News Staff The Virginia General Assembly passes legislation to improve the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The House measure opens the pool of potential vaccine administration volunteers and also requires collecting race and ethnicity data of those receiving the vaccine. The Senate’s version does now require the data collection. Lawmakers will now work out the differences between the two … Read more
Efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in Virginia continue to move forward. On Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee continued debate on a bill to decriminalize possessing an ounce of marijuana or less with those possessing an ounce to 5 pounds subject to a $25 fine. The House General Laws Committee is also debating a bill centering … Read more
The Lancaster Planning Commission is working to schedule a public hearing on the county’s comprehendive plan that pertains to access of state waters. The Rappahannock Record reports the commission discussed the plan at their meeting last week and set a Feb. 18 goal for the public hearing. One concern is that those living on th … Read more
A lawsuit brought by an Estates Road property owner against the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors is dismissed. According to the Rappahannock Record the suit objected to a special exception granted to a neighbor for an addition to their home and also the matter in which the Board granted the exception. In dismissing the lawsuit … Read more
Virginia’s educators are calling on the General Assembly to allocate more money and resources for education. In a virtual press briefing officials from the Virginia Education Association and Virginia PTA asked the General Assembly to pass a House Bill known as the School Equity and Staffing Act. It would provide more funding for high poverty … Read more
Virginia’s vaccine coordinator says people who have already gotten the first COVID-19 vaccine dose can count on getting their second dose. This comes as Virginia hospitals are asked to now release the second doses scheduled to be administered so more first doses are allocated. Dr. Danny Avula says the federal government is ensuring providers get … Read more
Close to 20 Middlesex Elementary School students were quarantined last week after being exposed to the coronavirus. The Southside Sentinel reports 8 of those students were in close contact on school grounds while the rest came in close contact while on the bus. Superintendent Dr. Peter Gretz says they continue to be in communication with … Read more
The Middle Peninsula Northern Neck Community Services Board appointed Elizabeth Lyon as the new director of Early Intervention Services. Lyon succeeds Kathy Phillips, who is retiring. According to the Southside Sentinel Lyon will supervise both the Rural Infant Services Program and the Healthy Families Program, both based in Urbanna. The Rural Infant Services Program provides … Read more
The Virginia House passed its version of a bill to remove the ban on abortion coverage for health insurance plans offered through the commonwealth’s health benefits exchange. That ban has been in effect for the last 10 years. The measure doesn’t force insurance companies to offer coverage and the coverage can’t be paid for through … Read more
Gov. Ralph Northam announced the COVID-19 restrictions that were to expire on Sunday will remain in place until the end of February. Those include a midnight to 5:00 a.m. curfew, limits on how many can attend parties, private dining and other indoor settings plus the last call for alcohol at dining establishments remains at 10:00 … Read more