No guns in Fairfax, Virginia gears up to approve an Emancipation Highway, and it’s actually going to be sunny today!

Daily Number

34 – That’s the number of Virginia Union University students who, in 1960, woke up in jail on this date for refusing to leave a segregated dining facility at Thalhimers department store in Richmond. The arrest of the Richmond 34 sparked the Campaign for Human Dignity. Through this campaign, organizers successfully boycott Thalhimers and other local retailers until they eventually desegregate their stores.

Fairfax City Hands Down Firearms Ban

Not all the news comes out of the General Assembly. During their Feb. meeting, the Fairfax City Council voted to adopt a new ordinance, one that would ban firearms in areas owned or operated by the city.

Specifically, Fairfax bans guns in buildings owned or used by the city, as well as public parks and any recreation facility or community center. Fairfax becomes the third city to adopt a gun ban over the last 12 months, following Richmond, Alexandria and Falls Church. Fairfax County and Arlington County also adopted similar bans.

Fairfax’s ordinance takes effect immediately, with no exemption for concealed carry permits. If you violate the law, it’s a Class 4 misdemeanor. That means a fine up to $250.

El Chapo’s Wife Arrested in Virginia

Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of imprisoned drug cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested in Virginia yesterday.

Aispuro is facing charges related to her alleged involvement in international drug trafficking, according to the US Justice Department. The department is charging her with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana for importation into the US. The Justice Department is also accusing Aispuro of aiding her husband in an attempt to escape from prison in 2015. She’s also facing charges for assisting in planning another escape attempt in 2017.

Aispuro was apprehended at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. She’ll appear before a federal judge in Washington D.C. today.

Dogwood: The Musical

Lights! Camera! Zoom!

Break up your Tuesday afternoon with a live concert! We’re hosting Dogwood The Musical today at 1p.m. on our Facebook Page! This is more than just a panel discussion – each of our participants will not only answer questions about how the pandemic has influenced their art and careers, but they’ll also each be performing an original song they’ve written or produced over the last year!

Our panel discussion/concert features some incredible artists including folk singer-songwriter Mitchel Evan, whose new song Cancel Out The Noise just dropped. Erin Lunsford will also be joining the discussion. She’s making a name for herself as vocalist of Richmond’s funk and soul band Erin & The Wildfire, and she describes her music as a mix of bluegrass and Americana. And Naomi Isaac, host of Race Capital and experimental R&B artist, will also be moving us with their words and melodies later today.

So remember to tune in at 1p.m. this afternoon! If you do miss our broadcast, we’ll be posting the full video later today on our social pages.

COVID-19 Deaths Spike in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Health reported 155 new deaths due to COVID-19 yesterday. That set a record for the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in a single day in the Commonwealth.

At the same time, reported cases of the virus were down yesterday to 1,962 per day. That might seem like a lot, and it is, but just six days ago the Commonwealth reported 9,914 new cases in a single day. Hospitalizations yesterday were also down, with 49 new instances of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 reported.

The Virginia Department of Health has not yet released a statement on the spike.

RELATED: How Do I Sign Up? Virginia’s Vaccine Registration Website Launches

Renaming Jefferson Davis Highway

A bill to rename U.S. Route 1, currently known as Jefferson Davis Highway, to “Emancipation Highway” is expected to be approved by the Virginia General Assembly today.

U.S. Route 1 is a major North-to-South highway that travels through Northern Virginia all the way through the border between Virginia and North Carolina. The whole highway connects multiple states on the East Coast, and runs a total of 2,369 mile according to Atlas Obscura.

House Bill 2075, introduced by Del. Joshua Cole (D – Fredricksburg) will be read for the third time on the Senate floor today. It’s on the Senate’s uncontested calendar, so unless someone objects it’ll almost certainly pass.

The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2022.

Question of the Day: Do Gun Bans Work?

It’s Going to be Nice Outside In Virginia Today!

This normally wouldn’t make the news but heck, after the last few miserable weeks we’ve had in Virginia, nice weather is front page material in my opinion. Forecasts indicate the weather is going to be beautiful today across the Commonwealth, with temperatures reaching over 60 degrees in some places.

So go do something outside today! Even if it’s hunching over your laptop in the backyard, there’s something reviving about spending the day in the sun.