Happy Valentine's Day, VA! We LOVE that you are a part of this great community ❤️ Thank you all for your support and we look forward to continuing building this organization.
With that, show us some love by subscribing to our newsletter & read along for your latest Virginia Updates on Feb. 14 📬
Today we have news on; Special Elections happening tomorrow in Powhatan & Spotsylvania, more Bill updates from the General Assembly and a yearly Burn Law that begins tomorrow. We also share some trending Virginia headlines and data on COVID-19 and Vaccine efforts in the commonwealth.
Here’s todays updates - we have news on;
▪️ Local Election Alert in Powhatan & Spotsylvania!
▪️ General Assembly Update
▪️ Burn Law Begins
▪️ In other news, VA Headlines
▪️ COVID-19 & Vaccine Data
Local Election Alert!
Tomorrow Powhatan and Spotsylvania County will hold Special Elections! Polls will be open from 6:00 am - 7:00 pm
Powhatan County School Board, 4th District
Jennifer L. Cabaniss (I)
jennifercabaniss@gmail.com
James E. Taylor III (I)
jtaylor@powhatan.k12.va.us
Connie L. Thompson (I)
connielt9@gmail.com
Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, Livingston District
Jacob A. "Jake" Lane (R)
jake4livingston@gmail.com
Raymond A. Bell Jr. (I)
pasbell1@outlook.com
Justin C. Carlisle (I)
carlisleiii18@gmail.com
General Assembly Update
We are now 5 weeks into the General Assembly's Special Session. As we enter crossover tomorrow, here are a few bills mentioned this week and their progress.
The Virginia Senate rejected House Bill 1274. This bill would have prohibited abortions in most cases after after 20 weeks gestation.
The Virginia Senate voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 371 overhauling state elections oversight by equalizing partisan representation on the State Board of Elections and removing the governor’s power to hand-pick the state’s top election official.
The Senate Finance Committee approved a compromise that would repeal two parts of the grocery tax — 1% that the state collects and redistributes to local school divisions based on school-age population, and 0.5% that raises money for the state’s transportation program.
Burn Law Begins
Starting Feb. 15 through April 30 each year, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) says that any outdoor burning is prohibited until after 4 PM.
The law bans open-air burning until after 4 pm - midnight. It’s being put into effect to reduce the number of wildfires. The law however doesn’t apply to charcoal or gas barbeque grills, but anyone using these products are encouraged to clear all flammable material around the grill.
The VDOF says fires occur more frequently during late winter and early spring because of elevated winds, humidity is lower, and fuels on the forest floor are very dry, having “cured” all winter without the shade of tree leaves.
Localities may institute their own burn bans. If that happens, local burn bans will supersede the state ban.
In other news, VA Headlines
NBC 12 - Small earthquake recorded in Virginia. A small earthquake was recorded in Bedford County on Wednesday evening. According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude of the quake was 2.2.
Wavy News - Virginia student whose design is featured in Target says 'recognition is important'. Hampton University student Trey Baker, is one of three HBCU students from across the country to have clothes they designed be sold in Target stores across the country.
The Virginian Pilot - Virginia Tech aims to tackle Virginia’s coastal challenges’ with new collaboration in Hampton. The new VT Coastal Collaborator seeks to bring together the school’s experts with industry leaders and other local stakeholders.
There are also pressing environmental issues, such as sea level rise and the need to build resiliency through natural and manmade infrastructure, said Michael Schwarz, associate director of the coastal studies center and director of the existing seafood research center.
COVID-19 in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health reported Monday that the statewide total for COVID-19 cases is 1,610,726. The 1,610,726 consists of 1,148,561 confirmed and 462,165 probable cases. There are 17,697 COVID-19 deaths, and Virginia’s 7-day positivity rate is now at 11.1%.
Vaccine Update
Vaccine Summary: As of Monday, February 14
Total Doses Administered: 15,161,433
People Fully Vaccinated: 6,093,869 or 70.9%
% of Adults (18+) Fully Vaccinated: 80.8%
People Vaccinated with at least 1 dose: 6,842,292 or 79.6%
% of Adults (18+) Vaccinated with at least 1 dose: 90.4%
People Vaccinated with Booster / Third dose: 2,754,159
For more information on Virginia's vaccination efforts, please visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA
Thanks for joining us this Valentines Day! We hope you have a sweet day ❣️
— Maria, Editor in Chief