Latest news with #ParkerMichels-Boyce
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New boil water advisory issued in Richmond, months after January water crisis
Anna Wilson fills jars and bottles from Wayside Spring in the Forest Hill neighborhood during a citywide water outage in Richmond, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for the Virginia Mercury) Richmond officials issued a new boil water advisory Tuesday for large swaths of the city, less than six months after a catastrophic water crisis left much of the region without safe drinking water for days. The latest advisory, announced by the city of Richmond in coordination with the Virginia Department of Health, affects residents served by the Ginter Park Tank, including neighborhoods such as Byrd Park, Brookland Park, Carver, Carytown, Chamberlayne, the Fan, Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, Randolph and the VCU Monroe Park campus. Some customers may experience total service loss or low pressure. Others may not notice a change, but officials urged all residents to conserve water immediately and to boil water before consuming it. 'This advisory comes after the city's water treatment plant experienced an operational issue in the early morning hours on Tuesday, May 27, and after the water system had been restored to full production,' the city said in a statement. 'The filters re-clogged after running at full production for over an hour.' The pressure drop has impacted the Ginter Park tank, and while the city says it is monitoring efforts to restore full pressure, no timeline has been given. The city warned that the list of affected areas could grow if usage continues to outpace supply. 'As a cautionary measure, all residents are asked to conserve water to ensure all needs are met during this time,' the statement said. 'We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates to our customers as new information becomes available.' Officials urged residents to avoid drinking tap water, making ice, brushing teeth, cooking, or washing food or dishes with unboiled tap water. Full water safety guidelines and neighborhood maps are available at The advisory is likely to draw renewed scrutiny to Richmond's water system, which remains under investigation following the massive January breakdown that left thousands without water or usable water pressure for nearly a week. In April, the Virginia Department of Health released a scathing 314-page report on the January event, calling it 'completely avoidable' and the result of 'a long chain of preventable failures' at the city's century-old Water Treatment Plant. 'This crisis could have been prevented with better operational decisions,' State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Shelton said at the time. 'Our goal now is to ensure corrective actions are taken swiftly and effectively, so Richmond-area families can trust their water supply.' The report, based on an independent probe by the engineering firm Short Elliott Hendrickson, detailed a cascade of failures, such as untested batteries, broken valves and neglected emergency protocols. When a winter storm knocked out overhead power lines on Jan. 6, the plant's backup systems failed, flooding underground equipment rooms and halting production. The city's response was slow and, in many cases, ineffective. By the time Richmond issued a boil advisory that afternoon, pressure had already dropped dangerously low. Water systems in Henrico, Hanover and Goochland counties, which connect to Richmond's, were also impacted. Full restoration didn't come until Jan. 9, and the boil order wasn't lifted until Jan. 11. Gov. Glenn Youngkin called the disruption 'unacceptable' and said, 'It should never happen again.' As a result of the January failure, the city received a second formal notice of violation and is now under a mandate to develop and implement a corrective action plan. The SEH report identified over $63 million in additional needed improvements, on top of $60 million already proposed in the city's capital plan. Those upgrades include modernizing electrical systems, automating emergency operations, and redesigning the clearwell overflow system to prevent future floods. While Mayor Danny Avula said he was 'incredibly proud' of the work done so far by the Department of Public Utilities, the VDH's findings painted a picture of what one official called a 'culture of complacency,' where temporary workarounds were the norm and long-standing vulnerabilities went unresolved. Now, just weeks later, the system has suffered another setback. The city said it will continue to post updates on its website and social media platforms. Residents are encouraged to check those resources regularly and to follow all water safety precautions until the advisory is lifted. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MN Republicans introduce vaccine criminalization bill drafted by Florida hypnotist
