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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Tuesday, December 1, 2021:
An attorney for two men serving life in prison for killing a Virginia police officer is urging the State Court of Appeals to rush to overturn their convictions. As Whittney Evans reports, the petition has the support of Virginia’s Attorney General. His Republican successor, who takes office in January, promises to look into the case as well.
No charges will be filed against the Virginia Beach police officer who fatally shot 25-year-old Donovon Lynch last March during a chaotic night at the oceanfront. Jonah Grinkewitz, from our partner station WHRO, has more.
To Petersburg City Councilor Treska Wilson-Smith, bringing a casino to Petersburg is a gamble in itself. According to the Progress-Index, Wilson-Smith shared concerns on two Facebook groups that the casino will only bring quote “false hope for those who are impoverished.” However, Wilson-Smith is not completely against the casino. She says they need to bring in solutions that will last in the long run. This is the first public statement about the casino from an elected official, outside of the mayor or Petersburg's state senator. It’s also the first statement to question the potential project.
Mold has overtaken a VCU freshman dorm, displacing over 400 students. The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that students began voicing concerns about Johnson Hall in late September. The over 100-year-old building will now be closed for the rest of the academic year. Students will be able to cancel their housing contract and move off campus. They’ll only be charged for the time they lived in Johnson Hall. Those who want to stay on campus will be relocated to other dorms, apartments or a hotel.
If you haven’t bought a Christmas tree yet, you might want to start looking. That’s because there’s a national tree shortage. Jami Warner is Executive Director of the American Christmas Tree Association. She told our partner station WHRO that extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest -- like wildfires, droughts and floods -- led to the shortage this year. There are also fewer artificial trees on the shelves because of supply chain issues. Combine all of that with an insufficient number of truck drivers, Warner says consumers could see a 20 percent increase in prices.
With recent controversies about the removal of books from Virginia public school libraries, we wondered: how do books end up in school libraries to begin with? Megan Pauly went in search of the answer, and has this report.
GRTC will continue its tradition of honoring Rosa Parks on the anniversary of when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Today, every GRTC bus's first seat will be reserved. And each bus will display a commemorative sign honoring Parks’ dedication to the Civil Rights Movement. Parks is most well-known for her act of defiance on an Alabama bus on December 1st, 1955.
