New statewide restrictions and reimagining Monument Avenue
Here are the top news stories for today
Welcome to Friday! Here are the top news stories for today.
Governor Northam issues statewide curfew/modified stay-at-home order; plus more new restrictions to curb COVID-19 spread - Virginia Scope
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced tighter restrictions on Thursday for everyone across the Commonwealth of Virginia in an attempt to combat the fast spread of COVID-19. 3,915 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Thursday morning by the Virginia Department of Health. The 7-day average of new cases reported is currently 3,791.
“Case numbers have been rising for weeks, they are now at record high levels,” said Northam in a press conference Thursday. “They are higher now than they ever have been.” Hospitalizations have increased by more than 80% in Virginia over the last four weeks. The Governor said the biggest problem in hospitals right now is staffing. “The nurses and doctors are literally exhausted,” said Northam.
Q&A: Amanda Chase pitches herself as Virginia’s Donald Trump - Virginia Mercury
by Ned Oliver
Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, is running a hard-right campaign for governor, but before she takes on any Democrats, she’s battling leaders of her own party.
The state GOP voted last weekend to select its candidate for governor in a convention rather than an open primary, prompting Chase to threaten to enter the race as an independent unless the party reverses course.
Northam proposes major effort to reimagine public space around Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond - Washington Post
by Gregory Schneider
RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam will outline plans on Friday for an ambitious effort to reimagine the site of the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee statue that towers over Monument Avenue and has become an international symbol of this year's protests against racial inequity.
The plans are part of a broader push to recast all the public spaces along the grand avenue, as well as to better commemorate African American history and mark the legacy of slavery throughout Richmond and beyond.
Inmates frustrated by COVID-19 Prison Spike: ‘Nobody really cares’ - Virginia Scope
By Joseph Whitney Smith and Sam Fowler
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va — Prisons are divided into “zones.” Inmates have been given personal protective equipment. Visitation is canceled. Testing has ramped up. Still, the positive COVID-19 cases continue to climb within Virginia prisons.
The Virginia Department of Corrections reported on Dec. 10 that there are 593 active cases among inmates and 227 among staff, which includes employees and contractors. There have been over 5,200 positive COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths reported among inmates since late March. More than 1,250 staff cases have been confirmed since the spring.
VHSL to require players to wear masks during practice and in competition - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Tim Pearrell
The Virginia High School League will require players to wears masks during practice and in competition, a source said. The league is expected to release a statement soon.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced new COVID-19 restrictions Thursday, among them that Virginians aged 5 and over are required to wear masks indoors when other people are coming within 6 feet. Masks also are required outdoors when coming within 6 feet of other people.
Kirk Cox outlines the first policy platform of his campaign - Virginia Scope
Cox plans to invest in law enforcement immediately if he wins the race for Governor in 2021.
In a press conference, Cox announced that former state Senator Bill Carrico (R) will be leading the initiative, “Partnership for a Safe Virginia.” This is the Cox campaign’s first policy platform introduced during his race for Governor. “This opportunity for me to become involved in the public safety side is important,” said Carrico, a former state trooper.
While he said that people in southwest Virginia were calling for him to run, Carrico dropped his name from consideration and endorsed Cox on Thursday. “Even though I will not seek the Republican nomination, I will continue to speak out and lead the fight for a safe Virginia. The Democratic Party is waging a relentless war on law enforcement. We need leaders to stop the insane attacks on law and order before it is too late. Kirk Cox is exactly the kind of leader Virginia needs, and I am proud to endorse him today,” said Carrico, who served eight years as a State Senator representing Southwest Virginia.
Falwell drops defamation lawsuit against Liberty University - Daily Progress
By the Associated Press
LYNCHBURG — Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped a defamation lawsuit against his former employer, Liberty University.
A judge granted a motion this week to dismiss the case in a move that left open the possibility of Falwell refiling a similar one later, The News & Advance reported Thursday. Court documents give no indication of why Falwell opted to withdraw the lawsuit.
Virginia ABC stores were the target of fraud. A Norfolk man has pleaded guilty in the scheme. - Daily Progress
by the Associated Press
Prosecutors said Jackson and three other men defrauded Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control stores by using debit and credit cards re-encoded with the stolen information. The news release said investigators identified 20 direct victims of identity theft from Jackson’s role in the conspiracy, and at least 82 victims of the bigger conspiracy.
Jackson is scheduled for sentencing in March. He faces up to 30 years on the conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge and a mandatory two-year sentence on the aggravated identity theft offense.
Sports rundown:
Jamie Oakes at 247 Sports broke down the recruiting success that UVA has been having recently.
With reclassifying Chester (Va.) Life Christian defensive lineman Bryce Carter from the 2022 class to UVA’s 2021 committed class, the Wahoos have vaulted up the recruiting rankings. 247Sports ranked Carter No. 92 in the nation with a grade of 94 (four-stars).
The new grade in the 2021 class has boosted UVA’s recruiting class to No. 25 in the nation and No. 5 in the ACC. The 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings use the 247Sports Composite, which uses 247’s in-house ranking in an equally-weighted average of all public rankings by recruiting services. Carter’s 247Sports Composite ranking is No. 117 nationally and four-stars (0.9461 grade).
Two streaks on the line in Virginia vs. Virginia Tech rivalry
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Underdog Virginia can end two significant streaks on Saturday night when the Cavaliers travel to Blacksburg to face rival Virginia Tech. First, and most important to UVA, is stopping its losing streak in Blacksburg. The Cavaliers ended a 15-year overall losing streak to the Hokies last year in Charlottesville with a 39-30 win. However, Virginia hasn’t won at Tech since 1998.
Second, should UVA – a 2-½ point underdog – upset the Hokies this weekend, it would almost certainly end the longest bowl streak in the nation. Tech has been to a bowl every year season since 1992.
THE ANATOMY OF A COVID CANCELLATION: A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE DAY VT-UVA WAS POSTPONED
By: Alex Koma
At 6:59 a.m. on Sept. 12, Virginia Tech Athletic Director Whit Babcock fired off an email to Carla Williams, his counterpart at UVA, and two high-ranking ACC officials. Plainly, it had been a long day for him already.
Just the day before, Babcock, Williams and other leaders at both schools had made a very big decision — they were postponing the Sept. 19 battle for the Commonwealth Cup, due to the spread of the coronavirus within Tech’s football program. Now, in the early morning hours of the following Saturday, they had to coordinate how they told the rest of the world the news.