Most Read Articles Aug. 12, 2020
1
Luray Council censures mayor for ‘Aunt Jemima’ comment
With most of his face covered by a surgical mask, Mayor Barry Presgraves kept his eyes focused on each speaker. “My grandchild came up to me and asked, ‘What did he say?’” Maxine Tutt said at Monday’s Luray Council meeting. “I told him, and he said, ‘That’s not too good.’” “How do you explain this to a little kid?” asked Melvin Tutt. “The main difference is you’re the mayor; you’re the leader. It’s just a disappointment to me that we are at this point in 2020.”
2
VDH: Mechanicsville restaurant continues to operate despite having permit pulled
The Virginia Department of Health says a Calabash Seafood restaurant continues to operate even though its restaurant permit was suspended due to COVID-19 guideline violations. A spokesperson with VDH said the Hanover Health Department received about 25 complaints since May 14 regarding employees and customers violating Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive orders by not wearing face coverings nor practicing social distancing at the restaurant located along Lee Davis Road.
3
On the Eastern Shore, locals hope a 49-mile rail trail will reinvigorate the economy
Virginia’s rural Eastern Shore has been losing residents for decades, but in one aspect of that abandonment, locals see opportunity. Last month, Canonie Atlantic, the company which owns the tracks on the Eastern Shore, petitioned the federal Surface Transportation Board to decommission a 49.1 miles long rail line from the town of Hallwood to Cape Charles.
4
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.
5
School Board approves inequity-combating changes to Academies of Loudoun admissions process
At the recommendation of Loudoun County Public Schools senior staff, the Loudoun County School Board on Tuesday approved changes to the Academies of Loudoun admissions process. The action, which the board previously discussed as a potential method to combat systemic racism within the division as well as a means to "promote geographic and socioeconomic diversity," comes following years of concern regarding the underrepresentation of certain racial and economic groups at the Academies.
6
College towns fear super-spreader semester as students descend
Earlier this summer, students at the University of Virginia packed bars, rental houses, apartments and fraternity houses as part of Midsummers, a party and reunion tradition of students. Watching the surge in large gatherings on social media and hearing from concerned residents prompted Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker to call UVA’s plan to bring students back to campus a “recipe for disaster.”
7
MicroStrategy buys $250M in Bitcoin as CEO says it's superior to cash
The move came after the Tysons firm's CEO and founder, Michael Saylor, announced his intention to explore purchasing Bitcoin, gold or other alternative assets in an earnings call in late July. At the time he argued that that the returns from cash were fading and that the dollar was weakening. He reiterated these concerns in the announcement Tuesday.
8
Downtown Richmond buildings vandalized during ‘Solidarity with Chicago’ protest
Windows were broken at multiple buildings in Richmond on Tuesday night, leaving a trail of property damage behind protesters that circled the downtown area. Protesters dressed in all black gathered at around 9 p.m. in a parking lot at Broad and Crane streets in the East End. VCU sent an alert regarding a “public assembly” off of the MCV campus at 9:39 p.m.
9
Galax has less than 10,000 residents. Why was it leading the state in new COVID-19 infections?
Around 30,000 people crowded downtown Galax last year during the first week of August, gathering in Felts Park for the city’s annual, internationally known Old Fiddlers’ Convention. The same week this year, the streets of the small Southwestern Virginia city are quiet. Many of the local businesses, especially the antique shops and art galleries, are closed. The 2020 Old Fiddlers’ Convention — its 85th year — was canceled for the first time since World World II.
10
Freitas stresses military service in first TV ads for 7th District congressional race
Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, is putting his military service and family values at the forefront of his first television ads in his campaign for Virginia’s 7th District seat in Congress, a crucial race in Republicans’ effort to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.