Dogwood Daily: Commission offers no recommendations on gun violence

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. 

But first…

Hej då, Greta! Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg set sail for Europe from Hampton, Virginia this morning, after the United Nations announced climate negotiations had been relocated from Chile to Spain.

Five things you need to know today …

1. Commission offers no recommendations on gun violence- After several months of research and testimony, the Virginia State Crime Commission has declined to offer any recommendations on how to tackle gun violence. Earlier this year, the Republican-led General Assembly handed the issue to the Commission after abruptly ending a special session that was called following the mass shooting in Virginia Beach. The commission said “staff determined that inconclusive evidence exists to develop recommendations.” -The Roanoke Times
   
2. Chesapeake doctor allegedly performed hysterectomies without consent– A Chesapeake doctor, Javaid Perwaiz, is accused of performing unnecessary surgeries on unsuspecting patients under his care, including several hysterectomies. The FBI began investigating Perwaiz after hospital staff alerted the authorities, saying he was performing so many surgeries that they had a “difficult time keeping up with Perwaiz as he ran from procedure to procedure.” -The Virginian-Pilot
   
3. Republicans could fill empty judgeships- Republican leaders haven’t ruled out calling members of the General Assembly back to fill Virginia’s judicial vacancies before Democrats take over in January. Among the positions that are currently open are several circuit and general district court judgeships, a spot on the Virginia Court of Appeals, and a seat on the State Corporation Commission, which has authority over public utilities. The vacant positions have significant power and are typically held for many years. -VPM
   
4. Democratic majority may help effort to remove Confederate statues– Some newly-elected Democrats say they will re-introduce proposals to remove the displays and statues honoring Confederate Civil War figures that currently dot the Commonwealth. Several local governments in Virginia that want to remove the monuments in their communities have been held up by a 1904 state law that protects memorials for war veterans. -The Roanoke Times
   
5. Newspaper transferred to nonprofit– The ownership of Fauquier county’s sole remaining newspaper is set to be transferred to the nonprofit Piedmont Journalism Foundation. In an effort to save the paper, the owners are “selling” The Fauquier Times, The Prince William Times, a group of magazines, and the company’s websites to the nonprofit for the nominal sum of $1,000. The move is similar to models adopted by organizations throughout the United States as newspapers’ profits have dwindled. It will also allow the community to make tax-deductible donations to the newspaper. -Fauquier Now