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byline: Kate Andrews

Kings Dominion reopening, with no masks required for vaccinated guests

Kings Dominion opens for its 46th summer season Saturday, a year after the COVID-19 pandemic shut the annual tradition down. Although the Hanover County amusement park will require masks worn by anyone who is not vaccinated (if they are age five or older), more than 60 rides, live entertainment and the redesigned water park will all be open, the park announced.

“The wait is finally over, and we are so very excited to welcome our guests back to the park,” Bridgette Bywater, Kings Dominion vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “This has been a difficult year-and-a-half for many, so it feels good knowing that Kings Dominion is a fun place where people can finally get out in a safe environment, have an amazing experience, and make some new lifelong memories with their family and friends.”

Following state orders, reservations are required for both Kings Dominion and Soak City, the water park, but fully vaccinated visitors will not need to wear masks. Grand Carnivale, an international music and food celebration, is set to take place July 17 through Aug. 1.

Last year, the Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. park was closed until December, when it reopened for a limited number of visitors who had to wear masks and maintain physical distance. Another change at the park this year is a significant pay raise, with seasonal positions starting at $13 an hour (up from $9.25) and lifeguard roles starting at $15 an hour.

For more information on safety precautions at Kings Dominion, visit the park’s website.

CTSI names new president and CEO, chairman

Chantilly-based technology firm Corbett Technology Solutions Inc. (CTSI) named Joe Oliveri as its president and CEO on Tuesday. He replaces Gino Ruta, who is becoming chairman, the company announced in a news release.

Oliveri joins CTSI from Johnson Controls, where he was vice president and general manager of global ducted systems and previously ran other divisions, including global fire detection and security BUs.

Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm acquired CTSI in June 2020, in partnership with Ruta and CTSI management. The company has been in business for more than five decades and is responsible for technology integration, audiovisual and security solutions for government, health care, education and enterprise customers.

“I’m excited to join this organization and continue accelerating CTSI’s growth across the United States,” Oliveri said in a statement. “With my history of strategic acquisitions and aggressive growth, my priority at CTSI is to engineer further expansion of our security and life safety solution portfolios.”

Tiger Fuel Co. acquires solar company Altenergy Inc.

Charlottesville-based Tiger Fuel Co. has completed its acquisition of solar energy company Altenergy Inc., which is also based in Charlottesville, the companies announced Tuesday.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The purchase of the energy company follows more than two years of collaboration, in which Tiger partnered with Altenergy to power its convenience stores in Charlottesville and Ruckersville in 2018. Russ Edwards has been tapped as Altenergy’s president; he previously was senior director of onshore development at Ørsted, the Danish multinational power company that is involved with Dominion Energy Inc.’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project off Virginia Beach. Edwards also was vice president of development at Charlottesville-based Coronal Energy, a utility-scale solar developer that was purchased by Ørsted in 2019.

Last year, Tiger acquired 40% of Altenergy’s shares, and the two businesses recently joined Charlottesville Climate Collaborative’s Green Business Alliance, a newly formed group of businesses aiming to reduce their carbon footprints. Tiger plans to install more solar panels at its convenience stores, four bulk heating plants and all future real estate projects. Altenergy was founded 16 years ago and has 1,700 solar projects in Virginia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan and Washington, D.C. that produce 21 megawatts of energy.

“We founded Tiger on the principle that we would be malleable, welcome change and improve the communities that we serve,” Tiger Fuel President Gordon Sutton said in a statement. “Our fuel business isn’t going away any time soon, but there is no doubt that the energy landscape is changing. We welcome Altenergy to the Tiger family and are excited to build a bright future together.”

Va. House of Delegates to meet in person at the state Capitol

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn announced Monday that the House, when it next convenes, will return in person to the Virginia State Capitol after a year of virtual and physically distanced voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the past year, Virginians have shown commitment and resolve to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect one another,” Filler-Corn said in a statement. “Containing the virus required sacrifice that touched every part of daily life. Among those things that changed was how we governed. As many Virginians took to remote work, so did the House.

“Now, with infection rates falling and our commonwealth’s vaccination rollout program among the best in the country, it is time our body returns where it belongs, in the Capitol, in the people’s chamber.”

Filler-Corn’s announcement comes after Gov. Ralph Northam lifted the state’s masking mandate Friday for all vaccinated Virginians, following changes in recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The orders also allow vaccinated people to gather closer than six feet, including indoors.

The last time the House met in its quarters at the state Capitol in Richmond was in the 2020 regular General Assembly session, which concluded in early March 2020, just before the pandemic hit the commonwealth. The April veto session took place under a large tent on the Capitol grounds, while the Virginia State Senate met at the Science Museum of Virginia. Delegates also met briefly at the Virginia Commonwealth University Siegel Center last year, but most of its legislation took place via Zoom last summer and fall during an 84-day special session, as well as the 2021 regular session.

