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June 3, 2020
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Virginia to enter Phase 2 reopening on Friday with indoor dining and exercise classes
Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday said restaurants and gyms in much of Virginia can welcome patrons back inside on Friday. All areas but Northern Virginia and Richmond will enter the second phase of his reopening plan.
Northam pledges to listen — and to act — on police reforms
Gov. Ralph Northam pledged Tuesday to take action to address police brutality and the killing of African Americans at the hands of police officers. It was the governor’s first public appearance since protests — sparked by a viral video of an officer pressing his knee into the neck of a black man who later died in police custody in Minneapolis — began on Friday across the state.
Northam denies Trump administration request to send Va. National Guard to 'clamp down' on D.C. unrest
Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday denied a request from the Trump administration to deploy Virginia’s National Guard to “dominate” protesters in Washington, as he criticized Trump for his rhetoric toward ongoing protests of racism across the nation.
GOP leaders accuse Northam of being 'paralyzed' to break rioters
As hundreds of protesters in Richmond, Virginia, assemble for a fifth straight night of demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd's death, top lawmakers in the state's Republican Party decried the response of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. In a statement released Tuesday only moments after Northam addressed the protests that have veered into rioting, Virginia House Republican Minority Leader Todd Gilbert and Senate Republican Minority Leader Thomas Norment said inaction from the governor could be linked to "racial issues" in his past.
Richmond mayor joins protesters, apologizes after city police gassed a peaceful demonstration
The city's black mayor joined thousands of angry demonstrators Tuesday in a march from the state Capitol to the statue of Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue, protesting police brutality against African Americans. It was an act of contrition as much as solidarity, as Mayor Levar Stoney (D) apologized earlier in the day for officers firing tear gas at peaceful protesters Monday night without provocation.
A Norfolk group has long helped clean graffiti off the Confederate monument. Not anymore.
For at least the fourth time in last few years, activists graffitied Norfolk’s Confederate monument Saturday night. Sunday morning, two employees from the Downtown Norfolk Council were scrubbing the anti-police messages and “Black Lives Matter” initials off of the sandy stone base.
131-year-old Confederate statue removed from Alexandria intersection
The Confederate statue “Appomattox,” which depicts a southern-facing Civil War soldier and has stood in an Alexandria intersection for 131 years, was removed Tuesday morning, a month earlier than planned.
FROM VPAP
From VPAP Maps, Timeline of COVID-19 in Virginia
VPAP has redesigned its COVID-19 dashboard to include timeline showing tests performed and charts with statewide hospital capacity. Also includes a timeline of COVID-19 cases, a statewide map showing the number of cases per 100,000 people and an exclusive per-capita ZIP Code map. Updated each morning around 10:00 am.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Northam addresses protests: 'We have to talk about it'
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam used his regular coronavirus briefing on Tuesday to address the protests over George Floyd’s murder, and gave significant time to several black leaders to share their thoughts and experiences. “Our country is in a moment of turmoil and we have to talk about it,” Mr. Northam said Tuesday.
Virginia African American leaders respond to four days of protests at news conference
After four days of protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police that have rocked Virginia and the nation, numerous African American leaders from throughout the state joined Gov. Ralph Northam Tuesday afternoon to address the commonwealth on issues the governor called “much more fundamental” than the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are excerpts of what they said . . .
Parts of Virginia to enter Phase 2 of coronavirus shutdown recovery, Northam says
Most of Virginia will enter a second phase of reopening from the prolonged coronavirus shutdown on Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam said, citing steady declines in the number of covid-19 hospitalizations and rates of people testing positive since he began lifting shutdown restrictions nearly three weeks ago.
Hampton Roads and most of Virginia to move into Phase 2 of reopening Friday
Hampton Roads residents will be able to attend and host gatherings of no more than 50 people starting Friday, and businesses will get more leeway as the state moves into Phase 2 of reopening, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. Restaurants will be allowed to have indoor dining at half of their seating capacity, and pools will be able to open with some restrictions, he said. Indoor gyms will be allowed to operate at 30% capacity.
