VaNews
February 25, 2021

Today's Sponsor:


** GRASP
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Honoring the volunteers and workers at GRASP ([link removed]) , a nonprofit that develops post-high school financial game plans for financially disadvantaged students.
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Top of the News


** Report details violations made granting parole to a man who killed a Richmond Police Officer ([link removed])
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By JON BURKETT, WTVR-TV

An Inspector General report on the Vincent Martin case released in July 2020 was six pages long. Initially, that version was heavily redacted, with more text blacked out than was legible. CBS 6 Problem Solvers investigators have now learned the report was heavily edited as well, and was less than half its original length. The CBS 6 Problem Solvers have since obtained that original 13-page long report. That report is loaded with details about violations of parole board policy and the law.
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** Liberty University surprised by Virginia GOP plans for drive-in convention on campus ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

State Republican Party leaders voted this week to choose their nominee for Virginia governor at a drive-in convention at Liberty University, a decision that seemed to take officials at the Lynchburg campus by surprise. The state GOP’s governing board voted late Tuesday night to hold its convention in parking lots spread out across campus, with thousands of delegates seated in their vehicles and candidate speeches possibly piped in through car radios. The plan was meant to meet coronavirus restrictions and end a protracted internal party struggle over the nomination method.
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** Virginia will relax pandemic restrictions for the first time in months amid declining cases, hospitalizations ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Virginia will lift some of its pandemic safety restrictions as COVID-19 cases decline and access to vaccines slowly continues to expand, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. Spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky described the changes as a “gradual step-by-step” easing — one that offers a rare ray of optimism nearly a year into the ongoing pandemic. But efforts to reopen the state are also complicated by a slower-than-anticipated vaccine rollout and new variants that are more infectious than earlier forms of the virus that have circulated across the state.
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** About 50,000 doses of new one-shot COVID vaccine could head to Va. next week if authorized by FDA on Friday ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

About 50,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine could arrive at Virginia as early as next week if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. Its availability could prove critical in the race against new, highly transmissible variants likely to become the dominant strain in March.
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** House votes to require in-person school starting this summer ([link removed])
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By MATT JONES, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

Virginia is on its way to setting a July 1 deadline for schools to start in-person learning. Gov. Ralph Northam has said that he expects, but won’t require, schools to open March 15. But a bill passed Wednesday by the House of Delegates would mandate schools open their doors by this summer and have full-time in-person learning in fall.
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** Virginia lawmakers vote to tightly limit police use of facial-recognition technology ([link removed])
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By JONATHAN EDWARDS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

State lawmakers have unanimously voted to tightly restrict local police use of facial recognition technology. The legislation now goes to Gov. Ralph Northam, who hasn’t indicated whether he’ll sign it — though the unanimous vote makes it all but assured of becoming law regardless. House Bill 2031, introduced by Del. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, imposes what she called “a de facto ban” on local police using facial recognition technology by requiring the General Assembly pass a law before a police department or other law enforcement agency can use it.
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** A civil rights hero lacked a historical marker. Then a class of Virginia fourth-graders spoke up. ([link removed])
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By HANNAH NATANSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

For years, Maura Keaney has sent fourth-graders on a scavenger hunt into the past, asking students to traverse Virginia with their families in search of historical markers. They get one point for finding a marker, 10 points for writing a summary of it and an extra 10 points if they snag a selfie with one. The markers, erected by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, commemorate notable people or places in state history.
The Full Report
59 articles, 26 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 vaccinations given, 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 relaxes some COVID-19 restrictions ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday the loosening of some public COVID-19 restrictions, including the lifting of a stay-at-home curfew and an expansion of alcohol sales. Northam said COVID-19 trends in the state suggest the holiday-time surge has eased, and that faster vaccine delivery, combined with the occurrence of antibodies in people who have been infected with COVID-19, could result in about half of Virginians being immune to the virus by late spring.
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** Northam eases Virginia coronavirus restrictions as health metrics improve ([link removed])
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By ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

As more COVID-19 vaccine shots go into arms and the number of cases continue to fall, Gov. Ralph Northam announced loosened restrictions Wednesday that will go into effect March 1. In December, as case counts and positivity rates rose, Northam tightened restrictions to quell the surge. Then in January, he said he would keep them in place until the end of February.
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** Virginia eases restrictions on outdoor events, gatherings ([link removed])
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By GABRIELLA MUÑOZ, Washington Times