Although the House has not announced when it plans to convene next, it is likely to meet this summer to allocate $4.3 billion in federal stimulus funds toward several initiatives assisting small businesses, unemployment claimants and communities without broadband access.

The state Senate has not yet announced if it will also convene at the state Capitol at the next legislative session.

Chantilly industrial building sold for undisclosed price

A 72,014-square-foot flex/industrial building in Chantilly has been sold, Edge Capital Markets announced last week. The building sold for an undisclosed price, but according to Fairfax County property records, it was assessed for $6.1 million in 2021.

The building, which is 100% leased and occupied by five tenants, is in the Avion Business Park. It was bought by EQT Exeter, with Edge’s Joe Friedman, Christine Kleine, Joshua Norwitz and Wilson Purcell representing the seller, Berkeley Partners, which purchased the building in 2018 at 40% occupancy.

Located near Interstate 66 and the Dulles Toll Road, the building is occupied by Artistic Concepts Group, Antech Diagnostics and Net100.

Governor ends mask mandate for vaccinated people, effective midnight

Following federal recommendations, Gov. Ralph Northam lifted Virginia’s mask mandate Friday, effective at midnight, for all vaccinated Virginians. He also announced Friday afternoon that all distancing and capacity restrictions will be lifted May 28, two weeks sooner than planned.

Masks will still be required at Virginia’s K-12 public schools, because of low vaccination rates among children, the governor said. Also, businesses retain the right to require masks, and employees in restaurants, retail, fitness, personal care and entertainment businesses must continue to wear masks until fully vaccinated, Northam added. He also urged those who are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated to continue covering their faces in “all settings.”

“It’s either a shot or a mask. It’s up to you,” Northam said Friday.

In place since last May, the masking mandate has been one of the most controversial parts of the state’s COVID-19 mitigation measures, causing conflicts at businesses that tried to enforce masks among customers and even closures of a few restaurants that didn’t enforce the rule.

In addition to ending the mask mandate for vaccinated Virginians, the governor said that he will lift all physical distancing measures and capacity limits on May 28, ahead of a previously announced June 15 change. So far, Northam has not released precise details, but in Friday’s announcement, he said Virginia’s pandemic state of emergency will remain in effect at least through June 30, “to provide flexibility for local government and support ongoing COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Gov. Northam will take executive action to ensure individuals have the option to wear masks up to and after that date.”

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance that fully vaccinated people — meaning those who received their final vaccine at least two weeks earlier — no longer need to wear masks or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws. In Virginia, Northam had previously lifted part of the masking mandate to allow fully vaccinated Virginians to shed masks for small outdoor gatherings but still required them at indoor events and crowded outdoor events.

But with Friday’s announcement, delivered via video, Northam said, “Virginians have been working hard, and we are seeing the results in our strong vaccine numbers and dramatically lowered case counts. That’s why we can safely move up the timeline for lifting mitigation measures in Virginia.

“I strongly urge any Virginian who is not yet vaccinated to do so — the vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19. The message is clear: Vaccinations are how we put this pandemic in the rearview mirror and get back to being with the people we love and doing the things we have missed.”

On Thursday, following CDC and Food and Drug Administration approval, the state began allowing children ages 12 and older to receive Pfizer shots, and more than 63% of Virginia’s adult population, or more than 4 million people, have gotten at least one vaccine dose.

Virginians age 12 and older can schedule a vaccination appointment by visiting vaccinate.virginia.gov or calling 877-VAX-IN-VA, and Northam said that the state will have a “day of action” Tuesday to encourage the unvaccinated to get their shots. Vaccine makers have continued testing their shots, with hopes of providing vaccination to even younger children by the fall, possibly those as young as six months.

 

Va. officials ‘reviewing’ new CDC mask guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — meaning they received their final shots at least two weeks earlier — can stop wearing masks and maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor areas. So, what does that mean for Virginia, where a mask mandate has been in place for almost a year?

A spokesperson at the governor’s office, Alena Yarmosky, said Thursday afternoon that Virginia “will continue to follow CDC guidelines, as we have throughout this pandemic. We are reviewing this guidance and expect to have more updates soon.”

Just after 5 p.m., Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted basically the same message, that the state is “reviewing the new mask and distancing recommendations and will update our guidance accordingly.”

This spring, Northam has gradually lifted other pandemic restrictions — including allowing vaccinated Virginians to not wear face coverings when in small, outdoor gatherings earlier this month after a CDC recommendation — but the state’s current executive order still requires people to wear masks indoors and at large, crowded gatherings outdoors.

