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Why on earth is there an airport named after this war criminal

The beauty and charm of Historic Occoquan lie in its history, historical buildings, and small-town quaintness. This is why tourists flock to Occoquan and the town is written up in numerous "best downtown" and "historical landmarks" lists.

A new proposed expansion and renovation of 407 Mill Street, at the west end of town, would completely undermine this charm and destroy the efforts to preserve the history and allure of Occoquan.

In addition to completely towering over every building in Occoquan, this proposal would eliminate the view of Occoquan River. There are also numerous historic buildings adjacent to 403 Mill Street, including the oldest standing house built in 1750, 406 Mill Street and 404 Mill Street, built in 1760. These historic buildings will no longer see the light of day as the towering structure will block any intended sunlight for that end of town.

In addition to this proposal, they will destroy several historic buildings, including 403 Mill Street. This building was the first theater, The Lyric Theater, in Prince William County.

Towering over 7 stories tall, 79ft, the new design would dwarf the surrounding historic buildings, at the narrowest end, and one-way traffic, of Mill Street and become the largest building in downtown Occoquan. The façade and the proposed expansion does not lend itself to its surroundings. This would not only affect the feel of downtown, cause significant traffic issues, but that would also dissuade tourists, thus costing local businesses revenue and the city much-needed tax dollars.

If the town wanted to preserve the charm of this historic district, it would purchase the land, add a parking lot, maybe even charge for parking, and build a riverwalk that lends to preserving and maintaining the historic appeal of this small town.

Please take a moment to add your name to this petition if you live, work or love to shop and eat in our little town of Occoquan. Let the Town Council hear your voice in support of preserving this charming little historical gem in Northern Virginia.

Thank you

The NVBCL opposes the proposed Virginia Beach City Council ordinance creating an overlay for the North End of Virginia Beach. We support the current regulations for STR's including a Conditional Use Permit, 52 rentals per year with a maximum of 1 per week and a maximum density of STR's of 10% per street. Although we acknowledge the existence of limited STR's which have existed in the North End for decades, the North End is primarily a residential area and not a commercial zone. Since its commencement in the early 1960’s the mission of the North Virginia Beach Civic League has been the preservation of the residential character of our neighborhood.

Please sign this petition in support of the NVBCL effort to oppose the proposed overlay distinction which will turn our neighborhoods into commercial short term rental zones. This petition will be submitted to the City Council upon completion prior to April 1

Ralph Northam parents want to watch their kids wrestle at Virginia States- do you think you can let the VHSL know that would be ok? They keep blaming this on you, so - address the facts.

Both venues for the state tournament hold several thousand seats for spectators.
Virginia Beach specifically has seats for 5,000 spectators. That is not even the total occupancy, just spectator seating.
VHSL has indicated that you are bound by Executive Order 72.
Executive Order 72 states that for sports venues "The total number of Spectators cannot exceed the lesser of 30 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy, if applicable, or 250 persons."

30% of 5,000 is 1,500.
If every weight class has a full bracket, that will mean you will have a total number of 112 wrestlers.
If each wrestler is allowed two parents each, that will total 224 spectators which obviously does not come close to that 1,500 person limit.

In a facility that holds 5,000 people, you could easily and safely social distance and be well within all safety guidelines.

There is a national level wrestling tournament happening today in Richmond at a much smaller venue, with far more wrestlers in attendance that also falls under Executive Order 72 and they have made it possible to allow spectators while following all rules of the Executive Order and CDC guidelines.

WHY can't VHSL do the same for our kids?

The Virginia Tech administration has changed the schedule for the spring 2021 semester, removing spring break and instead assigning 5 random days throughout the semester to be "break days" where no class occur. The decision was announced 10/19/2020, and can be found at this link:

https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/10/unirel-spring-2021-course.html

This decision was made to attempt to reduce travel for spring break to reduce the spread of COVID-19. While this may be a good decision for containing the spread of the virus, all students know that their professors will still assign work to be due the day before or after these "breaks", if not the day of. This plan will do nothing to aid in alleviating burnout of the students, rather, it will cause more stress, by removing the only true break students receive in the spring semester, and effectively extending the semester by a week. This petition is to show the administration that the students disagree with this plan and the decision that will damage the mental health of the community as a whole. Our request is that the Virginia Tech administration reevaluate their plan for the spring semester, and come up with a solution that helps reduce the stress and likelihood of burnout while still ensuring that the university is doing everything they can to slow the spread of COVID-19.

2/11/21 - UPDATE: Submit a comment in support of SB 1390

Please submit a comment urging the VA Delegates to vote YES on SB 1390 and support Trap-Neuter-Return in Virginia.

Submit a comment here: https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/committees/H01/bill_feedback

Those opposed to TNR claim that cats are a major cause of wildlife depletion & present a risk to public health, but that is just not true. Humans are the #1 cause of wildlife depletion, and aside from that, the goal of TNR is to ultimately REDUCE the community cat population and improve the cats' health. Furthermore, without TNR the only alternative option for controlling the cat population would be euthanasia.

