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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Thursday, September 9, 2021:
Yesterday, hundreds of people watched as the last Confederate General on Monument Ave. was taken down from its pedestal. The 21-foot statue of Robert E. Lee sitting on top of a horse was cut in two, before being hauled out of Richmond. University of Richmond student Christian Herald watched the crew remove the statue with some of her classmates. She was excited to see it go, but clear about what’s still needed. Chief among protesters’ demands is an independent civilian review board with disciplinary power over police in instances of misconduct. A proposal for a civilian board will be presented to Richmond city council at their meeting this Monday. Thad Williamson, a University of Richmond professor and civic activist, said Richmond entered the 21st century when Lee came down. After removing two commemorative plates, all that remains of the monument is its towering pedestal, covered in protest art. Crews plan to unearth an over 130-year-old time capsule from within the pedestal today.
The Chesterfield County branch of the NAACP is asking Chesterfield County Schools to immediately take steps to ensure students’ safety as the number of positive cases of Covid-19 continue to rise. In a letter sent yesterday, the organization is asking the district to provide daily quarantine information, coordinate testing for all students exposed to the virus, and provide synchronous learning for students who are quarantined. They say that providing this support is an issue of equity. Currently, Chesterfield schools post a daily list of students and staff who’ve tested positive. And for students who are quarantined, teachers issue assignments through the school’s Canvas web portal.
The Virginia Department of Health is adding 170 additional community testing events during September. This comes as cases of the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 continue to rise. VDH says anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should get tested. Those who are fully vaccinated should also get checked, between 3 and 5 days after a known exposure. State health officials say more testing events will be added based on community need and to reduce stress on providers. For a full list of the locations, head to the VDH website.