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., February 2, 2021. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce/Virginia Mercury. A group of eight Republicans in the Minnesota House have introduced legislation (HF3219) that would designate certain vaccines and medical treatments as 'weapons of mass destruction' and make possessing or administering them a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The legislation specifically targets messenger RNA (mRNA) treatments, which include several COVID-19 vaccines. Those vaccines have saved millions of lives and are considered one of the most important medical and public health achievements of the 21st century so far. The bill's language appears to have been drafted by Joseph Sansone, a Florida hypnotist and conspiracy theorist who believes that mRNA treatments are 'nanoparticle injections' that amount to 'biological and technological weapons of mass destruction.' Sansone has falsely claimed that 'more Americans have died from mRNA injections than in WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War combined,' and has said he has stood 'alongside an Army of the Dead' to file unsuccessful legal complaints against vaccines in Florida. The bill has no chance of passage given the narrow margins in the House and Senate, as well as the DFL's control of the governorship. But its support among multiple Republican representatives, including several members of GOP House leadership, give a sense of how the party would govern if it controlled the state legislature. The Minnesota Republicans sponsoring the bill include Shane Mekeland (Clear Lake), Krista Knudsen (Lake Shore), Assistant GOP Floor Leader Walter Hudson (Albertville), Jeff Dotseth (Silver Township), Tom Murphy (Underwood), Pam Altendorf (Red Wing), Keith Allen (Kenyon), and Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore Isaac Schultz (Elmdale). Several have also sponsored a marginally less extreme bill (HF 3152) that would make administering mRNA vaccines a misdemeanor subject to a $500 penalty. The Reformer requested comment from several of the bill sponsors but none responded. In addition to vaccines for infectious diseases, mRNA technology holds tremendous promise for treating cancer and other ailments. Thousands of cancer patients are currently participating in trials of personalized mRNA vaccines targeting various types of tumors. Minnesota's Mayo Clinic has been at the forefront of some of that research, which would be criminalized under the proposed bill. The language in the bill further bans 'nanotechnology or nanoparticles that alter genes and create a biosynthetic cell replication,' which could impact other cutting-edge medical technologies like CRISPR. It also bans 'any human gene therapy product for any infectious disease indication.' The bill compels state and local authorities to 'use all lawful means necessary' to enforce its provisions, and would subject authorities to prosecution under existing weapons of mass destruction statutes if they refused to investigate alleged violations of the law.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bon Secours and Cigna reach agreement, keeping 30,000 Virginians in-network
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital, Richmond, Va. Parker Michels-Boyce for The Virginia Mercury Bon Secours and commercial health insurer Cigna have reached a deal to keep over 30,000 Virginians in-network, averting interruptions in care and higher health care costs for patients after months of protracted contract negotiations and uncertainty. The new multi-year agreement, reached by the Catholic health care system and insurer April 1 following a 24-hour deadline extension, means that Bon Secours hospitals, doctors, urgent care centers, ambulatory surgical centers and other care centers will remain in-network and accessible to Virginia citizens whose workplace health insurance is provided by Cigna. 'We believe that access to quality health care services is vital for our community members. After several months of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached a new agreement that protects our patients' access to affordable, compassionate care close to home,' Dr. C. Bart Rountree, executive medical director of Women's & Children's Services for Bon Secours Richmond, said in a statement on Wednesday. The crux of the contract conflict, Bon Secours previously stated, was Cigna's reimbursement rates, which the health care system said were not 'keeping pace with inflation and are below fair market standards. Being fairly reimbursed by our payer partners (insurance companies) is what enables us to continue to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients.' Cigna, in turn, had alleged that Bon Secours wanted a rate increase equaling 30% over five years, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The dispute had been dragging on since August of 2024, fueling concern from patients insured through Cigna as they watched and wondered if they would still be able to see their preferred provider at Bon Secours facilities should negotiations fail. But a state law enacted in 2024 allows health care providers to continue treating patients at least 90 days after the provider disconnects from the insurer's network. Pregnant people can continue receiving care during the postpartum period, under this measure. Patients with a life-threatening