Tln2316

L

EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

WEDNESDAYS • Feb. 3, 2016

‘

INSIDE

Ending gender discrimination in Va. - 3 Most support juvenile justice reform - 5 ‘Spies’ star power for Va. govenor- 10 Leaders discuss student debt crisis - 12

Richmond & Hampton Roads

LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE

How a routine traffic stop turned into six months in solitary confinement TERRENCE MCCOY

He can’t forget the first day. White walls. Room the size of a ping-pong table. The silence.

It came in November 2014. Kevin Bushrod Jr. said he didn’t understand why he was isolated. A cop had pulled him over for driving on a suspended license. He tried to escape. The cop shot him in the left shoulder. Bushrod, a former top athlete at a Bible college, was charged with assault on an officer while armed — the car was the weapon.

And now, he was here. Facing years in prison.

Alone in a cell with little beyond a steel toilet and sink.

Bushrod, whose medical records show that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, said he waited until evening so he could be sure that guards wouldn’t check on him. He said he wept, pulling the sheet off his bed. He said he folded it into a noose. He said he tied one end to the top of a bunk bed and slowly lowered himself.

And, he said, when he realized he couldn’t even successfully kill himself, he felt a sense of failure so profound he could barely catch his breath. This was Bushrod’s first day in Washington, D.C.’s Special Management Unit — but it wouldn’t be his last. Six months he would spend in isolation in the darkest corner of the city’s jail system, wondering why he was there and when, if ever, he would get out.

The use of solitary confinement has reached a watershed moment in the United States. Most experts — from correctional officials to academics — agree that the hardships placed upon thousands of isolated prisoners, some of whom are mentally ill, push them to a dangerous place. President Barack Obama, citing the “devastating, lasting psychological consequences” solitary confinement can inflict, announced a ban this week on isolating juveniles in federal prisons and reduced the maximum number of days federal inmates can be isolated for a first offense from 365 days to 60.

Making friends with a ‘murderer’ — and proving

Kevin Bushrod Sr. sits at his dining room table in Northern Virginia, and talks about his son, Kevin. The younger Bushrod spent six months in solitary confinement. WaPo

Zha Zha Bushrod is seen with her brother, Kevin Bushrod Jr., in an undated family photo.

he’s innocent The reforms, however, will do nothing to change the circumstances of the vast majority of the nation’s isolated inmates. Roughly 90 percent of these prisoners, like Bushrod, are held at state and county facilities — each with its own procedures, data-keeping methods and definitions of confinement. A smattering of states — New York, Colorado and California — have promised to reduce the number of inmates in solitary confinement and how long they can stay there.

But for many institutions, that path is strewn with challenges. Isolation has been a pillar of American justice since the 1800s and remains one of the first methods institutions use to punish and protect inmates.

“It is a needed tool within correctional management,” said Thomas N. Faust, director of the D.C. Department of Corrections. “And within my opinion, it’s a tool that corrections have to have. However, I think that we need to do a better job of it.”

A national survey released in September, conducted by Yale Law School and the Association of State Correctional Administrators, suggested that between 80,000 and 100,000 inmates are in isolated confinement — roughly the same estimate as a decade ago.

“It’s really hard to turn the Titanic,” said Deborah Golden, director of the D.C. Prisoners’ Project of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

Reform at the state level “can’t be created overnight,” she added. “Facilities need to be built and designed, and people need to be hired. And the problem is that government bureaucracy is slow.”

Another problem, underscored by Obama’s call for greater transparency, is institutional opacity.

Some facilities don’t keep records or disclose how often they isolate prisoners.

“Lack of data and transparency is the baseline problem for systems across the country,” said Amy Fettig, senior staff counsel of the National

(continued on page 2)

Celebrate Black History Month with The Legacy

2 • Feb. 3, 2016

The LEGACY

News

Prison Project at the American Civil Liberties Union. “If a system is never held accountable for results it produces or if their results are so poor it’s in their interest not to track data, then you arrive at the systems we currently have — billions of dollars spent for no clear reason, with no evidence to support why American taxpayers are funding a practice.”

A hidden world District officials, responding to a ­public-records request, reported that nearly 2,100 inmates were placed into isolation between 2012 and 2014 and spent an average of at least 54 days there.

Some of the information provided in the response, however, appeared to show that the Department of Corrections wasn’t following its policies. The agency isolated 2,071 inmates in pre-hearing detention for an average of nearly eight weeks, according to the report. The department’s program manual says inmates should spend at most seven days in pre-hearing detention, where prisoners await disciplinary hearings in segregated cells.

When asked to explain that discrepancy, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Sylvia Lane said about half of the data the agency provided the media was wrong. Some data, she said, was taken “from an incorrect data column” and other information was collected “in error.” She said only 1,373 inmates went into prehearing detention between 2012 and 2014 — not 2,071. Because of faulty record keeping, the agency couldn’t determine the length of time that inmates had spent in pre-hearing detention.

“Because the electronic records system had not been updated in a timely manner to reflect appropriate status changes . . . inaccurately long time periods remained on the record,” Lane wrote in an email. Lane added: “Our issue is not adherence to the policy, but lack of timeliness in records system documentation.”

Between January and August 2015, Lane said, the agency had placed 209 inmates into pre-hearing detention.

The error didn’t surprise Keramet

Reiter, a professor at the University of California at Irvine who has studied the correctional system.

“Why would you keep data . . . when you do keep data you tend to get criticized?” she said. Solitary confinement, she said, is even more hidden because “it’s a prison within a prison.”

The most inscrutable pocket, experts agree, is administrative segregation. Unlike disciplinary detention, which often has clear procedural guidelines and time limits, this isolation unit has fewer encumbrances. In the District, jail officials reserve it for prisoners considered an escape risk or a danger to others or the institution, and they wield wide discretion in deciding who fits that bill. Inmates don’t receive legal representation to contest that reasoning.

And, in late 2014, this was exactly where Bushrod found himself.

‘It makes you go crazy in the head’ He had seen the inside of a jail before. A product of what court records call an alcoholic mom and an absent father, the 29-year-old grew up in Northeast Washington and later picked up convictions for possession of cocaine, attempting to carry a pistol without a permit and attempted robbery.

But Bushrod didn’t think he would see the inside again. He thought he had turned his life around.

Between 2010 and 2012, he attended Washington Bible College, pulling in A’s and B’s his first two semesters, his college transcript says. He got on the basketball team and played three seasons. “He was one of our leading scorers and rebounders and made his presence known in each game,” Brian Smith, the college’s athletic director, wrote in court papers. He preached at the City of Zion Church in Laurel, Md., “becoming a role-model for young men in and outside of the church,” one psychologist added in a court letter.

And now, here he was again, inside a cell — but this one was different.

Bushrod had only five hours per week outside its confines, and he quickly felt demons tugging at his thoughts. The police officer’s gunshot had “shattered” his left humerus, D.C. Department of Corrections

medical records show, and would “likely exacerbate” his PTSD. Bushrod had just tumbled into administrative segregation, where inmates have spent years.

Between 2012 and 2014, more than 170 inmates at the Department of Corrections were placed into administrative segregation, records show, spending an average of nearly 19 weeks. Others did considerably longer stints. One inmate did 1,231 days. Another spent 804 days. One more spent 510 days.

The agency’s program manual says a panel of three employees, called the Housing Board, holds frequent hearings with inmates, explains why they warrant segregation and affords them an opportunity to dispute that rationale.

But the jail doesn’t record the frequency of these meetings, how often inmates appeal its decisions or the number of prisoners found to be a danger or an escape risk.

Oluwasegun Obebe, the correctional facility’s records official, said two people sit on the Housing Board — Winifred Hawkins and Shelena Johnson — not three.

Four inmates who spent time in administrative segregation in the past five years said in interviews they couldn’t recall Housing Board hearings as they are described in the agency’s program manual. “They are supposed to have three people on the Housing Board, but there is only one woman making the decision,” said Leonard Johnson, who has spent 17 months in administrative segregation. “My mom was trying to speak with someone higher up, but they’re giving her the runaround.”

Romeo Hayes, who spent more than nine months in administrative segregation following his arrest in August 2014, recalled the same.

Authorities say he and several others departed a club near Union Station, fired at an off-duty officer and tried to carjack another off-duty officer, shooting him four times.

He immediately landed in administrative segregation, he said, without any clear reason. He didn’t know what to tell his family. The uncertainty, Hayes said, was “like torture.” “It makes you go crazy in the head,” said Hayes, who has

difficulty remembering what he did during his nine months in isolation.

“I never thought I’d get out.” He later pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill and is awaiting sentencing.

His attorney, Nikki Lotze, lamented his isolation at a court hearing in January 2015. “Mr. Hayes allegedly shot at police officers, and my fear is that it’s that — for that reason, he’s being, you know, additionally penalized by [being] put in the hole, and that’s something that the Department of Corrections would never say,” Lotze told a judge, according to a transcript. She added: “It seems clear that’s what’s going on, and that seems completely not right.”

Faust, the jail director, disputed assertions that inmates don’t know why they are segregated. “This isn’t done absent of the inmate,” he said. Lane, the jail’s spokeswoman, said separately that the hearings “are conducted as described in the program policy. . . . We seriously question the accuracy of the four inmates’ stated recollection.”

The agency denied two requests for documentation showing Bushrod’s interactions with the Housing Board.

The second carried a consent form filled out by Bushrod. He asked for the release of records showing “all appointments.” Obebe, the records manager, said Bushrod didn’t specifically refer to the Housing Board — and denied the request.

Bushrod said the process was pretty simple. Every few weeks, he said, one female employee would come by his cell. “She used to give me a form to sign every month [saying] that they had a board hearing and this was the decision they made,” he said. “I would just sign it and get her out of my face. There were no hearings.”

Vindication — then disappointment The patient “presents with extremely depressed mood, withdrawn affect, negative outlook,” the medical examiner wrote in November. Bushrod, following two months in isolation under medical supervision, was trying to adjust to the Special Management Unit.

(continued on page 17)

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 3, 2016 • 3

Va. Senate passes bill to end housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity For the first time in nine Virginia General Assembly sessions, legislative efforts to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Virginians from housing discrimination was successful in at least one chamber.

