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NOTE: We will have our own genealogy stars on a panel at our annual conference. Click to find out more.
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There was no newsletter yesterday, March 26, and this newsletter is late because I spent the morning talking about FOIA in Professor Jeff South's VCU capital news service class. Thanks, Jeff. Thanks, Rams!
A genealogist never forgets where she hits pay dirt, and so it is with Kenyatta D. Berry, co-host of PBS’ “Genealogy Roadshow,” which is why the Library of Virginia occupies a special place in her heart. “Oh my gosh! I love it,” Berry said in a phone interview Monday. It was while she was scrolling through microfilm at the library some years ago that she came upon her fourth-great-grandfather’s labor contract in the aftermath of the Civil War. It was a great find that opened new avenues into her family history. Berry returns to the library this Wednesday to talk about genealogy, family history and her new book, “The Family Tree Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Uncovering Your Ancestry and Researching Genealogy.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Former Portsmouth Police Chief Tonya Chapman said in a statement Monday morning that she was forced to resign after attempting to change the department's culture of bias and systemic racism. Chapman abruptly resigned on March 18 after more than three years on the job. The announcement of her exit was sent via a city spokesperson with little explanation. Questions have swirled for days. Chapman abruptly resigned on March 18 after more than three years on the job. The announcement of her exit was sent via a city spokesperson with little explanation. Questions have swirled for days. She wrote that City Manager Lydia Pettis Patton asked for her resignation and said if she did not sign a pre-written letter of resignation, she would terminate her. She said she was offered two months pay. "Citizens of Portsmouth, I ask you, if I had done anything to warrant my immediate dismissal, would I have been offered a severance?" she wrote.
The Virginian-Pilot
A judge gave the go ahead last week to a defamation lawsuit filed by Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Tom Sayre against former Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority director Jennifer McDonald. Sayre’s defamation case centers around a 2017 incident in which a rock was thrown through a door at McDonald’s house. Court filings state that Sayre believes McDonald framed him for the incident after he inquired about an EDA workforce housing project. A note found at McDonald’s house the night the rock was thrown gave a series of instructions on how to carry out the crime. It stated at the end “do not call Tom during business hours” and Sayre's number was listed at the end of the note. In February, McDonald filed a defamation suit against Sayre in Circuit Court. It seeks $250,000 for damage to her reputation, emotional distress and anguish. She is also seeking $350,000 in punitive damages. The case filing for that lawsuit states that Sayre spread rumors to “anyone who will listen” that McDonald attempted to frame him for a crime.
The Northern Virginia Daily
Although three people arrested during a protest at an Albemarle County School Board meeting appeared in court Tuesday, it was county officials who were in the hot seat. Sabr Lyon, 30, and Andrea Massey, 48, appeared on trespassing charges in Albemarle County Circuit Court. Francis Richards, 63, appeared on charges of trespassing and obstruction of justice. Lyon, Massey and Richards were among six people arrested at an emergency Albemarle County School Board meeting in August that devolved into chaos over the division’s dress code policy. Since that meeting, Superintendent Matt Haas has issued guidance to school officials to effectively ban Confederate images. Defense attorneys argued that then-School Board Chairwoman Kate Acuff and County Executive Jeff Richardson violated their clients’ First Amendment rights by ejecting them from the meeting. Because they were unconstitutionally ejected, the defense argued, they shouldn’t have been arrested.
The Daily Progress
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