increasing,” Sands wrote in a message.
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** Lynchburg-area colleges report 47 COVID-19 cases as campus infections locally continue to fall ([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 47 active COVID-19 cases among students and staffers — the lowest case total since students began returning to local campuses in mid-January. For the second week in a row, Liberty University reported 39 total cases, according to weekly updates from the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.
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** Liberty University snowball fight violated COVID-19 rules, health officials say ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Liberty University violated state rules aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus late last month when it hosted a largely mask-free snowball fight, local health officials wrote in a letter to the university’s leadership last week. But the officials stopped short of sanctioning the religious institution for allowing and encouraging hundreds of unmasked students to gather at the center of campus on the afternoon of Jan. 31.
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** UVa board hears pleas to hold tuition costs ([link removed])
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By BRYAN MCKENZIE, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

More than a dozen University of Virginia students asked the school’s Board of Visitors to forego a possible 3.1% tuition increase for the next school year, citing financial impacts the hike would have on themselves, their families and their friends. The board held the meeting Wednesday as part of its budget-setting process. The board will consider raising tuition between zero and 3.1% for next school year. The top end figure is based on the cost of providing a college education across the country, plus 1%.
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** Yorktown consulting firm sues SCHEV over VMI probe contract ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

A Yorktown-based consultancy is suing the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the firm conducting an investigation into Virginia Military Institute’s racial attitudes and practices, a contract the plaintiff unsuccessfully bid on last year. In a civil suit filed Feb. 11 in Richmond Circuit Court, the Center for Applied Innovation LLC (CAI) seeks an injunction against Barnes & Thornburg LLP that would halt all its work on the VMI probe, and accuses SCHEV of illegally favoring the Indiana-based law firm for the $1 million contract.
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** Minority Rights Coalition calls for removal of Frank Hume Memorial Fountain ([link removed])
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By JEE-HO KIM, Cavalier Daily

The Minority Rights Coalition launched a petition and letter campaign Feb. 7 calling for the Naming and Memorials Committee to remove the Frank Hume Memorial Fountain — otherwise known as the Whispering Wall — due to Hume’s Confederate background. The MRC is an alliance of seven student organizations focused on supporting marginalized groups — the Asian Student Union, the Black Student Alliance, the Latinx Student Alliance, the Middle Eastern Leadership Council, the Muslim Students Association, the Native American Student Union and the Queer Student Union. “The structure will always serve as a reminder that the racist ideals upheld by the Confederacy are also ideals the University is proud to preserve,” the MRC said in an open letter to the University.
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** After claims of discord and sexism, Virginia Tech to dissolve Student Government Association ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Virginia Tech will dissolve its 55-year-old Student Government Association to create a new undergraduate senate aimed at increasing participation and diversity, the university said. The announced change comes five months after former SGA members’ allegations of dysfunction and sexism within the organization prompted a reevaluation. A task force that Tech launched in September recommended this week that an Undergraduate Student Senate (USS) take on the role of student governance.
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** Board votes to change name of Lord Fairfax Community College ([link removed])
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By JOSH JANNEY, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A new name is being sought for Lord Fairfax Community College because its namesake was an 18th-century slave owner. “I’ve said many times that his name is just not good enough for us,” LFCC President Kim Blosser said in a video message to faculty and staff about the decision. “We are much better than what [his] name would show.” The community college, which opened in 1970 in Middletown, is named for Thomas, the 6th Lord Fairfax. The name was chosen in 1969 by the college’s original board as a nod to the region’s colonial American history. It also was chosen because it added consistency, as a regional planning body had adopted the name Lord Fairfax Planning District Commission.
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** ‘Organ Thieves’ author calls on MCV to apologize for 1968 heart transplant controversy ([link removed])
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By ANYA SCZERZENIE, Commonwealth Times

In 1968, a Black factory worker named Bruce Tucker suffered a head injury while out with friends. He was taken to the hospital at the Medical College of Virginia, or MCV, where he died. Without the consent of his family, doctors took Tucker’s heart for donation to a white patient — the first heart transplant in Virginia, and the 16th in the world, according to VCU Health. Now, author Chip Jones is calling on VCU Health to issue a public apology for its treatment of Tucker. “I don’t know what will be done,” Jones said. “But at this point all I can do is be an advocate for something to be done.”


