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 Friday, January 29, 2021:
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney dismissed all 19 members of his Teacher Advisory Council earlier this month. Some members of the council are calling Stoney’s move disrespectful, releasing a letter to the public this week about their frustrations. The council was formed in 2018 with the goals of increasing teacher recruitment and attracting more state dollars for Richmond Public Schools. Stoney removed the council members four days before a meeting, saying his education priorities had changed. Stoney says he will soon re-form the group, bringing in new members via new criteria.
Some Chesterfield County teachers will start getting vaccinated in the next two weeks. This comes after the county delayed vaccinations for most school staff last week. The district says it received almost 1,300 doses this week and expects to get a similar amount next week. This comes as elementary school staff are set to return to the classroom on Monday. The district says they will focus vaccinations on schools with large numbers of returning students. County officials say over 80% of district employees are currently unvaccinated.
COVID-19 delayed data collection for the U.S. Census, putting a cramp in Virginia’s redistricting plans. A spokesperson for the Census said on Wednesday that the state is unlikely to get the data it needs until at least July 30. That doesn’t leave enough time before Virginia’s House of Delegates elections this November, meaning candidates will have to run in their existing districts. But, it’s unclear if they’ll have to run again based on the new district lines in 2022.
Sen. Tim Kaine told reporters on Thursday that he intends to submit a resolution condemning former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol. The resolution highlights language from the 14th Amendment, which bars people who’ve incited an insurrection against the U.S. from holding public office. The Senate is set to begin Trump’s second impeachment trial in early February.
The Virginia Department of Health is implementing a new text messaging service to inform people who test positive for COVID-19. The message will also ask them to stay home, isolate and enter their results into COVIDWISE, the state’s app for exposure notifications. The texts will only be sent between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and will be available in Spanish.
- Older adults across metro Richmond can get their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at one of three events this weekend. The events will vaccinate roughly 7,000 individuals mainly aged 75 and older. Eligible people can register for the events by filling out an online interest form or calling their local health district. Henrico County, along with the Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfieldand ChickahominyHealth Districts, is hosting the events.