condition may receive up to 180 days of care after their provider goes out-of-network, and people being treated at in-patient facilities may continue to be cared for by their provider until they are discharged. The following Bon Secours hospitals in Virginia are impacted by the health system's renewed agreement with Cigna: Hampton Roads: Bon Secours – Mary Immaculate Hospital Bon Secours – Maryview Medical Center Bon Secours – Southampton Medical Center Bon Secours – Harbour View Medical Center Richmond: Bon Secours – Memorial Regional Medical Center Bon Secours – Rappahannock General Hospital Bon Secours – Richmond Community Hospital Bon Secours – St. Francis Medical Center Bon Secours – St. Mary's Hospital SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
VDOT bets on AI to cut costs and keep Virginia roads smooth
Virginia Department of Transportation in Richmond. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for The Virginia Mercury) With highway construction costs surging 68% nationwide since 2020, Virginia's transportation officials are turning to artificial intelligence to improve how the state estimates costs and manages pavement upkeep. The move comes as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) faces increasing financial strain from rising material and labor prices, supply chain disruptions, fuel costs, and unpredictable weather events — all of which have made forecasting and budgeting more difficult. 'It is a great time for VDOT to investigate the potential for Artificial Intelligence to enhance the way we make decisions given our ongoing commitment to improving our data collection and management,' said Cathy McGhee, chief deputy commissioner for VDOT, in a statement to the Mercury. McGhee emphasized that with the cost of construction climbing, AI-driven insights could help maximize VDOT's investments in maintenance and repairs. 'Increasing construction costs make it even more important than ever to have data-driven decisions with respect to our investments,' she said. 'Although we believe that there are many areas where AI could be beneficial, these initial pilots will focus on cost estimation and pavement management, two areas where cost impacts could be significant.' Virginia maintains one of the largest state-controlled roadway networks in the country, covering nearly 60,000 miles of roads, in addition to at least 10,000 miles in cities and towns.. Over the past decade, 3,200 additional lane-miles have been added to VDOT's maintenance list. Pavement resurfacing alone has risen as much as 45% since 2019, and VDOT is responsible for a growing list of maintenance projects, including patching potholes, resurfacing roads, and mowing roadside vegetation. During a recent presentation to the Commonwealth Transportation Board's Subcommittee on Innovation, McGhee and VDOT staff outlined their goals for the AI pilots, emphasizing that the technology could provide deeper insights into the lifecycle of pavement beyond existing agency data. Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration and state lawmakers have been actively preparing Virginia for AI integration across multiple sectors, including communications, health care, and security. However, AI's potential for misuse in politics has also led to increased scrutiny and regulatory efforts. Last year, Youngkin signed an executive order establishing standards and guidelines for AI use in government, forming a task force to help lawmakers create guardrails for responsible AI implementation. The governor is now considering some AI-related legislation passed by the General Assembly, including House Bill 2094, introduced by Del. Michelle Maldonado, D-Manassas, which would create requirements for developing, deploying and using high-risk AI systems, along with civil penalties for noncompliance. Other proposed measures would limit social media use for minors under 16, create enhanced penalties for AI-generated deepfakes used in fraud, slander, libel or defamation, and require political ads to disclose when artificial intelligence has been used. As Virginia awaits Youngkin's final decisions on AI legislation, Maldonado said she is particularly interested in the results from VDOT's AI-driven pilots. 'I think it's a very good start,' Maldonado said. 'I think it's a smart way to use AI, which helps to augment versus replace the human element, and provides better data analysis and hopefully traffic flow.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Appomattox elections board seeks to close precincts that serve Black voters
