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.
But first…
The coronavirus pandemic has made finding paper products hard to find, especially for elderly customers. But Las Tapatias Mexican Kitchen in Roanoke is giving away a free roll of toilet paper to anyone over 60 years old. “It might sound small, but in a hard time, even a small gesture goes a long way,” restaurant reps wrote on Facebook. – WSLS 10
Five things you need to know today …
- 67 cases of coronavirus in Virginia– With an increase of 15 cases, Virginia now has a total of 67 “presumptively” positive cases of coronavirus. The Virginia Department of Health says the state is starting to see more cases spread throughout the community, as cases emerged in 8 new counties, including Chesterfield, Arlington, James City and Goochland County. Gov. Ralph Northam banned restaurants and gyms from having more than 10 people at once and said he’s working with Attorney General Mark Herring on enforcement. –WSLS 10 and Dogwood
- Chesterfield Inmates Removed From Jail- With concerns of insufficient medical care for inmates, Chesterfield county officials have begun to remove almost 200 inmates from the Riverside Regional Jail. Sheriff Karl Leonard said that he received daily messages from family members saying that their incarcerated loved ones are receiving poor medical care at Riverside. This is not the first time that Riverside Regional Jail has been accused of mismanagement. It’s currently under state probation for three years after the suicide of two inmates in 2017.- WTOP
- Resident at Richmond Retirement Home Tests Positive for Coronavirus- A resident of Westminster Canterbury, a Richmond retirement community, was diagnosed with the COVID-19. The resident is a man in his 80s who recently returned from a trip to Florida. President and CEO John Burns states that he is currently working with the Virginia Department of Health to track everyone the resident may have come in contact with. The resident is currently being treated at VCU Medical Center and is in stable condition. – WRIC
- Bills Expanding COmmonwealth’s Electricity Market Re-emerge- Two bills that could broaden Virginia’s electricity market were unexpectedly resurrected in the last few days of the General Assembly session. Since 2007, Virginia has been limited to buying its electricity from companies like Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, which monopolize the energy market. But this legislation, which still need a signature from Gov. Northam, would allow residents to pick from other companies when it comes to where they get their electricity. – Virginia Mercury
- Bus Drivers, Food Managers and Counselors are Making Sure Students Get Fed- About 30% of Roanoke County students are on free or reduced-price lunch, with many children relying on school lunch to be their one hot meal of the day. With Roanoke schools closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, many students could potentially go without enough to eat. But bus drivers, food managers and counselors of Roanoke County school system are providing students with meals. On Monday alone their “cafeteria on wheels” delivered over 2,300 bagged lunches across the county. The Roanoke Times
Politics
It’s official: Your boss has to give you time off to recover from childbirth or get an abortion
Originally published by The 19th In what could be a groundbreaking shift in American workplaces, most employees across the country will now have...
Trump says he’s pro-worker. His record says otherwise.
During his time on the campaign trail, Donald Trump has sought to refashion his record and image as being a pro-worker candidate—one that wants to...
Local News
Virginia verses: Celebrating 5 poetic icons for National Poetry Month
There’s no shortage of great writers when it comes to our commonwealth. From the haunting verses of Edgar Allan Poe, who found solace in Richmond's...
Join the fun: Recapping Family Literacy Night’s storybook adventures
When’s the last time you read a book aloud with a loved one? If it’s difficult to answer that question, then maybe it’s time to dust off that TBR...