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Despite light at the end of the tunnel, JMU continues enforcing COVID-19 guidelines
Even as guidelines have adjusted to recommend three feet of distance between students in K-12 schools and a growing number of students receive vaccines, JMU continues to enforce on- and off-campus COVID-19 rules that were part of a “Stop the Spread” contract all students had to sign before returning to campus last fall.
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Area’s state legislators paint a mostly gloomy picture of 2021 session
From the abrupt legalization of marijuana to a plethora of bills they deem bad for business and public safety, the area’s five Republican legislators had little to celebrate as they recapped this year’s General Assembly session Thursday.
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Lucy Simms historic marker is part of an effort to reflect more of Virginia’s past
A historical marker will go up in front of the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center later this year as one of 16 new historical markers approved for 2021 — signs meant to show more about Virginia’s history than battlefields and presidential birthplaces.
School board addresses inclusivity, racial issues and oppression
Hours after a jury in Minnesota found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on three charges in the killing of George Floyd, the Harrisonburg City School Board acknowledged the verdict at its meeting.
How the pandemic has affected the area’s criminal justice system
People reported fewer crimes overall in Harrisonburg over the last year. And fewer defendants stayed in jail as they awaited trial. At the same time, though, many of those trials have been delayed, forcing the courts to put in overtime in order to catch up on the backlog of cases. Harrisonburg and Rockingham County’s criminal justice system — like many facets of life — has operated a little differently since the pandemic began, in some cases prompting prosecutors and judges to adapt and make exceptions they wouldn’t normally do.
Juniper Hill developers to offer a sneak peek at the properties and explain the cohousing concept
To celebrate National Cohousing Day on April 24, the organization Harrisonburg Cohousing will host an open house of the recently-approved development, Juniper Hill Commons, a multigenerational planned community on Keezletown Road. The organization is continuing to work on details of a comprehensive site plan to submit to the city for further approval. But the open house will serve to introduce members of the community to the cohousing concept and potentially to their future homes.
Community Perspective: Harrisonburg public schools’ task force on SROs
Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) announced in January 2021 the launching of a task force that would seek public input on School Resource Officers, or SROs. As reported by The Citizen on Jan. 6, and on Feb. 17, school officials announced that among the multiple actions of the taskforce, it would conduct research, surveys, a listening tour, and provide recommendations to the school board about whether police officers should be present in school buildings and, if so, what their roles should be.
Hope, excitement and relief as more Valley residents get vaccinated
Now that this part of the Valley has officially shifted to vaccinating people in Phase 2, area adults — including college students — are lining up to get their shots. The Central Shenandoah Health District spent three months working to vaccinate those in Phase 1b, which included first responders, grocery store workers, food processing and agriculture workers — including those who work in area poultry plants — and adults with underlying health issues and all those over 65. It only took 10 days to get through those in Phase 1c, which includes other essential workers, in the area because it was a smaller group and vaccine doses were more available.