** CORONAVIRUS
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** As coronavirus cases decline, leaders in D.C. region slowly peel back restrictions ([link removed])
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By JULIE ZAUZMER AND GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Leaders in Maryland and Virginia eased up on some pandemic-related restrictions Wednesday as the rate of new coronavirus infections continued to fall from its winter peak. Caseloads across the Washington region have steadily declined for weeks alongside a wobbly vaccine rollout. In the past week, the seven-day average number of new cases has fallen by nearly a quarter in Virginia, with steeper drops in D.C. and Maryland. . . . In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) raised the limit Wednesday on spectators at outdoor high school sports events from 25 to 250, while D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) called on the city’s health department to consider loosening restrictions on youth sports.
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** Northam signs bill to grow vaccinator pool ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

In an effort to speed up vaccinations and ensure equitable distribution, Virginia officials this week expanded the number of people eligible to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and issued a requirement that those vaccinators collect race and ethnicity data. Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday he had signed legislation to that effect introduced by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, and Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico. The emergency legislation became law upon Northam’s signature.
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** Virginia launches statewide coronavirus vaccine call center to help people sign up ([link removed])
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By ANA LEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia has launched a statewide call center to help people sign up for a coronavirus vaccine. During a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam revealed the number for people to call: 877-829-4682, or 877-VAX-IN-VA. A day earlier, the Virginia Department of Health had announced the address of its new website, vaccinate.virginia.gov. There, residents can find the sign-up form.
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** Central Vaccine Pre-Registration Phone Line Now Up ([link removed])
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By IAN MUNRO, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced that the phone line for the state’s central COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration system was up and ready as of Wednesday afternoon. The phone number is 877-829-4682, or 877-VAX-IN-VA. Northam asked residents to only use the phone line if they do not have access to the internet, are having trouble with the online form, or are not comfortable using a computer. He said a dedicated call center has been established and 750 people hired — 69 of whom speak Spanish.
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** Virginia launches new COVID-19 call center ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLA MUÑOZ, Washington Times

Virginia’s new COVID-19 call center launched Wednesday with 750 people at the ready to help the public stay informed about the state’s plan for the pandemic and help pre-register eligible residents for the vaccine. The Virginia Department of Health’s call center will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343). Earlier this week, Virginia rolled out a centralized website for residents to pre-register for a vaccination.
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** Northam's crowd-size limits for high school sports alarm local officials ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

A state directive issued Wednesday limits attendance at Virginia’s outdoor high school sporting events to 250, drawing concern from local and elected officials. Gov. Ralph Northam announced the executive order during a news briefing on COVID-19. The Virginia High School League plans to begin the state’s football season Feb. 22, after it was postponed last fall. Spectator attendance at prep basketball games is limited to 25.
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** Health and state officials discuss what the push for equitable vaccine distribution has looked like statewide ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A day after the federal government announced that millions of newly available COVID-19 vaccines could soon trickle down to states and accelerate distribution, health leaders and state officials discussed the need to prioritize high-risk populations in a Wednesday roundtable with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. With the coronavirus relief bill likely to pass by mid-March, Kaine said knowing where to devote resources will be crucial in ensuring that Black and Latino communities — where the virus has inflicted the most damage — have access to potentially life-saving doses.
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** Vaccine recipients wait in line for hours as registration glitch causes huge lines a Kmart site ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE KNOTT AND ERIN EDGERTON, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Oded Kishony and Gloria Bowers arrived a bit early for their 12:52 p.m. vaccine appointment at the Blue Ridge Health District’s clinic in the former Kmart parking lot. At 3 p.m., they and many others were still waiting in line after technical issues created problems for the staff at the clinic. “It’s very slow, very slow moving,” said Kishony, 73. “I’m very grateful to begin to be getting a vaccine because it’s gonna change my life. But the process has not been great.”
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** City council members call on CVS to use South Richmond store for vaccinations ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO AND C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Frustrated with the limited availability of COVID-19 vaccine doses in South Richmond, two City Council members called on CVS Pharmacy to make shots available at a store stockpiling doses for long-term care facilities. In a news conference Wednesday night outside of the CVS off Walmsley Boulevard, 9th District Councilman Michael Jones said he would consider a public boycott of the national pharmacy chain if the store refuses to vaccinate nearby residents.
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** Vaccine disparities emerge ([link removed])
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By STEPHEN FALESKI AND JIMMY LAROUE, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Is the Western Tidewater Health District getting left behind in the race to vaccinate its residents? While data from the Virginia Department of Health appears to make that case, officials say the issue is more complex. As of Feb. 15, the Lenowisco Health District, which encompasses three counties and one city near Virginia’s border with Kentucky and Tennessee, had received 22,225 COVID-19 vaccine doses according to the Virginia Department of Health’s online dashboard — and has fully vaccinated just over 4%, or 3,622 of its 86,353 residents, per U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 2019. The Western Tidewater Health District, by comparison, had received only 13,700 doses by the same date for its estimated 154,000-plus residents across Isle of Wight County, Southampton County and the cities of Suffolk and Franklin. It had vaccinated just over 2%, or 3,488, of its residents.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Number of prison inmates serving life sentences continues to rise in Virginia and nationally, report finds ([link removed])
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By FRANK GREEN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The number of Virginia inmates serving life with or without parole — and "virtual" life sentences of 50 years or longer — now constitutes 14% of Virginia's prison population and 15% nationally, according to a new study. More people are serving life sentences in the U.S. — 200,000 — than there were total prison inmates in the early 1970s and five times more than in 1984, says the report, "No End in Sight: America's Enduring Reliance on Life Imprisonment," released Wednesday by The Sentencing Project. Since 2003, when The Sentencing Project conducted its first national census of persons serving life in the prisons in all 50 states and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, the number of such inmates has risen 66% said the organization.
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** After years of waiting, residents may soon float the Rappahannock River ([link removed])
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By PETER CARY, Piedmont Journalism Foundation