Numerous state senators and delegates have introduced similar bills aimed at ending this type of housing discrimination since at least 1994, the furthest back one can search online bill archives of the Virginia Legislative Information System. In all eight preceding sessions (ranging from 1997 to 2015),

the bills have failed to report from committee. However, this session, Sen. Jennifer Wexton’s SB67 passed the Senate General Laws Committee (10-4) and cleared the full Senate 2515. The measure now crosses over to the Virginia House of Delegates.

“It makes no sense to consider someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity when deciding whether to rent or sell a home to them,” declared Sen. Wexton.

She continued, “I am pleased my colleagues in the Senate finally saw fit to outlaw this invidious discrimination. I hope the House of

Delegates follows suit.”

In 2014 and 2015, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME) conducted a study into the prevalence of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads rental markets.

Outcomes showed a 44 percent rate of discrimination against same-sex couples as compared to equallyqualified straight couples in their search for housing.

Supporting housing nondiscrimination legislation in Virginia has been paramount for HOME. Heather Crislip, president and CEO of HOME stated that, “Housing opportunities should be based on someone’s ability to qualify, not on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Virginia Senate’s support of SB67 helps us fulfill our mission of ensuring equal access to housing for all Virginians.”

State Del. Marcus Simon has introduced an identical measure in

the House of Delegates this session.

The fate of his HB300, however, is unclear, as it has not yet been referred to a subcommittee. Del. Simon took the seat previously held

by Del. Jim Scott, who tried three times (2006, 2008, 2009) to add these protections into law. Following in those footsteps, Del. Simon said, "All Virginians should be treated equally in the housing market. HOME’s study raises serious doubts as to whether that is true for same-sex couples in Virginia. I look forward to the day when all Virginians are judged on their merits when seeking a place to live and make their home.”

Del. Scott Taylor is also a chief copatron on HB300.

Delegates David Toscano and Mark Levine have introduced bills that aim to halt discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and other contexts (HBs 913 and 1005, respectively). HOME strongly supports those bills.

Court hears transgender student’s appeal to use restroom SARAH KING| Capital News Service At 15 years old, Gavin Grimm stood before the Gloucester County School Board – twice – and listened to community members discuss his anatomy in a public forum.

“I was terrified,” Grimm, now in his junior year at Gloucester High School, said this week. “I was in a room full of adults who thought it appropriate to have this sort of vulgar discussion, who would clap or cheer after every derogatory statement, of which there were many.”

Grimm lives and identifies as male – and has been taking hormone therapy as recommended treatment for gender dysphoria. But the Gloucester school system has prohibited him from using the boys’ restrooms at the high school.

On Wednesday, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit to argue that the school district is violating Grimm’s constitutional rights by requiring transgender students to

use “alternative, private” restrooms.

The ACLU, which represents Grimm, said Gloucester’s policy violates federal nondiscrimination laws under Title IX and the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This is the first time that a federal court of appeals is considering the issue.

“Both sides presented arguments, and we now have to wait for the court to issue a ruling,” said Bill Farrar, director of public relations at the ACLU of Virginia. “Our best guess is that will take a couple of months.”

As Grimm began his sophomore year in fall 2014, he and his mother notified school administrators about Grimm’s gender identity, and he was given permission to use the boys’ bathroom. Grimm did so for almost two months without any incident, according to a brief the ACLU filed with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

But on Dec. 9, 2014, the School Board adopted the new policy by a vote of 6-1, and Grimm has had to use an isolated restroom in the nurse’s office ever since.

“The trek to the restroom in the nurse’s office each time it was necessary was similarly humiliating, similarly upsetting and ‘othering’ and dysphoria-inducing,” Grimm said in a statement Wednesday. “The only difference was that it was just slightly less conspicuous.”

Specifically, Grimm said the School Board passed a policy limiting the use of restroom facilities to students with “corresponding biological genders” and required students with “gender identity issues” to use

alternative facilities.

“Even if we use the separate but equal framework, it’s clearly not equal,” Joshua Block, senior staff attorney for the ACLU, said at a press conference after the appeals court hearing. “It’s basically a restroom from a converted closet that only Gavin has to use because other people hypothetically object to using the same restroom as him.”

In June, the ACLU filed a motion for a preliminary injunction with the U.S. District Court in Newport News.

4 • Feb. 3, 2016

The LEGACY

50 new jobs coming to Newport News

diversify and build a new Virginia Printpack, one of the largest in St. #4 (mailing)converters • 105 1/2 St. (office) flexible packaging inE. Clay economy.

“My proposed budget includes Richmond, VAinvest 23219 the United States, will $25.7 million to expand 644-1550 (office)its • manufacturing 1-800-783-8062 funding (fax) to strengthen Virginia’s workforce system and economic operation in the city of Newport ads@legacynewspaper.com development programs to make the News. Virginia successfully Commonwealth even more attractive competed against Missouri for the which create 50X new jobs to companies like this.”

Adproject, Size: 6.3 incheswill (1 column(s) 6.3 inches) Founded in 1956 and in a region that has been hard hit by 1 Issue $88 headquartered in Atlanta, Printpack federal defense cuts.

2 Issues - $176 is a privately-held manufacturer of “Printpack’s continued success in 3 Issues - $264 flexible and specialty rigid packaging.

Hampton Roads is reflective of the Rate: $17 per column inch Employing 4,000-plus associates outstanding climate Virginia has Discounted rate: $14 per column inch worldwide, the company operates to offer manufacturing companies,” Upcoming run dates said Gov. Terry McAuliffe. “Creating 25 manufacturing facilities in the 13, 2016 new jobs in Jan. the manufacturing sector United States, Mexico and China.

Jan. 20, in 2016 “We are pleased to be expanding is a key component our efforts to Jan. 27, 2016

Hampton Sheriff’s Office Committed to Excellence

NOW HIRING

Sheriff’s Deputies Part-Time DCJS CERTIFIED Courts Security Full-Time LPNS Part-Time LPNS Medical Assistant Part-Time Dentist Part-Time Dental Assistant Part-Time CDL Bus Driver IT Support Specialist (With knowledge of WEB design) Join us at our Applicant Orientation Sessions!

CIRCUIT COURT 101 Kings Way Hampton, VA 23669 TUESDAYS at 1:30 p.m.

Feb: 9, 16 THURSDAYS at 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 4, 11, 18 For additional Applicant Orientation Sessions, visit: hampton.gov/sheriff Please arrive on time Do not bring cell phones, weapons, contraband or children to meetings.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Visit legacynewspaper. com for more stories about your local community.

our business in Virginia and are very appreciative of the support from the Governor, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and the City of Newport News,” said Jim Stevenson, director of operations, Printpack.

“Printpack pioneered the barrier rigid container business in Virginia in 1984 and we have been growing here ever since. After considering other locations for our expansion, we decided to expand in Virginia largely because our well-established, capable workforce provides us a solid base of expertise to build upon. Additionally, strong relationships with and

support from our local governments made expansion in Virginia a solid decision.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the city of Newport News to secure the project for Virginia.

McAuliffe approved a $150,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Newport News with the project.

The governor also approved a $200,000 performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Partnership program, an incentive available to existing Virginia companies.

Foundations join forces to host Give Local 757 Largest fundraising event in Hampton Roads history Three Hampton Road community foundations have come together in an unprecedented partnership to host the 3rd annual Give Local 757 event.

The Hampton Roads, Peninsula and Southeast Virginia Community foundations are joining forces with a goal of raising $1 million over 24 hours for over 200 local nonprofits on May 3. Last year, Give Local 757 had notable success, raising $430,000 in 24 hours for 155 nonprofits. Over 4,000 donations were received from every state in the country and from as far away as Hong Kong.

This year, local businesses are stepping up to support the event.

Ferguson Enterprises and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence are both hosting intensive Social Media training for participating nonprofits in February.

Channel 13 and Sinclair Communications (owner of six local radio stations) have come on board to help promote the event. Bank of America contributed $10,000 for the grand prizes and Langley Federal Credit Union is making each of their branches donations sites the day of the event for those who wish to donate by check. A total of $45,000

Stephanie Calway has been raised for the incentive prize pool which will amplify what donations are made on the day of the event.

“We were thrilled with the results of Give Local,” said Stephanie Calway from the Southeast Virginia Community Foundation. “We asked our community to embrace this campaign and they responded beyond our wildest dreams. Most importantly, we proved that when our community comes together as one, we can make great things happen.”

Give Local 757 was born out of Give Local America, an initiative created by the Council on Foundations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first community foundation. Hundreds of communities from across the country have participated the last two years and over $110 million raised during the 24 hour event. According to Giving USA, which tracks charitable giving in the United States, Americans donated an estimated $358.38 Billion to charity in 2014, the highest total in the report’s 60-year history. Online giving is the fastest growing platform in philanthropy and has greatly contributed to the increase.

“This event is a fantastic opportunity for nonprofits to tell their stories, attract new donors, and raise much-needed unrestricted funds,” said Tammy Flynn, the Peninsula Community Foundation’s director of philanthropy, “Nonprofits that aren’t using this platform are missing out and the foundations are hosting the event to help fill this gap.”

Nonprofits can register to participate on the website until Feb. 15.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 3, 2016 • 5

Poll: Public supports reforms in juvenile justice, parole, sex offender registry and firearm possession With the General Assembly in its biannual budget session, many policymakers are focused on public safety reforms as an avenue to not only enhance the equity of the criminal justice system but also to ensure its fiscal efficiency.

The recent “2016 Commonwealth Poll: Public Safety” conducted by the Office of Public Policy Outreach in the Center for Public Policy at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, found strong support for the proposal put forth by the Department of Juvenile Justice to close the state’s remaining two large, centralized juvenile correctional centers and replace them with a network of smaller, local community-based treatment alternatives.

More than eight out of 10 (84 percent) support juvenile justice reforms that would reduce the use of large, adult-style incarceration facilities and instead use smaller, community-based therapeutic centers for juvenile offenders. The support for such reforms was the strongest among Democrats (91 percent) and those residing in the Tidewater (80 percent) and Northern Virginia (91 percent) regions.

There was also strong support (81 percent) for reinvestment of funds for localities that choose to incarcerate fewer juveniles by using communitybased programs. Moving toward community-based programs to treat juvenile offenders is not the only reform Virginians support, the poll shows.

“More than half the people polled think that juveniles convicted of nonviolent sex offenses should not be placed on the sex offender registry,” said Robyn McDougle, Ph.D., faculty director of the Office of Public Policy Outreach and an associate professor of criminal justice at the VCU Wilder School. “Citizens around the commonwealth are supportive

of treating most juvenile offenders differently than adults.”