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that coronavirus restrictions on outdoor gatherings will be eased starting Monday, a sign of improving COVID-19 trends in the commonwealth. The emphasis of the new rules is to increase the number of people allowed at outdoor gatherings, which will coincide with the spring and summer months. . . . Capacity at outdoor entertainment venues will be increased to 30%, with a 1,000-person limit. Indoor events will continue to have a 250-person limit.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Lawmakers say latest parole board documents raise questions ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN AND DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

Virginia lawmakers demanded answers Wednesday from Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration and the state’s government watchdog agency following a news report that raised new questions about the state parole board’s handling of the case of a man convicted of killing a Richmond police officer. Richmond TV station WTVR reported Tuesday night that it had obtained a previously unreleased version of an investigative report produced by the Office of the State Inspector General into the case of Vincent Martin. Martin was released last year after serving four decades in prison for the 1979 killing of Officer Michael Connors.
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** More revelations on Va. Parole Board wrongdoing prompt call for new investigation ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

Two Virginia senators are asking for a “clear and transparent” General Assembly investigation into alleged wrongdoing by the Virginia Parole Board, which is under scrutiny for failing to follow state law and its own procedures by releasing violent offenders without properly notifying victims’ families or the prosecutors who represent the communities where the crimes were committed. Sens. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, and John Bell, D-Loudoun, released a letter Wednesday calling on Senate leaders to create a select committee, armed with subpoena powers and the ability to take sworn testimony, to take another look at findings by the Office of the State Inspector General that Parole Board leaders violated state law.
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** Virginia lawmaker to drop amendment that tied funding to renaming of Metro station ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE AND ROBERT MCCARTNEY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A Virginia budget amendment that would have held back millions of dollars in pledged funding to Metro unless the transit agency renamed a station to include Capital One bank is being dropped, the state senator who wrote the measure said Wednesday. Virginia Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) said she is pulling the amendment from the budget bill that would have made $165 million to $175 million in committed capital funding for Metro contingent upon the transit system renaming the McLean Metro station as “McLean-Capital One Hall station.” “This was always meant to be a crowbar amendment to get [Metro’s] attention,” Howell said in an email Wednesday. “Obviously I was not seriously going to cut [Metro] by millions. . . .
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** Lawmakers are reforming Virginia’s unemployment system but the upgrades are still months away ([link removed])
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By JACKIE DEFUSCO, WJHL-TV

The General Assembly has endorsed several improvements to the state’s unemployment system as the coronavirus pandemic continues to exacerbate its flaws. Throughout the last year, lawmakers have been bombarded with complaints from constituents frustrated with the Virginia Employment Commission. Those concerns are still coming in but many of the reforms being discussed this session won’t take effect for months.
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** Virginia General Assembly approves ban on foam food containers ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia's General Assembly voted Wednesday to ban expanded polystyrene food containers beginning July 1, 2023, for large businesses and organizations. The foam container ban would extend to all prepared food vendors on July 1, 2025, if it is signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam (D). The state Senate initially resisted the measure, worrying that it would harm small businesses by forcing them to pay for an alternative to the popular but non-biodegradable type of packaging. A compromise called for the ban to apply to state and local government groups as well as businesses — which means public schools could not use them either.
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** Virginia General Assembly agrees to ban polystyrene food containers by 2025 ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

A Virginia law that will ban all restaurants and food vendors from using polystyrene food containers by July 2025 is on its way to the governor. Under the legislation, which has been carried by Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, two years running, large restaurants and food vendors — defined as those that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations — will have until July 1, 2023, to stop dispensing food in polystyrene containers. Smaller businesses will have an extra two years to comply with the law, with a deadline of July 1, 2025. Violations would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $50 per day.
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** Conference Committee Working on Bill Allowing Mental Health Testimony in Criminal Cases ([link removed])
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By JAHD KHALIL, WVTF-FM

