Inside A6 Cumberland County election results
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Powhatan Fury soccer teams win tourney division championships
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 22
December 2, 2020
Cardiac arrest survivor thanks saviors By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – The black mask covering half his face couldn’t hide Stan Edwards’ emotions as he stood across from the wall of people who had come together to save his life. The 13 men and women lined up in front of him on Monday, Nov. 23 – as well as others who couldn’t be there – were living proof that sometimes it takes a village to save a life. A little more than three months earlier, on a blistering summer day in August when Stan collapsed from PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND a cardiac arrest while rid- Stan and Tammy Edwards, center, stand with the large group of people who all contributed to saving Stan’s life on Aug. 9 ing his bicycle, these were when he collapsed from a cardiac arrest on a rural Powhatan road. On Nov. 23, the Powhatan Board of Supervisors recogsee SAVED, pg. 5
nized the bystanders and first responders who came to Stan’s aid.
New Habitat house breaks ground State waives SOL By Laura McFarland Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY-POWHATAN
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
Sheila Hayes, right, and her daughter, Shannon, attend the groundbreaking on Nov. 24 of their future home, which will be built by Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan in the coming months.
By Laura McFarland
POWHATAN – Sheila Hayes has an address. The address doesn’t have a house located there yet but that will be here soon enough – hopefully by March 2021. In the meantime, Hayes got the thrill of a lifetime on Nov. 24 at the groundbreaking ceremony held on the site of her future home on Old Tavern Road. Come the spring, Hayes will be the owner of the 15th house built by Habitat for Humanity – Powhatan. Having the start of that see HABITAT, pg. 3
Local churches give thanks with community meals By Laura McFarland
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Editor
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Above, members of Passion Community Church prepare food for a drive-through Thanksgiving meal. Below, Minister Brenda Nash and Monroe Rollins deliver food at United Community Church’s Thanksgiving meal.
testing requirements
POWHATAN – Two local churches worked to keep the human touch in Thanksgiving for local people with special meals prepared for the holiday. While renewed social distancing guidelines kept the special events planned by Passion Community Church and Unity Community Church from being the true fellowship experiences they were created to be, organizers said they were still grateful for the people they were able to touch with the homemade meals. Both churches were originally planning full community meals, but Governor Ralph Northam’s executive order pulling back social gatherings to no more than 10 people caused organizers to make some last-minute changes. Passion Community Church held an entirely drive-through event at the church with people stopping by to say how see THANKSGIVING, pg. 8
Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan County students of all ages are expected to have more flexibility when it comes to testing in the spring because of waivers and emergency guidance approved by the state. The recently-announced new measures mean that elementary and middle school students this spring will likely be taking more local assessments instead of Standards of Learning tests in history and social science and English writing, according to a release from the Virginia Department of Education. Additionally, school divisions have been given greater flexibility in awarding credits toward graduation for high school seniors. The waivers and emergency guidance were approved on Nov. 19 by Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane, the state Board of Education, and Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. The goal was to reduce the need for in-person testing this year as schools contend with the coronavirus pandemic. “The waivers and emergency guidance will simplify the logistics of SOL testing this year and ensure that COVID-19 pandemic does not unduly prevent any student from earning a diploma,” Lane said. “The board of education and I are also creating opportunities for school divisions to create multiple pathways for students to demonstrate content mastery while prioritizing health and safety. This includes expanding the use of performance assessments that encourage deeper learning and assess the acquisition by students of the skills and attributes we call the Five C’s: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship.” Dr. Eric Jones, PCPS superintendent, said he was still waiting on more
specific information from the state, but he already knows the school division will be taking advantage of this move to benefit Powhatan students. The move aligns with the school division’s philosophy and strategic plan in terms of providing authentic assessments for Powhatan students, so administrators and staff are happy to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to “not do an external assessment that may or may not accurately reflect where our students are.” “For us, it aligns well with what we are doing to assess students in a more authentic manner. It also allows our teachers, who know our students best, to accurately assess their progress throughout the year, which is something in Powhatan we believe in – that the professionals who work with students on a daily basis should be in charge of that process,” Jones said. He added that Powhatan may not be as impacted as some school divisions because it had already been investing heavily ion performance-based assessments. The waivers became effective following review and approval by Qarni. “These waivers provide relief and agility to students and educators who are managing a lot of personal and professional pressure during this tumultuous time,” Qarni said. “Innovation is necessary to keep Virginia students learning safely this academic year, and we will continue working to create new pathways for student and educator success as they adapt to changing circumstances and forms of instruction.” During the Nov. 19 board of education meeting, Lane noted that it is unlikely that the U.S. Department of Education will waive federal rules that require annual testing in reading and mathematics see SOL, pg. 4