York County Cruise Ship Drama, VA Democrats Aim to Protect Abortion and Voting Rights, and more

Nov 26, 2023

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For months, Holland America Line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, has included Yorktown as a stop for three of its 2025 cruises on its website, but a report this week revealed that the visits had not been approved by the county.
At the Tuesday night York County Board of Supervisors meeting, residents railed against the potential negative impacts of the cruise visits and the board’s secrecy in their dealings with cruise line companies.
Carnival also owns Princess Cruises, who in February announced Yorktown as a stop for two of its 2024 lines. A local group protested an August presentation by Princess, holding signs outside the meeting with messages like “No Princess!”

Last Monday signaled the official start of the prefiling period for the 2024 General Assembly, and the first bills filed reflect the political shift in the House and Senate now that Democrats hold a slight majority.
The first bills seek to enshrine reproductive freedom for Virginians and voting rights for those convicted of felonies by amending the state constitution, a lengthy process requiring two separate legislative approvals and a public referendum.
Being convicted of a felony in Virginia means losing all of your civil rights, including the right to vote, for the rest of your life. The law has roots in Jim Crow legislative efforts to disenfranchise the Black community.

The Grove Christian Outreach Center gave out over 200 Thanksgiving meals this week to James City County residents. Food insecurity has remained high since the pandemic according to local relief organizations.
After several years of closed doors, the Kimball Theater in Colonial Williamsburg has finally reopened this weekend, with style renovations reminiscent of the 1930s to commemorate its 90th anniversary. See the schedule here.
The successful proceedings of lawsuits related to the 2022 mass shooting in Chesapeake and this year’s shooting at Richneck Elementary are exceptions to the rule when it comes to the difficult process of suing employers in Virginia.

Williamsburg-James City Education Association Rally for Fair Contracts:

Hope y’all had a great holiday week! With winter around the corner, do you remember what parts of Virginia tend to get the most snowfall?

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