Good morning, RVA! It's 66 °F, and rain is in our future. Today you can expect steadily—but slightly—increase temperatures, rain, and maybe even some thunderstorms. Keep an eye on the sky!
Water cooler
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 761 new positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth and 14 new deaths as a result of the virus. VDH reports 95 new cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 42, Henrico: 34, and Richmond: 19). Since this pandemic began, 1,280 people have died in the Richmond region. The seven-day average of new reported cases across the state sits at 1,015. The Commonwealth's cases keep dropping—although I do wonder if I need to start looking at that number regionally and dig into the difference between rural/urban/conservative/liberal parts of Virginia. Hospitalization rates have basically plateaued around 60ish per day, which matches the same numbers we saw back in November.
Over in Virginia's vaccine world, you can see the slowdown of new folks choosing to get vaccinated continues. We'll see a bump on this graph once a vaccine gets approved for kids ages 12–15, but, other than that, I think this chart will slowly long-tail its way into the sunset over the next several months. Locally, though, we're still vaccinating a ton of people each week, and we're still making progress towards whatever it means to have 75% of our region vaccinated. However, that goal, according to this article in The New York Times, might not be realistic or achievable. Definitely a transitional time in vaccine world.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch's Sabrina Moreno has some follow-up reporting on the mass shooting that took place last week in The Belt Atlantic apartments, just across the street from George Wythe High School on the city's Southside. Here's a sobering quote: "In the past year, 40 RPS students have been shot." There's only but so much local government can do to directly address gun violence—the State and federal government, obviously, have much more authority to pass laws limiting the easy access to guns and their flow through our communities. Until those particular folks find the courage to take even the smallest step, we'll need to keep investing locally in the people and programs that address the trauma caused by gun violence—Moreno mentions a few examples in her piece.
I've now listened to all of Council's budget amendment sessions to date, and last week was...a lot. As far as I can tell, Council has yet to make a ton of progress on anything other than 1) discussions on the double-bonus police and fire raises, which they decided not to do, and 2) discussions on how they hadn't made a ton of progress on anything other than the double-bonus police and fire raises. Today on their calendar, they have a special meeting, the Organizational Development committee meeting, and the fourth budget amendment work session—and they could have budget discussion at all of these meetings! It's a lot to get your hands around as a citizen (or, I imagine, even as a councilmember). Stay tuned to see if they make more progress this week. P.S. Honestly, they kind of have no choice: The state-mandated deadlines for passing at least portions of the budget quickly approach. For example, Council must pass the RPS budget by May 15th.
Unrelated to the budget, but closely related to my heart, the City's Planning Commission will hear a presentation on the Greater Scott's Addition Rezoning. No slides up on the website yet, but you can listen live today at 1:30 PM.
Jonathan Spiers at Richmond BizSense has the details on 52 new apartments proposed for a site just off Chamberlayne near the Tabol brewery. There's a ton of new residential construction in this part of the city, and I think we're starting see some connections building to the different pieces of the neighborhood. I know we're all distracted by the casino and possible replacement for the Diamond, but I'd love to see some intentional focus brought to getting more pieces of the VUU / Chamberlayne Neighborhood Plan implemented.
The RTD reposted this fascinating story from the Roanoke Times about bringing back chestnut trees. I had no idea we lost chestnut trees to a horrible blight 150 years ago. Now I must find and read a book on the subject!
This morning's longread
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to Begin New Demonstration Phase
OK, maybe this mission briefing for Ingenuity is a little boring, but we put a drone on mars! And are flying it around up there! So cool.
The operations demonstration will begin in about two weeks with the helicopter’s sixth flight. Until then, Ingenuity will be in a transitional phase that includes its fourth and fifth forays into Mars’ crimson skies. Flight four will send the rotorcraft about 436 feet (133 meters) south to collect aerial imagery of a potential new landing zone before returning to land at Wright Brothers Field, the name for the Martian airfield on which Ingenuity’s first flight took place. This 873-foot (266-meter) roundtrip effort would surpass the range, speed, and duration marks achieved on the third flight. Ingenuity was programmed to execute a fourth flight Friday, with a takeoff to take place at 10:46 a.m. EDT (7:46 a.m. PDT, 12:30 p.m. local Mars time) and first data to be returned at 1:39 p.m. EDT (10:39 a.m. PDT). The fifth flight would send Ingenuity on a one-way mission, landing at the new site. If Ingenuity remains healthy after those flights, the next phase can begin.
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