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RVA Soul News Brief: Loudoun County students hold walkouts, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney provides COVID-19 update, Barack Obama rallies with Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Loudoun County students hold walkouts,
Students at high schools across Loudoun County, Virginia, walked out of classes to demand a safer environment in schools. The student’s goal was to show their solidarity and express empathy for two recent student victims of sexual violence.
Hundreds of students were photographed waking out of the school doors and congregating on school grounds around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. A teenage boy was found guilty of sexually assaulting a classmate in a girl’s bathroom in Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia.
The same boy is expected to face a second charge for an incident that allegedly occurred at Broad Run High School, which is also located in Ashburn, which is an unincorporated area in Loudoun County with a population of 43,511. Staff members and school resource officers were at the walkouts to ensure student safety and did not interfere with the students first amendment speech rights.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney provides COVID-19 update
Mayor Levar Stoney was joined today by Doctor Danny Avula of the Richmond City Health District, and Sherrill Hampton of Housing and Community Development.
The Mayor and Doctor Avula encouraged Richmond residents to get vaccinated. Since the pandemic started, there have been 23,819 confirmed cases and 347 reported deaths. The 7-day new infection average is down to 17.6 cases.
Sherrill Hampton of Housing and Community Development Discussed Richmonds programs for assistance with home weatherizing and the unsheltered.
Hampton also introduced two new programs including a new inclement weather shelter for unhoused city residents. Richmond City Council set aside $17 million to implement a new shelter. However, meals, showers, case management, and resources will be available 12 to 15 hours a day at the Quality Inn starting in early November.
Obama Rallies for Terry McAuliffe
Former President Barack Obama attended a rally with Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, at Virginia Commonwealth University this past Saturday afternoon.
McAuliffe arrived on the campus just before 1 p.m. When he took to the stage later that afternoon, McAuliffe told voters he hopes Virginia will become the first state to end the pandemic and promised to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by January 2024.
When Obama took the stage he encouraged Virginians to participate in early voting. He told the crowd they didn’t have to wait until Nov. 2nd to cast their ballot!
When Obama began to talk about Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin, the crowd began to boo.
“Don’t boo. Vote,” Obama said in response.
RVA Soul Briefs are written and produced by Scotty T. Reid.