Northam comfortable with Va. entering Phase Two on Friday
Virginia will move to the second phase of the state’s COVID-19 reopening on Friday, with the exception of Richmond and Northern Virginia. Restaurants and bars will be able to open their businesses for indoor dining at 50% capacity, while gyms may open at 30% capacity. The state will allow some recreation and entertainment venues to reopen, such as pools, museums and outdoor concert venues. But indoor concert venues and overnight camps will remain closed.
Northam says next phase of reopening to start Friday
Gov. Ralph Northam said most of the state will start its second phase of reopening on Friday as Virginia’s key health metrics continue to show positive trends amid the coronavirus pandemic. The governor said Tuesday that restaurants can start serving customers inside, gyms can reopen indoor areas at limited capacity, and museums and zoos can reopen — all with certain restrictions under Phase 2 of reopening.
Northam delays second phase of reopening for Loudoun, northern Virginia
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced on Tuesday that most of the commonwealth will move into the second phase of the state’s reopening plan due to the impact of COVID-19 on Friday. Similar to the first phase, however, Richmond and northern Virginia, including Loudoun County, are being delayed.
Northam says Accomack County can move to Phase 2 Friday
Governor Northam said that Accomack County will be able to enter phase 2 of his reopening plan on Friday. Northam said he believes the outbreak which included more than 500 COVID-19 cases at its chicken plants, is now under control after rigorous testing. Northam made the announcement at his news conference on Tuesday. All other areas of Virginia will be entering phase 2 except northern Virginia and the city of Richmond.
Virginia Beach restaurant Abbey Road sues Northam for barring indoor dining
A Beatles-themed Oceanfront restaurant is the latest business to sue Gov. Ralph Northam to challenge his executive orders that have barred indoor dining and restricted gatherings to fewer than 10 people.
Church sign in Virginia sparks controversy
A sign in front of a Roanoke church is getting a lot of attention from people who agree and disagree with the message. The sign prominently displayed at Grace & Truth Baptist Church along Orange Avenue in Roanoke compares Governor Ralph Northam to the son of the antichrist.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The criminal justice reform agenda Virginia Democrats put off until 2021
Reinstating parole. Expanding expungement. Boosting public defender pay. Ending police searches based on smell. Newly elected Democratic majorities entered the 60-day legislative session in January with a wide range of criminal justice reform proposals — policies aimed at addressing racial disparities that have risen to the forefront following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
STATE ELECTIONS
Man gets 10-month sentence for threatening Muslim politician
A North Carolina man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in prison for anonymously threatening on social media to lynch a Muslim-American man who ran for a state Senate seat in Virginia, according to prosecutors.
CONGRESS
Rep. Connolly demands answers for ‘unwarranted attack’ on DC protesters
A Northern Virginia congressman is demanding answers from the U.S. Secret Service after it and other law enforcement agencies reportedly used weapons to disperse peaceful protesters across from the White House on Monday. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., has sent a letter to the head of the Secret Service, calling for information related to what he called an “unwarranted attack on peaceful demonstrators.”
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Northern Virginia companies receive nearly $1 billion in COVID-19 federal contracts
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused business shutdowns and layoffs across Northern Virginia, the region's reliance on federal government contracting continues to provide a buffer from the economic impacts. An analysis by InsideNoVa of data compiled by ProPublica found that 125 Northern Virginia companies have received nearly $1 billion in federal government contracts related to COVID-19 this year. Companies in the state of Virginia overall have received $1.38 billion in contracts, more than any other state. In fact, the value of contracts in Northern Virginia alone is more than that in every other state except Maryland.
Grant program, GoFundMe are helping small businesses rebuild from protest's destruction
The special fund created to help budding businesses in Virginia operate during the coronavirus pandemic now is shifting some of its money to help small companies impacted from protests that have turned violent and destructive in recent days. The Virginia 30 Day Fund, created in early April, is earmarking at least $100,000 to fund eligible small businesses in Virginia that have experienced property damage and theft during the protests each with a $3,000 forgivable loan.
Amazon leasing Chesterfield warehouse for sorting center
Amazon is leasing a 321,000- square-foot warehouse in Chesterfield County for a new facility where packages are sorted before being shipped out to local homes on delivery vans. The online retail giant is using the building at Devon USA’s James River Logistics Center on Bellwood Road near Interstate 95 for last mile delivery for packages being shipped directly to homes, the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority said in a news release.
