Good morning, RVA! It's 73 °F, and today looks like a pretty excellent day to spend some time outside. In fact, NBC12's Andrew Freiden says that it's the certified best weather day of the week. Expect highs in the mid 80s, not a ton of humidity, clear skies, and full hearts.
Water cooler
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 1,005↘️ new positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth and 23↗️ new deaths as a result of the virus. VDH reports 155↘️ new cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 21, Henrico: 87, and Richmond: 47). Since this pandemic began, 309 people have died in the Richmond region. Yesterday, VCU reported four new positive cases, bringing their total to 76. 138 people are in isolation or quarantine. There's obviously a lot of different ways an institute of higher learning can go about handling an expanding number of coronavirus cases. You can go the UNC route and shut down in-person classes after a 135 positive cases and a rocketing percent positively. Or you can try the University of Alabama route and just, like, go about your biz while reporting more than 560 positive cases. One of those strategies is certainly more stressful than the other!
The CT's Andrew Ringle has a byline in the Washington Post (via the Capital News Service) about the General Assembly's attempts to pass a statewide Marcus Alert during their special session. Richmond's own Del. Jeff Bourne introduced the paper (HB 5043) and yesterday it reported out of the Public Safety Committee. Much like the local version kicking around a City Hall work group somewhere, this bill would require every locality to establish a Marcus Alert system that uses a community care team—a group of mental health service providers—when responding to mental health situations. "Marcus" has been acronymed into MARCUS, which stands for Mental health Awareness Response and Community Understanding Services. HB 5043 next heads to the appropriations committee where—as Brad Kutner points out—many, many bill have gone to die.
Michael Paul Williams has his take in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Henrico's new police chief and the County's work to hire people of color for its leadership positions. Here's Williams: "Henrico isn’t quite The Land That The Black Lives Matter Movement Forgot. Civilian oversight of the police is under consideration by its Board of Supervisors, but that conversation is a trifle one-sided. The board’s Black supervisors, both Democrats, are outspoken on the need; its three Republicans, all white, largely mum. But Henrico, on racial diversity in its government, is undergoing a dramatic transformation at the top." Williams also pulls some striking demographic stats for the County: "In 1970, Henrico’s population was 6.5% Black. All other nonwhites totaled fewer than 500 people, according to the U.S. census. Today, Henrico is 31% Black, 9% Asian and 6% Hispanic." It's taken longer than expected, and there have been some...bumps...along the road, but I think there's a strong possibility of having (at least) three democrats on the Henrico Board of Supervisors after the next election in 2021 (I think, did I get that date right?). Bold prediction, I know, but I can't see white republican leadership from the western half of the County dominating the Henrico of today and tomorrow. That possibility excites me, because Richmond and Henrico could get a lot done together in the region as a functioning progressive pair.
Dang: Lamplighter has permanently closed its N. Morris Street location due to the pandemic. Richmond BizSense's Jack Jacobs has the details. What a tough decision to make, but I do really appreciate the owner's commitment to the safety of their staff and customers—even as it's meant shuttering an iconic VCU meeting spot. How are we all going to get Wrong Lamplightered now??
I love these sorts of threads on /r/rva: "What is your favorite restaurant in Richmond?." Forgetting for a second that many restaurants are closed or closing and that hanging out inside next to a bunch of randos is high-risk coronabehavior, it was nice to scroll through these responses and remember that restaurants do exist! In fact, I bet most of these (the ones that are still open) even offer some sort of takeout option. So maybe make a list of a couple new spots to try and support some of these favorites with an order or two.
Speaking of new food, Style Weekly's Mary Scott Hardaway has a giant list of new restaurants for you to try. From straight up restaurants to pop-ups to markets, there's probably something for everyone, no matter your level of coronacomfort—even for folks like me who live waaaaaay out on the risk adverse side of the spectrum.
This morning's longread
The Treasure Hunters of Block Island
This artists hides hundreds of glass orbs on an island each year, and a local treasure hunt culture has evolved—complete with on-your-honor rules and everything. I am SO into this.
After coming home orb-less on his first island visit in 2017, Bill Holbrook spent hours devising a “divide and conquer” strategy. He compiled five years’ worth of data from the town website, built queries to generate statistically relevant hiding spots and created a heat map of the island. In 2018, he covered 22 miles in 48 hours, with no luck. In 2019, after another unsuccessful day left him physically and emotionally exhausted, his girlfriend, Lisa, suggested they head back via a stretch of sand near Payne’s Dock. There, Lisa casually found an orb hidden in an old tire. “I now believe it’s more about karma than data,” said Mr. Holbrook, 52, a marketing director from South Weymouth, Mass. “Was this little stretch of sand on my heat map? No way. Was this little treasure meant to be found by Lisa? Absolutely.”
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