Chris Butler grew up just north of Remington, not five miles from the Rappahannock River, and he always liked to fish. But to reach the bass-rich runs and riffles of the Rappahannock he would have to ask local landowners if he could cross their property. Without their consent, there was no way locals could fish, swim or canoe in the river. When he ran for county supervisor in 2016, Butler, now 52, pledged to end that frustrating practice. “You’ve got all these miles of riverbank that run through Fauquier, and we had hardly any public access,” he said. Yet even after his election, it took four more years to get a public park on the river near Warrenton, and there is yet to be a boat launch in Remington where he now lives. For those like Butler who want to see more access to the Rappahannock, two events this month hold promise.
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** Richmond volunteers work to restore neglected African American cemeteries ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE DARCY, Commonwealth Times

The Historic Evergreen and East End cemeteries have faced decades of neglect and overgrowth. Thick shrubbery and large trees engulf the graves, placing two monumental African American burial sites at risk of being lost without proper restoration. The Enrichmond Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to conserve Richmond’s public spaces, recently stepped in to begin restoring these cemeteries located in the city’s East End. While they are two distinct sites, the cemeteries are connected by geographic, historic and familial ties. “Everybody who was interred in these two cemeteries were either part of slavery and released from slavery or part of the freedom’s first generation,” said John Sydnor, the executive director of Enrichmond. “They’re connected in that — a similar struggle, a similar heroic effort to survive.”


** LOCAL
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** Police Practices Group Finds a Hundred Ways to Change Policing in Arlington ([link removed])
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By JO DEVOE, ArlNow

A group formed by Arlington County after last summer’s nationwide racial justice protests is recommending myriad reforms to Arlington County Police Department operations. Leading up to the formation of the Police Practices Work Group, locals were protesting police violence against unarmed civilians and the county had received a number of complaints about police conduct, as well as calls for police reform. On Monday, 15 Arlington County residents presented the highlights of their report — which included more than 100 recommendations — to County Manager Mark Schwartz.
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** Fairfax County approves $2k in hazard pay for government employees in high risk of COVID-19 exposure ([link removed])
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By KELSEY JONES, WDVM

Fairfax county government workers whose jobs put them at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 will now receive $2,000 in hazard pay. This is a one-time bonus for workers within the county. Some members expressed their concern in January when the proposal was laid out, but after continuous talks with workers advocating for this, the Fairfax Board of Supervisors approved the motion to thank them for their work.
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** Photo speed cameras could be coming to City of Fairfax ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

Less than a year after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a law enabling jurisdictions to use photo speed cameras in school and highway work zones, the City of Fairfax could soon approve installing the speed monitoring devices. The City Council will hold a public hearing Feb, 23 on its plans to use both fixed and portable speed cameras as a way of slowing traffic near schools and areas where road construction is being done.
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** School board sticks with plan to allow grades 4-12 to return to schools beginning on Feb. 25-26 ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