Virginia's housing market more resilient than rest of nation
Virginia’s housing market has demonstrated greater resiliency than many housing markets across the country even though home sales have slowed across much of the state as a result of COVID-19. The number of home sales in Virginia was down 7 percent last April compared to April 2019, according to Virginia Realtors, a trade association based in Glen Allen. Nationwide, they dropped 17 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Virginia Tech will host students on campus. But many classes will remain online.
While Virginia Tech expects to host students on campus this fall, the university will rely heavily on online classes to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “We estimate that roughly 30% of typical students’ experience will be in-person at the beginning of the semester, with the ability to increase that percentage should health safety considerations allow,” President Tim Sands told the university’s board of visitors at a remote meeting on Tuesday.
Radford University unveils preliminary plans for fall semester
Radford University will start the upcoming fall semester early this year, with classes finishing before Thanksgiving, according to an email sent to the campus community Monday.
CNU president criticized for “tone deaf” protest email citing burglary of son’s luxury clothing store
Thousands of Christopher Newport University alumni and students signed onto a letter criticizing a message sent Sunday by university President Paul Trible Jr. addressing the protests around the country.
CORONAVIRUS
841 new coronavirus cases reported in Virginia, percentage of positive tests continues trending down
Virginia officials reported 841 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, according to the state’s department of health. Tuesday’s update brings the state total to 46,239 cases. Of those, 44,069 are confirmed and 2,170 are probable.
Virginia nursing homes report 9 employee deaths, as state investigates workplace
Twelve employees of long-term care facilities in Virginia have died of COVID-19 during a coronavirus pandemic that already has killed almost 800 people in nursing homes, assisted living and another long-term care operations throughout the state.
Arlington County to Begin Regular COVID-19 Testing of Public Safety Personnel
Arlington County is planning to start regular testing of public safety personnel and critical employees, ARLnow has learned. The county has acquired a rapid testing machine, which is currently undergoing a certification process. Once its accuracy is certified, it will be used to regularly test law enforcement, fire department and emergency communications personnel, as well as public health and other critical county employees.
VIRGINIA OTHER
As unrest grows, officials try to separate protesters from vandals. Experts say it’s not that simple.
By the time he picked up a plastic water bottle, wound his arm back and let it fly over the heads of protesters toward a row of federal police officers in riot gear, Daquan Jones had been pushed, pepper-sprayed and gassed with a chemical that made his eyes tear and his throat burn. Jones, 23, a lifelong District resident, joined the third day of protests over police use of force and the killing of George Floyd around lunchtime Sunday. He came to march and chant, to pour his own rage and sorrow into a cause where, he hoped, it might be useful.
Stoney joins protest march after promising support and policy change, leaves to boos 45 minutes before curfew
On the fifth night of protests that have seen Richmond’s streets burning, police tear-gassing peaceful demonstrators, and people fighting against the police brutality that killed George Floyd, Mayor Levar Stoney walked Tuesday evening alongside the residents he swore to serve.
Richmond mayor joins demonstrators after being shouted down during tear gas apology
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney marched with racial justice demonstrators Tuesday, hours after an angry crowd shouted him down as he apologized for police lobbing tear gas at a peaceful group of protesters. During a tense meeting outside City Hall Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people outraged by the use of tear gas on nonaggressive protesters called on Stoney to fire the officers involved. Some also called for Stoney and police Chief William Smith to resign.
Crowds march after demanding firings from Stoney for police actions
Above a crowd of more than 1,000 people who were demanding answers from the mayor and the police chief after Richmond officers used tear gas Monday to disperse a peaceful demonstration, one voice stood out from the rest.
Teen protest leader helps control violence in Richmond after three chaotic nights
Jared Ivey stood at the barricaded entrance to the Virginia state Capitol Monday night, defying the governor’s curfew but preaching nonviolence. Thousands of demonstrators had converged there in the fourth night of protests over the death of George Floyd and other unarmed black men killed by police. Some held barrel-sized traffic pylons overhead, seemingly ready to charge the makeshift gates. They’d done that two nights earlier, tearing down metal fencing and pelting police with bottles before setting off on a looting and arson spree across the city.
“Silent no longer,” Virginia Beach ministers hold prayer vigil
The Minneapolis police officer held his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. A week later and hundreds of miles away, atop one of the highest points in Virginia Beach, a large crowd took a knee in the windswept dirt of Mount Trashmore to remember Floyd, holding a long moment of silence with heads bowed. After, the group, many clad in black and holding signs, rose and joined in song.
