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People who can’t make council meetings in Portsmouth can usually watch a video of everything they missed on the city’s YouTube page as soon as the next day. But that didn’t happen last week after hundreds of furious residents packed chambers to capacity and demanded to know whether former police chief Tonya Chapman was pushed out for fighting institutional racism within her ranks. That video was censored. Officials haven’t said why staff sliced out about five minutes public comment from the recording, but speaker Barry Randall's comments included the N-word and the word “ass” amid allegations that council members orchestrated Chapman's firing.
The Virginian-Pilot
Charlottesville Voter Registrar Rosanna Bencoach plans to step down in July. The decision came about the same time that the Electoral Board decided it would seek applicants for the position and Bencoach would have needed to reapply for the job. The board decided in the winter to hold an open application process for the position, according to members and meeting minutes. Board secretary Jim Nix declined to discuss the specific reasons for the board’s decision because it involved personnel. He mentioned a “performance appraisal” and unspecified “issues,” but he also said the board told Bencoach it would welcome her application. Board member Jon Bright declined to comment. Since August, the board has held several closed sessions to discuss personnel and has openly talked about issues with elections and the office, according to meeting minutes. In August, the board held a “prolonged discussion” on several issues, including “office morale,” the minutes say.
The Daily Progress
Warren County Supervisors Chairman Dan Murray commenced a Tuesday meeting with a moment of silence during which he asked those in attendance to “say a prayer for the community that we bring back the peace and tranquility to this beautiful location.” The prayer request came a week after the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority filed a $17 million civil lawsuit against nine defendants over alleged embezzlement. The EDA was an ongoing theme throughout the meeting. “We welcome this opportunity as a way to ensure to the public that county operations do not include any misfeasance or malfeasance. We welcome full transparency,” he said. Murray added that due to the advice of legal counsel, “we have not been allowed to fully disclose what appears to be gross fraud.” He said this confidentiality must continue for there to be a fair trial.
The Northern Virginia Daily
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