If you are interested in reading the public comments on the bill: https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/committees/H01/bills/SB1390/comments

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2/2/21 - UPDATE: SB 1390 passed the Senate today!

The bill will now move onto the Virginia House of Delegates where it will go through readings and be voted on. Please reach out to your Delegate and urge them to vote YES on SB 1390. Find your state Delegate's email address here: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.

If SB 1390 passes the House, then the bill will advance to the Governor.

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2/1/21 - UPDATE: I am very happy to report that Senator Stuart's floor amendment was rejected today!

But the fight is not over yet. Senator Lewis’s bill, SB 1390, advanced to its third constitutional reading. Tomorrow (2/2) we can expect a floor vote on the regular calendar. If you have not yet been in communication with your Senator, please do so ASAP, and urge him or her to vote YES on SB 1390.

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What SB 1390 Does:

Allows public or private animal shelters, releasing agencies, or hospitals or clinics the option to operate a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. TNR is a nonlethal strategy to reduce the population of unowned community cats by humanely trapping cats, sterilizing, vaccinating, and returning them to where they were trapped.
Protects program volunteers from civil and criminal charges of abandonment or neglect for the return of healthy, sterilized, and vaccinated cats to the location where they were trapped.
Relieves Virginia municipal shelters, and by extension taxpayers, from incurring the costs of ineffective community cat trapping and euthanasia.
Establishes standards for program volunteers, including requirements for record-keeping and trapping.
Why Support this Bill?

It will humanely and effectively reduce the number of community cats, as well as the nuisance behavior, public health and wildlife predation concerns associated with them.
It will reduce the number of community cats who are impounded and killed in municipal and private animal shelters and improve the welfare of community cats.
It will mobilize individuals to go beyond feeding to provide TNR without the fear of prosecution.
How You Can Help

EMAIL your state Delegate and urge them to vote YES on SB 1390.
SIGN this petition and share with friends & family.
SPREAD the word about the importance of SB 1390.

TNR is supported by many Virginia shelters, as well as the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies and Humane Dominion. National organizations that support TNR include The Humane Society of the United States, Alley Cat Allies, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, Best Friends Animal Society, Cat Fanciers’ Association, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, and the National Animal Control Association.

__________________________________________

Please, take a moment to sign and make a difference in the lives of so many cats and kittens who will otherwise suffer and be unfairly euthanized across Virginia.

SIGN if you are in support of SB 1390 also known as the "TNR Bill," which if passed, would be a powerful step forward for animal welfare in Virginia.

Even though TNR is technically already legal in the state of Virginia, uncertainty and ambiguity within the law has made others hesitant to engage in TNR. This bill does not require individuals or organizations to participate in TNR, but rather a clarifies that they can. SB 1390 would also establish much-needed guidelines and requirements for TNR across Virginia.

** The MOST important thing you can do to help the cause is to send a personal email to your Delegate, stating the importance of SB 1390 and that you want them to vote YES.** https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

There are an exponential and alarming amount of children that have been reported as missing in Virginia over the past few months. Since November 1st 2020, there have been 185 children reported as missing in the state of Virginia which is more than New York and California combined. *as of January 30th 2021. The Virginia State Police Department has not made a public statement addressing this situation and there has been no media coverage. Why are so many children going missing in Virginia? We need answers.

https://www.missingkids.org/home

Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are against raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Capito suggests $10 an hour, while Manchin suggests that $11 an hour is enough. We need to tell them that neither is enough. If Manchin or Capito made $11 an hour, assuming they would work a 40 hour week, it would take them 7 and ½ years to earn their current yearly salary of $174,000.00. $11.00 is not enough.


Senator Manchin won his seat in the Senate by a margin of 19,397. We gave him the power and trust to make decisions for what is best for WV. It is time we give that power back to ourselves, and hold him accountable for the well-being of WV workers and families. Manchin has been a career politician since 1982, WV voices have given him his net worth of over $5 million. (Capito trails shortly behind with a net worth of over $3 million!) It’s time we make him listen to us. It’s time we make them both hear the cries of outrage in our West Virginia hills.


$11 an hour, or worse $10 an hour, is not enough to live a healthy life anywhere in the US, and WV is no exception. Many of the workers in WV are in the food service and retail positions. These jobs pay minimum wage (or less) and are typically part time positions. At $11 an hour, yearly earnings would be just over $10,000. How do Senators from a state with one of the highest poverty rates expect their constituents to become self-sufficient if they stand against a proposal that could boost so many out of poverty? West Virginians do not want a handout, we want to earn a living wage.
Senator Manchin and Senator Capito sit in the Senate because WE put them there. Their contribution to WV is no greater than Mike’s at McDonald’s or Cheryl’s at the gas station down the road. They deserve a living wage. I deserve a living wage. YOU deserve a living wage!

