News Briefs
Caroline County Votes To Remove Confederate Monument -- The Caroline County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last Tuesday night to remove the Confederate monument that has stood on the courthouse lawn for 114 years. The decision to relocate the monument was made at the end of a public hearing that saw 31 speakers, 24 of whom were in favor of moving it to another location.
Nelson County Residents Follow Example -- Rev. James Rose is working with Nelson Dems to do the same with a monument that has stood in front of the County Courthouse since 1965 (coinciding with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965).
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the values these monuments stood for included a “glorification of the cause of the Civil War.” the construction of new Confederate monuments had begun to taper off after the Civil War, but the backlash to the Civil Rights Movement was spreading Confederate symbols in other ways as an intimidation tactic.
In a 2016 report, the Southern Poverty Law Center said that the country has more than 1,700 symbols of the Confederacy in public spaces. Three states stand out for having far more monuments than others: Georgia (114), Virginia (110) and North Carolina (97).
Post Office Problems Real -- Contrary to what House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) says, the slowdowns in mail delivery resulting from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's attempts to "streamline" the department are all too real. According to Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, when confronted with the evidence DeJoy finally acknowledged the service declined since July. In testimony before a Senate Committee on Friday, DeJoy said “We all feel bad about what the dip in the level of service has been.”
What this means for voters in Nelson County is late utility bills, days without much needed medications delivered by mail, and further isolation from loved ones on top of what the COVID-19 pandemic has brought. It also damages farmers. One hatchery in New England reported that a shipment of 4,800 chicks arrived dead as a result of Post Office delivery delays.
More here
Death Becomes Partisan -- Republicans can drop the pretense they are “pro-life.” They seem to have backed away from their longtime assertion that all human life is sacred, especially when it comes to the rising COVID 19 deaths.
When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) of Texas doubled down this week on prior remarks elevating commerce above life — there are “more important things than living,” he said on Fox News — he was speaking for a significant slice of his party. People are disposable. So is income. But one is more important.
COVID has revealed how the “pro-life” movement is killing us. Our grandmothers and grandfathers, our parents, our friends who have health vulnerabilities are all accepted casualties among trump’s Republicans.
More here
Virginia COVID Update -- As of Aug 28, 83 cases in Nelson County with 0 deaths.
-- More than 430,000 people in Virginia have downloaded COVIDWISE app, according to the Department of Health. That number represents just 10% of people 18-65 years old with smartphones.
-- A spokesperson for Gov. Ralph Northam said last Monday he’s not planning on mandating a COVID-19 vaccine in Virginia, even though his Administration’s top health official supports the idea. In an interview with 8News last Friday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said he planned on mandating a coronavirus immunization once it’s safely released to the public.
-- During a community meeting Tuesday morning in Martinsville, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said the federal government should do more to bring financial relief and internet service during the pandemic. Warner held the meeting with local leaders and businesspeople at New College Institute. Meanwhile, Nelson County students struggle to keep up with school because they lack consistent internet access.
-- COVID-19 Cases by Race in Virginia
Virginia Lawmakers Push To Make Absentee Voting Easier amid the coronavirus pandemic, including having the state prepay postage, setting up drop boxes and establishing a process for voters to fix paperwork issues on improperly submitted ballots. Democratic-led committees in the state House and Senate approved the measures over objections from Republicans who said they were concerned about the cost and ballot security.
Demand High For Mail-In Ballots -- Early voting doesn't begin for several weeks, but the pandemic has increased demand for mail-in ballots across Virginia. As of August 23, nearly 440,000 voters had applied for mail-in ballots, an increase of 75% compared to the final number of applications four years ago. In Nelson County, as of August 28 there were 1,240.
Social Security at Death’s Door -- Payments for Social Security benefits will end by the middle of 2023 if Donald Trump is able to deliver on his promise of permanently cutting payroll taxes, and if another funding source was not provided to replace it, according to an estimate from the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration. Read it here
Trump Narrows Virginia Fundraising Gap In July -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden reported more than $1 million in donations from Virginia residents -- his fourth six-figure haul in the last five months. President Donald Trump narrowed the gap by reporting $913, 578, his best month so far this year.
ICE Officers Use ‘Pullovers’ In Unmarked Cars To Arrest Local Immigrants -- Plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have targeted and pulled over at least two people in their vehicles and arrested them on immigration charges in Woodbridge and Manassas in recent weeks, a tactic local attorneys say they have never seen before. The reports came as a surprise to Prince William County Chief Public Defender Tracey Lenox and Lisa Shea, a longtime local immigration attorney, both of whom say they have never heard of ICE officers using such tactics in the county.
Executive Order Costs Nelson County Tech Entrepreneur – Claiming another “national emergency,” on May 15 President Trump declared that all commerce in hi-tech equipment must be approved by the Commerce Dept. and several other agencies. This is part of the administration’s economic war with China. The problem for a Nelson County broadband provider is that much of the equipment used to deliver this service is purchased from China. This was recently brought home when FBI agents arrived at this businessman’s office and served him with the executive order along with a list of questions he has to answer about his purchase of this essential equipment. The tariffs already add more than $100,00 to his costs.