Former Lt. Gov. Hager Dies, A Long Pattern Of ‘Stiff Resistance’ To Black Leaders In Portsmouth, Redlining And Heat; More

From the Virginia Mercury:

By Graham Moomaw

August 24, 2020

NEWS TO KNOW
Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere.

• Former Lt. Gov. John Hager died Sunday at 83, drawing bipartisan condolences from Virginia political figures. A moderate Republican, Hager served in statewide office from 1998 to 2002, overcoming polio to remain “a doer and not an observer.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

• Jerry Falwell Jr. revealed his wife, Becki, had an affair with a Miami pool attendant. The suspended Liberty University leader claims the man later tried to extort him. “Over the course of the last few months this person’s behavior has reached a level that we have decided the only way to stop this predatory behavior is to go public,” Falwell said in a statement. The revelation comes as Liberty’s Board of Trustees said it is investigating “various rumors and claims” about Falwell.—Washington Examiner, News & Advance

• The General Assembly is starting the second week of its pandemic special session. How long will the work take? Nobody knows.—Roanoke Times

• A major criminal justice reform proposal would give defendants the option of being sentenced by a judge or a jury. Juries are known for handing out tougher sentences to those they find guilty, leading some defendants to decide their constitutional right to a jury trial isn’t worth the risk.—Daily Press

• The felony charges against Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, may have surprised some. But Portsmouth activists and elected officials say it fits with a long pattern of Black leaders facing “stiff resistance” from the local power structure.—Virginian-Pilot

• Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Norm Oliver says he’ll mandate COVID-19 vaccinations once they’re available.—WRIC

• Richmond neighborhoods that were redlined during racial segregation are, on average, 5 degrees hotter than whiter, wealthier areas due to a lack of trees and parks, a nationwide trend drawing increased attention from researchers and land-use planners.—New York Times

• Charlottesville was one of the first Virginia cities to seriously consider taking down Confederate statues. But as others move ahead, the city is in a legal holding pattern as it waits to take long-running states litigation to the Supreme Court of Virginia in November.—Daily Progress

• As the chairman of a House of Representatives subcommittee that deals with the U.S. Postal Service, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Fairfax, has a new opportunity to exercise his “dais-thumping gusto.”—Washington Post

• A federal court approved a consent decree negotiated by Attorney General Mark Herring that will allow Virginia voters to fill out absentee ballots without a witness signature.—Associated Press

• Three Rappahannock Regional Jail staff members were hospitalized and 17 inmates were decontaminated after kitchen workers created a “toxic, chlorine gas vapor cloud” while mixing cleaning chemicals.—Free Lance-Star

• Rockingham County officials have shut down Blue Hole, a popular swimming spot, amid concerns about large crowds.—Daily News-Record

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