The poll was conducted in a firstever partnership with the office of the Virginia secretary of public safety and homeland security.

“The poll confirms our belief that there is a strong, bipartisan majority of Virginians who understand that we must treat juvenile offenders differently than adults in order to improve public safety, reduce recidivism and provide the best opportunity for these young people to become productive citizens,” said Brian Moran, Virginia secretary of public safety and homeland security.

Along with juvenile justice, reforming the parole system in Virginia has also been the focus of recent debate. This past summer, the governor’s parole review commission examined the current policies and practices in an attempt to reform the state’s current process. Over threequarters of Virginians (76 percent) polled agreed that parole should be reinstated in the state.

“However, the fact that more than 75 percent of those supporting reinstating parole limited it to nonviolent offenders, and the impact of ‘truth in sentencing’ highlights the complexities surrounding this policy debate,” McDougle said.

Lawmakers in Virginia and around the country regularly debate firearms ownership, and this year is no different. Several firearms bills are pending in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Poll responses indicate strong support for certain aspects of firearms purchase reforms, specifically those focused on domestic violence. Most people (64 percent) support denying firearms purchases to people with outstanding restraining orders. Eighty-eight percent support current Virginia law denying firearms purchases to anyone with a domestic violence conviction.

Changes could be coming to federal laws on juvenile incarceration, as Congress is expected to take up a revision of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Wisconsin juvenile advocates have The 2016 Commonwealth Poll: Public Safety, conducted by the Center for Public Policy at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, obtained telephone interviews with a representative sample of 931 adults living in Virginia.

BANKRUPTCY BANKRUPTCY NIKKI WHITE

377-9431

Call Anytime 24-7

Hours: Weekdays Mondays thru Friday

Saturday and Evening Appointments Available

Offices in convenient locations

BANKRUPTCY

"7" Bankruptcy or "13" Debt Adjustment First fee payment

$100

Tell bill collectors to "Call My Lawyer" *Other legal services available*

Law Office of White & Associates P.C. 9101 Midlothian Turnpike, Suite 800 • Richmond, VA 23235

BANKRUPTCY

M ...advertised here. oments &e m o r i e s

The interviews were administered from Jan. 4 - 12. Portions of the poll related to terrorism, emergency preparedness and police legitimacy will be released on Thursday, Feb. 4, and will be discussed at a press conference at 11:30 a.m. in the General Assembly Building’s House Briefing Room.

C.L. Belle’s

E Z Car Rental 3101 W. Broad Street

(804) 358-3406

WINTER SPECIAL

ALL Cars

Small - Medium -

29

$

Large

95

a day

Unlimited Miles

Free Pickup in Richmond Area

NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED

www.ezcarrentalsrva.com

6 • Feb. 3, 2016

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

Barack Obama: Why we must rethink solitary confinement In 2010, a 16-year-old named Kalief Browder from the Bronx was accused of stealing a backpack. He was sent to Rikers Island to await trial, where he reportedly endured unspeakable violence at the hands of inmates and guards — and spent nearly two years in solitary confinement.

In 2013, Kalief was released, having never stood trial. He completed a successful semester at Bronx Community College. But life was a constant struggle to recover from the trauma of being locked up alone for 23 hours a day. One Saturday, he committed suicide at home. He was just 22 years old.

Solitary confinement gained popularity in the United States in the early 1800s, and the rationale for its use has varied over time. Today, it’s increasingly overused on people such as Kalief, with heartbreaking results — which is why my administration is taking steps to address this problem.

There are as many as 100,000 people held in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons — including juveniles and people with mental illnesses. As many as 25,000 inmates are serving months, even years of their sentences alone in a tiny cell, with almost no human contact.

Research suggests that solitary confinement has the potential to lead to devastating, lasting psychological consequences. It has been linked to depression, alienation, withdrawal, a reduced ability to interact with others and the potential for violent The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 2 No. 5 Mailing Address 409 E. Main Street 4 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com

behavior. Some studies indicate that it can worsen existing mental illnesses and even trigger new ones. Prisoners in solitary are more likely to commit suicide, especially juveniles and people with mental illnesses.

The United States is a nation of second chances, but the experience of solitary confinement too often undercuts that second chance.

Those who do make it out often have trouble holding down jobs, reuniting with family and becoming productive members of society. Imagine having served your time and then being unable to hand change over to a customer or look your wife in the eye or hug your children.

As president, my most important job is to keep the American people safe. And since I took office, overall crime rates have decreased by more than 15 percent. In our criminal justice system, the punishment should fit the crime — and those who have served their time should leave prison ready to become productive members of society. How can we subject prisoners to unnecessary solitary confinement, knowing its effects, and then expect them to return to our communities as whole people? It doesn’t make us safer. It’s an affront to our common humanity.

That’s why last summer, I directed Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and the Justice Department to review the overuse of solitary confinement across U.S. prisons. They found The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions.

Letter writers and columnists opinions are their own and endorsements of their views by The LEGACY should be inferred. The LEGACY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

Annual Subscription Rates Virginia - $50 U.S. states - $75 Outside U.S.- $100 The Virginia Legacy © 2015

that there are circumstances when solitary is a necessary tool, such as when certain prisoners must be isolated for their own protection or in order to protect staff and other inmates.

In those cases, the practice should be limited, applied with constraints and used only as a measure of last resort.

They have identified common-sense principles that should guide the use of solitary confinement in our criminal justice system.

The Justice Department has completed its review, and I am adopting its recommendations to reform the federal prison system.

These include banning solitary confinement for juveniles and as a response to low-level infractions, expanding treatment for the mentally ill and increasing the amount of time inmates in solitary can spend outside of their cells.

These steps will affect some 10,000 federal prisoners held in solitary confinement — and hopefully serve as a model for state and local corrections systems. And I will direct all relevant federal agencies to review these principles and report back to me with a plan to address their use of solitary confinement.

States that have led the way are already seeing positive results.

Colorado cut the number of people in solitary confinement, and assaults against staff are the lowest they’ve been since 2006. New Mexico implemented reforms and has seen

a drop in solitary confinement, with more prisoners engaging in promising rehabilitation programs.

And since 2012, federal prisons have cut the use of solitary confinement by 25 percent and significantly reduced assaults on staff.

Reforming solitary confinement is just one part of a broader bipartisan push for criminal justice reform.

Every year, we spend $80 billion to keep 2.2 million people incarcerated.

Many criminals belong behind bars.

But too many others, especially nonviolent drug offenders, are serving unnecessarily long sentences.

That’s why members of Congress in both parties are pushing for change, from reforming sentencing laws to expanding reentry programs to give those who have paid their debt to society the tools they need to become productive members of their communities. And I hope they will send me legislation as soon as possible that makes our criminal justice system smarter, fairer, less expensive and more effective.

In America, we believe in redemption. We believe, in the words of Pope Francis, that “every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes.” We believe that when people make mistakes, they deserve the opportunity to remake their lives. And if we can

(continued on page 7 )

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 3, 2016 • 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

Shifting blame

The Republican Party of Virginia's (RPV) State Central Committee (SCC) voted unanimously by acclimation to rescind the Statement of Affiliation tied to the voting in the Republican Primary on March 1.

The SCC originally had approved the statement in September 2015, but the Democrat-controlled State Board of Elections altered and adopted a form - created by the Department of Elections - that retained only nine of the original 47 words written and adopted by the SCC. Critically, McAuliffe’s Department of Elections replaced GOP branding on the original form with intimidating language meant to dampen turnout. Further, Attorney General Mark Herring compounded the problem with the addition of confusing legal guidance that would have made the day of the Republican Presidential Primary a logistical nightmare.

The SCC motion made clear that it was motivated not by any disagreement about the party’s right of free association under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but in recognition that Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration and Attorney General Herring had purposely created a situation designed to confuse voters intending to participate in the March 1 Republican Presidential Primary.

[RPV] fully supported the SCC’s decision. Hillary Clinton’s campaign is imploding and Democrats are poised to potentially nominate an admitted socialist. Now more than

ever, Virginia will determine the future of country, as voters will look to the Republican Party as the future of the presidency. In light of this, we must put this issue to rest once and for all and move forward with the business of winning the White House in 2016.

RPV Chairman John Whitbeck

End youth imprisonment

Recently president Obama put an end to the use of solitary confinement on youth locked up in the federal prison system. In an op-ed announcing a series of executive actions the president cited the particular psychological harms that young inmates face when being placed in solitary confinement.

He rightly points out that a life in blossom under such conditions is robbed of its future potential.

Obama’s op-ed and his executive actions, which also put restrictions on adult solitary confinement, are no doubt laudable and a terrific step in the right direction.

However, his appeals to the severity of conditions for youth within solitary, at the federal level, apply also to juvenile detention generally.

Right now there are well over 70,000 juveniles incarcerated in the United States. Fueled by an endless call for law-and-order and tough-on-crime policies, more children are being tried as adults and are being met with more severe sentences as a result.

Juveniles are being arrested more and find themselves behind bars longer, and the consequences of their time spent in correctional facilities

are disastrous.

First, children are not at all exempt from the sexual predation that pervades America’s correctional facilities. The particularly disastrous effects of exposure to such predation at a young age is well documented and rightly universally condemned.

However our cultural stereotype of pedophilic assault seems to never take place in incarceration, and the perpetrator is never cast as a detention center employee. Yet that is who incarcerated youth are most likely to be sexually victimized by.

Shockingly, children are even less safe in juvenile detention centers than in normal jails and prisons, where the rate of sexual assault is nearly twice what adult inmates face.

7.7 percent of inmates in juvenile facilities report sexual contact with staff members. With such uniquely horrendous conditions it is no wonder that 1/3rd of incarcerated youth diagnosed with depression track the onset of those conditions to when they were first incarcerated. The ordeal of being imprisoned does not teach youth to be peaceful, but fosters the mental characteristics of a lifelong offender.

Let us remember that juveniles are encumbered by criminal offenses unique to them. Children can find themselves in the custody of the criminal justice system for consuming alcohol, purchasing cigarettes, consensual sexual interactions with fellow teenagers, refusing to go to school, and even persistent disobedience to their parents or legal guardians. When youths do

show up to school they are often met with zero tolerance policies which start them on the path of the well-researched school-to-prison pipeline. Children are brought up in institutions often meant to mimic the atmosphere of prisons and jails, with the threat ever looming that misbehavior may land them in the real deal.

