Most Read Articles Aug. 20, 2020
1
Virginia Beach business owner says no Democrats allowed on his charter boat
Captain Jake Hiles has been operating Matador Fishing Charters out of Virginia Beach for the last 20 years. He spends countless hours on the water, talking with his customers and helping them catch fish. However, over the years those conversations have forced him to make a decision about who he lets on his boat.
2
Virginia House attempts first-ever online floor session; Senate advances police overhaul
The first virtual floor session in 401 years of Virginia legislative history got off to a rocky start Wednesday, as the House of Delegates wrestled with a balky video system and Republicans complained of lost connections. But the state Senate, meeting in person, began advancing ambitious measures aimed at overhauling policing and the criminal justice system.
3
From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia
Our COVID-19 dashboard makes it easy to track the latest available data for tests performed, infections, deaths and hospital capacity. There's a filter for each city and county, plus an exclusive per-capita ZIP Code map. Updated each morning around 10:30 a.m.
4
Virginia applying to participate in Trump’s $300-a-week unemployment supplement
After a week of deliberation, Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration said Wednesday that Virginia is in the process of applying for federal funds made available by President Donald Trump to supplement state unemployment benefits by $300 a week. But officials cautioned many questions remain about the program, including ongoing uncertainty about how long the additional funds will last as more and more states seek to tap into the program.
5
Virginia Senate puts off vote on eviction moratorium
The Virginia Senate has put off a vote on legislation to block evictions until next year, a measure supporters say is a vital protection for renters amid the coronavirus pandemic. A Senate committee voted Wednesday to delay taking a vote on a measure to block evictions until next May after landlords expressed strong concerns about the bill.
6
Senate committee kills paid sick leave bill by wide bipartisan margin
Legislation to require some Virginia businesses to provide paid sick leave to employees during a public health emergency died in Senate committee on Wednesday by a wide, bipartisan vote that also reflected concerns over the limitations of a program Gov. Ralph Northam proposed to help pay the costs.
7
Dominion bills have soared — and are set to rise even faster, officials say
Dominion Energy customers’ monthly electric bills have jumped nearly 29% since 2007 under a series of electric utility-backed bills enacted since then — and look set to rise another 45% over the next decade, the State Corporation Commission said. The electric monopoly’s profits on its Virginia assets dropped last year, but the average over the past three years was still well above the cap set by the SCC, according to the commission’s annual report on implementation of electric utility regulatory law, released Tuesday.
8
Email: Radford University students suspended after large gatherings
Three students were suspended from Radford University for incidents that include “endangering conduct” and failure to comply with the school’s COVID-19 standards. University President Brian Hemphill told the Faculty Senate at its most recent meeting that some students had been suspended for hosting large gatherings two nights in a row after being given a warning the first night, according to a Radford employee email obtained by The Roanoke Times. The email was sent Aug. 14 by a Senate member to colleagues.
9
Nearly 200 Years Later, Henry Clay Faces Another Duel Over Arlington Park Name
As renovations are underway for Henry Clay Park, some local residents are hoping for one more additional change: getting rid of the name honoring slave-owning former Secretary of State Henry Clay. Clay, who represented Kentucky in Congress before and after serving as Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams, fought a duel in Arlington: at Pimmit Run in 1826. Neither participant was wounded and no Broadway musicals were written in Clay’s honor.
10
City Manager: Portsmouth police should not have investigated Confederate monument case
Portsmouth police were supposed to drop an investigation into a June protest and vandalism at the Confederate monument, and City Manager Lydia Pettis Patton didn’t know charges were coming until officers took out warrants against 14 people earlier this week, Pettis Patton told council members in an email Wednesday. The email was made public in a Facebook post by Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke, whose mother, state Sen. Louise Lucas, was among those charged with felonies stemming from the June 10 protest.