Good morning, RVA! It's 36 °F, and today you should expect warmer temperatures and plenty of wind. Maybe by the end of the day we’ll all feel a little less soggy and ready to head into tomorrow, which looks to be the best-weather day of the week.
Water cooler
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 1,155 new positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth and 155 new deaths as a result of the virus. VDH reports 187 new cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 68, Henrico: 55, and Richmond: 64). Since this pandemic began, 797 people have died in the Richmond region. First, a data reporting note on the huge number of deaths reported both statewide and locally: “VDH is now processing 2021 death certificates related to the post-holiday surge of COVID-19 cases. As a result, a larger number of deaths is expected to be added by report date. To observe the trends in COVID-19 deaths most effectively, please review the chart that shows deaths by date of death on the cases dashboard.” That graph is wild (you need to select “Deaths” from the map above and then scroll down to see the trend graph, or just tap here), and you can clearly see the missing chunk of data VDH will now backfill. Keep this in mind, because Friday's stacked chart of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths is gonna look real broken. Second, and this is good news, the seven-day average of new reported cases across the state has dropped below 2,000 for the first time since November 19th.
Due to the limited supply of vaccine and last week's inclement weather, the region failed to hit my Stupid Math Goal of administering 20,000 vaccines per week. It got close, though, and that's impressive. I'm still not sure it's useful, but here's the same graph with number of statewide doses received overlaid on top of it. I think the biggest takeaway from this second graph is that some of the doses delayed due to weather showed up this week: Virginia reported receiving over 300,000 doses in the last couple of days.
Resort casino applications were due to the City by 3:00 PM yesterday, and Michael Martz at the Richmond Times-Dispatch says "at least four" folks submitted proposals. Martz says the City will release the full list of names and proposals in the next week or so, but until then, we've got his list of four to noodle on: the Movieland Parking Lot Proposal (by The Cordish Companies), the Weren't They Gonna Build Amazon Here Proposal (by Bally's Corp.), the Casino By The Port Proposal (by Urban One), and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe Proposal (by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, but "four miles south of the property it originally proposed"). As you can imagine, I'm excited to get my hands on some of these PDFs. As for next steps, Martz says a City panel will evaluate the proposals and then make recommendations to Mayor Stoney, then Council will vote on the recommendation, and then you and I will vote in a fall referendum. More thoughts and feelings after I've seen some more details on each of the proposals.
Ned Oliver at the Virginia Mercury reports that the General Assembly has sent legislation abolishing the death penalty to the Governor for his signature. Should Northam sign the bill, which it sounds like he will, Oliver says Virginia will be "the first state in the South and the 23rd in the nation to end capital punishment."
RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras's newsletter from yesterday is worth checking out if you have questions about the year-round school proposal. He's got a good summary of the proposed changes, some links to studies on the benefits of a year-round calendar, and then a bunch of FAQs. If you haven't already, RPS parents/caregivers can fill out this survey and teachers/staff can fill out this survey. Unrelated to the calendar, I hadn't realized that RPS will try and offer both in-person and virtual instruction next year: "Our goal is to open fully in-person next school year, while also offering a virtual pathway for families who would prefer that option."
Doug Allen on Twitter reminds me that it's been almost a month since the Department of General Services put up that horrible fencing around MDP Circle, yet the statue of Robert E. Lee still stands. What gives? I feel duped and embarrassed for not listening to folks who know better. I should have know, I mean when was the last time great things happened because the State decided to fence off public space?
Jonathan Spiers at Richmond BizSense has the details on Henrico's Short Pump Town Center planning sessions. I love that the County is already thinking about how to repurpose some of the vast sea of parking surrounding the mall: "...county planning director Joe Emerson said the nearly 20-year-old outdoor mall does provide opportunities for reimagining to keep it up with the times. The mall’s expansive parking lots could provide for infill development, and additions to the mall." Yes! The County has a couple virtual events scheduled this week for folks to learn more and weigh in, too.
Can it be?? Last night City Council struck former-Councilmember Kim Gray's, ORD. 2018-236, finally ending its reign as Richmond's Most-Continued Ordinance. Gray introduced ORD. 2018-236 on September 10th, 2018 a full 897 days ago! It hadn't even taken a trip to a Council committee for 460 days. It just sat on the agenda, getting continued over, and over, and over again. Goodbye, long-familiar friend! Joking aside, it's bad in all sorts of ways to have shriveled and rotting legislation cluttering up agendas, and I'm glad to see this go. Now the (dis)honor of Most-Continued Ordinance belongs to Councilmember Addison's ORD. 2019-275, which would establish a technology zone program. It was introduced on October 14, 2019—498 days ago.
This morning's patron longread
The Mushrooms Will Survive Us
Submitted by Patron Gretchen. I guess I need to get a mushroom kit now??
In a world where the construction industry produces more than one-tenth of all greenhouse gases, fungi may become a sustainable building material; mycelium grow obscenely quickly and can be coaxed to take the shape of architectural molds. So far, tinkering researchers have managed to guide it into the form of compostable bricks and rather organic-looking chairs. Some fashion designers are also experimenting with mushroom leather.
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