People with developmental disabilities are incarcerated much more often than the rest of the population. But when defending themselves, they’re not allowed to introduce evidence about their mental state at the time of the alleged crime. . . . On Wednesday, the House passed a bill that would allow defendants to tell courts about an intellectual or developmental disability, or an autism spectrum disorder.
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** Lawmakers urge more vaccine doses for Southwest Virginia ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Three Southwest Virginia health districts have received less than 3% of the state’s total COVID-19 vaccine doses and area lawmakers cried foul Wednesday. State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, and Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Bristol, voiced concern about the state’s rollout during a Zoom call with local news media.
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** State Bill Allows County to Rename Lee Highway, But ‘Loving Avenue’ Name Unlikely ([link removed])
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By MATT BLITZ, ArlNow

Passed Virginia legislation allows Arlington County to rename Lee Highway, but it’s unlikely to be “Loving Avenue.” Tuesday, HB 1854 passed the Virginia State Senate after passing through the House of Delegates late last month. The bill now goes to Governor Ralph Northam for his signature, which will officially codify it. The bill specifically authorizes the Arlington County Board to name the section of U.S. Route 29, known for decades as “Lee Highway,” located within its boundaries. However, it’s unlikely to be renamed Loving Avenue in honor of the Virginia couple whose fight to get married went to the U.S. Supreme Court despite the recommendation of the Lee Highway Alliance work group in December. This is due to the family’s objection, says Arlington County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol.
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** Area legislators explain their vote on Byrd statue ([link removed])
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By JOSH JANNEY, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Three of the area’s four state legislators voted against removing the statue of the late U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Sr. from Richmond’s Capitol Square. Byrd, of Berryville, died in 1966 at age 79. He served as governor of Virginia from 1926 to 1930 and represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate from 1933 to 1965. He is buried in Winchester’s Mount Hebron Cemetery. Byrd was considered the architect of Virginia’s “massive resistance” policy against school integration, which prompted legislation to remove his statue as Virginia rethinks who is honored in the state’s public spaces.
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** Virginia Beach’s Council, School Board elections could get overhaul as lawmakers send bill to Northam ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia lawmakers approved a bill on Wednesday that would force Virginia Beach to change the way it elects local leaders. The legislation will now go to the governor for final approval. If the bill is supported by the governor, Virginia Beach will no longer be allowed to have a voting system where district representatives are elected by all voters across the city. Currently, Virginia Beach voters can pick all 11 representatives for the City Council and School Board. Seven council members are required to live in the district they represent, while three serve at-large and can live anywhere in the city.
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** SW Va. lawmakers oppose death penalty ban ([link removed])
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By SARAH WADE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

Virginia’s death penalty may be nearing its own death, and Southwest Virginia lawmakers don’t approve. Legislation to abolish the state’s death penalty is now just a governor’s signature away from becoming law, after getting a final green light from the General Assembly on Monday. Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign it, which would make the commonwealth the 23rd state and first southern state to ban capital punishment.
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** Embattled Chesterfield judge loses bid for reappointment ([link removed])
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By MARK BOWES, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Pamela O’Berry, Chesterfield County’s longest-serving Black judge, has lost her bid for a third, six-year term after two of the county’s three state senators declined to nominate her Tuesday in a process that would have added her name to a block of certified judges the Senate voted to elect. Sen. Amanda Chase signed the nomination form for O’Berry’s reappointment, but Sen. Joe Morrissey and Sen. Ghazala Hashmi — who were opposed to O’Berry since early in the process — did not. Consequently, O’Berry’s name was not added to a list of 10 general district court judges statewide whom the full Senate voted Tuesday to elect.
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** A former delegate and VB councilman learned all about the criminal justice system while in prison ([link removed])
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By ANDY FOX, WAVY-TV

