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, May 7, 2021:
Starting May 15, Virginia will relax physical distancing measures in restaurants and entertainment venues. But, Gov. Ralph Northam added all COVID-19 restrictions could be lifted in June, if all goes well.
According to a new poll, about two-thirds of Virginia parents say they're likely to have their children vaccinated. The poll was conducted for VDEM by VCU's Wilder School. The poll found parents in Western and Northwestern Virginia had the highest levels of vaccine hesitancy. Of parents with children aged 12 to 17, 59% in the Northwest and 84% in the Western part of the state said they were not likely to vaccinate their children. More than half with children 11 and under in the same parts of the state reported they were unlikely to vaccinate them. Over 90% of parents who said they're not likely to get vaccinated also said they’re unlikely to vaccinate their children.
Attorney General Mark Herring debated his Democratic challenger, Del. Jay Jones Wednesday night, during a televised forum. The two don’t differ much on policy, but Jones has the support of Virginia’s governor.
Finding access to Chesterfield County’s waterways just got easier. Chesterfield Parks and Recreation recently launched what’s called a “story-map” website dedicated to accessing waterways in the county. Users can click on more than two dozen places to boat, fish or take a hike by the water, including parts of the James and Appomattox Rivers. The website works with a previously published site dedicated to mapping the more than two-dozen trail systems in the county.
- Richmond city officials continue to debate how to move forward with building a new George Wythe High School. At an education compact meeting earlier this week, both sides doubled down and made few compromises.
