Inside A3 Schools planning for masks to be optional in fall
Powhatan, Virginia
B1 Muminovic sweeps titles at RMAL CHAMPS meet
Vol. XXXV No.. 4
July 28, 2021
Marijuana legalization not as simple as it sounds Officals share how new laws create potential risks By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – On July 1, 2021, highly touted new laws passed by the 2021 General Assembly went into place that made a certain amount of marijuana usage and growing legal in the state of Virginia. But what a headline screaming “Marijuana is legal in Virginia” doesn’t tell citizens is how truly complicated it is to understand the new laws and what rights Virginia residents actually have currently. Whether it is the conundrum of making it legal to use marijuana but not buy it, the lack of having a sys-
tem in place already to deal with regulating it, workplace issues, or the enforcement issues the laws raise, there is still plenty of confusion surrounding legal use of marijuana, said Rob Cerullo, Powhatan’s Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney. Part of the reason for the confusion is that the laws are part of an extended three-year plan by the General Assembly. Simple possession and home cultivation are legal now but it will not be legal to sell marijuana or marijuana plants or seeds until Jan. 1, 2024. That is when the newly created Cannabis Control Authority is projected to be in place and fully regulating the marijuana industry, including issuing licenses for businesses, creating health and safety guidelines, and promoting diversity within the industry. In the meantime, the agency will need time to hire staff and create regulations before licensing can begin. To help understand some of the finer points of the state’s new take on marijuana, Cerullo and Jeff Sear-
foss, Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy, recently sat down with the Powhatan Today to discuss the laws, what is legal, and what is still off limits – at least for the time being. While both men said marijuana is not currently a significant problem in Powhatan County, they also don’t know what issues, if any, legalizing it might create, particularly given the way it was done. And while Cerullo offered insight into the new laws, he also freely said he is not in favor of legalizing marijuana in Virginia and feels the General Assembly created plenty of new problems with how they did so, saying, “the way the legislature did this, it is a mess.” “They put the cart before the horse. They said you can possess it, you can smoke it, you can have it but only if you get it from a legal dispensary. But we don’t have legal dispensaries – we don’t have that system set up yet,” Cerullo said. “So the confusion you are see MARIJUANA, pg. 4
Belles honor 90s plus residents
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The Southern Belle Rocks Foundation recently held a 90s Plus Luncheon that honored local residents Mabel Gilliam, from left, Mabel Walton, Winfred Taylor, and Ophelia Watson, all of Powhatan.
By Laura McFarland Editor
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
POWHATAN – The Southern Belle Rocks Foundation recently held a party where the guests of honor had one significant similarity – they
were all in their 90s. The 90s Plus Luncheon was held on Saturday, July 17 at Greenbrier Baptist Church and had four seniors in attendance in person and one via Zoom, said Rose Oliver, vice president of South-
ern Belle Rocks Foundation. The group sent out more invitations, but several honorees couldn’t attend for various reasons. “We were grateful for the ones that showed up, and we understand they see BELLES pg. 5
Barks, Bourbon, and Bronze raises funds for animal shelter PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Timmy Walters, left, and his dog Basyl meet Stephanie Brooks and her dog Audie on July 22 at the third annual Barks, Bourbon, and Bronze fundraiser. See more photos on Page 6A.
Donated house offers hours of firefighter training By Laura McFarland
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Editor
POWHATAN – The older home that once sat at 3001 Anderson Highway gave its last days to help Powhatan firefighters train to better respond to needs in their community. The house, which is on land owned by Evergreen Community Church, was used by the county’s public safety personnel for training purposes for the last several months before a live burn was held on Tuesday, July 13 that saw it razed to the ground, said Pat Schoeffel, assistant chief. The church reached out to Powhatan Fire and Rescue in early 2021 with an offer to let the county use the house for training purposes, he said. Because there wasn’t an immediate deadline on when the house has to come down, the structure was available for several months as an invaluable resource for additional training of career, volunteer, and future firefighters as well as law enforcement officers. The house became available for training on March 8, and in the months until the live burn, the fire department held 22 training events with a total of 692 hours of training, Schoeffel said. The various law enforcement agencies from Powhatan, Chesterfield, and Richmond who also used it had six training events with 840 hours of training. “Some great training opportunities were held at this house, enhancing the skills of a lot of firefighters. (A) big thanks to all that helped and participated. There is no better way to train than using a real house/building for not just live fire evolutions but for all the other training that it can be used for,” Schoeffel said. Each house the fire department gets to
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIRE AND RESCUE
Powhatan firefighters got 692 hours of training out of a donated house on Anderson Highway before the final training during a live burn on July 13, shown above, saw it razed to the ground. See more photos on Page 8A.
utilize provides different training opportunities, he said. Using a real house instead of training props gives firefighters realistic conditions to perform skills such as cutting numerous holes in the roof, hooking down sheet rock on the ceiling and walls, experiencing different floor plans, breaking windows, flowing water inside from a hose to see how the fire streams react, and using ladders on the roof. “We can build the firefighters’ confidence by having a lot of fire and letting them make the push knocking down the fire before going inside. This allows them to see how much fire the hose line can extinguish when properly used. In a burn building we are limited to three pallets. Without a house we have to improvise with training props that are OK, but noth-
ing is as realistic as a real house,” he said. The final training was the live burn on July 13, which saw members push up to the door, knocking down the fire, and stopping. They did not enter since the house did not meet the National Fire Protection Association’s standards for live fire training evolutions. “The live burn was a big hit. About 30 church members came out with drinks, cooked hot dogs, and deserts for us. The preacher said a few words and a prayer before we started,” he said. Schoeffel said the live burn was possible because of asbestos inspections by George Holt and coordination by Leon Sydnor, Daniel Perkins, and EB Zirkle. Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.