Goal: To provide internal equity in opportunities for both athletic as well as arts students, to have a mask optional policy while competing, and the allowance to compete in regional as well as statewide competitions for the FY22 school year and beyond. We ask our decision makers to:

Allow our students to perform/play and compete without masks as students can in sports (especially when social distancing is an option).
Allow our extracurricular activities in the arts to have parallel protocols to sports teams across the state.
Allow our students/student groups or teams to travel to regional as well as statewide competitions including but not limited to as VHSL, Virginia Thespians Festival, Virginia Theatre Association, Virginia Music Educators Association competitions (such as honors choir), Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, Atlantic Indoor Association, Winter Guard International, Virginia Choral Directors Association, Bands of America, and other related competition events.
Consider equal opportunities for all of our students to participate fully in well-rounded extra curricular activities to help the mental health and well being of our students.
On September 22, 2021, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) released new guidance for performing arts. We are unsure why these came out since there has not been an ordinance from the governor since E0-79 and when the VDH put out guidance allowing recreational sports exemptions for athletics. Performing arts ARE athletic in nature as well, and deserve the same considerations. We have put together a proposal and this petition to have our voices heard, so our students of all disciplines, passions, interests, etc. can continue to have equal opportunities in our schools in the state of Virginia. Here is a one page version of the same proposal highlights.

Once again, as we saw the power of the people last spring. The more voices that contribute, the more likely we will see action. Sports programs in and out of schools often have maskless options as well as are permitted to travel to their statewide events. Even Physical Education classrooms in some districts have maskless options for indoor exercise. Performing arts programs include exercise too. Whether this is for the curricular or extracurricular component of performing arts programs, we are asking for the same considerations. "As of July 1, 2021, the State of Emergency declared in response to COVID-19 has expired and all Executive Orders imposing COVID-19 restrictions are either expired or terminated," according to the governor's website. So why are we here? Of course we should still take precautions, but why are performing arts being restricted again and again?

In performing arts across the state, we are already taking many other precautions. Some of these include but are not limited to students continuing to wear a mask in rehearsals and off the stage (playing field) when necessary, sanitization would still be carried out, and groups would minimize contact for players as well as patrons for performances or competitions. We are not asking for fully unrestricted activities, just exceptions for performing/competing like athletic programs are receiving right now. Students are partially adjudicated upon their expression, which is hindered by masks, and includes travel to participate in some of these adjudication opportunities.

We are asking for the OPTION, which we do not have currently across the state. Each district is determining their own guidance and the more the state restricts performing arts, the more each district will do so more drastically, and by the time the individual teacher has to make even more limited decisions, our performing arts programs will be on the brink of collapse. Keep performing arts in schools and advocate for equal opportunities for our students. Help us do this by signing the petition and sharing this out with as many others as possible. Our youth deserve the chance to present their work, pursue their passions, and compete in these statewide events fully for performing arts, sports, and other curricular/extracurricular programs in between. Even though we are back to school in person, many programs are already stretched thin and suffering with enrollment. If performing arts programs continue to be limited, we will see them slowly fade away from our schools, our communities, and our society. Help us save performing arts and ask for equal guidance from our statewide decision makers.

INCINERATORS DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TAX. WHY NOT?

How would you like a mega incinerator built where you live, polluting the very heart of your environment?

WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT GIVE LARGE TAX BREAKS TO WASTE COMPANIES THAT OPT TO BURN RUBBISH which contains valuable recyclable raw materials and creates fine particulate air pollution?

Did you know incinerator companies are not incentivised at all to move waste towards greener methods of generating energy and preserving valuable materials and supporting the circular economy?

There is currently NO TAX on burning waste in incinerators. This loophole has given an incentive to big business and investors to take advantage and profit from what should be a community-based waste strategy. Communities are also forced to spend time and money fighting these multi-nationals with campaigns, petitions, demonstrations, professional consultants and judicial reviews.

Dumping rubbish in landfill is taxed at £94 a tonne. If incineration is taxed at a similar rate, there would be a huge incentive for local communities to efficiently process waste and benefit from local schemes such as composting, and a disincentive for the imposition of yet more incinerators which reduce recycling initiatives. Why redirect waste to incineration simply because of the zero tax when materials could and should be recycled?

MORE INCINERATORS PLANNED

69* incinerators are operational or under construction, and there are currently around 100* proposed incinerators. Currently all over the country from Cornwall to Scotland, people are campaigning against having these incinerators.

TAX COULD FUND RECYCLING

An Incineration Tax would help fund recycling and demonstrate the Government’s clear commitment to reduce, reuse, recycle or compost our waste as well as a disincentive to profit from these unpopular and costly structures and negate the need to build more incinerators.

Please sign to show your support by asking the Government to introduce an Incineration Tax.

ABOUT US – WISBECH WITHOUT INCINERATION (WISWIN):

Our small historic Georgian market town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, on the borders of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, is threatened with the construction of a huge incinerator, one of the largest in the UK, by German company MVV. It would mean hundreds of lorries every day, seven days a week, transporting 650,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste to our town from all over the country. Wisbech has no dual carriageways or railway station. It would dominate the town and be built on a high-risk flood plain just meters from schools and housing, raising fears of toxic pollutants filling the air and contaminating our surrounding farmland.