Youth are stigmatized in our culture, with perceptions of criminality among minors increasing as rates of actual criminality decrease. We need to stop denying young people their agency while simultaneously exposing them to more severe treatment than many adults face. President Obama’s policies do not go nearly far enough.

Nothing less than a halt to the incarceration of children, the elimination of all laws that uniquely target and harm them, and the active opposition to a media and culture that criminalizes them will suffice.

If we wish to see a world which has done away with mass incarceration and focuses on peaceful alternatives we cannot afford to tolerate a system that makes so many people into convicts before they even possess the right to vote. End our prison-centric culture where it starts. Free all children now.

Ryan Calhoun

(from page 6) give them the hope of a better future, and a way to get back on their feet, then we will leave our children with a country that is safer, stronger and worthy of our highest ideals.

8 • Feb. 3 , 2016

Faith & Religion

The LEGACY

Religious exemptions from vaccines still being considered by Virginia lawmakers Virginia lawmakers decided not to move forward with a plan to eliminate religious exemptions for vaccines in the state. Instead, they asked that the matter be studied further by the state’s Joint Commission on Healthcare.

A similar bill that removed religious exemptions regarding vaccines was passed in California last year. Only three states have passed similar legislation, reports ABC News, whose staff was running an online poll on Jan. 29 to gather people’s opinion on this matter.

At publishing time, respondents to the poll were running 69 percent not in favor of religious exemptions for vaccines to 31 percent in favor.

Yes to Facebook, no to organized religion, politics: A look at Va.’s millennials KATHY STEWART WASHINGTON — It is now the biggest generation in America — yes, bigger than the Baby Boom.

The Facebook-connected millennial generation, ages 18 to 36, already has had an impact on American politics and now is shaping America’s future.

The impact of millennials will displace Baby Boomers’ longstanding social, economic and

ABC cited a parent who said, “Tremendous harm was done by those vaccines to her son.” Lisa Sykes said vaccines with high levels of mercury are to blame for her son Wesley being diagnosed with autism when he was two-and-a-half years old.

Sykes told ABC she is not anti-vaccines, but based on her experience, she stayed away from some vaccines when it came to Wesley’s younger brother, Joshua.

She said she would not want those decisions to be taken out of parents’ hands.

“It’s a mistake for the government to start telling parents and physicians what to do in regard to a child,” said Sykes, who is calling for an investigation of every ingredient in vaccines to be assessed. “Safety trials need to be very rigorous so we know what exactly are the risks.”

But pediatrician Dr. Gayle Schrier Smith of Partners in Pediatrics in Richmond, said ABC studies have

looked at places where there are a high number of unvaccinated children, and the results speak for themselves. “It’s pretty hard to find a religion that opposes vaccines across the board,” said Smith.

Online feedback/comments to the poll included: “Parents should have the religious freedom of choice for their children.

Keep government out of religion.”

“Yes, we should be allowed to make our OWN decisions for EVERY medical decision for ourselves and our kids. We are planning on moving to Virginia come summer so guess need to keep track of this tyrannical scheme. Pass it and well there goes us moving there.”

cultural dominance over the past 50 years, says Quentin Kidd, director of the Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University.

“This is the biggest generation that this country has ever had,” he says.

“They are going to have an enormous impact as they mature.

They are going to do things differently than the way we’ve been doing them. But they care fundamentally about the same things that we all do,” such as better jobs, good schools and safe communities.

A survey by the Wason Center reveals the perceptions of Virginia millennials on topics such as where they are in their lives, what issues are important and their economic lives.

The study finds millennials feel like they are playing catchup after the Great Recession of 2008-2009 took a financial bite out of their lives.

And they are feeling stressed by the weak economy that greeted them as

they graduated into adulthood and continues to affect them.

“They’re not happy about the jobs situation,” Kidd says, but they remain optimistic — even though they don’t believe job prospects in the future will be any better. Seventyone percent say job opportunities over the next five years will be about the same.

The study shows they are less religious than generations that have gone before them, and they don’t care much for political parties.

He says this is part of a national trend.

“They don’t see politics as a primary way to solve problems. They see community engagement and volunteering as a more meaningful way to solve problems.”

Kidd says the generation is by and large rejecting institutions, be they institutionalized religious denominations or institutionalized political parties.

“I really think that’s what’s going

on: a rejection of institutions as much as anything else,” he says.

Millennials are not attracted to traditional news sources, the study finds. Virginia millennials get their current events, lifestyle news and information from a variety of sources, but social media platforms dominate.

“Facebook is the most common source for millennials, with 28 percent getting their news this way,” Kidd says.

Nearly two-thirds say they are considering moving, especially to Northern Virginia, in the next five years, Kidd says. He says about 45 percent of those who said they would move would move to Northern Virginia, which they see as being “where the action is economically.”

The survey questioned 2,004 Virginia millennials between July 20, 2015 and Aug. 4, 2015. Kidd says the goal of the report is to better understand impact they will have on Virginia.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 3, 2016 • 9

February 2016 Join us this February as we salute a rising icon of African American culture!

African American actors, artists and performers have been commanding the spotlight for decades, but the newest generation of trendsetters is in a class all its own.

Join us “In Conversation” with actress JURNEE SMOLLETT-BELL for an entertaining look at the next wave of African American cultural luminaries and taste makers! Then enjoy a special reception following the discussion where you’ll get a chance to meet Jurnee and snap a photo with her!

Check out our exclusive interview and content, and find an event near you at

macys.com/celebrate

Event subject to change or cancellation.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell Best known for her award-winning performance in The Great Debaters, and for her role on the critically acclaimed series, Friday Night Lights. Jurnee has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and her newest project, Underground, debuts on WGN America this spring!

10 • Feb. 3, 2016

The LEGACY

Star power: McAuliffe films guest role for ‘Spies’ Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe last week filmed a guest role on the set of AMC’s “TURN: Washington’s Spies,” currently in production in Richmond.

The series returns for its third season on Monday, April 25 at 10 p.m.

McAuliffe will appear in episode 307, scheduled to air on June 6 as General Lawson, the head of the Virginia Militia.

PHOTO: Antony Platt/AMC

Ask Alma

Operating on a tight budget

PHOTO: Antony Platt/AMC

Dear Alma, My husband was laid off and I’m only working part time, so we’re having a hard time paying our bills and making ends meet. We hardly have enough money to pay the rent, and every day we worry about how we can make it.

When my grandmother died, she left me some of her valuables – a beautiful ornate mirror, fine china and some jewelry. My husband told me to sell some of the jewelry so that we could get some money.

I don’t want to do that, but I know we need to pay our bills. What do you think?

Name withheld I’m sorry. I know this is a difficult time for you and your husband.

You didn’t mention any kids, so I assume it’s just the two of you. I think you guys should exhaust all of your resources and make selling your grandmother’s heirlooms the very last (about to be evicted) resort. Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. The decision to sell something so precious should be your individual decision, not a joint one. She was your grandmother, so you have a ton of love invested in her memory.

It’s really not his place to suggest

VSU names Justin Harper interim head football coach you cut those ties that bind. I’m sure, given the right amount of thought and sacrifice, you two can come up with other options.

I’d suggest, if you haven’t already, putting yourselves on a superduper strict budget. I’m talking about the oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ramen noodles every night budget! Vegetables will become a luxury and replace your meat options.

You should also take a look at what I call your “side bills” and see what you can live without. Side bills are things like cable, wi-fi, cell phones and gym memberships.

Cut back on gas, which can be expensive. Try walking places or taking the bus. Maybe you can work full-time until your husband finds a job. Keep your head up.

Things will get better; it won’t be like this forever. ***** Want advice? E-mail questions to alwaysaskalma@yahoo.com.Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma *****

Virginia State University (VSU) has named Justin Harper as its interim head football coach, replacing Byron Thweatt, who resigned to accept a position on the James Madison University coaching staff.

Meanwhile, VSU is conducting a search for a permanent head coach.

Harper joined the Trojans’ staff in 2015 as wide receivers coach. Before coming to VSU, Harper coached wide receivers and special teams at Lenoir-Rhyne University. During his tenure, Lenoir-Rhyne played in the 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship game.

Harper played collegiately at Virginia Tech, where he totaled 83 receptions for 1,338 yards and nine touchdowns. In Harper’s four years, Virginia Tech won ACC championships in 2004 and 2007 and played in the conference title game in 2005. In those four years, Virginia Tech won a school-record 42 games and finished in the Top 10 three times.

In 2008, the Baltimore Ravens drafted Harper in the seventh round. He played three season

Justin Harper with the Ravens and also for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League.

In announcing Harper’s appointment and coaching search, VSU Athletic Director Peggy Davis expressed appreciation for Thweatt’s service. “I want to wish Byron the best in his new endeavor at James Madison University.”

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 3, 2016 • 11

Collaboration sets new standards for Va. Opera Virginia Opera set new standards for co-production with a the staging of Gounod’s “Romeo & Juliet”.

The Official Opera Company of Virginia,” said the production is a new level of artistic collaboration with its partner, Opera Carolina.

The co-production marks the first time Virginia Opera has undertaken this intense level of collaboration, from concept to direction and from production design to casting.

All elements have been jointly conceived by the two companies, which debuts first in Charlotte, prior to the seven fully-staged performances being produced on Virginia Opera stages across the commonwealth.

With a haunting score by Charles Gounod, and sung in French, the language perfectly suited to the passionate nature of the composition, audiences will be swept up in the familiar heartbreaking story of deception, joy, tragedy and true love all set to a moving score that highlights the story and elicits the audiences deepest feelings.

Director Bernard Uzan, returns to Virginia Opera for his fifth production and his 15th career “Romeo & Juliet,” including an earlier version in 1986. Leading a cast of international singers, featuring lovely French-Canadian soprano Marie-Eve Munger, who brings true native-speaking ability and passion to this French work in her Virginia Opera debut.

Following significant engagements at La Scala and the BBC Proms, Munger boasts a substantial resume for such a young singer. She garnered acclaim from Opera News in the review of her first album, entitled Coloratura, where critics hailed her as displaying “a repertoire that showcases Munger’s crystalline high notes and virtuosity, as well as her intelligence, musicality and poetic sensitivity.” Her Romeo will be portrayed by the handsome Jonathan Boyd, making his triumphant return as Virginia Opera audiences will recall from his earlier

Director Bernard Uzan work on Virginia Opera stages as Rodolfo (La Bohéme 2003). Since then, his career has taken him around the globe and earned him consistent praise for his “ruggedly masculine,” “sweet, bright tone” and for his “great tenderness,” a hallmark of a loving Romeo.

