VPM's daily newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Hosted by Benjamin Dolle, episodes are recorded the night before so you can wake up prepared.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Wednesday, January 20, 2021:
Chesterfield County ordered 8,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for this week’s shipment but only received 1,000. Because of this, they have been forced to rethink their vaccination strategy, placing the inoculations of most teachers on hold until further notice. Despite this, the county says its plans to bring students back to elementary schools on Feb. 1 remain unchanged.
Virginia House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) is defending three members of his caucus who were stripped of their committee assignments. The three members signed on to a letter calling on Vice President Mike Pence to delay the certification of Virginia’s presidential election results. One of the delegates, Del. Dave LaRock (R-Hamilton) has threatened legal action.
Chesterfield Sen. Amanda Chase found herself at the mercy of the entire Senate Tuesday, as they voted to strip the self-dubbed “Trump with heels” of her final committee assignment. She was taken off her other committee assignments, after she left the Republican caucus. Later in the day, a bill to formally censure Chase was advanced by a Senate committee. It will now make its way to the full Senate.
A Virginia House committee will hear a bill to ban firearms on the grounds of the Capitol Square. This comes one day after small groups of Second Amendment activists gathered near the state Capitol.
Nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans with the lowest hourly income are struggling the most as the economy recovers. Those making less than $20 per hour have seen the largest losses, especially in the hospitality and tourism industry. That group is disproportionately made up of women and people of color.
Virginia is considering extending a pandemic-era rule which allows the state’s bars and restaurants to sell wine and beer to go. Restaurateurs and industry groups say those sales have been key to weathering the pandemic.
Virginia Interfaith Power and Light hosted a press conference Tuesday supporting a house joint resolution that seeks to affirm access to clean and safe drinking water as a human right. Primary sponsor Del. Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg) says water shut-offs have harmed children in her district.
Chesterfield County opened up four more libraries on Tuesday: Bon Air, Clover Hill, LaPrade and Midlothian. Customers seeking to hit the books in person must wear masks and remain physically distant from other patrons.