Wisbech Town Council, Fenland District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council as well as our MP Steve Barclay (North East Cambridgeshire) and neighbouring MP Liz Truss (South West Norfolk) are all against this huge incinerator, but the Government will have the final say whether it is imposed on us.

(650,000 tonnes is the equivalent weight of 2,850 Boeing 787 aircraft).

*Source: United Kingdom Without Incineration Network: https://ukwin.org.uk/

For further information:

WISWIN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiswinWISWIN

Website: https://wiswin.org.uk/

2,731 have signed. Let’s get to 5,000!

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MANIFESTAÇÃO ACERCA DAS ABERTURAS DAS ACADEMIAS NO DISTANCIAMENTO CONTROLADO BANDEIRA PRETA


Diante da revisão de indicadores do modelo de Distanciamento Controlado (em vigor desde 10.05.2020), por Decreto do Executivo Estadual (D. 55.240) que teve o objetivo de equilibrar a prioridade de preservação da vida, em consideração a nota publicada pela Casa Civil 29/04/2020 e atualizada em 12/05/2020, passamos a disseminar:


1. os dados atualmente utilizados para a mudança de bandeira não correspondem com a realidade, o que atinge principalmente o setor das academias, estabelecimento de saúde que se enquadra nos serviços de promoção de saúde na rede assistencial do Sistema Único de Saúde – SUS, frente aos benefícios que traz à população.


2. as academias por sua vez foram criadas a partir da concepção de integralidade da atenção à saúde, ampliando as estratégias de atendimento à população, sendo um serviço com equipamentos qualificados, que tem por objetivo propiciar melhoria de qualidade de vida a população.


3. as pesquisas científicas demonstram que as academias fazem parte de um serviço de saúde latente, que se utilizam de profissionais da saúde de nível superior devidamente habilitado em Educação Física, como Responsáveis Técnicos, devidamente registrados no Conselho Profissional.


No entanto, com a publicação das novas medidas de distanciamento controlado, as academias poderão permanecer abertas com distanciamento abusivo de 16m², quando muitos estabelecimento possuem localização em espaços menores, ou permanecer fechadas, sem qualquer modo de operação, conforme determinação do Modelo de Distanciamento Controlado do RS, o que ocasionaria graves prejuízo econômicos aos investidores que precisam honrar com suas contas (aluguel, despesas básicas, funcionários, suplementos, entre outros), afetando integralmente a economia local.


Das evidencias trazidas por pesquisas científicas, pesquisadores americanos estão sugerindo que exercício físico pode impedir o desenvolvimento da SARA (Síndrome da Angústia Respiratória Aguda), caracterizada pela falta de ar, respiração rápida, tosse, fraqueza muscular e uma das piores complicações do novo Coronavírus (Sars-CoV-2).

Segundo o estudo da Universidade de Virginia, a prática de exercícios físicos eleva a produção da enzima superóxido dismutase (EcSOD), produzida pelos músculos e associada à proteção do sistema cardiorrespiratório. "Sua baixa concentração aumenta o risco para doenças como pneumonia ou enfermidades crônicas respiratórias", afirma o pneumologista Humberto Bogossian, do Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. Além disso, também sobe a chance de ocorrência de isquemia cardíaca (derivada da obstrução do fluxo sanguíneo) e falhas nos rins.


Ainda, de acordo com os pesquisadores, a realização de exercícios em intensidade moderada é suficiente para obter os benefícios. "Exercício regular tem mais benefícios do que conhecemos. A proteção contra doenças respiratórias severas é um dos muitos exemplos", afirma o médico Zhen Yan, chefe da pesquisa.


Também, o Colégio Americano de Medicina do Esporte divulgou recentemente um guia em que sugere que a atividade física de intensidade moderada deva ser mantida no período de quarentena em função do SARS-CoV-2, salientando a importância para a saúde de cada minuto fisicamente ativo¹.

As recomendações da OMS para indivíduos saudáveis e assintomáticos são de, no mínimo, 150 minutos de atividade física por semana para adultos e 300 minutos de atividade física por semana para crianças e adolescentes², sob orientação de profissionais do exercício físico para a adequação da prática de atividade física por parte da população. É fundamental que indivíduos que realizem exercícios físicos regularmente mantenham a prática, porém adequando-se à condição atual de restrições de circulação. Manter-se fisicamente ativo deve ser enfatizado ainda mais para indivíduos idosos, os quais comprovadamente apresentam mais comorbidades e maior risco cardiovascular, além de serem mais vulneráveis ao COVID-19.

Portanto, diante do avanço exponencial desta pandemia no Brasil, a recomendação dos profissionais de saúde para que a população tenha uma vida fisicamente ativa deve ser encarada como uma importante abordagem para o combate ao COVID-19 e às eventuais consequências do confinamento social juntamente às demais medidas que estão sendo adotadas pelos setores de saúde pública mundial.


Esses são os fatos relevantes para o deslinde da matéria ventilada na presente disseminação que precisa ser (re)conhecida pelas Autoridades competentes a fim de caracterizar as academias como SERVIÇO ESSENCIAL A SAÚDE.


