Highways across much of western and central Virginia continue to be impacted by the falling snow in those regions.
The majority of the traffic crashes reported only involve damage to vehicles.
For road conditions, Virginians are reminded to use the VDOT 511 system. Please do not call 911 or #77 to ask about road conditions, as these are emergency numbers and need to remain open to emergency calls.
Make sure all windows and lights are clear of snow before heading out.
Always buckle up – driver and all passengers.
Drive distraction free – put down the phone and coffee and keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Use headlights to increase your visibility and to help other drivers see you better.
Share the road responsibly with VDOT vehicles and emergency vehicles.
RICHMOND – Ryan Turk was an eighth-grader in Prince William County when a misunderstanding with a school resource officer over a 65-cent carton of milk escalated to theft charges.
The incident happened in May 2016 when Turk said he forgot his carton of milk that came with his school-issued free lunch. The police said Turk tried to "conceal" the carton of milk. When Turk separated himself from the resource officer, the incident ended with a suspension from school and a summons to juvenile court.
A year ago, the charges against Turk were dropped, but he remains a prime example of what critics call the "school-to-prison pipeline" – a trend to charge students as criminals for what might once have been detention-worthy transgressions. According to a 2015 study by the Center for Public Integrity, Virginia charges students more often than any other state.
This trend has triggered a push in the General Assembly to reform criminal justice across the board. One of the latest and most vocal opponents of the pipeline is Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Woodbridge.
Carroll Foy, who won an open House seat in November, spoke about the problem at an NAACP reception in Richmond last week.
Carroll Foy plans to sponsor more than 10 criminal justice reform bills this legislative session. They include House Bill113, which would increase the threshold for grand larceny in Virginia from $200 to $1,000.
Virginia's threshold for that felony crime is one of the lowest in the country and hasn't changed since 1980. As a result, someone accused of stealing a cellphone or bicycle can be charged with a felony.
Increasing the threshold might protect children who make bad decisions and prevent them from becoming convicted felons, Carroll Foy told the NAACP leadership.
Carroll Foy is carrying legislation that might address cases like that of Ryan Turk, who initially was charged with a misdemeanor after the altercation at Graham Park Middle School in the town of Triangle in Prince William County. Carroll Foy's district includes parts of Prince William and Stafford counties.
She has introduced HB 445, which would eliminate the requirement for principals to report certain misdemeanor incidents to police. Carroll Foy is not the only one concerned about the "school-to-prison pipeline." So is the advocacy group Voices for Virginia's Children.
Allison Gilbreath, the organization's policy analyst, said other bills before the General Assembly seek to disrupt the pipeline.
For example, HB 296, sponsored by Del. Dickie Bell, R-Staunton, and Senate Bill170, by Sen. William Stanley, R-Franklin, would prohibit suspending or expelling students in preschool through third grade except for drug offenses, firearm offenses or certain criminal acts.
RICHMOND – An assortment of bills designed to revise standards for drawing Virginia's electoral districts could be the beginning of the end for gerrymandering in the commonwealth, according to redistricting reform proponents.
House Bill 276, proposed by Democratic Del. Sam Rasoul of Roanoke, would create a Virginia Redistricting Commission. The commission would determine the criteria for remedial redistricting plans if a court declares any congressional or legislative district unlawful. Under the current system, the legislators themselves determine the criteria for redrawing these lines.
HB 205, which would establish criteria for remedial redistricting.
HB 158, which would authorize the General Assembly to make technical adjustments to existing redistricting standards.
Senate Bill 106, which would create a size limit for congressional and state legislative districts.
Additionally, lawmakers have proposed eight constitutional amendments. The amendments – which require approval from the General Assembly this year and next, then approval by voters – would fully prohibit gerrymandering.
But this session, legislators must craft the state budget for the next two years, and it's not realistic for them to approve a constitutional amendment as well, according to advocates of redistricting reform such as Brian Cannon of OneVirginia2021.
Cannon believes the election of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam and an influx of new Virginia legislators reflect a "good-government wave." Cannon said the political climate is not conducive to incumbent protection schemes like gerrymandering.
Cannon is confident that the bills before the General Assembly can act as stepping stones toward the goal of eliminating gerrymandering in the commonwealth.
RICHMOND – Virginians are split almost down the middle about whether they would ban high school athletes from participating in protests during the national anthem, according to a poll released Tuesday by Virginia Commonwealth University.
The poll by VCU's L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs found that 50 percent of the respondents said they were against having a rule to forbid protests, while 45 percent said they would support such a rule. The others were undecided.
Robyn McDougle, director of the Wilder School's Office of Public Policy Outreach, said no legislature or rule against protests during the national anthem has been suggested in Virginia. But such a rule would be contentious if proposed, the 2017-18 Winter Policy Poll indicates.
The statewide poll involved a random sample of 788 adults. They were interviewed by landline and cellular phones between Dec. 8 and 26. The poll's margin of error is about 3.5 percentage points.
Please Note: This is only a partial list of closings. Call ahead to ensure that your destination is open before you leave your home.
Unless it is extremely urgent, everyone is urged to stay off area roads until crews have had an opportunity to plow. The presence of motorists will impede progress.