A Virginia polling place during the 2020 election. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for the Virginia Mercury) A proposal to close and consolidate two voting precincts in Appomattox County has sparked concerns about voter access and racial equity, as the changes would disproportionately impact Black and minority voters. The county's Board of Elections made the request at the Jan. 21, 2025, Board of Supervisors meeting, targeting precinct 201 in the Chap community and 502 in Agee — the two with the highest percentages of Black and racial minority voters among the county's nine precincts. According to census block data compiled by the NAACP Virginia State Conference, 36.7% of Chap precinct voters and 24.4% of Agee precinct voters are Black. Racial minority voters overall make up 40.27% and 27.82% of the respective precincts. Appomattox County, home to just over 16,000 residents and situated between Lynchburg to the west and Farmville to the east, is a Republican stronghold. In the 2021 gubernatorial race, GOP nominee Glenn Youngkin dominated with 80% over Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who received 19%. In the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump carried the county by a wide margin, winning 75% of the vote to Joe Biden's 24%. If approved, the closures would force many voters in these precincts to travel significantly farther to cast their ballots — up to 30 additional minutes by car or over four hours on foot in some cases. The lack of public transportation in the county exacerbates the impact, especially for elderly voters or those without access to a vehicle. The Virginia NAACP condemned the proposed closures, calling them a direct threat to voting rights. 'Voting is a fundamental right and the foundation of our democracy,' said Virginia NAACP President Rev. Cozy Bailey. 'All citizens of Appomattox County are entitled to have an equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process regardless of their race or ethnicity. Throughout our history, various tactics have been employed to limit access to the ballot, including precinct closures, voter ID laws, and other measures that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.' Bailey added that the proposal, if enacted, would 'perpetuate these historical patterns and result in barriers to participation for Black voters in Appomattox County.' According to a Feb. 18 letter from the Virginia NAACP to the Board of Supervisors, and obtained by The Mercury, the proposed closures would place significant burdens on affected voters. The Chap precinct's voters would be reassigned to Spout Spring, requiring an 11.7-mile trip — about a 17-minute drive or a 4.25-hour walk. Agee voters would be reassigned to Oakville, a distance of 5.8 miles, or an 8-minute drive and a two-hour walk. 'These already-long distances are calculated from the existing to proposed polling sites,' the NAACP's letter states, 'so in many instances, voters will be required to travel even greater distances.' The Mercury reached out to the local elections board and the Board of Supervisors for comment. While no members of the Board of Supervisors responded by the time of publication, General Registrar Patricia Morton provided an email statement referencing the findings of the local Precinct Review Committee, which cited cost savings as the primary motivation for the proposed precinct closures. According to the committee, closing the two precincts would save the county $1,527 in fiscal year 2025 and $5,374 in fiscal year 2026. Long-term savings are projected at $24,600 for replacing outdated tabulators and ballot markers, along with $2,554 for purchasing electronic poll books. Morton also noted that after meeting to discuss the matter Tuesday afternoon, election officials plan to revisit certain aspects of the proposal before finalizing changes. 'We will talk with the Board of Supervisors again in two weeks, and recommend they move forward merging Agee and Oakville, but pause and review another, more central location for Falling River district (Chap and Spout Spring merger),' Morton said in an email. However, elections are the cornerstone of democracy, providing the primary means for most citizens to participate, says David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg. While elections are costly to run, requiring staff and modern equipment, accessibility should not be compromised. 'Anytime barriers are introduced to voting, the number of participants decreases,' Richards said, emphasizing that factors like lack of transportation should not prevent people from casting their ballots. The financial realities counties face must be balanced with the need to ensure as many people as possible can legally vote. Richards added that while structural issues, such as the disrepair of the Agee precinct building, may justify some changes, the fact that the two targeted precincts have the highest minority populations raises questions of voter suppression. 'I will not assume motive, but we should look at the facts as they are,' Richards said, questioning why closer precincts like Stonewall and Spout Spring were not considered for consolidation instead. Ultimately, he argued, demographic data must play a role in these decisions and should not be overlooked by the Board of Supervisors. And voting rights advocates argue that budget concerns should not take precedence over voter access. 'We should work to make voting easier and more accessible, not create new obstacles to the ballot box,' Bailey said. The Virginia NAACP urged the Board of Supervisors to explore alternatives that would maintain voting access without creating undue burdens for Black and minority voters. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