Setor de Academias do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Profissionais de Educação Física

Alunos e praticantes de atividade física em academiais

_______________________________________________________________

¹ American College of Sports. (ACSM). Staying active during the coronavirus pandemic. [Internet]. [Cited in 2020 Mar 16] Available from:
https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/assets/page_documents/EIM_Rx%20for%20ealth_%20Staying%20Active%20During%20Coronavirus%20Pandemic.pdf
² World Health Organization. (WHO) . Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva; 2010.

Adv. Thiago Trivilin (OAB/RS 75.406)

Dear Senate, Congress, Committee:

We The People voice our objection to HR4980.

Current US Code addresses air travel specifically. In 49 U.S.C. § 40103, "Sovereignty and use of airspace", the Code specifies that "A citizen of the United States has a public right of transit through the navigable airspace."

A strong right to freedom of movement may yet have even farther-reaching implications. The Supreme Court has acknowledged that freedom of movement is closely related to freedom of association and to freedom of expression. Strong constitutional protection for the right to travel may have significant implications for state attempts to limit abortion rights, ban or refuse to recognize same-sex marriage, and enact anti-crime or consumer protection laws. It may even undermine current Court-fashioned concepts of federalism.



You will be discriminating against millions of people by doing this.



This will violate the 5th amendment and 14th amendment rights. It violates our 5th amendment right by depriving of The People of liberty without due process of law and it violates The People's right to equal protection under the law. It states that "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."



The U.S. Supreme Court in Crandall v. Nevada, 73 U.S. 35 (1868) declared that freedom of movement is a fundamental right and therefore a state cannot inhibit people from leaving the state by taxing them. In United States v. Wheeler, 254 U.S. 281 (1920), the Supreme Court reiterated its position that the Constitution did not grant the federal government the power to protect freedom of movement. However, Wheeler had a significant impact in other ways. For many years, the roots of the Constitution's "privileges and immunities" clause had only vaguely been determined.[5] In 1823, the circuit court in Corfield had provided a list of the rights (some fundamental, some not) which the clause could cover.[6][7] The Wheeler court dramatically changed this. It was the first to locate the right to travel in the privileges and immunities clause, providing the right with a specific guarantee of constitutional protection.[8] By reasoning that the clause derived from Article IV of the Articles of Confederation, the decision suggested a narrower set of rights than those enumerated in Corfield, but also more clearly defined those rights as absolutely fundamental.[9] The Supreme Court began rejecting Wheeler's reasoning within a few years. Finally, in United States v. Guest, 383 U.S. 745 (1966), the Supreme Court overruled Chief Justice White's conclusion that the federal government could protect the right to travel only against state infringement.



The U.S. Supreme Court also dealt with the right to travel in the case of Saenz v. Roe, 526 U.S. 489 (1999). In that case, Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the majority, held that the United States Constitution protected three separate aspects of the right to travel among the states:



(1) the right to enter one state and leave another (an inherent right with historical support from the Articles of Confederation),



(2) the right to be treated as a welcome visitor rather than a hostile stranger (protected by the "Privileges and Immunities" clause in Article IV, § 2), and



(3) (for those who become permanent residents of a state) the right to be treated equally to native-born citizens (this is protected by the 14th Amendment's Privileges or Immunities Clause; citing the majority opinion in the Slaughter-House Cases, Justice Stevens said, "the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment . . . has always been common ground that this Clause protects the third component of the right to travel.").



In Saenz v. Roe, 526 U.S. 489 (1999). “For the purposes of this case, we need not identify the source of [the right to travel] in the text of the Constitution. The right of ‘free ingress and regress to and from’ neighboring states which was expressly mentioned in the text of the Article of Confederation, may simply have been ‘conceived from the beginning to be a necessary concomitant of the stronger Union the Constitution created.’ ”



In Paul v. Virginia, 75 U.S. (8 Wall.) 168 (1869) (“without some provision . . . removing from citizens of each State the disabilities of alienage in other States, and giving them equality of privilege with citizens of those States, the Republic would have constituted little more than a league of States; it would not have constituted the Union which now exists.”) Freedom of movement is governed primarily by the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the United States Constitution which states, "The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States." Since the circuit court ruling in Corfield v. Coryell, 6 Fed. Cas. 546 (1823), freedom of movement has been judicially recognized as a fundamental Constitutional right.



In Paul v. Virginia, 75 U.S. 168 (1869), the Court defined freedom of movement as "right of free ingress into other States, and egress from them."[1] However, the Supreme Court did not invest the federal government with the authority to protect freedom of movement. Under the "privileges and immunities" clause, this authority was given to the states, a position the Court held consistently through the years in cases such as Ward v. Maryland, 79 U.S. 418 (1871), the Slaughter-House Cases, 83 U.S. 36 (1873) and United States v. Harris, 106 U.S. 629 (1883).