They say time behind bars changes a man. For former Virginia Beach city councilman and state delegate, Ron Villanueva, it was an eye-opening experience about the shortcomings of the system. He spoke to 10 On Your Side’s Andy Fox about second chances and criminal justice reform. Villanueva was sent to prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to defrauding the U.S. government. He served less than a year due to COVID-19 and is now released from prison.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Liberty University says it hasn't yet agreed to be site of state GOP convention ([link removed])
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By PATRICK WILSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Virginia Republicans voted Tuesday to hold a drive-up convention at Liberty University to nominate statewide candidates, but the university said Wednesday that it hasn’t yet agreed to host. Liberty officials told the GOP they’d consider it but “Liberty has not agreed to any particular plan or contract,” the university said in a statement.
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** Liberty University says it hasn’t agreed to GOP’s parking lot convention plan ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Less than a day after the Republican Party of Virginia’s State Central Committee voted to hold a convention in Liberty University’s parking lots, the school put out a statement asserting that it had not yet agreed to the plan. It’s the latest wrinkle in the party’s long and contentious debate over how to choose their nominees this year for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. “Liberty University tries to be a good neighbor and promote civic engagement,” the school said in a statement Wednesday. “When asked by the Virginia GOP officials about the possibility of leasing portions of retail center lots off campus for a day to facilitate a COVID-19 plan for its convention, Liberty said it would consider it, provided that full rental cost for the use was paid.
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** Virginia GOP says it will choose nominees at convention in Lynchburg, but LU says no deal yet ([link removed])
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By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, Associated Press

Virginia Republicans have opted to hold an in-person convention at Liberty University in May to choose their nominee for governor, again rejecting an effort to hold a more inclusive firehouse primary. Liberty University officials, though, threw some cold water on the idea Friday.
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** Crowded, colorful and novel, the campaign for Virginia governor is one to watch ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

This year’s race for Virginia governor is more crowded than any other in modern history, perhaps ever, with 12 declared candidates in the running: six Republicans, five Democrats and one independent. The race is notable for another novelty: a former governor, Terry McAuliffe (D), is seeking a comeback. Since the Civil War, only one person has twice occupied the Executive Mansion: Mills Godwin, who served from 1966 to 1970 as a Democrat and from 1974 to 1978 as a Republican. The candidates span the political spectrum, from a self-described socialist to a flamboyant Donald Trump ally who has marched through Richmond with an assault rifle.


** CONGRESS
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** At postal hearing, Rep. Connolly says he ‘will not be lectured’ by election deniers ([link removed])
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By MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

His fists were pounding. His index fingers were pointing. And his arms, at least at one point, were outstretched as Rep. Gerald E. Connolly yelled, “I’m an admitted Democrat, and I’m damn proud of it!” It was the start of Connolly’s latest impassioned monologue, during a crucial hearing on postal reforms. He accused Republican colleagues of “gaslighting” after they said Democratic outrage at Postmaster General Louis DeJoy — and attempts to remove him — were politically motivated. Connolly’s retort: “I didn’t vote to overturn an election, and I will not be lectured by people who did, about partisanship!”
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** Virginia Democrat re-elected to chair House Agriculture subcommittee on forestry, conservation ([link removed])
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By CLINT SCHEMMER, Culpeper Star Exponent (Metered Paywall - 20 articles a month)

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is jazzed to helm the House Agriculture Committee’s subcommittee on conservation and forestry. “I want to bring the voices of farmers to the table, literally, including constituents from the 7th District,” she said in a recent interview with the Culpeper Star-Exponent. Earlier this month, the Central Virginia lawmaker was re-elected to the post by her colleagues in the 117th Congress. She had led the panel during the last Congress, for the past two years.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Can Amazon's arrival make South Arlington more green? Neighbors harbor doubts on parks plans. ([link removed])
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By ALEX KOMA, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

Even the biggest fans of Crystal City and Pentagon City can admit the home of Amazon.com Inc.’s new headquarters isn’t especially green. These sections of South Arlington have long been dominated by hulking office buildings and highway overpasses rather than community parks — but the looming, wide-scale redevelopment of the area tied to Amazon’s arrival presents an opportunity to change all that.
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** CGI Inc. awarded $137M contract to overhaul Va. procurement system ([link removed])
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By RICH GRISET, Va Business Magazine

