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A conservative group that advocates for government transparency has filed a lawsuit against Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax over a denied public records request. Judicial Watch and Virginia resident William Marshall are asking for a year’s worth of instant chats, emails and text messages between Fairfax and his staffers about sexual assault allegations that were brought against the Lt. Governor in February. Marshall submitted an open records request in June, seeking messages specifically discussing rape, sexual assault, Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh. The petitioner also sought any communications regarding the possibility of Fairfax resigning. Fairfax’ office denied the records request in July citing exemptions in Virginia public records law that apply to correspondence to and from the Lt. Governor, the Governor and members of the General Assembly.
WCVE
Bids to install safety vestibules and modify restrooms to meet standards for the federal Americans with Disabilities Act at three city elementary schools are more than twice the amount of funds designated for the projects. School officials opened the bids for the three schools from a single bidder last Thursday afternoon, and the $466,000 total far exceeded the $200,000 the City Council set aside for the work. The Herald Courier obtained that information through a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request.
Bristol Herald Courier
Roanoke’s municipal auditor questioned actions and practices by leaders of the city’s general services and parks departments in investigative reports presented to the city’s audit committee Wednesday. One report said a $700 lunch for 100 city employees, paid for by a vendor who supplied new garbage trucks to the city, violated both state procurement law and city policy, something the official who requested the lunch had been advised of ahead of time. The city manager’s office did not dispute the report’s findings but criticized it for unnecessarily impugning the director of general service’s character. Another report found lax handling of employee overtime and leave time by the parks and recreation department that may violate federal labor law, as well as loose controls on cash and outdoors equipment provided to the parks and recreation department by event sponsors. A third report also released Wednesday outlined improper expenditures allowed by a former adult services program supervisors who is now deceased.
The Roanoke Times
Chaz Haywood, clerk of the circuit court for Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, announced Thursday that the Library of Virginia had awarded the circuit court preservation grants to restore and preserve historical records. Six deed books ranging from the 1770s-1880s will be preserved under the grant funding. In total, the Library of Virginia awarded more than $24,000 in grants to the circuit court. “As the keeper of the records, it is my intention to preserve and make accessible all records in my care for the citizens to whom they belong,” Haywood said.
Daily News Record
Former Augusta County supervisor Terry Kelley Jr. pleaded guilty to five counts of credit card theft, fraud and forgery on Thursday. He will serve a total of three months and it could be served as house arrest. Kelley, 55, faced 22 counts related to credit card theft, fraud and forgery following an Augusta County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the misuse of a county fire department fleet fuel credit card.
The News Virginian
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