Be It Known that, We The People, command that you cease and desist from this egregious action. We fought and won WWII over Nazism and Fascism. This would be like putting a yellow stars on the Jewish people. You would be forcing US Citizens to violate their right of conscious, religious beliefs and violate their 1st amendment right of freedom of association and needlessly turn law abiding citizens into criminals .



This is out in out racism and discrimination.

Hello. My name is Alexis Baylor. I am only 23 years old. My father, Rondell Baylor is in critical condition in a Northern Virginia hospital due to COVID-19. He was put on a ventilator on December 30th. Our last hope of his recovery is to get him an ECMO machine.
The hospital he is currently at is not equipped with ECMO and we are desperately seeking a transfer to a facility that will provide the adequate care.
We have reached out to several hospitals and they have rejected him. My dad needs an ECMO machine to save his life… the hospital is telling us there is no machine available and that he does not qualify due to his BMI. I don’t believe this can be true…. No matter how big or small someone is it shouldn’t justify the right to receive the PROPER care they need.
My father is a good person. He is a father of 5 beautiful children and has family and friends that love him dearly. He works day in and day out to provide for his family.
My father deserves a fair chance to live. Just like anyone else. Pls I am begging for a facility to take him in.
I'm asking for your help, please sign the petition and share this in hopes that it reaches that right person or person(s). PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND SHARE WITH ANY DOCTORS, NURSE ANY ONE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD THAT CAN HELP. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP MY FAMILY SAVE MY FATHERS LIFE. WE ARE BEGGING FOR A MIRACLE AT THIS POINT.
Thank you for your prayers. God has been working and we need him to continue his blessings. Please pray for my father, my siblings, and my family

The state of West Virginia is a diamond in the rough when it comes to producing musical talent and live events. There are some incredible musicians that were bred from The Mountain State and there are some equally incredible venues that offered these musicians a home to hone these talents.

West Virginia is home to four iconic music venues that have been serving four different areas of the state for over two decades each. 123 Pleasant Street (Morgantown), The V Club (Huntington), and The Purple Fiddle (Thomas) have all been in operation for just over twenty years; while the Empty Glass in Charleston celebrated 35 years in 2020. These venues all closed their doors on March 13th, 2020 and still to this day these music venues are operating without live music. Venues employ more than musicians with a staff often having box office, stage hands, security, bar tenders, bar backs, merch vendors, promoters, sound engineers, and lighting designers. There is a long list of people out of work.

These venues are also not just music venues with employees, but they also serve as community centers. These venues all have owners who share the same passion for their respective community and thrive on bringing all types of people together to enjoy the best of what West Virginia has to offer in live art & entertainment culture. Business wise, music venues like these have been in the red more often than the black, and even before the pandemic faced the same volatile struggles of keeping the doors open. If the doors close then thousands of musicians, comedians, visual artists, dancers, poets, charity groups, etc… lose the place to express their creativity and art. This should be looked at the same way as if a local sports team lost their gymnasium or field. These owners' margins are so thin that they rely on their other local small businesses to be profitable just to support the bad years from the venue. These venue owners are invested too deeply into the community they don’t have the heart to walk away and close their doors. These venue owners need help from somewhere or they may not have a choice. If West Virginia loses any one of these venues it will be another huge blow to the local economies each venue is located in.

The recent Stimulus Relief Package included a 15 Billion dollar Shuddered Venues Grant to help venues exactly like these four. The package was also recognized and supported by both West Virginia Senators Manchin and Moore-Capitol via email correspondence sent to West Virginia Bands Together. SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance is working with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to disperse the funds across the country to shuddered venues, restaurants, zoos, theaters, and more. The music industry was one of the focus points of the bill, but unfortunately West Virginia will get left behind like always on the National level. The grant also does not allow venue operators to apply if they receive the PPP loan and the application process runs simultaneously forcing owners to choose one or the other. There is zero confidence across the board with the four venues that the current administration will award any of them any part of the grant. It is well believed that the money will be well spent on places like NYC theaters, San Diego Zoo, and larger high profile places who are eligible to receive up to 10 million in grant awards.

West Virginia Bands Together is requesting for our Governor to finally band with musicians and help save not only these venues, but our statewide music communities. If just one of these businesses fails it stunts the growth of our music and arts community for years and sends our dollars to out of state venues, hotels, restaurants, etc.. Former President Trump had given the state Governors the power to decide where the Cares Act Money goes and your constituents are very supportive about helping these venues survive.

The venues have received PPP loans which were exhausted pretty quickly. While the doors are closed these venues still pay insurance, liquor license, electricity, cable, phones, heat, water, and have no source of income other than the low capacity bar.

John Bright (The Purple Fiddle) LJ Guliani (123 Pleasant Street) , Patrick Guthrie(The V Club) , and Chris Chaber (The Empty Glass) have made very little profits in their venues for over 20 years each. They have created jobs, learning, and community opportunities to their towns and cities all out of personal passion. They have all spearheaded numerous charity events for all walks of life in West Virginia and they deserve for the state to appropriate some of this Cares Act money to what it was actually intended for, which was helping the people of the state. These small business owners are too humble to reach out their hands and will simply put their heads down and take it on the chin, but continue to find a way to keep the doors open for the community. These owners have other businesses to rely on they can use to keep these venues open, but they shouldn't be overlooked for grants on these businesses because they have been successful in others.