Over Superintendent Steven Walts’ objections and in opposition to new guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Prince William County School Board is sticking with its plan to allow students in fourth through 12th grades to begin returning to schools for in-person instruction at the end of February. After another marathon school board meeting that began at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, and stretched well past 1 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, a deeply divided school board voted 5-3 to retain the schedule they tentatively approved Jan. 12.
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** County supervisors OK new rules aimed at boosting local agritourism ([link removed])
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By DANIEL BERTI, Prince William Times

More farm stands, hayrides and breweries could be on the horizon for Prince William County. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved an “agriculture and arts overlay district” Tuesday night that allows more agritourism uses in the county’s agricultural areas aimed at stimulating the local economy. . . . New uses for eligible agricultural properties include retail space for selling agricultural-related products, breweries, distilleries, wineries, weddings, special events and hayrides. It also allows arts-related uses like art galleries, culinary classes, jewelry-making, flower shops, bakeries and photography studios.
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** Dumfries Town Council takes a rosy view of 'The Rose' gaming facility pitched for landfill site ([link removed])
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By JILL PALERMO, Prince William Times

Dumfries Town Councilmembers offered a mostly upbeat assessment Tuesday of “The Rose,” a proposed $389 million gaming facility the Colonial Downs Group and its parent company, Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, want to build atop the Potomac Landfill in Dumfries. The project is being proposed by the same company that brought “Rosie’s Gaming Emporium” to Dumfries just last month. The storefront gaming outlet opened on Jan. 8 with 94 slot-machine-like historical horse race betting machines in Dumfries Triangle Shopping Plaza.
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** Richmond School Attendance Improved, but Concerns Remain ([link removed])
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By ALAN RODRIGUEZ ESPINOZA, WCVE-FM

The Richmond School Board reviewed updated attendance rates during a meeting last night. While rates have improved from earlier in the virtual school year, the board voiced disappointment and confusion. Harry Hughes, RPS Chief Schools Officer, presented the attendance data for the first half of the 2020-2021 school year. As of the 20th day of classes, in October, 21.2% of RPS students were on track to become chronically absent. That number has slightly decreased to 17.4% as of the 90th day of school this year. The current chronic absenteeism rate is about the same as this time last year, which was 16.9%.
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** If teachers are vaccinated, county middle and high schools will open March 9 ([link removed])
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By JIM MCCONNELL, Chesterfield Observer

Assuming all willing school-based staff have been fully vaccinated by then, each of Chesterfield County Public Schools’ roughly 60,000 students will have the choice of attending school virtually or in person beginning March 9. Despite health data that indicates there is still significant community spread of COVID-19 in Chesterfield, the School Board last week unanimously approved a plan to start offering face-to-face instruction for all students in grades 6 through 12. (The county’s 39 elementary school buildings reopened to students Feb. 1).
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** Virginia American Water Co. president can’t say when Hopewell's boil water advisory will be lifted ([link removed])
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By SABRINA SHUTTERS, WRIC-TV

Nearly 9,500 customers have water partially back after going three days without it in Hopewell. Virginia American Water’s president says he cannot tell 8News when water will be restored completely or when the boil water advisory will be lifted. People who live in Hopewell have spent the last three days without water, and now that they have it partially back, they’re boiling it to have a stock for Thursday’s ice storm.
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** Got a high-mileage car in Newport News? You could save some money ([link removed])
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By JESSICA NOLTE, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