Prince William Police Detail their Response to Sudley Road Protest at BOCS Emergency Meeting
The Supervisors called an Emergency Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting, Sunday at 4 p.m., to talk with Prince William Police leadership about the “unlawful assembly” Saturday night on Sudley Road in Manassas and the police response.
26 arrests in Virginia Beach in second night of protests; no property damage or injuries reported
Virginia Beach police said 26 people were arrested during the second straight night of protests in the city. It was one of several protests that broke out Monday throughout Hampton Roads, as people continue to protest police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Protest march through Norfolk ends peacefully, with eye on young leadership
A group of about 50 protesters in downtown Norfolk Tuesday night swelled to more than 100 as the peaceful march against the death of George Floyd wound from city streets to an impromptu walk on Interstate 264. By the end of the night, the group gathered beneath the city’s towering Confederate statue on Main Street, where they chanted against police brutality and demanded that all four Minneapolis police officers be charged in Floyd’s death. At about 11:30 p.m., the group dispersed and went home, without any clashes with police officers who had streets blocked off nearby.
Police deploy tear gas hours into Hampton protest
Hundreds of protesters kneeled near Peninsula Town Center on Tuesday night after marching up and down Mercury Boulevard for nearly an hour. Around 10 p.m., as they took a knee, the protesters called for a Hampton police officer to kneel with them — he did — and the action was met with cheers.
City police join in fourth day of protest marches in Fredericksburg area
As they had the previous three days, protesters marched the streets of downtown Fredericksburg on Tuesday, demanding justice for the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. But this time, officers of the Fredericksburg Police Department walked along with them, joining them in chants of "Black lives matter!" and "No justice, no peace!" and raising their fists silently in a minute of quiet to honor Floyd and the other black men and women who died by police hands.
'Agitators' mar peaceful protests in Fredericksburg, leading to arrests
A day that featured Fredericksburg police officers marching with Black Lives Matter protesters and city officials vowing to address concerns raised by mostly younger residents took a slight turn for the worse Tuesday evening. City police spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick said a group of “agitators” put a damper on what had been a promising day by blocking city streets, throwing bottles at officers and refusing to obey the 8 p.m. curfew that has been imposed in the city.
More than 100 march in Culpeper: angry, passionate, peaceful
More than 100 people marched in Culpeper Monday, protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis a week ago. Pulled together in about a two-hour time-frame, organizers called for action in a social media post, urging a peaceful protest. Gathering at about 5 p.m. the group, both black and white, walked south on Main Street nearly to the turn off to State Route 3, chanting, "No justice, no peace," and "Black lives matter."
Forum in Blacksburg park calls for changes to race relations and police interactions
Local government officials and community leaders from across Montgomery County took the podium Tuesday afternoon to call for sweeping changes to race and police relations. The event, which drew more than 200 people and took place in Marcia’s Park in Blacksburg, came just a day after hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown to call for an end to police brutality and systemic racism.
Valley View Mall, some businesses close Tuesday
Valley View Mall and some adjacent businesses closed or closed early Tuesday as protests and riots gripped parts of the nation and police feared violence could resume in Roanoke. Roanoke police told the Valley View business community Tuesday of what spokeswoman Caitlyn Cline called the “potential for civil unrest in the Valley View area.”
'We're in this together,' Danville police chief says as city leaders, protesters march in solidarity
More than 100 protesters marched from Main Street Plaza to King Memorial Bridge and River Street in Danville on Monday, where they blocked traffic and had a moment of silence underneath the stoplights. “Block the whole bridge!” one of the leaders shouted to participants as they lined up across all lanes. Cars lined up at the intersection of North Main Street, River Street and King Memorial Bridge, some of them honking their horns.
LOCAL
Arlington Public Library Will Reopen Mid-June for Book Checkouts
Arlington Public Library is preparing to start allowing pickups for books, but the staggered reopening will not immediately resemble the pre-pandemic library experience The first step towards reopening will be a book pick-up from the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street). “Starting mid-June, Arlington Public Library will offer a walk-in/walk-out service for hold pickups and book bundles in the auditorium at Central Library,” Diane Kresh, Director of the Arlington Public Library said.