West Virginia Bands Together is pleading on behalf of these venues for you, Governor Justice, to award a grant of $100,000.00 to be divided equally to each of the four venues as part of the Shuttered Venues Act. The 25k each would guarantee these venues would make it out of the pandemic alive. These funds would go immediately into covering lost revenue, wages, deposits, inventory, and future operations. This would be a monumental effort by you and your administration to show that you do care about the music, arts, and entertainment industry in West Virginia. The consensus across the board is that we are the forgotten community during this whole pandemic. Closing the music world down for 7 months while all other 49 states allowed musicians to work was something that did not sit well with myself and thousands like me across the state.

We do understand this could create an issue for other venues to ask for a grant, but if the stipulation would be that your venue had to have X amount of dollars come from ticket sales vs bar sales that would give the term “music venue” a meaning. You also could stipulate 10 years or even 20 years of business, which again would only qualify the big four venues. There aren’t really any other venues that are not attached to Resorts, Casinos, Breweries that have served the communities like these venues have anyways.

We almost have our music back , so please help us ensure we have venues to showcase it when it does return. This would be an incredibly positive gesture the music & arts community would recognize you for and would overshadow the harshness of Executive Order 56-20 that hurt so many working West Virginians. Our next step is to get signed petitions of thousands of West Virginians who support this Shuttered Venue Request in order to save their beloved community treasure.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Adam Payne - Organizer of West Virginia Bands Together

We the parents, teachers, staff, and taxpayers of Virginia Beach are requesting the School Board to allow for masks to be optional for the 2021-2022 School Year. We are requesting for the board to respect parents’ ability to make the informed decisions on masks during school. Given that masks are not currently required by state mandate. The ending of mask requirements will allow for those who would like to continue to do so while allowing the option for all parties.

We ask all signers of this petition if you are a parent of a school age child that you comment below with the school.

Catfishing is one of the biggest growing sports in West Virginia. My main goal in creating this petition is to stop paylakes in West Virginia. A flathead and blue cat life span can exceed over 20 years. When you put a big catfish inside of a pond or “paylake” it cripples the life of the fish . A fish that has been naturally growing in a river or lake can’t sustain proper oxygen , temperature, and stress that the paylakes are putting on them . Fish are caught over and over again stressing them out and eventually leading to death . A fish can sustain 1-2months living in a paylake . The amount of time generated to produce a 50lb+fish takes years therefore crippling the flathead and blue cat population. Please sign this petition and feel free to write a comment

Virginia Department of Education: Allow School Districts to Implement a Weekly Virtual Asynchronous Catch-Up Day!

I and many other citizens of Virginia are very concerned about the current rise of Covid-19 cases in our state. According to the CDC, we are experiencing the highest level of community transmission of the virus. Many members of my school community, York County, have fallen ill. A considerable number of my friends have been told to quarantine because they were exposed in a classroom environment and some have caught the virus. Besides the anxiety that is occurring because of the virus, many were woefully unprepared to jump right back into a 7 hour, 5 day a week schedule that many haven't done since the beginning of 2020. For most, this is at least a grade level and a half of a lack of a full, 5 day a week schedule. This has led to severe anxiety and stress that is a detriment to the entire community. I believe that implementing one day a week as an asynchronous, online day meant to catch up on work and seek help from teachers for the foreseeable future this year would solve most of these problems.

Unfortunately, there is no way to social distance in the slightest at school. Students are packed just as tight in the hallways as they were before Covid even existed, and classes are not distanced either, even though teachers, to their credit, have been trying their best. And, because of the lack of an asynchronous Wednesday, there is no time for our dutiful school janitorial staff to deep clean and sanitize to limit the spread of the virus. According to the CDC, there is more than a minor risk of infection due to an infected surface for UP TO THREE DAYS after the virus infected that surface. There is no time to deep clean the entire school with a full schedule, leaving to a considerable risk of infection.

Also, for most of Virginia, we have not been in-person at school for a full 5 day week since March of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lack of sleep is becoming an issue, a serious problem to occur in the middle of a pandemic that tends to target those who are not receiving an optimal amount of rest. Many are facing increased stress due these conditions. No one was prepared to jump right back into a full 5 day in person week. Some people I know are so stressed due to the academic conditions, their parents are considering pulling them out of the school division all together and signing them up for an online school option. While Virtual Virginia classes were a potential option to fix this problem, the sign up process was not optimized to be accessible to those who were unsure about returning to school or not, because registration closed off so early.

Many teachers also believe that offering one virtual asynchronous day as a time to catch up with work and seek help with concepts and assignments would be beneficial to all those in the state.