Conductor James Meena, General Director and Principal Conductor of Opera Carolina, will bring the production to Virginia Opera stages following the opening performances last weekend at his own hall, the Belk Theater, in Charlotte, NC. Fairfax performances will be conducted by Central City Opera’s Music Director John Baril.

In his debut on the company’s stages, Virginia Opera is pleased to welcome Kevin Langan portraying the key role of Frère Laurent. The New York Times cites his “deep, toffee-smooth voice and convincing interpretive abilities,” which have earned him a sterling reputation as a leading performer in opera and concert with international audiences.

In the role of Capulet, audiences may recall Egyptian baritone Ashraf Sewailam from his lauded performances on Virginia Opera stages (Aida 2011). Opera News describes his voice as “purring and velvety with an easily produced Ramfis-like top range with a majestic tone,” and his stage presence as “strong, mysterious and with

mesmerizing intensity.”

Returning in key roles are Virginia Opera Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists Keith Brown and Kyle Tomlin. Audiences will recall Kyle Tomlin’s energetic portrayal of Mercury in the company’s season opener Orpheus In the Underworld, as well as Keith Brown’s moving portrayal of Colline in the recent sold-out performances of La Bohème.

“Romeo & Juliet” is an opera based on the original play by William Shakespeare. Set in 16th century Verona, the story unfolds of the starcrossed lovers - two young people from warring families pitted against one another in an age-old feud that cannot be ignored. Will their love

triumph?

Most everyone is familiar with the ending, but Director Bernard Uzan urges audiences to keep an open mind and “come to be surprised.”

“Virginia Opera is proud to have developed an exciting new production with Opera Carolina that will continue to live following its Virginia appearances with further performances in Toledo, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Baltimore, Maryland,” said President and CEO Russell Allen. “We know that our Virginia audiences will find this traditional rendition of this classic opera to be vibrant and sumptuous; and emotion-packed to the highest level.”

Moderator: AJ. Simon, Co-Publisher, The Legacy Newspaper

12 • Feb. 3, 2016

The LEGACY

Va. student leaders discuss student debt in Washington Warner, Kaine hold roundtable with college representatives CAITLYN SEED U.S. Sen. Mark Warner recently introduced the Dynamic Student Loan Repayment Act and the Employer Participation in Repayment Act. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine has introduced several bills to increase dual enrollment options for high school students and tools to aid families calculating college costs.

U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) hosted a roundtable discussion Wednesday with student representatives from 18 Virginia universities and colleges to discuss the topic of student loan debt.

Warner has proposed two bills aimed at reducing the financial burden of higher education student loans. The first of the two bills, the Dynamic Student Loan Repayment, would simplify the enrollment process for repaying loans based on income levels after graduation, as well as streamline repayment plans.

The second bill — the Employer Participation in Repayment Act — would allow employers to contribute up to $5,550 before-tax to their employees’ federal or private student loans as a tool to recruit and retain highly qualified employees.

Student Council President Abraham Axler represented the University at the roundtable and said Warner’s recent bills were discussed at the event, as well as personal student experiences and general proposals.

“I think it was a very good opportunity for student body representatives across Virginia to share their experiences about college affordability,” Axler, a third-year College student, said.

Altogether, 18 student leaders from 18 colleges attended the roundtable, including representatives from James Madison University, the College of William and Mary and George Mason University, among others.

The purpose of hosting the

roundtable was to hear directly from student leaders about college affordability, Kaine said in an email statement.

Kaine has introduced several bills to increase dual enrollment options for high school students and tools to aid families calculating college costs.

“I’m focused on college affordability because students should be able to afford a higher education and have a successful start to their careers without being weighed down by unsurmountable [sic] debt,” Kaine said.

One of the major dilemmas surrounding student debt is the difficulty of accurately portraying the cost of college to high school graduates, who may be confused by high sticker-prices and complicated loan programs, Axler said.

Ryan Windels, who attended the roundtable as a student representative for James Madison University, said he felt the discussion was a well-executed event which allowed students to provide different perspectives on the issues of student debt.

“First and foremost I think restructuring the loans is the most important,” Windels. “A lot of students I talk to aren’t sure when they have to start paying their loans, or how much, how often.”

Although Axler said he supports the call for an income-based loan repayment plan as well as improved efforts to make costs transparent, he also said the financial situation of college graduates needs to be examined from a less narrow perspective.

“One thing we forget in this student debt crisis situation is how [we got] to this point,” Axler said. “We have to look at the rising cost of a college education and look at the declining state funding that impacts that, but also look at the costs of being a young adult right after college.”

Young adults can face several overwhelming financial burdens as

(continued on page 17)

A Virginia Union University student worries about the ways college debt can limit opportunities outside of the classroom. She said the need to work while also attending school limits the ability of many students to pursue internships and other opportunities which might give a head start to a career.

Equal Rights Amendment clears Senate floor, now makes its way to the Virginia House The Equal Rights Amendment recently cleared the floor of the Virginia Senate for the fifth time in six years.

The Virginia Senate has repeatedly moved to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment, approving SJ 216 in 2015, SJ 78 in 2014, SJ 130 in 2012 and SJ 537 in 2011. Each of these proposals died in the House.

Last week, SJ1, sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), passed 21-19 on a near-party line vote with most Senate Republicans opposed​.

Speaking to the bill on the Senate floor, Surovell said that Virginia is one of 22 states that currently has gender equality in our Constitution.

“Section 11, Article 1 of the Constitution of Virginia currently says that, ‘all people have the right to be free from government discrimination on the basis of religious conviction, race, color,

sex, or national origin.’ So equal rights have been codified in our Constitution since 1971,” said Surovell. “This is something that isn’t new to Virginia. It is a Virginia value.”

After the vote, Sen. Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) said that ‘true gender equality’ is not going to be achieved until the U.S. Constitution is ammended. The only way to amend the U.S. Constitution is to ratify the ERA at the state level.

“This is something that we have been fighting to advance for decades,” she said. “We are moving in the right direction. I implore my colleagues in the House to now take this up and do the right thing.”

Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) said that while gender equality has been in the Virginia Constitution for 40 years, the same cannot be said at the federal level. ​ “Various ​sitting Supreme Court ​ Justices ​have in fact maintained that equal treatment on the basis of gender is not included in the Fourteenth Amendment,” said Favola. “This is something that is long overdue in Virginia and nationwide.​”

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Feb. 3, 2016 • 13

Virginians urge gov. to reject efforts to ‘increase climate change pollution’ A wide array of Virginia civic, health, faith, and environmental leaders recently released a letter asking Gov. Terry McAuliffe to reject all efforts by Dominion Virginia Power to push for implementation of historic federal clean power rules in a way that would increase carbon pollution in Virginia.

Leaders representing 50 organizations reminded McAuliffe that only he, as governor, is authorized to make the final decision on how to implement the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Clean Power Plan” in Virginia. It is therefore his explicit responsibility to reduce carbon emissions while strengthening Virginia’s economy and helping improve public health.

Anything less will support more pollution, which is “fundamentally contrary” to existing U.S. policy and the interests of Virginia residents,

the groups write.

“I cannot remember such a diverse range of groups weighing in on a pollution issue in Virginia before,” said Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of the group New Virginia Majority. “This letter calls for action on what we hope will be the governor’s greatest legacy. The governor can adopt a plan that will strengthen our economy while protecting people’s health now and for generations to come.”

The letter states that Virginia should reduce its total carbon pollution from power plants at least 30 percent by the year 2030, by applying the same standards to both existing and new power plants, and increasing our use of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

But Virginia utilities, led by Dominion CEO Tom Farrell, want a plan that would apply the federal

rule only to old, existing power plants – not new fossil fuel power plants. This would allow Dominion to increase carbon pollution for decades more.

“This will be the governor’s most significant environmental decision,” said Claire Wyatt with the Virginia Student Power Network. “Virginia needs to do its part to cut carbon pollution which is fueling climate change, and threatening our health and infrastructure.”

“Across the commonwealth, we understand that dirty energy is harming our neighbors, close to home and around the world, and that we have a moral responsibility to do our part to cut carbon pollution,” said Rev. Dr. Faith B. Harris of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, through which hundreds of Virginia's faith communities are speaking out in support of the Clean Power Plan. “We're already hard at work shifting to cleaner energy in our congregations, and we call on Governor McAuliffe to follow our lead.”

The Clean Power Plan, released by the EPA last August under the

Clean Air Act, aims to reduce carbon pollution from power plants 30 percent by 2030.

If implemented with energy efficiency and renewable energy, the Clean Power Plan will yield many benefits for Virginians, including reducing the rates of childhood asthma and supporting efforts to reduce sea-level rise and related flooding in our coastal communities.

Groups signing the letter include: the Hampton Roads Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hip Hop Caucus, Virginia Council of Churches, the Healthy Food Coalition, Black Action Now, The Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, Secure Futures, Old Dominion Energy Services, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Virginia Student Power Network, Virginia Organizing, We Act for Environmental Justice, Wetlands Watch, Wild Virginia, and more.

The letter to McAuliffe concludes by saying, “Never in history has a Virginia governor had greater authority, greater responsibility and a greater opportunity to combat harmful carbon pollution.”

The grant will benefit young children in the cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights and Petersburg, as well as in Chesterfield, Charles City, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties.

“We are honored to receive such a generous grant that will support our long-range goals to provide meaningful and enriching early learning opportunities for

young children in our region,” said Armstrong.

“Every business needs smart, skilled employees who are wellqualified for 21st century jobs. The workforce development pipeline begins with young children who have a strong foundation so they will start school healthy and ready to learn.”

Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond notes that a child’s

experiences in the early years can impact the trajectory of his or her entire life. The school readiness initiative established to help young children throughout the region achieve lifelong success also notes that it is imperative that all young children have access to quality early childhood development so they can reach their full potential in school and in life.

Smart Beginnings receives grant Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond received a grant of $180,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF).

Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond is one of the first Smart Beginnings coalitions in the Commonwealth, established in 2006.

Now housed at the Greater Richmond Chamber Foundation, the initiative is a partnership among public and private agencies, businesses, and individuals working to enhance the quality of early childhood care and learning for young children, so they will be well-prepared to enter the workforce.

