Authorities thwart assault attempt in Richmond
ABC news reports that Richmond Authorities thwarted an assault attempt near Richmond July 4.
Richmond Police and U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents and FBI reported Wed. July 6 the arrest of two roommates in connection to a attempted mass shooting.
Two men are in custody after a hero citizen overheard the men planning the assault.
The citizen told police what he heard which led to the raid of the two men’s apartment.
Authorities entered the apartment to find multiple guns including assault weapons in plain view.
The assault was planned for the Dogwood Dell Independence Day celebration in Richmond July 4.
The raid on the apartment took place July 1 with men being charged with being a non US citizen in possession of a firearm with additional charges expected.
Both 52 year old Julio Alvardo-Dubon and 38 year old Rolman Balacarcel are being held without bond in a Richmond area jail.
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VA. will remove the pedestal that held the Robert E. Lee statue
An email from Governor Northam confirmed that the pedestal that held Robert E. Lee’s statue will be removed.
Virginia began removing the structure today Mon. Dec. 6 with the project expected to be complete by Dec. 31.
The Commonwealth will safely disassemble and store the pedestal until the next steps have been determined.
The circle the statue stood on will become the property of the City of Richmond.
The Governor went on to say that Richmonders will determine what happens with the piece of property in the middle of the city.
The 1887 time capsule from the pedestal will remain under the control of the sate and removed for preservation.
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A new time capsule has replaced the old one in the pedestal of the Lee statue
Gov. Northam announced that a new time capsule will replace the old one in the Robert E. Lee statue.
The old time capsule was placed in the removed statue’s concrete pedestal back in 1887.
It’s believed that a possible 60 items were placed in the original capsule which will be given to the Department of Historic Resources.
The new time capsule contains 39 items that reflect Virginia and the nation’s history today.
Should the concrete pedestal also be removed the new capsule will be removed and buried elsewhere.
The largest confederate monument in the south was removed earlier today Sept. 8 with a link for watching the removal here.
The 12 ton statue of the Confederate General was disassembled and is to be placed in secure storage at a state facility until an appropriate location is chosen for display.
The 40 foot tall pedestal is to remain until a decision is made on if it will be used in the re-imagining of Monument Ave. in Richmond.
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VA. Supreme Court clears the way for removing the biggest monument
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the Commonwealth affirming authority to remove the largest confederate monument in the South.
The 12 ton 21 foot tall statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond will be removed.
The process involves many agencies and will take several days to accomplish.
Concerns over security, street closures and equipment required to move such a structure will have to be considered.
This is expected to be a multi day process that can be monitor at the VAMonument2021 Facebook page.
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Northam updates mask mandate to align with new CDC guidance
By Associated Press | Published Apr. 30, 2021 7:00 a.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday updated the state’s mask mandate to align it with newly relaxed guidelines issued earlier this week by the federal government.
For most of the past year, the CDC had been advising Americans to wear masks outdoors if they were within 6 feet of one another. On Tuesday, the CDC said fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore outdoors unless they are in a big crowd of strangers.
Mask use is still required indoors and outdoors at large crowded events like concerts, sporting events, and graduation ceremonies, Northam’s office said in a news release.
The Democratic governor also revised his executive order governing pandemic-related restrictions to allow up to 1,000 spectators for outdoor recreational sports, effective immediately.
The move advances by two weeks a change that was scheduled to go into effect on May 15.
Northam has previously said he expects to be able to roll back the state’s remaining capacity limits in mid-June as long as Virginia’s virus-related metrics remain stable and vaccination progress continues.
(All contents © copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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