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 Thursday, January 21, 2021:
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is standing by his police department’s handling of Monday’s armed protest at the state Capitol. Stoney said at a Wednesday press conference that, while armed protesters gathered at the Capitol, they were not in violation of the city’s gun ban, which he said helped to depress the protest’s turnout.
The Virginia House is debating a measure that would ban guns at polling places in the commonwealth. Republicans say the law is unnecessary, citing existing statutes which ban voter intimidation. Democrats, however, argue voters will gain peace of mind by knowing guns are not allowed. A committee advanced the bill to the House floor on Wednesday.
A Norfolk military jury is set to hear testimony this week before determining the fate of a Navy SEAL who faces 22 years in prison. Tony DeDolph, a former member of SEAL Team pleaded guilty last week to a manslaughter charge. DeDolph was part of a group that planned to choke Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar as a prank in 2017, leading to his death.
The Richmond City Health Department says over 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across metro Richmond. RCHD Dr. Melissa Viray said the state’s supply of vaccines is dwindling and asked for residents to remain patient. Richmonders 65 and older can register for vaccines at vax.rchd.com, but will likely have to wait for the state to get more supply.
Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras urged the Richmond School Board to invest new money from the state in teacher raises. Kamras said over half of the $9 million additionally allocated to the district should go towards a 2% raise for teachers. Kamras also noted that the district will be unlikely to build any new schools, because it is unable to take on additional debt.
Wednesday saw President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris take their oaths of office. Rep. Abigail Spanberger called this a “moment of optimism.” Spanberger said she has confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant economic recession.
- Henrico residents can give their input on the proposed GreenCity development soon. The $2 billion dollar project aims to bring a 17,000 seat arena, about 2,000 housing units and more to the county. Fairfield residents can register to share feedback with Supervisor Frank Thornton at 6 PM tonight at henrico.us/government.
