It’s almost like I could predict the future. But truly, anyone could have seen this coming. That’s how it always goes. Government says it needs more leeway so it can capitalize on technological advances, saving time, saving money, and being efficient. Anyone who holds up a yellow caution flag is dismissed as being against progress, unympathetic to challenges and obstacles, only satisfied if everything is open all the time. Their motives may be pure, and they really want to keep the public’s interest in mind, but it’s just plain human (or, organizational) nature. It’s the gradual erosion of limits.

Martinsville Sheriff’s Deputy Reva Keen has filed a response to a civil rights lawsuit filed by Martinsville Councilman Aaron Rawls against Keen and Martinsville City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides. Keen said that Mayor Jones attempted to ask council member Asron Rawls to finish up his comments, and Rawls gave him what “appeared to be a non-verbal signal that he would refuse to stop speaking.” “Councilman Rawls then began insulting certain citizens attending the city council meeting, saying that they had ‘everyone dressed up in their little costumes,’ and that ‘a bunch of you guys got called up in advance, and I can guess what they told you: Hey, we have big old racist here and you’re all being threatened by it and we need you here to support us.’” Jones banged his gavel and told Rawls to “fall in order.” Rawls told Jones he didn’t understand what he meant. Jones repeated his request, and Rawls kept speaking, Keen said in her response. “Around this time, City Manager Ferrell-Benavides looked at me and nodded towards me and Councilman Rawls, which I understood to be a non-verbal instruction to remove Councilman Rawls from the building,” Keen said in her response. “My understanding was, in part, based on a prior occasion when City Manager Ferrell-Benavides made a similar gesture to deputies to remove someone being disruptive.”

Several members of the Purcellville Town Council met on Saturday to outline strategic goals for the coming years and develop a working plan to implement them. The meeting was attended by Mayor Christopher Bertaut and councilmembers Carol Luke and Susan Khalil. Vice Mayor Ben Nett also attended but left the meeting after the first hour of the six-hour session. Conflict surfaced earlier this month when Bertaut scheduled the strategic retreat while councilmembers Erin Rayner and Kevin Wright were out of town. Caleb Stought also opposed attending saying it was the same day as the town’s Wine and Food festival and requesting that the date be moved. Bertaut said it was an important meeting and should be a priority for councilmembers.

King William’s new library board of trustees has threatened to resign en masse amid tensions with the county and the recently set up private library system. “The only financial document that we have received to date is in the fiscal contract between the county and LS&S,” Library chair Ashley Herndon said. She called for monthly financial reports from county staff and the private library company. Herndon also said the library board is out of the loop of policy enforcement. “We do not have any mechanism in place for the evaluation or accountability of enforcing these policies with LS&S,” she said. Herndon said the trustees were not included in LS&S’s recent application for state aid. She said the board’s approved policies were not being implemented by the time the West Point library opened.
NOTE: It’s frustrating when you can’t get the information you need to hold institutions you fund accountable. #FOIA