Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood. We’ve got a roundup of today’s Virginia news coming up.
But First…
The Virginia State Police has issued an Amber Alert for three children believed to have been abducted and in extreme danger. Cameron and Emma Alison, both six years old, and 21-month-old Colin Allison were last seen in Roanoke County, Virginia. If you have any information about the children’s whereabouts, call Roanoke County Police at 540-777-8798 or 540-777-8799. — NBC 12
Five Things You Need to Know Today
- Why There’s No COVID-19 Case Update Today- The Virginia Department of Health reported an overnight error that delayed its daily update on Wednesday’s coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations. According to Maria Reppas, the VDH Director of Communications, the staff is working to resolve the issue. “The process which compiles COVID case information overnight experienced an error that caused complete case information to be unavailable this morning,” said Reppas. — NBC 12
- How Coronavirus Totally Upended Virginia Legislative Session — And Minimum Wage Still Survived– The coronavirus pandemic upended the veto session held today, as mask-wearing lawmakers met Wednesday under a giant tent outside the Capitol and car horns blared nearby from protesters unhappy with mandated business closings. Both the House and Senate narrowly voted to uphold a proposed change to legislation that would raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.50. — Dogwood
- Virginia’s Probable Death Count Doesn’t Match Funeral Director Experiences- Virginia funeral directors say the Virginia Department of Health’s reports on coronavirus deaths do not match their experiences over the past few weeks. “It’s gotta be higher than that,” said President of Independent Funeral Homes of Virginia Sammy Oakley in response to the VDH most recent reports. On Tuesday, the VDH reported 3 probable deaths, a number that Oakley found hard to believe. — Virginia Mercury
- Rumors About Gov. Northam Leaving the State Are False – Gov. Ralph Northam has not left Virginia since he put the stay at home order into effect, despite rumors stating contrary. The rumor has been circulating across social media platforms. Northam placed Executive Order 53 last month, mandating the closure of all non-essential businesses in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. — ABC 13
- Virginia Gym Owner Files Suit Against Stay-At-Home Order- A Virginia gym owner filed a suit against Northam’s executive order closing the state’s non-essential businesses. Gold’s gym owner Merrill C. “Sandy” Hall filed the suit seeking an injunction to block the executive order. Hall is represented by two Republican lawmakers, Sen. William M. “Bill” Stanley (Franklin County) and Ryan T. McDougle (Hanover). — WRIC