Consensus Forms In City Council Around Civilian Review Board, Mental Health Alerts
A majority of Richmond City Council members say they will support two policing reforms that protesters are demanding. The city has been rocked by four days of protests and riots in the wake of the police shooting of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Among the demands from protesters are the creation of a civilian review board to monitor police use-of-force and requiring mental health officials to be present when police respond to people in crisis. Activists have dubbed the latter a ‘Marcus Alert’, named after Marcus-David Peters who was killed by Richmond Police in 2018 while naked and unarmed.
Redskins won't come to Richmond for training camp this year, per an NFL directive
The NFL has directed its 32 teams to remain at their home facilities for this year’s training camp, citing the coronavirus pandemic. It appears unlikely fans will be invited to attend the camp, which made traveling to Richmond impractical for the team.
County, towns await clarity for using COVID-19 money
Fauquier’s three town governments recently learned that combined they could qualify for more than $900,000 in federal funding to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Fauquier County government will receive $6.2 million through the CARES Act, with portions of that total allocated to Warrenton, Remington and The Plains.
Charlottesville’s progressive pandemic response has long-term implications
As the pandemic took hold in mid-March, Charlottesville and Albemarle’s criminal justice decision-makers started letting people out of jail. Two months in, it looks like the emergency measures have paid off: The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail has not reported a single coronavirus case among inmates, and those transferred to house arrest have not posed any notable threat to public safety.
City schools begin bracing for a new year of online and in-person teaching and learning
Superintendent Michael Richards told the School Board Tuesday that the city schools might rely on a hybrid system of remote and in-person learning in the fall, but school officials are waiting for the state to release guidelines for reopening schools. The state’s announcement could come as early as this week. Once that has been made, decisions are “going to start happening rapidly,” he said.
City Council officially picks Caesars Entertainment to run casino in Danville
Danville City Council has officially selected Caesars Entertainment as the city's casino provider. Whether the company brings a gambling resort to Danville depends on the outcome of a referendum among city voters in November.
Today's Sponsor:
Comcast
As the nation manages the COVID-19 emergency, Comcast is taking immediate steps to make it easier to connect low-income families to home Internet. Learn more
EDITORIALS
Big difference between rioters, protesters
Nationwide protests sparked by the violent death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer quickly descended from First Amendment-protected free speech to a week of widespread rioting, looting and anarchy in cities all across the country. But if the purpose of the protests was to denounce police brutality against African Americans like Floyd, that goal was soon eclipsed by harrowing scenes of rioters torching vehicles and buildings, beating shop owners, attacking police officers, smashing windows and looting stores.
Make black lives matter in Virginia
The whirlwind of recent days has made it difficult to reflect and to consider the ways in which we can make this a more just and compassionate nation for all — and what we in Virginia can do to make our commonwealth and our communities a more tolerant and welcoming place for all. Begin at the top, with the straightforward message shouted by protesters from coast to coast: Black lives matter.
Acknowledge the pain
Richmond saw its fifth day of protesting on Tuesday as Virginia and the nation continued to reel from the homicide last week of George Floyd, the African American who died while in police custody in Minneapolis.
COLUMNISTS
Schapiro: Scars upon scars — graffiti alters monuments' narrative
Angela Howard, a hairdresser in her native Henrico County, carefully clambered over the massive base of the towering likeness of Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue, pausing to read the dense quilt of spray-painted graffiti that had appeared on the Confederate statute and three others in the tense days immediately following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
OP-ED
Jones: EPA failing its charge to protect area waterways
When the failures of the Environmental Protection Agency threaten our way of life in Hampton Roads, we must fight back to protect our health, our economy and our environment from becoming the latest casualties of the Trump administration. Our waterways are among our biggest assets. Thousands of jobs in the local economy depend on them. During the pandemic, many of us have found peace, solace and exercise along one of our many waterways and beaches. Many rely on fish they catch to feed their families.
Dolan: Know your number
Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen states partially reopen and with those reopenings a resurgence of COVID-19-related fears. As we look out our windows and see neighbors returning from the grocery store without masks and kids playing kickball together in the front yard, fear pops up followed by judgment. What are they doing? Can I do that? Is that safe?