Global IT company CGI Inc., which has its U.S. headquarters in Fairfax, announced Tuesday it has been awarded a $137.8 million contract by the Virginia Department of General Services (DGS) to support “transformational enhancements” to the state government’s eVA online procurement system. eVA provides a centralized, online purchasing hub for state and local agencies to choose goods and services from more than 112,000 approved vendors.
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** Lowe's planning 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center in Hanover; neighbors worried about traffic and other issues ([link removed])
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By GREGORY J. GILLIGAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Home improvements retailer Lowe’s is planning to put a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center on the site of the former Camptown Races property in northern Hanover County. Plans call for the distribution center — on 190 acres off Hickory Hill Road about 2 miles north of Ashland — to be ready by spring 2022.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** HRBT tunnel boring machine’s name will be ‘Mary’ ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Chosen from several entries submitted by Hampton Roads area middle school students, the massive underwater tunnel boring machine (TBM) that arrives later this year to dig new tunnels for the $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project will be named Mary, in honor of Mary Winston Jackson, a NASA scientist depicted in “Hidden Figures.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** Law School launches new website exploring its connections to slavery ([link removed])
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By AMANDA PALLAS, Cavalier Daily

The University’s Law school launched Slavery and the U.Va. School of Law — a new website and digital archive that explores the law school's historical connections to slavery — on Feb 1. At the core of this project are digitized versions of law students’ notebooks from the antebellum time period, when slavery was taught as a social good. The idea for the project emerged in 2017, according to Randi Flaherty, Special Collections librarian at the Law School, after she attended a symposium by the President’s Commission on Slavery and the University.
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** JMU admissions declines 8-10% because of COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By SYDNEY DUDLEY, The Breeze

JMU regular decision applications for freshman admission were due Feb. 1., marking the first class to apply to JMU during the pandemic. With the need to practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings to stop the spread of COVID-19, the admissions process at JMU had to adapt. Reflecting a nationwide trend of declining applications to small and mid-sized universities in the U.S. this year, Michael Walsh, dean of admissions, said JMU applications did decrease by 8-10% compared to the 2019-20 cycle. “I wish we could have done a little bit better, but I feel very comfortable that we will get our class,” Walsh said. “That will not be a problem.”
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** Number of COVID-19 cases at Lynchburg-area colleges falls to 35, continuing downward trend ([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 35 active COVID-19 cases among students and staffers, continuing a nearly monthlong downward trend in total cases. Liberty University, the largest institution of higher learning in the region with about 15,000 students, reported a total of 22 active cases, marking the fourth week in a row that cases have fallen at the university.
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** U.Va. professor develops plan to vault Virginia into position of global climate leadership ([link removed])
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By DAWSON BROWN, Cavalier Daily

A report by the Weldon Cooper Center at the University shows that with integrated planning and cooperative policy, decarbonization of the Virginia economy by 2050 is both achievable and affordable. The plan to reduce carbon emissions was developed by William Shobe, professor of public policy and Weldon Cooper director, along with Weldon Cooper Visiting Scholar Anthony Artuso and Principal Scientist Arthur Small. If implemented, the plan would position Virginia as both a national and global leader in climate change action. The team’s report came on the heels of the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, which mandates that the state move to a carbon neutral electricity grid by 2050 by establishing new energy efficiency standards, investing in renewable energy infrastructure and requiring state energy providers — Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power — to operate carbon-free by 2045 and 2050, respectively.


** CORONAVIRUS
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** On a vaccine wait list with the health department? Your shot might come from a nearby pharmacy. ([link removed])
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By ELISHA SAUERS AND ROBYN SIDERSKY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

About 140 retail pharmacy locations throughout the state will begin receiving vaccine supplies through a federal program, but how they will use existing waiting lists for shots remains complicated. A total of 52,000 doses will be sent directly to pharmacies each week, half going to CVS and the rest divided among several other chains and independent stores, including Walgreens, Safeway, Kroger, Food Lion, Giant and Food City.
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** Norfolk will stop offering vaccine registration help, citing state’s new hotline ([link removed])
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By KATHERINE HAFNER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The city of Norfolk will permanently close its hotline and in-person assistance to pre-register residents for the COVID-19 vaccine. The number of people seeking help had steadily declined since last week, when the state launched its own website and call center for that purpose, the city said in a news release.
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** Dozens of farm workers receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine ([link removed])
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By NICK CROPPER, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Dozens of Nelson County’s migrant farm workers and other essential farm workers received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine over the weekend as health officials continue to work through phases of the immunization rollout. With 200 available appointments, farm workers filtered in and out of the Nelson Center in Lovingston on Sunday for a mass vaccination clinic, one of several clinics to be held in the county since vaccination efforts began.
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** In a dose of confusion, nearly 10,000 vaccine shots given in Danville, but not all went to city residents ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

