Dogwood Daily: More Charlottesville sentences

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…

Check out this harrowing piece from the Virginia Mercury about a Honduran woman who came to the U.S. seeking asylum and has spent the last year living in a Richmond church with her children in order to avoid deportation.

5 Things you need to know today

1. Virginia Beach city officials continue to withhold information regarding shooting – Nearly two months after the mass shooting that claimed twelve innocent lives in Virginia Beach, city officials continue to withhold information regarding the suspect and the shooting. The withheld information includes body camera footage from the scene of the crime, information about the shooter’s prior interactions with police, and the shooter’s personnel file. – The Virginian-Pilot
   
   
2. Three white supremacists involved in deadly Charlottesville rally sentenced to prison – Three members of a now-defunct white supremacist group were sentenced to between two and three years years in prison for assaulting anti-racism protesters at the deadly Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville in 2017. The sentences also took into account the suspects’ violence at rallies in California, where they lived. – Associated Press
   
   
3. Democrats plan to boycott Trump’s attendance at Jamestown’s 400th anniversary – Virginia Democrats are planning to boycott President Trump’s expected appearance at a ceremony at the Jamestown Settlement on July 30, a celebration marking the 400th anniversary of representative government in America. Complicating matters is that Trump was reportedly invited to the event by Gov. Ralph Northam in 2018, but that hasn’t changed the calculus for rank-and-file Democrats, who have been united in opposing Trump’s planned attendance. – Daily Press
   
   
4. Virginia’s 30th House district may not have a Republican nominee – Virginia’s 30th House district, currently represented by Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper), is in danger of not having a Republican candidate this November. Freitas, who failed to file his campaign paperwork on time, was supposed to face a vote from the State Board of Elections on whether he could still appear on the ballot, but he withdrew his candidacy on Thursday in a strategic move designed to avoid the vote. According to reports, Freitas is hoping that his withdrawal will allow Republicans to pick a replacement, possibly even Freitas himself, but there’s no guarantee that plan will work out. If it doesn’t, Republicans could find themselves without a nominee in what is normally a safe Republican district. – Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
5. Attorney General Herring obtains $4.3 million for Virginia in Equifax settlement – Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring secured $4.3 million in restitution for Virginia in a settlement with Equifax over the company’s 2017 data breach. “More than 4 million Virginians had their personal information compromised by Equifax’s negligence and failure to implement adequate security programs,” said Attorney General Herring. The full settlement also includes a nationwide Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million for consumers, and consumers who are eligible for redress can submit claims online on by mail. – WRIC

From the Gram