Brad Armstrong, president of Armstrong Partners and chair of the board of directors for Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond, accepted the grant from Kathy Glazer, president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.

14 • Feb. 3, 2016

The LEGACY

VDH: Virginia resident tests positive for Zika virus The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is alerting the public of the potential for contracting Zika virus while traveling abroad. Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. Although Zika virus illness is usually mild, and severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises there is a possible association between Zika virus infection in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects.

The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed Zika virus infection (via laboratory testing provided through the CDC) in an adult resident of Virginia who recently traveled to a country where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. This is the first reported, laboratoryconfirmed case in a traveler returning to Virginia, sometimes referred to as an “imported” case.

Zika virus infection in this individual serves as a reminder that people in Virginia can acquire the disease during travel to countries where Zika virus transmission is occurring.

“Zika virus is acquired through the bite of an infected mosquito.

Because it is not mosquito season in Virginia, this individual with Zika virus infection poses no risk to other Virginians,” said State Health Commissioner Marissa J. Levine, MD, MPH, FAAFP. “However, this is the time of year when more people do travel to warmer climates and countries where Zika virus is found. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to consider postponing travel to Zika-affected countries while pregnant. In addition, we are urging everyone, especially pregnant women, to check health travel advisories before leaving the United States and to take preventive measures when traveling in affected areas of the world.”

Meanwhile, CDC issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

This alert follows reports in Brazil of an increase in the number of infants born with unusually small heads

Health agencies are taking steps against the Zika virus and other poor pregnancy outcomes during a time of increased Zika virus activity. The association between Zika virus and birth defects has not been firmly established and is being investigated further.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Symptoms can last from several days to a week.

There is no vaccine to prevent and no medicine to treat Zika virus infection.

When traveling to countries where Zika virus has been reported, all travelers should take steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as using use insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and staying in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens. More information about Zika virus can be found on the CDC website.

CDC is working with other public health officials to monitor for ongoing Zika virus transmission.

Last week, CDC added the following destinations to the Zika virus travel alerts: United States Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic. Previously, CDC issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory; Barbados; Bolivia; Brazil; Cape Verde; Colombia; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guadeloupe; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Martinique; Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Saint Martin; Samoa; Suriname; and Venezuela.

Specific areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing are often difficult to determine and are likely to continue to change over time.

Travelers to areas where cases of Zika virus infection have been recently confirmed are at risk of being infected with the Zika virus.

Mosquitoes that spread Zika are aggressive daytime biters, prefer to bite people, and live indoors and outdoors near people. There is no vaccine or medicine available for Zika virus. The best way to avoid Zika virus infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

Some travelers to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission will become infected while traveling but will not become sick until they return home. Some people who are infected do not have any symptoms.

Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. Other commonly reported symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon and case fatality is low. Travelers to these areas should monitor for symptoms or illness upon return. If they become ill, they should tell their healthcare professional where they have traveled and when.

Until more is known, CDC continues to recommend that pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant take the following precautions: · Pregnant women should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip. · Women trying to become pregnant should consult with their healthcare professional before traveling to these areas and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during the trip.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been reported in patients with probable Zika virus infection in French Polynesia and Brazil.

Research efforts will also examine the link between Zika and GBS.

Petersburg launches health hotline Petersburg has launched the Petersburg Health and Wellness Line (PHWL). The phone number for residents to call is 804-518-1000 and is open for calls from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“This additional resource will be a follow-up to our efforts to eradicate poor health conditions and provide direct and immediate answers to assist our community,” said Mayor W Howard Myers.

When calling the PHWL, the options will include 1) requesting information on community resources, 2) asking general health questions, and 3) requesting information on

local Petersburg hospitals. Selecting options one or two will direct the caller to a live responder. Option 3 will be a recording. The PHWL will not be used for physician referrals.

Hotline responders will use the Petersburg Health Information Resources Database to share community resources with callers.

This database will be updated with new information from the 22 local agencies who responded to the services letter sent by Myers and City Manager William E. Johnson, III in August 2015. A second round of letters will be issued to additional local agencies that may participate.

Feb. 3, 2016 • 15

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

VCU report: Heroin and prescription painkiller overdoses kill at least two Virginians every day Nearly 80 percent of the almost 1,000 fatal drug overdoses in Virginia in 2014 involved prescription painkillers or heroin, known as opioids, according to a new policy brief by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

Drug overdoses claim the lives of nearly three times as many Virginians annually as do homicides.

Conservative estimates indicate untreated substance abuse costs Virginia state and local governments more than $600 million annually in public safety and health care services alone, according to the policy brief.

“Virginia’s opioid epidemic and untreated substance abuse are killing hundreds of Virginians and costing taxpayers more than half a billion dollars each year,” said brief lead author Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Policy. The department conducts independent, nonpartisan analyses of major national and state health policy issues.

“The opioid epidemic has created a

public health and public safety crisis in Virginia and needs immediate policy action,” said Katherine Neuhausen, M.D., associate director in the VCU Office of Health Innovation and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health.

Mirroring national trends, deaths from prescription opioid and heroin overdoses increased 38 percent in the state between 2012 and 2014, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Common prescription opioid painkillers include hydrocodone, which is generic for Vicodin, and oxycodone, which is generic for OxyContin.

According to the policy brief, opioid abuse is increasing in Virginia because of a plentiful prescription opioid drug supply, lack of awareness of the issue among the public and health care providers, and limited treatment availability.

While deaths from prescription opioid and heroin overdoses are occurring statewide, especially hardhit areas include the southwest, the

Andrew Barnes, Ph.D and Katherine Neuhausen, M.D. southside, Hampton Roads, metro Richmond, the Shenandoah Valley and the north.

Virginia’s Medicaid program spent $26 million on opioid use and misuse in 2013, with $10 million of this spending occurring in southwest Virginia. At least 40,000 adults in Virginia’s Medicaid program have a substance abuse disorder, and more than 50 percent of Medicaid enrollees

with a serious mental illness also have a substance use disorder.

The cost of opioid addiction is particularly high in the Southwest Health Planning Region of Virginia, which accounts for 42 percent of Medicaid spending on emergency department and inpatient hospital services related to opioid abuse — more than twice the amount of any other region in the state.

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY DENTISTRY FOR CHILDREN AND PATIENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Question: How often does my child need to brush?

Answer: It is recommended that children brush at least two times a day for two miniutes in the morning and at bedtime.

Randy Adams, D.D.S.

Board Certified Pediatric Dentist & Board Certified Special Care Dentist

Brandon Allen, D.D.S. 300 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23220

(804) 780-2888

www.richmonddentistryforchildren.com

16 • Feb. 3, 2016

Calendar

2.5, 5 p.m.

Renowned author and career educator, Ruby Payne, Ph.D. (right), will be the principle speaker at “What Everyone in Metro Richmond Needs to Know About Poverty”, an event hosted by Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

During the two-­day event, Payne will discuss the social and cultural aspects of poverty and how those differences affect opportunities for people to successfully move out of poverty, and the resources needed for them to do so.

“Communities need to move from ‘getting by’ infrastructures to ‘getting ahead’ infrastructures” said Payne.

While at the same time she asks that, “the question for communities is, how do we support the under-­ resourced without destroying the resourced?”

The event will feature a presentation by Payne followed by a question and answer session.

A reception precedes the 6 p.m. program.

On Saturday morning, Payne will be joined by her colleague Gary Eagleton, an army combat veteran who has dedicated his life to “creating a climate for change” within communities. This program will feature a “Community Conversation” about building effective programs and relationships of mutual respect, along with community collaboration models.

The two-­day event will bring people, organizations, and government agencies together to learn more about poverty and to tackle some of the biggest issues in the region’s fight against poverty.

Participating in serious discussion of tough issues in the fight against poverty is a vital foundation for improving the outcomes for the region’s impoverished.

Both events will be held at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 8 N. Laurel Street, Richmond.

Registration is required for both events at GHTC.org.

The LEGACY

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Speaker series to explore HIV/AIDS epidemic

A multidisciplinary speaker series at Virginia Commonwealth University will explore the topic of HIV/AIDS from local, national and global points of view. The series, organized by the Humanities Research Center in the College of Humanities and Sciences, is titled “HIV/AIDS: Local, National, and Global Perspectives” and will feature nine events through April 18.

“Scholars from a range of disciplines are now writing important studies of this ongoing tragedy,” said Richard Godbeer, Ph.D., director of the Humanities Research Center and a professor in the Department of History.

“The HIV/AIDS crisis has had a profound impact on individual lives and local communities, the medical world, national and international politics, cultural attitudes and economics. It is shaped by and in turn has shaped our perceptions of race, class, gender and sexuality.”

The series aims to give careful attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that continues to destroy lives and wreak havoc in countries across the globe. It will examine the interplay between medical, political, cultural, literary and artistic spheres of thought and activity, as well as explore the interrelationships between local, national and global events in the late-20th and early-21st centuries.

All of the events are free and open to the public and include the following. * Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

Cabell Library Auditorium A panel of activists and community organizers who have been involved over the years in local responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic will talk about their experiences and Richmond’s history of addressing the multilayered challenges presented by the virus throughout the community.

“Left Behind: Ending AIDS in Black Communities in America” * Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.

University Student Commons, Richmond Salons I-II Phill Wilson will talk about his work as director of the Black AIDS Institute.

Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on black people. The institute’s mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in black communities by engaging and mobilizing black institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV. The institute interprets public and private sector HIV policies, conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, disseminates information and provides advocacy mobilization from a uniquely and unapologetically black point of view. This event is co-sponsored by LGBTQ Initiatives in the Division for Inclusive Excellence.

Are you in a suicide crisis?

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

2.6, 11 a.m.

The Chesterfield County Public Library will host Hidden History: African American Cemeteries in Central Virginia--a lecture and discussion about the undiscovered history of African American cemeteries hidden throughout central Virginia. Archaeologist and historian Lynn Rainville, Ph.D., will show how the cemeteries reveal and reflect genealogy, segregation and attitudes about religion and death.

The program is scheduled at Ettrick-Matoaca Library, 4501 River Road, South Chesterfield.

2.8, 9 a.m.

