News to Know for Dec. 16: State budget proposal; Comments on redistricting map; Best weather of the week

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Good morning. Here’s the news you need to know, so you can get out and enjoy the best weather of the week!

3-day Warmup

Today will be mostly sunny and breezy with highs in the upper 60s.

That warmup continues into Saturday with slim rain chances.

Northam to Present State Budget

Governor Northam will present his proposed budget to the General Assembly today, after touting his new proposals across the state.

Those included cutting the grocery tax, pay raises for state law enforcement and teachers, and money for historically black colleges and universities.

Lawmakers will decide whether or not to approve the budget when they reconvene next month, before presenting it to Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin.

Henrico Redistricting Vote

Henrico County leaders will vote on redistricting plans in a special meeting at 6:30 p.m.

As required by law, each county in Virginia must redraw its magisterial districts based on population growth reflected in the 2020 census.

The board of supervisors was slated to vote on the new voting districts on Tuesday, but after hearing dozens of comments from the public and getting four alternative plans - including one from the Henrico NAACP - the board decided to delay the vote by two days.

What About the State?

Many Virginias are unhappy with the recently proposed redistricting maps that will change the commonwealth’s political structure.

In Louisa County, residents say they would be moved from the 7th district to the first, meaning they would lose all of their current elected representatives. The complaints varied - among them were gender equality and regional divides.

“Powerful women who are poised to make a difference for us are getting shoved to the side. And it has not escaped anybody’s attention that the people most impacted by this are three women,” said one commenter. “Are you trying to purposely silence the suburban voters?”

Three more hours of comments are expected tomorrow, and we are told all the slots are full. That means you will need to write in your concerns online instead.

The court will make final approvals of the maps by Dec. 19.

Boil Water Notice

A boil water advisory is in effect for multiple neighborhoods in Prince George County.

Maintenance work impacted water pressure and while service is restored residents need to boil their water before consuming it or cooking with it. That’s because the county must flush, disinfect and test the water to make sure it’s safe to drink again.

This boil alert could last until Friday. Click here to see the areas affected.

Crime Alert

Two men are fighting for their lives after being shot Wednesday night, police say.

Officers were called around 9 p.m. to West and Wythe streets where two men had been shot multiple times. The two were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Anyone with information should call Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212.

Search for Missing Teen

The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing girl from Missouri who is believed to be in the metro Richmond area.

Officials believe 17-year-old Tru Sherman is connected to an abandoned vehicle found on Washington Highway in Doswell. They believe she is still in the metro Richmond area with her boyfriend Mark Gray.

If you see them or have information about where they are, call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Another Grim Milestone

More than 15,000 Virginians have lost their battle with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

This comes as the state’s positivity rate sits at nearly 9 percent. In the last 24 hours, 3,100 new cases were reported.

Currently, 75 percent of the state has at least one vaccine dose, and 66 percent is fully vaccinated.

VEC Website Still Down

The Virginia Employment Commission’s online claims site is still down for maintenance. The application went down a week ago, and the VEC has not said when it will come back online.

This is the second time this brand new system has been shut down since it went live a month ago.

Weekly claims can still be made by calling 1-800-897-5630.

Helping Those in Need

In Kentucky, homes and lives have been torn apart and scattered for miles from deadly tornadoes, and more than 100 people are still missing. In response, NBC12 teamed up with the American Red Cross for a two-night telethon to give back - and you stepped up in a big way!

Thanks to your generosity, $74,000 has been raised to help with tornado relief efforts. Of the grand total, $20,000 of that came from Woodfin Oil, who generously did a $20,000 match Tuesday night.

While the Call 12 telethon may be over, there is still a need for blood and monetary donations. If you would like to support the Red Cross in their Kentucky relief efforts, click HERE.

What Are the Odds?

Kathleen Fox, a math teacher at Moss-Nuckols Elementary in Louisa, was giving an improbable lesson on probability when she made an incredible basket!

The probability of that shot going in was about .05 percent. And even with a long skirt on, she kicks the basketball from the corner, and it goes in!

Final Thought

“Life is a math equation. In order to gain the most, you have to know how to convert negatives into positives.” -unknown

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