Across Virginia
From Carter Bank& Trust: In alignment with its tradition of care, Carter Bank & Trust is donating $70,000 to food banks in communities throughout Virginia and North Carolina. This donation was allocated to fill a critical need for funding organizations focused on food security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $70,000 disbursement will benefit nine food banks including: Feeding Southwest Virginia, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Inc., Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Feed More, Capital Area Food Bank, Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast NC, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC.
“At Carter Bank &Trust, we take great pride in caring for the customers and communities we serve. All of our communities have been severely impacted as a result of the COVID-19 virus and these donations are an example of us doing what we do best – caring,” says Litz H. Van Dyke, Chief Executive Officer, Carter Bank & Trust.
This significant charitable contribution is only a portion of a larger plan to give back to the communities that Carter Bank & Trust has the honor of serving. The funds will support each organization’s COVID-19 response and the specific food security gaps that exist in each community.
“We are so grateful to Carter Bank & Trust for their commitment to the communities we serve,” says Pamela Irvine, President, and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia – the first organization to receive the donation. “The funds come at an integral time as we deal with increased need and will allow us to serve more families throughout the duration of this pandemic.”
(Kaitlin McKeown/The Daily Press via AP)
Governor Northam said today those thinking about heading to the beach this Memorial Day weekend can do it in the Commonwealth – Virginia Beach and First Landing State Park beaches will both be open for swimming and sunbathing, with parking lots set at 50% capacity. No group sports or large gatherings will be allowed.
Northam said he is counting on Virginians to “be responsible” over the holiday weekend if they want to see the ocean beaches remain open.
Northam’s decision follows a weekend at Virginia Beach when many people decided on their own to reopen the beachfront. (See photo at left.) Here is the story from Associated Press:
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Warm weather drew crowds to the Virginia Beach oceanfront even though the beach is considered closed under the state’s stay-at-home directives.
Families ordered snow cones, bought hermit crabs and cramped gift shops while bikers pedaled on the boardwalk on Saturday, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Tents, umbrellas and beach blankets were set up near the water.
Under Gov. Ralph Northam’s first phase of a gradual reopening plan, retail stores are reopening with limited capacity, but indoor gyms remain closed, beaches are still off-limits and restaurants cannot provide indoor dine-in service. No restrictions have been lifted in northern Virginia, Richmond and Accomack County, which were granted two-week delays after local officials said it was too early to move forward.
The newspaper reported the beach was not jammed and groups maintained their distance. Many people on the boardwalk wore masks.
Kayla Thomas and a co-worker had masks and gloves on while they served scones at an oceanfront concession stand. Thomas said the crowds looked like those she might see at the beginning of summer.
“I’m just shocked by the amount of people,” Thomas said.
Northam earlier this week said he based his decision to reopen on positive trends in key metrics related to the virus’s spread, like hospital readiness and testing capacity. He stressed repeatedly that the process will be slow.
Beauty parlors and barber shops will be by appointment and will be able to operate only if both employees and customers wear masks. Entertainment venues, like theme parks and bowling alleys, will stay closed.
State finance officials say with many Virginia businesses now open again, we should soon get a clearer picture of how much the re-opening helps boost the state’s economic picture. And as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, some parts of it appear to be holding up well so far:
DMV photo
Virginia’s DMV will start reopening some of its offices Monday – nine of them around the state, including Roanoke – and for those who must attend to business in person, those customer service centers are going to look a lot different. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
If you have a license or registration matter that can be handled on line or by mail, you are currently required to do it that way, but if you must attend to things in person, you must first make an appointment. In- person business will mainly involve title returns, people moving to Virginia from other states and first-time drivers licenses.
When you walk in to the Roanoke office, there are ten counters set up with plexiglass shields — and a single chair eight feet behind each one.
DMV officials expect to gradually equip and reopen all customer service center by the end of July.
This is the day many Virginia businesses can re-open, including hair salons and barbershops. But in many places, getting your hair cut will probably not resemble what you are used to. Take the Hollins Barber Shop, where a lot has changed — like plastic dividers now between the five chairs and appointments for the first time ever. There is no waiting inside and no conversation that comes with it, something that Mike Hughes at Hollins says is often as important to customers as the haircut itself. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Gov. Ralph Northam
Governor Northam says Virginia is now prepared to handle any increases in COVID-19 cases that might now occur, and that’s why he feels comfortable phasing in the reopening starting tomorrow — even as his administration plans to combat it well into the future. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
The wait is almost over. Two days from now, most of Virginia will begin the process of re-opening many businesses, but state health officials say this is no time to think the COVID-19 threat is over and to let our guard down. They say while it is is a start that many retail businesses, hair and nail salons and restaurants open up again, it is anything but the finish. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is delaying northern Virginia’s reopening amid the coronavirus outbreak until at least May 29, two weeks after the rest of the state is expected to reopen.
Northam said Tuesday he’s signed an executive order extending mandated closures and restrictions on businesses in northern Virginia, a heavily populated area where regional officials have said they are not yet ready to reopen.
Northam ordered some businesses closed two months ago and his planned first phase of reopening will retain severe restrictions. Some retail businesses will reopen with limited capacity, but indoor gyms would remain closed, beaches would remain closed to sunbathers and restaurants would still be prohibited from indoor dine-in service.