However, the state has previously changed other policies swiftly after new CDC guidance, such as opening vaccination to children ages 12 and older Wednesday night only an hour after the CDC approved vaccinating younger adolescents.

Meanwhile, the state’s restrictions on gatherings are about to be partially lifted on Saturday, as announced earlier by Northam. Sports and entertainment venues will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity or 1,000 people, and private social gatherings will be allowed to include 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors. Also, alcohol sales after midnight will be allowed, and dining rooms will no longer have to close between midnight and 5 p.m.

The governor’s April 22 announcement regarding changes in policy May 15 noted that masking and social distancing were still required.

“Ultimately this reinforces the importance of getting vaccinated,” Yarmosky said Thursday following the CDC announcement. “Vaccines are our pathway out of this pandemic, and they are how we can all get back to doing what we love. With the expansion of eligibility to everyone 12 and older, more Virginians can get vaccinated than ever before. If you haven’t already, now is the time to get your shot.”

 

Va. sees small decrease in new jobless claims

The fluctuating numbers of initial unemployment claims in Virginia took a break last week, with little change from the previous week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending May 8, 11,270 people submitted new jobless claims, a decrease of 961 claimants from the previous week, or 7.8%.

In April, the number of new claims bounced up and down week after week, including a 171.6% week-over-week increase reported for the April 19-24 filing week.

A year ago, 52,139 Virginians filed initial claims, 78.3% higher than last week.

Continued claims remained fairly steady, with 57,844 filed last week, an increase of 2,649 from the previous week. A year ago, however, 392,673 people filed continued claims, 85.2% higher than last week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

Last week’s initial claims represent “a significant improvement from the roughly 52,000 initial claims filed in same week in 2020,” Dominique Johnson, research associate at Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, said in a statement. “The number of Virginians receiving some form of unemployment benefits increased from the previous week. The general trend, however, shows a continued steady decline from the peak in April 2020. Overall, Virginia’s labor market shows continued improvement, and the expected uptick in economic activity over the coming months should only accelerate the recovery.”

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior four weeks) reported being in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade and health care and social assistance industries, according to the VEC.

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending May 8:

  • Fairfax County, 631
  • Norfolk, 479
  • Richmond, 466
  • Virginia Beach, 463
  • Prince William County, 452
  • Chesapeake, 294
  • Newport News, 286
  • Alexandria, 277
  • Chesterfield County, 274
  • Loudoun County, 253

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 473,000, a decrease of 34,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 2,326,632 initial claims during the same week last year.

Federal judge throws out Chase lawsuit against state Senate

A federal judge tossed out state Sen. Amanda Chase’s civil rights lawsuit against the Virginia State Senate, in which she attempted to get her January censure removed from the public record.

Judge Robert E. Payne of the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia ruled Thursday that the legislative body and Senate Clerk Susan Clarke Schaar, both named as defendants, are eligible for “absolute legislative immunity” and dismissed the suit with prejudice.

Chase, R-Chesterfield, sued the Senate in February, days after she was censured in a 24-9 bipartisan vote for several actions over the past two years, including participating in a pro-Trump rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, hours before supporters of the former president violently breached the U.S. Capitol.

Represented by attorney Tim Anderson of Virginia Beach, Chase said the Senate violated her First Amendment right to freedom of speech and the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment. The suit sought to force Schaar to expunge the record of an earlier version of the censure, which argued that Chase engaged in “fomenting insurrection,” and an injunction to prevent the clerk from publishing the censure resolution in the official Senate journal.

Solicitor General Toby J. Heytens of the state attorney general’s office argued in a February brief seeking dismissal of the suit that both Schaar and the Senate were immune from the suit under sovereign immunity, a tenet of Virginia law that in essence protects the state from civil lawsuits.

Payne agreed in his opinion released Thursday, and bypassed a discussion of “motives of the individual legislators,” because the censure was a “core legislative act” and Chase did not prove that individual senators — not named in the suit — had acted “so far outside ‘the bounds of legislative power’ that the state senators should not be able to claim absolute legislative immunity.”

In a statement, members of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, which voted for Chase’s censure alleging her “failure to uphold her oath of office, misuse of office and conduct unbecoming of a senator” with three Republicans joining them, applauded the decision.

“Sen. Chase’s claims were outlandish and contradictory to her own words,” the statement said. “For a senator who said she would ‘wear the censure as a badge of honor’ to then claim mental anguish is a two-faced attempt to do what is politically expedient instead of what is morally right. Sen. Chase also sought to completely remove any record of the censure from Senate records, which would constitute censorship, while she falsely claims she has been censored by her colleagues.

