Dogwood Daily: Gov. Northam declares a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Dorian

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…

We know, we know. You really don’t want to be back at work today. So how about procrastinating by reading about this week’s Dogwood Dog of the Week. Today, our friends at the Fredericksburg SPCA would like you to meet Millie.

5 things you need to know today

1. Governor Northam declares a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Dorian— Governor Northam declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Dorian heads north. Experts say the storm could bring flooding, damaging winds, and prolonged power outages. Forecasts anticipate that Dorian will head north along the coast, potentially hitting southeastern Virginia around Thursday. Officials are telling customers to gather supplies, review evacuation plans, and continue to track the storm as it approaches. — The Virginian-Pilot
   
   
2. Virginia police departments fail to report almost one-third of police shootings– Police departments didn’t report nearly thirty percent of all police shootings resulting in injury or death, according to an analysis of media reports, police records, and court documents by The News & Advance.There were 85 police shootings between July 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2018, but police only included 60 in their annual reports. Officials say their absence was due to routine errors and confusion over reporting requirements spelled out in a recent law. Both the state and federal governments are using the collected data for analysis of how best to handle police shootings. — The Roanoke Times
   
   
3. Gov. Northam appoints members to new Commission on African American History Education– Northam has appointed more than three dozen people to the Commission on African American History Education. The governor announced the commission at an event last week commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans at an English colony. The panel’s focus will be reviewing and improving the way slavery is taught at public schools. The announced members include educators, museum directors, and an NAACP county president. — The Virginian-Pilot
   
   
4. Virginia Democrats feel like they have a good chance of flipping the State Senate– Virginia Democrats feel like there is a strong possibility they will be able to win over the state Senate in November’s upcoming election. The Republicans currently hold a thin 21-19 majority over the Democrats in the State Senate with several seats expected to be up for grabs. While the House remains more of a toss-up, Democrats are optimistic. “Our polls look really, really good,” said House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax. “And we’ve got great candidates focused on the issues.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
5. Virginia Beach considers a program to purchase frequently flooded homes- In response to recent flooding, Virginia Beach officials are considering a program that would buy homes deemed a high risk for continued exposure. Flooding has gotten worse as sea levels have increased more than a foot since the 1960s, and climate change is expected to bring even more intense storms in the future. The program would be modeled after one that has been used in Charlotte, N.C. for nearly twenty years. — DailyPress
   
   
   

From the Gram