FROM GOVERNOR NORTHAM’S OFFICE: Governor Northam has said that Virginia as a whole may enter Phase One on Friday, May 15, as outlined in Executive Order Sixty-One, based on achieving certain health metrics. Executive Order Sixty-Two allows the Northern Virginia localities to delay implementation of Phase One until midnight on Thursday, May 28, to allow those localities more time to meet the health metrics.
Gov. Ralph Northam
Governor Northam says he is working with local officials in northern Virginia to consider different reopening timetables from the rest of the state. But for now, Friday still appears to be our day one of Phase One, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says the state is still on track to begin its gradual reopening this week amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the exception of the population-dense Washington suburbs.
Northam said at a news conference Monday that the state continues to see positive trends in key metrics related to the virus’ spread, hospital readiness and testing capacity. He said the state is almost ready to begin a gradual reopening of nonessential businesses, houses of worship and other places currently closed.
“If our numbers continue to trend in the direction they are … I anticipate that will go into phase one on Friday,” Northam said.
But he added while the same trends are moving in the right direction in northern Virginia, he is still concerned about the region’s elevated number of cases. An example: Northern Virginia reported more than 700 cases in the previous 24 hours, Northam said, while the rest of the state reported less than 300.
The region’s political leaders wrote a letter to Northam on Sunday asking the governor to allow northern Virginia to move at a slower pace in easing restrictions. Northam said he’s happy to work with those leaders and plans to provide more detail about what northern Virginia’s eventual reopening will look like on Wednesday.
The northern Virginia region shares a border with Washington, D.C. and Maryland, whose leaders have not given a specific date for reopening.
Northam’s ordered some businesses closed two months ago and his planned first phase of reopening will retain severe restrictions. Some retail businesses will reopen with limited capacity, but indoor gyms would remain closed, beaches would remain closed to sunbathers and restaurants would still be prohibited from indoor dine-in service.
Northam, a Democrat, has increasingly come under fire from some Republicans for not being more aggressive in reopening the state like governors in some other states.
Pat Herrity, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and one of the few remaining Republican elected officials in northern Virginia, said he’s disappointed that northern Virginia apparently won’t start the first phase along with the rest of the state.
“The majority of people I hear from want to take a small step back to normal,” said Herrity. “Phase one is a baby step forward, and I think it should be taken.”
With so many people now staying home for extended periods of time, AAA Mid-Atlantic finds itself responding to more dead battery calls. Such calls in April were up 28% compared to the year before, at a time when all other service calls were significantly lower. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND, VA – AAA, the premier roadside assistance provider for more than 100 years, is seeing a sharp increase in battery service calls in Virginia as stay at home orders remain in place and vehicles stay parked.
During the month of April, AAA saw a 28% increase in the number of calls for battery service compared to April of 2019 in Virginia. Battery service calls last month made up 43% of AAA service calls and resulted in 10,353 responses. Overall, calls for roadside assistance are down more than 28% this year as there are fewer vehicles on the roadways.
Virginia AAA Service Calls
| Type of Service | April 2019 | April 2020 | % Change |
| Battery | 8,059 | 10,353 | +28% |
| Extrication | 357 | 178 | -50% |
| Fuel | 502 | 171 | -65% |
| Light Service | 867 | 566 | -34% |
| Lockout | 3,767 | 1,938 | -48% |
| Locksmith | 278 | 180 | -35% |
| Tire | 4,697 | 2,536 | -46% |
| Tow | 15,172 | 8,180 | -46% |
| Total | 33,699 | 24,102 | -28% |
Always there for drivers, the auto club has been working diligently to help drivers whose car batteries have failed through our AAA Mobile Battery Service which will:
- Come to wherever you’re located,
- Perform a diagnostic test of your electrical system,
- Replace your battery right on the spot if needed.
Signs of a weak battery may include: clicking noises when turning key; the engine turning over slowly; dim interior lighting or warning lights on the dashboard.
If your car hasn’t hit the road in a while, AAA encourages you to take some simple steps to keep you and your vehicle safe.
- Take Charge – drive your vehicle(s) once a week to ensure the battery stays properly charged, even if that is just around the corner. If you won’t be driving your car much, consider buying a battery tender. It’ll ensure your battery maintains its charge at proper storage voltage when not in use.
- Gas Goes a Long Way – keep your gas tank level at three-fourths or full. Full tanks provide less space for air and help minimize the possibility of condensation.
- Fluid Situation – check oil, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid, power steering fluid and windshield washer fluid. Replace or re-fill as needed by consulting your owner’s manual.
- Under Pressure – check the tire pressure and fill, as needed, to the proper inflation amount located inside the driver’s door.
- Road Trip Ready – as an added precaution, consider taking your vehicle to your trusted repair shop, such as an AAA Approved Auto Repair facility, for service. Make sure to call first for shop hours and procedures for bringing in a car for service.
- Keep it Clean — Keeping a vehicle clean is a great way to protect your investment and maximize your car’s resale value. Now, however, vehicle cleanliness has become even more important due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a list of cleaning products that will destroy the COVID-19 virus on often used surfaces inside your car, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2. Choose carefully because some cleaning products may damage or discolor your upholstery or dash.
“Even though your car isn’t running, the electronic systems still tap the battery, which can affect its performance when you try to start it,” said Brent Stegner, AAA Swift Creek Car Care Manager. “Your tires are the only part of your car that contacts the road and they don’t always hold pressure well, so be sure to check tire pressure. You can give them a good visual inspection for damage or even flat spots, which would indicate low pressure, especially if your car hasn’t moved in a while.”