Gov. Northam reviewing mask guidance; River Road closure; Behavioral health funding

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Take a look at our top headlines before you start your day!

First Alert Weather: Storms

Today is a FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY. Partly sunny, hot and humid with a few late afternoon and evening storms possible.

Damaging wind and hail will be a concern. Highs in the low 90s.

Overall, the rain chance isn’t that high but there’s the potential that any storms that form could get quite strong, especially in Northern VA.

River Road Closure

A section of River Road will be closed due to a broken sewer line and is expected to remain closed until July 31.

The road is closed between Gaskins Road and the Henrico/Goochland County line.

Here are the suggested routes to take.

• From Goochland County – Take Blair Rd. (Rt. 649) north to Patterson Ave. (Rt. 6) east to Gaskins Rd. south back to River Rd.
• From Henrico County – Take Gaskins Rd. north to Patterson Ave. (Rt. 6) west to Blair Rd. (Rt. 649) south back to River Rd.

Stoney Cleared In Monument Removal

After conducting an investigation, the Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney said he found no evidence of improper benefit to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney as a result of awarding a political donor the contract to remove the city’s Confederate monuments.

Tim Martin said that the investigation did not reveal anything criminal.

Martin also looked into the contractor’s creation of a separate business entity, which led some to believe this was done to conceal improper transactions.

The investigation found that the contractor concealed his identity due to the controversial nature of the work, which is not a crime.

Mask Guidelines Being Reviewed

On Wednesday, Northam said his team is reviewing the CDC’s updated mask-wearing guidance for schools. This recommendation says fully people vaccinated should wear a mask indoors in localities with high and substantial rates of COVID-19 community transmission.

“Those CDC guidelines just came out yesterday,” he said. “We want Virginians to be safe. We want to get this pandemic behind us.”

According to CDC’s online COVID data tracker, 49 percent of counties in the United States fall under a high transmission rate.

New Kent, Prince George, and King William counties are currently facing this rate of community transmission.

Budget On State’s Behavioral Health

Virginia will commit $485 million in federal and state funding to address challenges in Virginia’s behavioral health system, according to Governor Ralph Northam.

The $485 million investment includes state funding as well as federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and is focused on three areas—state mental hospitals, community-based services, and opioid and substance abuse treatment.

The Governor made the announcement at the Arlington County Community Services Board for a tour of the Crisis Intervention Center and a roundtable with behavioral health leaders.

PPP Portal

A new portal is making it easier for businesses with loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to apply for forgiveness.

Starting on Aug. 4, small businesses that have loans of $150,000 or less can apply directly through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The system is meant to streamline those applications and simplify the process.

For more information, click here.

Dressel Wins Gold

Caeleb Dressel climbed atop the lane rope, a look of wonder in his eyes. He gazed all around the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, eager to soak up every last moment of something he’s never done before.

Win an individual gold medal at the Olympics.

The most dominant swimmer of the post-Michael Phelps era filled in the last hole on his resume, winning a gold all by himself with two furious laps of the pool Thursday.

Arthur Ashe Mural

A new street-style mural of Richmond native and tennis legend, Arthur Ashe is now featured in Richmond.

The mural painted by Kyle Holbrook, an international street artist, on July 28 is on the corner of Giles Avenue and Meadowbridge Road.

It is a part of a Nationa tour to paint African-American icons in diverse communities around the United States and is sponsored by Moving Lives of Kids Arts Center.

The Mural is done in a street art style similar to ‘Banksy’ to provide a contemporary image of Arthur Ashe and evoke people to ask “why” and learn more about his life.”

Final Thought

Give without remembering, and receive without forgetting – Unknown

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