People with some high-mileage vehicles could save on their car tax — without going anywhere — under a new initiative launched by Newport News’ commissioner of the revenue. Under the city code, property owners are able to request a reduction in the assessment for vehicles with over 150,000 miles by submitting documentation before March 1. Vehicles must have a model year of 2007 or newer and must have been owned as of Jan. 1.
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** Virginia Beach residents who were at risk of homelessness more than quadrupled during the 2020 pandemic, data shows ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The number of Virginia Beach residents who reported being at risk of being homeless during the 2020 pandemic more than quadrupled compared to the year prior, according to data provided by the city. Families with children and Black residents made up the bulk of people who reached out to the city for help to avoid losing their homes, said Pamela Shine, homeless service system coordinator for Virginia Beach. The area’s Regional Housing Crisis Hotline fielded 395 calls from households in 2019 who reported being at risk of losing housing. In 2020, that grew to 1,827 households. “That’s huge,” Shine said.
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** Norfolk schools will bring some students back for in-person learning March 15 ([link removed])
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By SARA GREGORY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Almost one year to the day that schools closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Norfolk will bring back some students for in-person learning. Norfolk had planned to reopen school buildings only after the city hit certain health metrics. But following pressure by Gov. Ralph Northam, who has leaned hard on districts like Norfolk that aren’t yet in-person, the School Board approved a new plan Wednesday night that would let elementary students return mid-March on a hybrid schedule.
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** Supervisors look to fund broadband expansion, road projects ([link removed])
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By ALLISON WRABEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Albemarle County will spend some money from its reserves on broadband expansion, a trash and recycling collection center in Keene and a conceptual analysis of changes to the intersection of Reas Ford and Earlysville roads. The Board of Supervisors on Wednesday at its virtual meeting supported using funds from its Advancing Strategic Priorities Reserve and money saved by utilizing CARES Act funding to pursue these projects, which supervisors have asked about over the last year.
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** As Harrisonburg metro area continues growing, city proper stagnates ([link removed])
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By ANDREW JENNER, Harrisonburg Citizen

The city of Harrisonburg’s decades-long trend of rapid growth is no more. According to 2020 estimates published by the Weldon Cooper Center, the city had a population of 54,049 on July 1. While that’s up slightly from last year’s estimate, it’s lower than the 2016 estimate, capping a five-year period in which the city’s population essentially remained flat. Over the prior 35 years, the city’s population more than doubled: from 25,400 in 1981 to 54,224 in 2016. Since then, Harrisonburg has seen a tiny net decline, according to the estimates (which, despite being dated July 1, include the local student population that spends most of the year living in the city).
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** They're Out There: Satellites Beaming Broadband from Space ([link removed])
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By ROBBIE HARRIS, WVTF

In what’s quickly becoming a virtual world, students with no or slow internet are being left behind. So, school administrators in rural Wise County reached out to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Now, households in the mountains of southwest Virginia are helping beta test broadband internet from space.

Today's Sponsor:


** The Virginia Press Association
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In these difficult times, trusted local journalism is needed more than ever. We support the ideals of a free press in a democratic society.


** EDITORIALS
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** Civic duty, or ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’? ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Just as many quarantined students in Virginia were making tentative plans to go back to in-person school, the General Assembly passed legislation that would let them skip a day of instruction so they could participate in “civic events”—which presumably includes such activities as attending a political rally or protest march, lobbying lawmakers, or campaigning for a candidate.
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** Democrats diminish faith in elections ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

In sports, an unforced error is when a player, well, simply screws up. The quarterback fumbles, not because he was under any unusual pressure from the defense, but because he just made a mistake. Democrats in the General Assembly have just made an unforced error. Some may think they’ve made a lot, but we tend to be generous. We’re focused on one specific bill out of the thousands that legislators have to sort through.
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** Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act is a necessary first step ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginians are leaning more on online services. In some cases, these changes are by consumer choice — for example, a person with a high-risk health condition decides to forgo a trip to a crowded grocery store, and schedule curbside pickup or home delivery. In other cases, there is no choice — say your local bank branch has closed and you reluctantly deposit checks with your smartphone after years of avoiding that option.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: Va.'s Constitution — 50 years young ([link removed])
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By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Over 245 years, the Virginia Constitution has embodied the good, the bad and the ugly. The good: In 1776, the state’s first constitution — the first of its kind in the new nation — included George Mason’s Declaration of Rights, the foundation of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, protecting speech, religion, the press and other freedoms.


** OP-ED
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** Filler-Corn and VanValkenburg: We must get kids back in school safely ([link removed])
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By EILEEN FILLER-CORN AND SCHUYLER VANVALKENBURG, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Over this past year, Virginia families have struggled from the economic and public health crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most difficult challenges presented by this pandemic has been the closures of our schools for in-person instruction. Our Democratic majority in the House of Delegates has been pro-education from the very start. As a caucus of working mothers and fathers, grandparents, and uncles and aunts, we understand firsthand that nothing is more important than giving Virginia’s children the best chance possible to achieve their fullest potential through a quality education.

Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, is the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, represents the 72nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates.


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