Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced is his coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, May 26 briefing that on Friday, May 29 all Virginians will be required to wear masks. 

“Everyone will need to wear a face-covering when you are inside at a public place starting this Friday,” Northam said.

Facial coverings will be required at stores, barbershops, restaurants, on public transportation, and in government buildings for everyone ages 10 and above. 

There are some exceptions to the mandatory face-coverings.

You don’t have to wear a mask when eating and drinking at a restaurant, while exercising, or if you have a health condition that keeps you from wearing a face covering. Northam recommends that children above the age of three wear a face covering to some capacity, but it will only be required for people ages 10 and older.

“Please do the right thing. I am asking people to respect one another. Wearing face coverings is an important step to protect others, especially our healthcare workers,” Northam said. 

The masks don’t need to be medical grade. They can be cloth homemade masks, and even a bandana can suffice. The CDC has some recommendations on how to make these homemade face coverings. 

Additionally, Northam has said that his admin is working to provide masks to at-risk targeted populations. 

The mask-requirements will be enforced through the Virginia Department of Health, not law enforcement. 

“The criminal code is not the place where you want this enforced. There are tremendous equity issues of enforcing this that we’re cognizant of, and there are also very practical issues of our police and sheriffs having to enforce this, so we’ve taken that off the table,” said Gov. Chief of Staff Clark Mercer. 

There is the potential of a civil fine being used as a future enforcement method, according to Northam. 

This mandate comes after Northam was spotted taking photos at Virginia Beach without a mask. 

“I was not prepared because my mask was in the car. I take full responsibility for that. People held me accountable, and I appreciate that. In the future, when I’m out in the public, I will be better prepared,” Northam said.

I was so close, I could taste it.

After waiting in line for 90 minutes, I finally pulled up to the Krispy Kreme, ready for my free donuts. It was then, my car the next in line, that the police came and closed the sale, directing everyone to go home. 

On May 19, Krispy Kreme ran a promotional sale offering a dozen free specialty donuts to high school and college seniors in the graduating class of 2020.

Huge lines formed outside of Krispy Kreme’s across the country with graduates eagerly waiting for their donuts, a consolation prize for how the coronavirus pandemic forced their year to end. 

The Krispy Kreme at Central Park in Fredericksburg was no different. 

Two large lines of cars formed outside of the Krispy Kreme at 1891 Carl D. Silver Parkway. One line clogged the parking lot of the nearby strip mall, and the other was spilling out into Carl D. Silver Parkway. 

At 1:41 p.m. an anonymous tip came in informing the city police department of heavy congestion from about 30 to 40 cars waiting in line. 

The patrol officer who responded to this tip requested a second backup officer due to the sheer volume of cars, Fredericksburg City Police Department public information officer Sarah Kirkpatrick told Potomac Local News. 

Shortly after the police arrived, about 2 p.m., they started informing the graduates waiting in their car that the free doughnut promotion was over. 

“The manager asked the officers to assist with traffic control and also inform patrons the campaign promotion was over,” said Kirkpatrick. 

After this, the police department received another call at 3:21 p.m. from Krispy Kreme management requesting assistance to help clear the overflowing parking lot for a second time. 

The Central Park location is one of three Krispy Kreme stores in Northern Virginia, to include locations in Manassas and just outside Alexandria.

In Manassas, there was similar heavy congestion from donut-starved seniors, but the promotion sale was never canceled. 

“The Krispy Kreme in the City of Manassas is near a very busy intersection, so we did set up a traffic control plan, but had no issues once it was in place. We did not shut down their operations” said Sarah Maroney, public information officer for the Manassas City Police Department.

 

Susie Webb is the editor of Potomac Local News. You can email her with any news tips at [email protected]. 

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors decided to cancel the July 4 firework celebration this year due to budgeting cuts and social distance guidelines.

The cancelation comes after a $601,000 reduction in the county parks and rec budget.

“To attempt to run a pool, or hold a fireworks display, or even coach gymnastics would be difficult with the social distancing guidelines,” said county administrator Mike Smith at the April 28 budget work session. 

In addition to canceling the firework show, the county has canceled summer camps and decided not to open up its swimming pools.

There is a possibility that these cancelations will be revoked. The issue will be represented to the board at their meeting on June 2.

“The Board has asked the Parks Director to bring this issue back to them on June 2 to consider if the phased openings will allow the resumption of any of these programs.”

Last year, Stafford County launched fireworks from Pratt Park, located on River Road near Falmouth, just across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg. The day-long celebration included live music and culminated with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.

Manassas Park just announced that it has also canceled its firework show, too.

In Prince William County, the 50th Annual Dale City Independence Day Parade is also canceled this year.

Manassas Park has just announced that it’s normal July 4 firework celebration will be canceled due to coronavirus uncertainty and tighter budgeting.

“While we are disappointed to cancel one of our biggest events of the year, we believe this choice is best for the safety of our residents and our community,” said a public notice from the City.

No plans have been made to reschedule the fireworks.

“We have explored multiple alternatives to keep this wonderful tradition in place, but ultimately, the uncertainty of current conditions would not allow us to guarantee the safety of our residents and staff during and after the event,” the notice stated.

The 2020 contract between Manassas Park and the firework’s vendor has been shifted to 2021.

“To attempt to run a pool, or hold a fireworks display, or even coach gymnastics would be difficult with the social distancing guidelines,” said Mike Smith at the Stafford Board of Supervisors budget work session on April 28.