“As senators, we hold ourselves to a high standard because we are leaders and role models in our community. Sen. Chase’s lawsuit was just another occurrence in her pattern of disrespectful and disorderly behavior, and we are glad to see her contrived complaints be thrown out of court.”

Chase was the first Virginia senator to be censured since 1987, when Norfolk Democrat Peter Balabas was sanctioned for not disclosing a conflict of interest. Although censure doesn’t carry any other penalties in Virginia, Chase is last in seniority in Senate despite having represented Chesterfield County since 2016, and she earlier had been stripped of committee assignments after leaving the Senate Republican Caucus in 2019.

Earlier this week, Chase lost the Republican convention vote for the party’s gubernatorial nomination, coming in third behind nominee Glenn Youngkin and entrepreneur Pete Snyder, but she has left the door open for a possible independent run.

In a Facebook post Friday, Chase did not refer to the ruling but said she plans to “be back on the grid Monday” after a beach vacation and thanked her campaign’s supporters. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the judge’s ruling Thursday.

Vaccination of adolescents age 12+ starting now in Virginia

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approval late Wednesday afternoon, Virginia public health authorities gave their OK to expanding Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shots to children ages 12 and older Wednesday night. In an update Thursday, state vaccination coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said that schools around the state are setting up vaccination clinics beginning Thursday and that other locations such as doctors’ offices and pharmacies are now inviting adolescents for their shots.

One exception: Large community vaccination clinics — including those at Tysons Corner Mall and Gander Mountain in Prince William County — will start offering vaccination on Friday so the vaccine providers can be trained with current federal guidance regarding vaccination of adolescents.

Avula said, for instance, that the CDC has changed its earlier advice about how soon the COVID vaccine can be given after children have gotten other vaccines, such as mumps and measles. The current guidance allows children ages 12 and older to get a COVID shot at the same time as other vaccines they’re receiving, he said, and vaccine administrators need to be able to answer parents’ questions about this and other matters.

The following locations will begin offering vaccination to everyone age 12 and older beginning Friday:

  • Portsmouth – Sportsplex
  • Petersburg – Virginia State University
  • Prince William –Gander Mountain
  • Suffolk – Hilton Garden Inn
  • Fairfax (Tysons) – Tysons Corner Mall
  • Virginia Beach –Virginia Beach Convention Center
  • Newport News –13771 Warwick Boulevard in the former Sherwood Shopping Center
  • Hampton – Hampton Coliseum

Virginia Superintendent for Public Instruction James Layne, who also was on the call, said he’s spoken with many superintendents in recent days, and although he does not have complete figures, many said they plan to have clinics set up at schools where students with signed permission slips from parents or guardians can get their shots. Layne said that unlike other childhood vaccines required by school systems, the COVID vaccine is not required by schools and is not under the Virginia Department of Education’s authority unless the General Assembly passes a law making it so.

Avula said that getting kids vaccinated will likely help stop the spread of COVID; although younger people are more often asymptomatic or get a mild case when infected, those qualities make it more likely they’ll spread the virus to adults around them.

As for adults getting vaccinated, 64% of Virginians age 18 and older have gotten at least a first dose, Avula said, putting the state well on track for President Joe Biden’s goal of 70% of the nation’s adult population vaccinated with one dose by July 4. Avula said his end goal is still to get 75% to 80% of all eligible Virginians (now age 12 and older) vaccinated, and he said health districts, particularly in the Southwest and Roanoke regions, are using creative tactics to make vaccination convenient.

In Roanoke, for example, volunteers are approaching people in a grocery store parking lot where there is a pop-up clinic and offering vaccination right on the spot, and there are bars and college campuses hosting clinics as well.

“I think having the opportunity to talk through this with somebody who’s not going to judge you, who’s not going to shame you is really important at this stage,” Avula said. In places where only 40% of adults have gotten vaccinated, he added, “It’s not that 60% are resistant, it just hasn’t been front of mind for them.”

He added that one growing concern is the 6.7% of Virginians as of Wednesday who have gotten one shot and not their second dose, which is needed for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be fully effective. Early research appears to show that some variants, including the one causing India’s surge, are much more contagious among people who have gotten only their first shot, compared with people who are fully vaccinated.

Finally, although no firm plans have been made, Avula says it is a “daily topic of conversation” among state health officials to possibly start offering incentives for people to get vaccinated, although funding and whether such incentives would be retroactively available to people who got their shots already are areas of discussion, too. In New Jersey, clinics are offering coupons for a free beer in its “Shot and a Beer” program.

To find out where vaccinations are taking place in your community, visit the Vaccinate Virginia site.