City of Hampton Economic Development Minority Business Program Small Business Workshop will be held at Hampton Veteran’s Conference Room, Ruppert L. Sargent Building; 1st Floor, One Franklin St. The workshop will cover the topic “Utilizing Electronic Virginia (eVA ) Reports to Grow Your Sales”. Bring your laptop or tablet and learn how to find what is being purchased, who’s doing the selling, prices being paid, and specific order details. Find how much is being spent on specific goods/services, who is buying, who is selling, and the prices being paid.

This information can help you grow your business and secure more contracts.

Tammy Farmer, Business Services manager with the Department of Small Business Supplier Diversity, will conduct the free training.

Register at http://hampton. gov/evaregistration and for more information, contact Jessica R. Spencer, minority business coordinator at 757-727-6237 or email jrspencer@hampton.gov .

CHTravels.com

Submit your calendar events to calendar@legacynewspaper.com.

Include contact infomation that can be published.

One-stop for travel planning and booking. We’ll do the work so you don’t have to.

Feb. 3, 2016 • 17

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Chicago officer plans to sue teenager he shot and killed The Chicago police officer accused of killing 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier just after Christmas says he intends to file a lawsuit against the dead teenager’s estate, alleging that LeGrier assaulted the officer and caused him emotional distress.

Officer Robert Rialmo claims he shot LeGrier seven times because the teenager swung a bat at him. Rialmo also accidentally shot a neighbor, Bettie Jones, in the chest and killed her.

Rialmo’s plan to sue was revealed after a hearing for the victims’ wrongful death lawsuit against the city. Bill Foutris, an attorney for the LeGrier family, told CBS Chicago that the countersuit is a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that Rialmo shot LeGrier four times in the back without justification.

The events that led to the shooting are still unclear, but LeGrier called 911 and requested police assistance several times before he was killed.

The dispatcher hung up on him and ignored his pleas for help.

Though Rialmo is planning to file a civil lawsuit for his emotional distress, it is not uncommon for police officers to criminally charge victims of brutality with assault, a tactic known as a “cover charge.”

New York City prosecutors even charged an unarmed police shooting victim with felony assault, for causing police to accidentally shoot bystanders when they were aiming

opened an investigation into the department to determine if there is a pattern of discriminatory and abusive policing. The publicity over McDonald’s shooting also

(from page 2) September 2014 for driving on

Quintonio LeGrier for him.

LeGrier’s shooting has fed city officials’ anxiety over police accountability after the city released a video of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting another teenager, Laquan McDonald, 16 times. Since then, the pressure to punish the top decisionmakers has grown. Several police officials have resigned or been fired, including Superintendent Garry McCarthy. Last week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel released his text messages from the week of LeGrier’s shooting.

The conversations are dominated by a prevailing concern of how the media was responding. “Media acting breathlessly?” Emanuel asks the interim superintendent after LeGrier and Jones were shot. “You are positive no public negative reaction?”

The Department of Justice has

Sen. Mark Warner listens to students speak about their debt experiences.

(from page 12) they transition from college into the workforce, including determining health

revealed that Chicago police have tried to destroy misconduct records and intentionally tampered with dashcam recordings, presumably to hide evidence of wrongdoing.

care costs and housing, Axler said.

“Student debt is still a big problem, but it’s not the only problem,” he said.

The psychiatric medication, he told clinicians, wasn’t helping his depression.

He “expressed frustration with legal situation as he feels he is wrongly accused of charges he faces,” the report said. He “reports limited family support and a sense of isolation since his on lock 23 hours per day because of his custody level.”

Despite how distraught Bushrod appeared throughout these weeks — “freaking out,” he told doctors — he denied harboring suicidal thoughts, and it’s unclear whether the medical staff knew about his suicide attempt.

Bushrod said he was scared to talk about it. He had heard rumors that suicidal inmates are stripped naked and placed in even more austere conditions.

“Only in the most acute cases — when an inmate is actively attempting to harm him or herself, would clothing or any other items posing immediate danger be removed,” Lane said. “In those acute cases, clothing is replaced with a paper gown to prevent self-harm.”

Suicide, self-harm and segregation have long had a close relationship at the District jail. Nearly 60 percent of the jail’s 49 suicide attempts in 2013 occurred in a segregation unit, a Department of Corrections report said. “Inmates in segregation units are at a higher risk” of suicide, the report stated.

It recommended: “Consistent with national recommendations on suicide prevention, NO ONE is placed in a single cell unless there’s an overwhelmingly compelling reason to do so.”

Bushrod pleaded for answers in a grievance report. “At this juncture, I am almost at a loss for words,” he wrote. “. . . I have suffered unjustly and been given insufficient excuses as to why.”

But, days later, Bushrod thought everything was about to change.

His trial had arrived. And the most serious allegation — that he had assaulted a police officer while armed with a car — suddenly looked shaky.

The officer, Zachary Blier, said he tried to pull Bushrod over in

a suspended licence. Bushrod attempted to escape, court records say, running a red light before slowing to a stop. Blier then approached Bushrod, gun drawn, and opened Bushrod’s car door. The officer grabbed Bushrod, who put the car in reverse. It jerked backward, and the open door hit Blier’s leg. The officer, who said he feared for his life, shot Bushrod.

Defense attorney Craig Moore held two pictures in his closing arguments, according to a court transcript. The first showed how Blier’s leg looked after the incident.

“Pants aren’t even ripped,” Moore said. “Like he banged his leg going around the corner of the table. That is not a serious bodily injury.”

Moore held up the next image.

“This is a serious bodily injury. This is Mr. Bushrod after he had been shot and had to go to the hospital.”

The jury acquitted Bushrod of the charge that he assaulted Blier with a deadly weapon. But it convicted him of misdemeanor assault on a police officer — which legal experts say means he resisted arrest — destruction of property, leaving after colliding and driving without a license. Having shaken off a charge that could have locked him up for years — and guilty of lesser crimes — Bushrod thought his time in solitary confinement was over.

Aged beyond his years In early March, more than two months later, Bushrod met with a medical examiner at the D.C. jail. He “reports he is still in [solitary] due to his custody level,” the clinician wrote. “His legal situation has been resolved.” Another medical report filed days later: He “continues to stress about his legal situation and being on segregation unit.”

Jail officials say they are working on making it easier for inmates with mental illness to return to the general population. Described as an “intermediate unit,” Faust described it as “pathway for them to step down from segregation.” The challenge, he said, will be transitioning inmates back into the general population — -WaPo and re-socializing them.

18 • Feb. 3, 2016

Classifieds 156-129 HAMPTON SOLICITATION The Director of Finance or his designated representative will accept written responses in the Procurement Office 1 Franklin Street, 3rd floor, suite 345 Hampton, VA on behalf of the Entity (ies) listed below until the date(s) and local time(s) specified.

HAMPTON CITY Thursday, February 25, 2016 3:00 p.m. ET – RFP 16-42/D Administrative Services for Medical Coverage for the Health Care Program for Eligible City Employees and Pre-65 Retirees

For additional information, see our web page at http://www.hampton.gov/bids-contracts

The LEGACY

EMPLOYMENT, ANNOUNCEMENTS, FOR SALE, SERVICES, FOR LET

EDUCATION Commissions Paid Daily * Lifetime MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Renewals * Complete Training * Health & Dental Insurance * Life License Required.

Train to become a Medical Office Call 1-888-713-6020.

Assistant! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Training & Job Placement available at CTI! HS Diploma/GED & Computer MISCELLANEOUS needed. 1-888-424-9419 Richmond & Hampton Roads New Year, New Career-AVIATION 105 1/2 E.Grads Clay St.with Boeing, Southwest and work HELP WANTED/EDUCATION Richmond,others-Get VA 23219 hands on training for FAA Current Teaching Vacancies: 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 certification.

Financial aid(fax) if qualified. Call Electronics/Robotics (9-12) and ads@legacynewspaper.com Mathematics Remediation (5-8). To Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888review position description and apply visit 245-9553. our website at www.pecps.k12.va.us and complete the online application. Open SAWMILLS from only $4397.00. MAKE until filled- Prince Edward County Ad Size: 10Public inches (2 columns X 5 inches) & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill.

Schools, 35 Eagle Drive, Farmville, Cut lumber any dimension. In stock Virginia 23901- 434-315-2100 ext. 3533EOE 1 Issue (Feb.ready 3) - $110 to ship! FREE Info/DVD: www.

Rate: $11 per column inch

A withdrawal of bid due to error shall be in accordance with Section 2.2-4330 of the Code of Virginia. All forms relating to these solicitations may be obtained from the above listed address or for further information call; (757) 727-2200. The right is reserved to reject any and all responses, to make awards in whole or in part, and to waive any informality in submittals.

Minority and Woman-Owned Businesses are encouraged to participate.

Karl Daughtrey, Director of Finance

HELP WANTED – SALES EARN $500 A DAY: Insurance Agents Needed * Leads, No Cold Calls *

promotional prices starting at only ...

19.99

$

/mo.

for 12 months.

Not eligible with Hopper.

14

$

.95 /mo.

NO ONE CAN COMPARE TO

DIRECTV

DISH!

240+ Channel TV package

$39.99/mo for a whole year!

$92.99/mo

$84.99/mo

HD DVR

$12/mo plus FREE Hopper Upgrade

$25.00/mo

$16.95/mo

HD Service

HD FREE FOR LIFE

Included in HD DVR fee

$26.95/mo

$117.99/mo

$128.89/mo

Total

$51.99/mo

PREMIUM CHANNELS For 3 months.

Offer subject to change based on premium channel availability.

where available

FREE

SAME DAY INSTALLATION in up to 6 rooms

CALL TODAY INSTALLED TODAY! where available

Watch EVERY Channel On Almost EVERY Device!

Hopper® Whole Home HD DVR All offers require 24 month commitment and credit qualification.

All offers require 24-month commitment and credit qualification.

Remote viewing requires Wi-Fi connection or use of Hopper Transfer feature.

Call Now And Save 50%

STEEL BUILDINGS STEEL BUILDINGS perfect for homes & Garages Lowest Prices, MAKE OFFER and LOW Monthly Payments on remaining cancelled orders 20x24, 25x30, 30x44, 35x60 CALL 757-301-8885 Nicole

Did you know...

Get DISH!

FREE

SERVICES DIVORCE – Uncontested, $450 + $88 court cost. No court appearance.

Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Telephone inquiries welcome - no obligation. Hilton Oliver, Attorney. 757490-0126. Se Habla Español.

