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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Thursday, July 29, 2021:
A circuit court judge in Lynchburg tossed out a legal challenge to policies designed to protect transgender students on Tuesday. As Ben Paviour reports, schools across the commonwealth are required to adopt new protections under a state law passed last year.
The City of Richmond is asking residents for input on how it should spend $77 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan. The money is the first half of $154 million coming to Richmond under the plan. Mayor Levar Stoney plans to prioritize recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, but wants the public’s input on how to start. The city has posted a survey online for residents to fill out, including guidelines for how the money can be spent. It must be completed by August 9th.
Rural Virginians tend to be older than their urban counterparts. The median age in densely populated localities is about a decade younger than in sparsely populated ones, and that gap continues to grow. Connor Scribner has more.
Mayor Levar Stoney held a press conference on top of the 50-million-gallon Shockoe Retention Basin on Wednesday. As Patrick Larsen reports, Stoney said the basin is an example of Richmond’s dated wastewater system.
An association representing aging services organizations across the commonwealth, released a statement this week calling on all staff working in the long-term care industry to be vaccinated. LeadingAge Virginia told the Virginia Mercury that while the “vast majority” of residents have been vaccinated, only 69 percent of nursing home staff in Virginia have opted for the shots. CEO Melissa Andrews said, “The time for a mandate is now.”
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’s new exhibit, Dirty South, examines the impact of 20th-century Black art and culture on the American south. Dirty South features photographs, video, and sculpture inspired by the overarching themes of landscape, spirituality and the Black body. Valerie Oliver, curator of contemporary art at the VMFA, says African-American culture’s influence on art has been overlooked. As part of the exhibit, this Friday Jon Simms will interpret the confederate anthem ‘Dixie’ through Black musical genres. Dirty South will be open through September 6th. Tickets are available through the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Website.