My school district, and many across the state, are also facing an extreme bus driver shortage. It takes hours for some kids to get to and from school! This shortage has affected me personally. My cross country team was unable to procure a bus to drive us to one of our meets, severely complicating our transportation plan. With an asynchronous virtual day, we could alleviate many of these issues. Kids would no longer need to be driven by bus to school on these days, alleviating some of the stress on this situation. It would also open up a time for athletes to have sporting events to occur that would not interfere with school hours. Also, if sporting events were planned to occur on Wednesdays, then it would be relatively easy for bus transportation to be planned out. This is because no students would have to be transported home by bus on these days.

The policy of the state right now is to restrict the ability of school districts to implement these virtual days by forcing them to extend their school days or year if they do. I believe that allowing school divisions to implement one virtual asynchronous day a week and counting the time spend during these days as instructional hours would be a good idea. In my opinion, a virtual asynchronous day spent strengthening the understanding a student has of concepts being taught is just as beneficial as a day spent in person learning new material, and many people agree with this idea. According to recent research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, school districts that adopt a 4-Day week save money. Students in those districts also spent more time on jobs, hobbies, school activities, sports, homework, and chores. Students in these localities also report feeling much less exhausted, and truancy and food insecurity rates did not seem to increase.

Considering these circumstances, myself and many others believe that continuing the asynchronous Wednesdays schedule from last year would be optimal. For one, having these virtual and asynchronous days would reduce the amount of people packed in hallways and classrooms. It would also give students a time to rest and catch up on work, and also provide a built in time to connect with teachers to review topics they need a little extra help on. Dear Virginia Department of Education, please consider implementing one virtual asynchronous day a week!

David Annarelli was arrested inside his Virginia home during a severe mental health crisis in 2016. Police arrived untrained and unprepared to handle a serious mental health situation. Instead of using de-escalation techniques, an officer who never identified himself kicked open the door to the home and opened fire. David returned fire. Everyone survived without serious injury. David was charged with malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer and sentenced to 20 years in prison by Judge Marc Long, which was FIVE TIMES the recommended sentencing guidelines by the state.

Some facts about the defendant:

No criminal record
No history of violence
Documented history of mental health issues
Documented Traumatic Brain Injury sustained before his arrest
All of these details were readily dismissed and/or ignored during sentencing. Instead, Judge Long declared from the bench that David would "be made an example of." Judge Long was twice investigated by the Judicial Inquiry & Review Commission and in January, 2020, was denied reappointment to the bench by the VA General Assembly.

In 2020, VA General Assembly instituted Marcus Alert to assist police in handling mental health scenarios as well as a number of policing reforms including: body cameras, de-escalation, exhaustion of non-lethal options, more strict knock and announce procedures, and warnings before discharging a weapon. Thousands of prisoners today, including David, were never afforded these common sense protocols at the time of their arrest. When combined with the extreme judicial overreach and abuse of power deployed by Judge Long in Floyd County, it leads any reasonable person to conclude that David's case, and many hundreds more, deserve a fair and proper review at the local, state, and federal level.

Since his excessive and incredulous sentence, David has pursued every legal path to appeal and has been denied the opportunity to review and re-argue his case before the court. Virginia allows its judges too much dangerous and unfettered discretion to only whimsically abide by their own state's laws and guidelines. This system of abuse MUST CHANGE NOW!

In his own words, from a concrete box where he now spends 22 hours a day, David has the following message for those who deserve change, and for those who have the capacity to affect change:

"I am told that I am lucky to be alive... I do not feel lucky and I do not feel blessed... after hearing a judge claim to know more about mental health than a twenty year neuro-trauma specialist who testified on my behalf, and after years of inhumane psychological treatment, 'lucky to be alive' is the lowest moral standard of justice imaginable."

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David Annarelli is a father, musician, activist, and contributing writer to the Prison Journalism Project. He is serving an excessive sentence after an avoidable incident with police while in his own home during a mental health crisis. To learn more about his unique case or to help support his son, check out Dave's GoFundMe page.

Save the puppets!
The BFA puppetry major is an integral part of the school of Theater and Dance and WVU as a whole. As one of only two major universities to offer this major, it sets WVU apart as a unique and creative space for artists to come, learn, and become masters at their craft.
Help us #wvusavethepuppets!

In the past week, screenshots from Turning Point USA's GroupMe were leaked by individuals in the group. These messages contained heinous statements of homophobia, transphobia, and racism from members of the organization. This is not a political ordeal, rather it's a show of blatant bigotry from the organization of Turning Point USA on campus. Not only does the community spread bigotry and hatred, but they were also promoting their followers on Instagram back in January to commit a form of terrorism by raiding the capital building after Donald Trump lost the 2020 Presidental Election. Turning Point USA's members have made fellow Hokies uncomfortable on more than just one occasion as they have been seen promoting their organization in a booth in front of D2 without masks. Additionally, they also promote their pro-gun agenda which is extremely inappropriate considering the long history of gun violence Virginia Tech has. Virginia Tech is a college for everyone to be accepted, including Muslims, individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals of color. As of so far, the organization has not released a statement on the matter, has turned off its comments on Instagram, and was even seen liking comments of those who were defending their organization. The hate speech that has come from Virginia Tech's Turning Point USA is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Bigotry has no place in Blacksburg.