HELP WANTED – DRIVERS CDL TRAINING FOR LOCAL/OTR Includes Internet placement DRIVERS! $40,000-$50,000 1ST Year!

Please review the for proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail.

4-wks or 10 Weekends CDL. Veterans If your response is not received by deadline, your ad–may not be7inserted. in Demand!

Richmond/Fredericksburg REACH Nearly out of 10 adults have read a newspaper in 800-243-1600; Lynchburg/Roanoke 800the past week – that’s 147 million Americans!

614-6500; LFCC/Winchester 800-454REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.

1400

Want The Best Deal On TV & Internet?

ADD HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N

1-800-619-0840 With qualifying packages and offers.

Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm EST Promo Code: MB62015

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Offers valid through 10/30/15 and require activation of new qualifying DISH service with 24-month commitment and credit qualification. An Early Termination fee of $20 for each month remaining will apply if service is terminated during the first 24 months. All prices, fees, charges, packages, programming, features, functionality and offers subject

ENGAGEMENT – Readers are highly engaged with newspapers in print, online, smartphones and tablets because they value the news, advertising and local feature coverage.

79% of newspaper users took action on a newspaper ad in the past month!

LOCAL COVERAGE – No other medium has the in depth community coverage that newspapers offer. Over two-thirds of the dollars spent in newspaper advertising is from local advertisers. This is one of the newspaper advertising advantages that advertisers looking to target local communities should pay attention to.

TARGETING OPTIONS – One of the strong benefits of newspaper advertising is that newspapers offer a variety of ways to target a particular audience. Whether it’s zoning inserts by zip code or using a niche publication to target a certain ethnic group or behaviorally targeting a certain group on a newspaper website, newspaper products offer a wide range of products to target any audience an advertiser is looking to reach.

CONVENIENCE - Newspaper companies offer their readers a variety of platforms to choose from in which to receive their news and advertising content. Readers highly value the ability to consume newspapers in the format that is most convenient and useful depending on the time and place.

Feb. 3, 2016 • 19

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Serving Richmond & Hampton inches AUCTION (2 column(s) of X 6.95 in Got Knee Pain? BackAd Size: 13.9 Ad Size: Roads 2.6 inches (2 column(s) X 1.3 inches) PUBLIC IFB#16-6705-1 Service Learning Garden 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) Pain? Shoulder Pain?

Unclaimed Vehicles Re-Post Richmond, VA 23219 IMPOUNDED The School Board of the City of Richmond, Virginia is seeking sealed Get a pain-relieving 1 100+/Issue (Feb. 3) - $152.90 1 Issue (Feb. 3) - $23.4 804-644-1550 • 800-783-8062 (fax) AUTOS, LIGHT TRUCKS & proposals from qualified bidders to provide Richmond Public Schools (office) a brace at little or NO Rate: $11 per column inch Rate: $9 per column inch MOTORCYCLES Service Learning Garden for Lucille Brown Middle School. To obtain a ads@legacynewspaper.com cost to you. Medicare copy of the above Invitation for Bids, SOUTHSIDE PLAZAplacement DRIVE-IN Includes Internet The City of Richmond is seeking to fill theplacement following positions: Includes Internet Patients Call Health Visit our website at: Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 Operations Manager- Finance http://web.richmond.k12.va.us/Departments/Purchasing/RFPs.aspx Administrative Program Support Hotline Now! Please review the proof, make any needed changes and ret Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail. and Administration Assistant Gates open at 9:00 AM If your response is not received by deadline, your ad ma If your 35M00000015 response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted.

1- 800-514-2189 27M00000143 Auction begins at 10:00 AM of X Social Public Utilities Ad Size: 5.7 inches Department (2 column(s) 2.85Services inches) Ok X__________________________________ Auction will include the vehicles listed OkbyX_________________________________________ Apply by 2/07/2016 Apply 02/14/16 Dish Network ? Get below plus many others: INVITATION TO BID Attention Subcontractors

PRINT & DIGITAL AD SALES EXECUTIVE

Vecellio & Grogan, Inc. is soliciting quotations from subcontractors, including D.B.E., for the following project included in the VDOT letting on Feb. 24, 2016: Wise County, Order No I39, Contract C0000087907C01, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 27, 2017. It has a 8% D.B.E. goal.

Plans and specifications are available for viewing at our Beckley, WV office. We request the receipt of quotations prior to 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2016 in order to fairly evaluate all quotations. Vecellio & Grogan, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, religion, color, sex or national origin.

100% Performance and Payment bonds are requested for this project.

Please contact our engineering department at (304) 252-6575 or Bids@VecellioGrogan.com for more information.

The LEGACY is looking for a reliable, highly-motivated, goal-driven sales professional to join our team selling print and digital advertising in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas.

Duties include: Building and maintaining relationships with new/existing clients Meeting and exceeding monthly sales goals Cold calling new prospects over the phone to promote print and online advertising space Qualifications:

Proven experience with print (newspaper) and/or digital (website) advertising sales Phone and one-on-one sales experience Effective verbal and written communication skills Familiarity with the Richmond and/or Hampton Roads Professional image Compensation depends on experience and includes a base pay as well as commission.

The LEGACY is an African-American-oriented weekly print newspaper, circulation 25,000, with a website featuring local and national news and advertising.

E-mail resume and letter of interest to ads@ legacynewspaper.com detailing your past sales experience. No phone calls please.

2003 MITSUBISHI GALANT 4A3AA46GX3E159707 MORE for LESS! 1991 GMC SAFARI 1GKDM15Z3MB512093 Ok with changes X ______________________ 1997 CHEVROLET CAMARO 2G1FP22K0V2154691 Starting $19.99/month 1993 HONDA ACCORD 1HGCB7158PA015443 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2G1WU58R079121909 (for 12 months.) PLUS 1995 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1G3WH12M6SD321836 2013 TAOTAO SCOOTER L9NTEACB9D1043786 Bundle & SAVE (Fast REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p Internet for $15 more/ SEIBERT’S is now accepting Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail. vehicles on consignment!

Appraiser IV Senior Paralegal month.)

CALL Now 800If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted.

Reasonable Seller’s Fees.

08M00000046 10M00000001 619-0840 City Assessor’s Office

Appraiser III (Assessor)-2 1 Issue Project (Feb. 3)Manager - $62.70Analyst- DSS Ok with changes X _____________________________ Grants Manager Positions Rate: $11 per column inch 27M00000038 08M00000041 Department of Social Services City Assessor’s Office Includes Internet placement REMINDER: Deadline isApply Fridays @ 5 p.m. by 2/07/2016 Apply by 02/21/2016

City Attorney’s Office Ok02/21/2016 X_________________________________________ Apply by Apply by 02/7/2016

Deputy Chief Administrative Superintendent of Accounting Ok with changes X _____________________________ Officer (DCAO) – Operations 27M00000550 35M00000861 Department of Social Services Office of the Chief Administrative by 2/07/2016 Officer (CAO) REMINDER: Deadline Apply is Fridays @ 5 p.m.

Apply by 02/05/2016 Systems Engineer 20M00000017 Equipment Operator II 30M00000195 Department of Technology Department of Parks, Recreation, Information and Community Facilities Apply by 02/14/2016 Apply by 02/14/2016 Maintenance Worker II 30M00000115 Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Apply by 02/14/2016

Trades Supervisor II (Night) – Gas Distribution 35M00000239 Public Utilities Apply by 2/21/16

********************************* For an exciting career with the City of Richmond, visit our website for additional information and apply today!

www.richmondgov.com EOE M/F/D/V

CPAP/BIPAP supplies at little or no cost from Allied Medical Supply Network! Fresh supplies delivered right to your door. Insurance may cover all costs.

800-413-8288

642 W. Southside Plaza Dr. Richmond (804) 233-5757

WWW.SEIBERTSTOWING.COM VA AL # 2908-000766

Their Price

CelebrexTM $

910.20 Typical US Brand Price

for 200mg x 100

Our Price

Celecoxib* $

76.67

Generic equivalent of CelebrexTM Generic price for 200mg x 100

Call Now: 800-884-8512

Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications?

You can save up to 93% when you fill your prescriptions with our Canadian and International prescription service.

ViagraTM $1,566.96 vs Sildenafil*

Typical US Brand Price for 100mg x 40

Typical US Brand Price for 40mg x 100

ActonelTM $805.15

OUR PRICE

AbilifyTM

$

* $ vs Esomeprazole 83.00 Generic Price for 40mg x 100

49.00

* vs Risedronate

$

2,964.49 vs Aripiprazole*

$

Typical US Brand Price for 35mg x 12

Typical US Brand Price for 15mg x 90

FlomaxTM $606.60 Typical US Brand Price for .4mg x 90

Get an extra

$15 off

plus FREE SHIPPING

CialisTM

76.50

Generic Price for 15mg x 90

Generic Price for .4mg x 90

1,734.05 vs Tadalafil*

AdvairTM

$

1024.42 vs

Typical US Brand Price for 250-50mcg x 180

EvistaTM

$

LipitorTM

$

52.20

180.00

OUR PRICE Salmeterol & Fluticasone Propionate*

$

147.00

Generic Price for 250-50mcg x 180

695.13 vs Raloxifene*

$

81.00

Generic Price for 60mg x 100

966.03 vs Atorvastatin* $67.00

Typical US Brand Price for 20mg x 100

$

$

Generic Price for 20mg x 40

THEIR PRICE

Typical US Brand Price for 60mg x 100

Generic Price for 35mg x 12

vs Tamsulosin*

$

Typical US Brand Price for 20mg x 40

Generic Price for 100mg x 40

THEIR PRICE

NexiumTM $926.49

134.00

$

Generic Price for 20mg x 100

PrevacidTM $1131.96 vs Lansoprazole* $105.00

Typical US Brand Price for 30mg x 84

Generic Price for 30mg x 84

Get An Extra $15 Off & Free Shipping On Your 1st Order!

Call the number below and save an additional $15 plus get free shipping on your first prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires June 30, 2016. Offer is valid for prescription orders only and can not be used in conjunction with any other offers. Valid for new customers only. One time use per household. Use code 15FREE to receive this special offer.

Call Now! 800-884-8512

Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders.

Prescription price comparison above is valid as of November 16, 2015. All trade-mark (TM) rights associated with the brand name products in this ad belong to their respective owners. *Generic drugs are carefully regulated medications that have the same active ingredients as the original brand name drug, but are generally cheaper in price.