Most Read Articles Oct. 21, 2020
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Area hospitals fill with COVID patients, as people shun advice to halt spread, health officials said
On a day the number of COVID-19 patients in Roanoke-area hospitals rose to the highest level yet, the Associated Press released a poll showing that more people today than in April disbelieve what the government and the media tell them about the virus. “I have never experienced this level of mistrust or misinformation,” Dr. Cynthia Morrow, director of the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, said Tuesday.
2
Decade-old case resurfaces in Portsmouth City Council race
De’Andre Barnes was helping bathe a child with cerebral palsy more than 13 years ago when he scalded the boy with hot bath water, according to court records obtained by The Virginian-Pilot. His employer, Holiday House of Portsmouth, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit over the child’s injuries. And Barnes, then 21, was charged with felony child neglect and a related misdemeanor and went to trial.
3
William & Mary president admits errors in decision-making process used to cut sports
A day after William & Mary reversed its decision made in September to cut three women’s athletic teams, university president Katherine Rowe acknowledged flaws in the decision-making process that also resulted in the elimination of four men’s sports still on the athletic department chopping block. “In this case we should have fully addressed (gender) equity matters first, based on our core commitments and our legal obligations, and then worked to address the significant (budget) shortfalls in years ahead,” Rowe said Tuesday during her monthly Community Conversation at W&M. “That’s the sequence we’re following now.”
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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
VMI official to Northam: ‘Systemic racism does not exist here’
The Virginia Military Institute fought back Tuesday against allegations that its Black cadets face bigotry and hostility, telling Gov. Ralph Northam (D) in a letter that “systemic racism does not exist here and a fair and independent review will find that to be true.” The letter, signed by John Boland, president of VMI’s Board of Visitors, came after Northam and other state leaders authorized an independent investigation of the culture of the 181-year-old school in Lexington. Northam is a 1981 graduate of VMI.
6
Mike Allers announces run for House of Delegates against Lee Carter
Mike Allers Jr., a teacher and political commentator, announced Tuesday he plans to seek the Republican nomination for the Manassas-based 50th District House of Delegates seat. The seat is currently held by Democrat Lee Carter, who was elected in 2017 and re-elected last year.
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VPAP Visual Sept. fundraising generates two Top 10 lists
What is considered a big pile of campaign cash is situational. A candidate who raises the most in a small town election might not even show up on the radar in places like Richmond or Arlington County. That's why we made two Top 10 lists to rank candidates for local office who raised the most money last month. One list is led by Virginia Beach mayoral hopeful Jody Wagner, who brought in more than $320,000. Atop the second list is Theresa Coates-Ellis, who raised $12,900 in her bid to become mayor of Manassas.
8
Could Virginia be heading for a new COVID-19 case peak?
Though a University of Virginia model now projects a potential new peak in Virginia COVID-19 cases in November, a top state health official says it’s too soon to tell whether an uptick in cases over the past few weeks is indicative of a bigger trend. “It’s premature to say now things are increasing,” said Dr. Lilian Peake, Virginia’s state epidemiologist. “We really have had quite a bit of increase over the summer. And that’s been generally going down. Now we are seeing a little bit of increase but it’s small and we need to see what happens with that.”
9
Va. boarding school sets rules, remains COVID-free
More than two months after the first students arrived on campus for in-person learning, not a single student or staff member at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, Virginia, has tested positive for COVID-19. It hasn’t been easy, said retired Air Force Brigadier Gen. David Wesley, president of the academy which offers university-preparatory education in an Air Force Junior ROTC program.
10
When to expect election results in the Washington region
The onslaught of mail-in voting in 2020 — and the cumbersome procedures to count those ballots — could delay full election results by days or weeks in some parts of the region. Elections staff in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. are racing to process as many mail-in ballots and early votes as possible before the polls close on Nov. 3. Although unofficial results will be published after polls close on election night in each jurisdiction, officials say those totals will be updated with thousands of absentee and mail-in ballots that are counted in the days that follow.