Transparency News, 8/24/2022

Wednesday
August 24, 2022

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state & local news stories

The Richmond School Board voted 5-4 Tuesday night to defeat an effort to scrap the RPS curriculum as students prepare to head back to school.  The move came about a week after the statewide accountability tests showed Richmond again lagging nearby counties. Overall, the spring 2022 results show school systems across the state continued to lag their pre-pandemic scores on the Standards of Learning exams. At the request of three members, the School Board met for a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the recent student performance. According to School Board Chair Shonda Harris-Muhammed, board policy state that when at least three members request a meeting, it will be scheduled. Not all board members agreed about holding an “emergency” meeting. The board discussed student academics in open session before moving into a closed session “to consider the assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining or resignation of specific public officers, appointees or employees of the School Board,” according to the meeting agenda. The board returned to open session and ended the meeting without taking any further action. School Board Vice Chair Kenya Gibson made the motion Tuesday night to begin a transformation of the district’s curriculum. Superintendent Jason Kamras said he had “grave concerns” about Gibson’s motion. For instance, he said the School Board has an agreement to not introduce motions on the night of a meeting, and that a quick vote meant the public would not be granted time to provide input on the motion.
Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Virginia Supreme Court has dismissed a case before them filed by the city of Martinsville asking that a referendum on reversion be declared unconstitutional. Henry County Administrator Dale Wagoner announced at a regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors Tuesday afternoon that Henry County Attorney George Lyle had some “breaking news” to share with the Board and the community. “The City had asked the Supreme Court to declare the special legislation requiring a referendum on reversion unconstitutional and that the Supreme Court should act immediately,” said Lyle. “The Supreme did not act and has dismissed the case.” Lyle said the City could pursue other ways to prevent voters in the city from voting for or against Martinsville reverting from a city to a town within Henry County, but did not elaborate on what they might be.
Martinsville Bulletin

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors held its annual retreat this week, its first official meeting that included the four new members appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in July Board members also got a lesson on their responsibility to adhere to Freedom of Information Act requirements as a public and state-appointed entity. All correspondence among board members is subject to public review, so any requests for information from board members should be treated like FOIA requests even if one was not formally filed, they were told. “We don’t like to lose,” said Robert M. Tyler, associate university counsel. “We usually don’t because we make sure that our faculty and board know the FOIA rules.” The retreat was open to the public but was not available to watch online.
The Daily Progress

The Front Royal Town Council couldn’t hold its regular meeting Monday because not enough members showed up in person. Mayor Christopher W. Holloway announced just as he tried to convene the meeting that they could not proceed because they lacked a quorum of members in attendance. “I’m sorry, but for lack of a quorum, physical quorum, we won’t be able to proceed with our meeting tonight,” Holloway said. “Sorry.” At least four council members must attend the meeting in person to make a quorum. Vice Mayor Lori A. Cockrell and council members Zachary Jackson and Amber F. Morris attended in person. Councilwoman Letasha T. Thompson attended remotely. Councilman Gary L. Gillispie was absent, and one seat remains vacant after the Aug. 8 resignation of Joseph E. McFadden.
The Northern Virginia Daily

For his fiery Facebook Live addresses, some of the same County officials who earlier this year voted to censure Supervisor John Roark took him ‘to the woodshed’ during a special meeting last week. “It’s not just ‘one person’ who’s concerned about the citizens in Nottoway County,” long-time Supervisor Sherman Vaughn declared at the Board’s Aug. 15th meeting. “Every member of this board is concerned, and we have not tried to do anything that’s not been transparent…One person goes on Facebook…and tells people that we aren’t concerned about them. I don’t like it, it doesn’t play very fair.” “Well go on Facebook, and do it yourself,” Roark responded. “It’s not fair at all,” Vaughn replied. “I’m through with it, that’s the end of it.” The exchanges came near the end of the Board’s special meeting. Supervisors that night voted 5-0 to lower the County’s Personal Property tax rate from $3.65 per $100 valuation — which was lowered when the budget was adpted in June from the previous rate of $3.75 — to $3.15 per $100 value, with a 45% Personal Property Tax Rate both of which were advocated by Roark.
Courier Record
 

stories of national interest

Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren were taken into custody Tuesday morning after both were indicted by a Federal grand jury for their alleged involvement in a bribery and kickback conspiracy. Casada, 63, and Cothren, 35, were arrested at their homes by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate judge. Both Casada and Cothren pleaded not guilty to all charges. Both were charged with conspiracy to commit the following offenses: theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the indictment, beginning in and around October 2019, Casada, while representing Tennessee House District 63, Cothren, and another conspirator, also a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, engaged in a fraudulent scheme to enrich themselves by exploiting Casada and the other conspirator’s official positions as legislators to obtain State approval of Phoenix Solutions as a mailer program vendor to provide constituent mail services to members of the Tennessee General Assembly.
WJHL