Manassas Park has reported 198 cases of coronavirus, and three deaths related to the disease. Neighboring jurisdictions Fairfax and Prince William counties lead the state in the number of infections with 7,843 and 3,759, respectively.

A new solar array was just unveiled on the roof of a Fredericksburg homeless shelter, the culmination of a two-year project.

This 115.2-kilowatt system will help power 75% of the energy needs at the Thurman Brisben Center, at 471 Central Road in Fredericksburg, adding up to $1,400 in monthly savings. 

The total cost of the solar array was $330,000. It was paid for by a combination of grants and a power purchase agreement. 

National and state grants, the Sunshine Lady Foundation, an anonymous donor, and Grid Alternatives Mid-Atlantic were all key players in funding and running the project. International solar contractor sPower donated the panels 

With the power purchase agreement, a third-party entity owns the panels and typically receives a monthly fee for the energy they generate. 

In this case, though, the project was able to do a full upfront payment. Part of the benefit to the power purchase agreement owners is that they get a 26% tax write off for the panels. 

After five years the power purchase agreement contract will expire, and the Brisben Center will become full owners of the array for a $1 fee. 

The maintenance of the solar panels is very minimal. There will be some troubleshooting in the first months to make sure the system is fully operational, but after that, the solar modules will just have to be periodically washed and monitored. 

The Brisben Center has also increased sustainability through installing LED lights, a $30,000 project funded in part by a  Dominion Energy grant. 

These green initiatives are estimated to offset 108 tons of greenhouse gases annually. 

Beyond the clean energy benefits, the project helped kick off a partnership with Germanna Community College that will help provide technical training to the homeless. 

“I want to see opportunities for folks here at the shelter to be successful,” said David Cooper, CEO of the Thurman Brisben Center. 

This workforce development program will help teach basic construction skills and train solar technicians.

Trainees from the shelter and other human service organizations came together for hands-on learning with the solar panels at the shelter. 

Initially, these trainees were going to help with the actual installation of the solar panels, but limitations from the coronavirus prevented this.

This hasn’t been the only thing the coronavirus has affected. 

Originally the project was going to be a two-week ordeal with the installers staying in a local hotel. Instead, they had to commute longer hours which extended the project to three weeks. 

The shelter has also been adapting to accommodate people amidst this pandemic. 

Half of the shelter residents who are still working have been relocated to area hotels. The other half who are more at-risk remain at the shelter where they can receive help from staff. 

There have been no reported cases of the coronavirus at the Thurman Brisben Center. 

Prince William Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven L. Walts suspended his Twitter account on Thursday afternoon after news that the School Board hired an outside attorney to look into his interactions with students on the social media platform. Walts used Twitter to communicate with students in a manner that defies the school division's established electronic communication policies that ban employees from accessing student's personal accounts and using cell phones and other personal forms of electronic communication to communicate with students.  In his statement, Walts claims that he is a victim of a “partisan and personal attack.” 

“As part of their attacks, they have chosen to smear and slander me for purely political purposes,” Walts said in his Twitter statement. 

This account is temporarily suspended by the owner.

— Steve Walts (@SuperPWCS) May 8, 2020

The complaint against Walts' was filed by Guy Morgan in a Freedom of Information Act request, said Prince William County Public Schools spokeswoman Diana Gulotta.  Morgan lives in Gainesville and is the owner of Ovoka Farm in neighboring Fauquier County. He has no children who attend schools in Prince William County.

“Other parents have the right to know that their daughters are being messaged by Dr. Walts at night,” said Morgan. 

A Potomac Local News investigation found Walts regularly used Twitter to send messages to students during late evening and overnight hours, as well as during times when classes are session. Morgan is an associate of former Prince William School Board Chairman At-large Ryan Sawyers, who resigned abruptly without explanation in March 2018.  A few weeks earlier, Sawyers suspended his campaign for Virginia's 1st Congressional seat held by Robert Wittman (R). That suspension came one week after Sawyers called for Walts to resign his position over a minor car accident Walts was in while driving a car owned by the school division. Sawyers and Morgan were also the defendants in a joint-defamation lawsuit against Patriot High School Principal Micheal Bishop, who accused the two men of conspiring to get him fired, according to documents from the Prince William County Circuit Court.  Sawyers took to Twitter yesterday to comment on Walts’ interactions with students.  “This is just repeatedly awful judgment and is unacceptable from the highest-paid superintendent in Virginia,” stated Sawyers on Twitter. 

This is just repeatedly awful judgment and is unacceptable from the highest paid superintendent in Virginia.

— Ryan Sawyers (@RyanSawyers) May 7, 2020

Morgan, who claims he has never met Walts, said that the School Board received his first Freedom of Information Act on February 10, in which he requested to see Walts’ Twitter direct messages. He was then told to narrow his scope, as there were over 10,000 messages, and he subsequently received records of Walt’s communications with 10 Twitter accounts. He later filed a formal complaint with the Prince William County School Board on March 7 in regards to Walts’ Twitter interactions with students. He says he's filed between four and six records orders regarding Walts and his Twitter communications, with no intent to pursue legal action.  The suspension of Walts’ Twitter account has led to protests on twitter with students circulating #freesteve. Over the years, he’s developed a likable personality on Twitter, sharing videos of him singing and playing the piano to announce school weather closures with his more than 30,000 followers. Walts’ current salary is $330,752. He was hired as superintendent in 2005 with a starting salary of $215,000.