Nearly 10,000 COVID-19 shots have been given in the city of Danville, but not all of those went to city residents. The Virginia Department of Health's daily dashboard reported Wednesday that 9,917 vaccine doses have been administered in the city, with 2,418 people fully vaccinated with both shots. That's a rate of 24,765 per 100,000 people, according to the department's website. Although the website says it tracks vaccine doses administered by locality of residence, health department spokesman Robert Parker pointed out for the Danville figures not all the recipients were city residents.
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** Champagne, chocolate and joy. Residents at Westminster Canterbury celebrate being fully vaccinated ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

For 344 days, Darlene Queen has walked into Westminster Canterbury fearing that the woman she’s helped keep alive since 2013 didn’t make it. The retirement community was among the first in Henrico County to report that a nursing home resident had tested positive for the coronavirus. That was March 17. COVID-19 ripped through long-term care facilities shortly after — there have been nearly 30,000 cases and 3,362 deaths in Virginia.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** White nationalist gets prison over rape threat, extortion ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press

A self-proclaimed white nationalist was sentenced Wednesday to nearly three-and-a-half years in federal prison for threatening to rape the wife of a man who was part of a separate racist group that he believed was harassing him. Christopher Cantwell, a 40-year-old New Hampshire resident and radio host, was found guilty in September of extortion and threatening to injure property or reputation, but not guilty of cyberstalking related to a series of threats he made toward a Missouri man over the Telegram messaging app. Cantwell previously pleaded guilty to assault in 2018 after he was accused of using pepper spray during the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017.
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** At VCU Massey Cancer Center, Jill Biden advocates bringing cancer treatment to the community ([link removed])
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By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

On Wednesday, first lady Jill Biden took her first public trip outside Washington, visiting VCU Health’s Massey Cancer Center and speaking about the need for bringing cancer research and treatment to the people. The center and its director, Dr. Robert Winn, have made it a priority to fix health disparities and connect with the community, especially its poorest members.
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** Jill Biden says health inequities have lasted ‘far too long’ ([link removed])
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By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

During a visit to a cancer center Wednesday, first lady Jill Biden said health disparities have hurt communities of color “for far too long” and “it’s about time” the country got serious about ending those inequities. Jill Biden’s visit to Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center in Richmond was her first public trip outside Washington since her husband’s inauguration last month. She has been a longtime advocate for cancer patients and their families. Her and President Joe Biden’s son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46. Her parents also died of cancer.


** LOCAL
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** County Races Against Itself to Preserve 19th Century Dominion Hills Estate ([link removed])
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By VERNON MILES, ArlNow

Arlington County is in a race against its own bureaucracy to preserve the Febrey-Lothrop House, an estate that has sat in one form or another at 6407 Wilson Blvd since before the Civil War. The County is rushing through the local historic designation process for the the mid-19th century property. It voted on Tuesday to advertise hearings on the potential historic value of the property in April. The process is accelerated by the owner’s applications in December and last month for permits to demolish the buildings on the property, and an apparent effort to front-run any historic designation. The 9+ acre estate is owned by a trust established by sportsman Randy Rouse, who passed away in 2017.
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** Loudoun Co. superintendent, school board irked by CDC guidance on return to school ([link removed])
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By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

The number of COVID-19 cases in Loudoun County is currently too high to bring students back to school buildings more than two days per week, Interim Superintendent Scott Ziegler told the school board. Looking forward, Ziegler and School Board Member Jeff Morse both voiced frustration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for safely returning students to classrooms, saying Virginia school systems would have to disregard CDC guidelines to bring more students back. Although coronavirus cases locally are declining, Loudoun County’s recent numbers keep the county in the CDC’s “highest” risk of transmission category, leading Ziegler to conclude that increasing the number of weekly in-person learning days above the current two would be premature.
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** Golden Nugget jumps into Richmond casino sweepstakes, along with Alabama tribe ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A Houston-based casino developer and an Alabama Indian tribe are the latest developers to jump into the widening sweepstakes to develop a casino resort in Richmond. Golden Nugget, owned by billionaire Tilman Fertitta as part of the Landry’s Inc. hospitality company in Houston, confirmed Wednesday that it has submitted an application to build a $400 million casino resort in Richmond, but it won’t say exactly where the project would be.
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** Hanover approves golf carts for use on public streets in some neighborhoods ([link removed])
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By HOLLY PRESTIDGE, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

