Transparency News, 8/24/20
Monday
August 24, 2020
August 24, 2020
state & local news stories
VCOG's virtual conference is Sept. 10. Panels on COVID data and police transparency, a tour of the state's Gmail system and FOIA training by the FOIA Council.
Details on additional panels and speakers, our sponsors and how to register.
The House General Laws Committee will meet today, some time this afternoon, after the floor session and after the House Appropriations Committee. Among the bills to be considered is HB 5090, Del. Hurst's bill on providing access to investigative files that are no longer active or ongoing.
Watch here
Sign up to comment via livestream or to submit written comments here
Talk about the law of unintended consequences. In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation blocking the release of addresses and contact information for students at the state’s public colleges and universities. Republican Del. Tony Wilt of Harrisonburg carried the bill after the progressive political group NextGen Virginia, using the Freedom of Information Act, obtained the cellphone numbers for students at all state-supported schools and sent them text messages urging them to register to vote. Turns out that law has prevented some institutions of higher education — including James Madison University in Harrisonburg — from sending the U.S. Census Bureau the names and addresses of students living off campus so that they can be automatically included in the nation’s 2020 census.
Virginia Mercury
Lynchburg’s newly appointed city manager, Douglas Stanley, resigned Friday evening from the post he was slated to take Sept. 1. According to a Friday evening news release from the city, “he submitted his letter of resignation to Lynchburg City Council effective immediately, citing the recent release and circulation of several emails.” In recent weeks two emails allegedly sent by Stanley during his tenure in Warren County have circulated on social media. Mayor MaryJane Dolan would not confirm if the new information discussed Wednesday came from those emails. On Friday, Interim Warren County Attorney Jason Ham verified one of the emails was brought to the attention of the Warren County Board of Supervisors in June 2020. The IT department with Warren County Public Schools conducted a search of the county servers, and no such email was found. Ham provided The News & Advance with an email from IT Technician Richard Maxwell confirming the email was not found to exist. The second email, a 2014 email correspondence between Stanley and Jennifer McDonald — the former Warren County Economic Development Authority executive director— was confirmed to be authentic by Ham. He said it was brought to the attention of the Warren County Board of Supervisors in April 2019, at which time Stanley issued a formal apology to the board of supervisors.
The News & Advance
A Plexiglas box separates a senator recovering from a surgery from his peers scattered around a museum. Hand sanitizer is stationed on their tables. Senators are wearing masks — sometimes. The 100 members of the House of Delegates are crowded into a video chat. The General Assembly is back for an unusual special session, and no one knows how long it will last. “We don’t even know,” said Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, saying legislators need to remain flexible. Several days into a special session, the Senate had met in person for three days and advanced legislation while the House of Delegates had yet to debate any bills. At this rate, the session likely will last at least through the first week of September.
The Roanoke Times
During a meeting on Tuesday, leaders were praising James McLaughlin for his work raising money and earning recognition for the Pittsylvania Pet Center. As of Friday, he is no longer the director of the Pittsylvania Pet Center, and leaders refused to explain whether or not he was terminated. When contacted by the Register & Bee on Saturday, McLaughlin said that he didn't have much to say now, but "I can say there was some political stuff involved." He did not say if he was terminated and did not respond to email questions from the Register & Bee. Pittsylvania County Administrator David Smitherman said he can't discuss personnel, but did confirm that McLaughlin is no longer employed at the pet center. Several members of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors did not respond to requests for comment, and those who did declined to comment and directed the Register & Bee to the county administrator.
Register & Bee
Watch here
Sign up to comment via livestream or to submit written comments here
Talk about the law of unintended consequences. In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation blocking the release of addresses and contact information for students at the state’s public colleges and universities. Republican Del. Tony Wilt of Harrisonburg carried the bill after the progressive political group NextGen Virginia, using the Freedom of Information Act, obtained the cellphone numbers for students at all state-supported schools and sent them text messages urging them to register to vote. Turns out that law has prevented some institutions of higher education — including James Madison University in Harrisonburg — from sending the U.S. Census Bureau the names and addresses of students living off campus so that they can be automatically included in the nation’s 2020 census.
Virginia Mercury
Lynchburg’s newly appointed city manager, Douglas Stanley, resigned Friday evening from the post he was slated to take Sept. 1. According to a Friday evening news release from the city, “he submitted his letter of resignation to Lynchburg City Council effective immediately, citing the recent release and circulation of several emails.” In recent weeks two emails allegedly sent by Stanley during his tenure in Warren County have circulated on social media. Mayor MaryJane Dolan would not confirm if the new information discussed Wednesday came from those emails. On Friday, Interim Warren County Attorney Jason Ham verified one of the emails was brought to the attention of the Warren County Board of Supervisors in June 2020. The IT department with Warren County Public Schools conducted a search of the county servers, and no such email was found. Ham provided The News & Advance with an email from IT Technician Richard Maxwell confirming the email was not found to exist. The second email, a 2014 email correspondence between Stanley and Jennifer McDonald — the former Warren County Economic Development Authority executive director— was confirmed to be authentic by Ham. He said it was brought to the attention of the Warren County Board of Supervisors in April 2019, at which time Stanley issued a formal apology to the board of supervisors.
The News & Advance
A Plexiglas box separates a senator recovering from a surgery from his peers scattered around a museum. Hand sanitizer is stationed on their tables. Senators are wearing masks — sometimes. The 100 members of the House of Delegates are crowded into a video chat. The General Assembly is back for an unusual special session, and no one knows how long it will last. “We don’t even know,” said Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, saying legislators need to remain flexible. Several days into a special session, the Senate had met in person for three days and advanced legislation while the House of Delegates had yet to debate any bills. At this rate, the session likely will last at least through the first week of September.
The Roanoke Times
During a meeting on Tuesday, leaders were praising James McLaughlin for his work raising money and earning recognition for the Pittsylvania Pet Center. As of Friday, he is no longer the director of the Pittsylvania Pet Center, and leaders refused to explain whether or not he was terminated. When contacted by the Register & Bee on Saturday, McLaughlin said that he didn't have much to say now, but "I can say there was some political stuff involved." He did not say if he was terminated and did not respond to email questions from the Register & Bee. Pittsylvania County Administrator David Smitherman said he can't discuss personnel, but did confirm that McLaughlin is no longer employed at the pet center. Several members of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors did not respond to requests for comment, and those who did declined to comment and directed the Register & Bee to the county administrator.
Register & Bee
Categories:
