The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Aug. 1, 2024:
Charlottesville shelter hit with COVID-19 outbreak
Reported by VPM News’ Billy Shields
Five residents of The Salvation Army of Charlottesville tested positive for COVID-19 — as did the shelter’s director. The city of Charlottesville helped relocate the affected residents to the Royal Inn Motel along U.S. Route 29 — which has outdoor stairs and allows for meal delivery to take place without anyone entering the building.
“That is probably the hardest part: We had to make sure we had meals,” said Jim Battaglia, spokesperson for The Salvation Army.
This was the second COVID outbreak this year for the 48-bed shelter, which Battaglia said routinely operates at 90% capacity.
Richmond to finalize sustainable standards for city construction
Reported by VPM News’ Patrick Larsen
The standards are part of Richmond’s RVAGreen2050: Climate Equity Action Plan 2030, a plan to cut carbon emissions in half during the next six years. Once finalized, Office of Sustainability Director Laura Thomas said the standards document would be reviewed by city council and added to city code.
“It is kind of the teeth behind this [plan], we have to adhere to it if we adopt it into our city code,” Thomas said during a preview of the standards.
She added that community engagement is built into the process for any city construction under the standards.
In other news:
- 3 city departments paid city spokesperson's ex business partner (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- Boar's Head recalls 7 million more pounds of deli meats tied to listeria outbreak (The Associated Press)
- New Diamond District filings signal wind-up for stadium construction (Richmond BizSense)*
In case you missed it:
- Environmental groups in the region voice concerns about data centers (Fredericksburg Free Press)
- In response to lawsuit, VMI alumni association says it didn’t violate alumni civil rights (Cardinal News)
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