If you need to zip to a neighbor’s house on the other side of your community, you could walk, you could drive your car, or, depending on where you live in Hanover County, you might soon be able to take your golf cart. Hanover’s Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance Wednesday night, on a 6-1 vote, that allows neighborhoods outside of the county’s designated suburban service areas to apply for permission to use golf carts on public streets.
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** 25% of James City County residents have received first COVID-19 shot ([link removed])
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By BY DAVID MACAULAY, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 4 Articles per Month)

About a quarter of the population of James City County has received a first COVID-19 vaccination, putting the county ahead of the state average, county administrator Scott Stevens told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. Stevens told the board’s business meeting more than 20,000 county residents have received a vaccination and the program is being stepped up. “Working with other Peninsula localities, we have made significant progress,” Stevens said. “As of today, over 20,000 residents of our residence have received their first dose. That represents about 25% of our population. In comparison, state-wide, about 13% of the state population have received their first dose.”
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** Portsmouth council members pledge to work better with school system ([link removed])
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By JOSH REYES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

City Council members pledged commitment to addressing the needs of Portsmouth’s public schools Tuesday before taking what they called a key step in that direction — rescinding a “funding formula” that school officials said was forced upon them when it was adopted just a year ago. Schools have no taxing power and rely on the city for a portion of their annual budget. The amount often leads to conflict, and some officials believed the formula — which dedicates about 30% of city revenue to the schools — would reduce conflict.
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** City officials look for federal help with rail tankers in Mayfield ([link removed])
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By TAFT COGHILL JR., Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Fredericksburg City Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night requesting that CSX Transportation immediately discontinue prolonged storage of tanker cars with hazardous materials in the Mayfield neighborhood. But CSX officials insist the tankers are moved daily. The resolution was introduced by Councilman and Vice Mayor Chuck Frye Jr., who lives in Mayfield.
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** Lynchburg police plan new website to publish use-of-force, complaint data ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

In a bid for greater transparency, Lynchburg police plan to publish information online detailing use-of-force incidents, complaints filed against officers, traffic stops and officer interactions with city residents. “We’re going to include a ton of things,” Police Chief Ryan Zuidema said of the department’s planned website at a Lynchburg City Council work session Tuesday. “The idea there is that it is going to be a kind of one-stop shop, for a lack of a better term, where you can go and gather as much information as you want.” The website, now under construction, is a key part of the department’s new “action plan” aimed at strengthening trust between law enforcement and city residents.
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** In-person instruction to increase for Roanoke ([link removed])
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By CLAIRE MITZEL, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Elementary and certain secondary students can attend school in-person four days per week beginning next month, the Roanoke School Board voted Wednesday. Following a fraught discussion over whether the district could have done even more, the board voted unanimously to bring back all elementary students and voted 6-1 to bring back certain middle and high school students four days per week. Laura Rottenborn was the sole dissenting vote because she wanted more secondary students to attend four days.
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** As Warrenton mulls its future, Oliver City neighbors speak up for current town residents ([link removed])
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By COY FERRELL, Fauquier Times

A draft of the new Warrenton Comprehensive Plan, the formal 20-year vision for the town, is currently being considered by town council members. The first of at least two public hearings will be held March 9. Whatever the exact form the final plan takes, Oliver City residents want to make sure they aren’t left behind as the town changes and grows. Oliver City is a quiet neighborhood of 20-or-so modest homes located on the east side of Warrenton. It began as a community of working-class Black families around the turn of the 20th century and was incorporated into town limits in 1992.

Today's Sponsor:


** GRASP
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Honoring the volunteers and workers at GRASP ([link removed]) , a nonprofit that develops post-high school financial game plans for financially disadvantaged students.


** EDITORIALS
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** Debating COVID prevention ([link removed])
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Daily Progress Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The University of Virginia’s repetitive problems with student non-compliance on COVID safety protocols — and those of other schools — illustrate the ongoing debate not just about how to ensure students’ good behavior, but also about whom to vaccinate and when. UVa recently had to clamp down (again) on rules for social gatherings, and it closed or restricted access to some campus buildings. It also is bringing violation cases against five fraternities and several individual students.
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** Surprise! Rural localities have Virginia's highest vaccination rates ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The pandemic has now claimed more than 500,000 lives in the United States, more than the number of Americans killed in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined. All this in little more than a year. If that’s not sufficient context for the pandemic, here’s some more. The U.S. accounts for 4.25% of the world’s population but accounts for 20% of the global pandemic deaths. Why is this? We like to think we have the world’s best health care but have recorded more COVID-related deaths than any other country. Why?
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** For cyclists, stop still means stop ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

If the best laws are the ones that make both sides a little unhappy, maybe Virginia’s Senate did a good thing recently. The Senate voted to require motorists to change lanes when passing bicyclists if three feet of distance isn’t possible. It also voted to let cyclists ride side by side in a lane. What the Senate did not do was let cyclists yield instead of coming to a complete stop at stop signs where no other traffic has the right of way.
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** Region should make stronger pitch for Black tourism ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Hampton Roads should be a magnet for Black tourism, and a survey released this month highlights the missed opportunity — and revenue — by failing to make a more prominent pitch to would-be visitors. Begin with the major role Black people played in the region’s rich history, a role that’s gaining recognition, and extend it to the area’s vibrant Black community now, with its wealth of performers, artists, authors and leaders.
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** The way forward to end this pandemic ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

On Wednesday morning, Gov. Ralph Northam stood at the podium at the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond, acting with a sense of command, not under a sense of duress. Roughly one month ago, Northam was juggling the start of a bitter winter and an equally bitter public reacting to the commonwealth’s early COVID-19 vaccine struggles. At a late January press conference, with Virginia near the bottom of key state rankings, he recognized the lack of patience and pledged to clean up the situation.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: Another problem for VMI — incestuous oversight ([link removed])
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By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

When facing a crisis its hardcore, Old-Corps types consider existential, Virginia Military Institute (VMI) dons its brass-button, feathered finery and marches toward the cannon fire. And VMI gets mowed down in the process. This happened in 1997, when VMI was forced by the U.S. Supreme Court to open its ranks to women. It is happening again in 2021, as VMI, buffeted by the racial equity movement, confronts its Confederate past.


** OP-ED
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** Goldman: The shameful use of white rural school children as political pawns ([link removed])
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By PAUL GOLDMAN, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Some might understandably consider rather impossible that an old white guy like me, from New York, has the best contemporary record for fighting to get rural Virginia school children the constitutional right to equal educational opportunity. But not those who have read the Roanoke Times editorial page over the years. Thus: I believe Sen. Bill Stanley, Del. Sam Rasoul and rural legislators are doing rural school children a great disservice by playing regional politics with the General Assembly dust-up last week over a Constitutional Amendment trying to achieve this goal of mine.

Goldman is a former chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party and is a candidate for the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor.
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** Torgerson: Increase pay for Beach public defenders ([link removed])
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By AMBER TORGERSON, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Equal justice under the law and a presumption of innocence are basic tenants of our American legal justice system. Unfortunately, in the city of Virginia Beach, the scales of justice are unfairly tipped by giving millions to help supplement the salaries of commonwealth attorneys while providing no additional funding to the Public Defender’s Office. Now is the time to put the scales of justice back in balance and equally fund both offices.

Torgerson is an assistant public defender in the Virginia Beach Public Defender’s Office where she has worked for nearly 10 years.
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** Rodriguez and Selnick: End public-need law to improve care for Virginia’s veterans ([link removed])
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By ROSEANNE RODRIGUEZ AND DARIN SELNICK, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Of all the services government provides to benefit Virginians, it’s logical that medical care would be among the highest priorities, and policymakers and elected officials would do everything in their power to ensure all Virginians have access. In Virginia, government does the exact opposite. As preposterous as it sounds, it has taken a global pandemic to highlight the problem.

Rodriguez is coalitions director of Concerned Veterans for America-Virginia. Selnick is a senior advisor for Concerned Veterans for America and an Air Force veteran.


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