COUNTY OFFICES CLOSE FOR HOLIDAY Hanover County government offices, solid waste centers and library branches will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2, in observance of Labor Day. Vol. 4 No. 50 | Richmond Suburban News | August 28, 2019
Group rallies to support school name changes By Jim Ridolphi for Ashland-Hanover Local HANOVER — About 75 people gathered at the Hanover County courthouse complex on Tuesday, Aug. 20, for what was described as a community press conference regarding recent actions taken by the Hanover NAACP. The week before, the group filed a lawsuit against the Hanover County School Board and Hanover County regarding the names of two schools in the county and the imagery
and mascots associated with them. The suit alleges forcing children to attend schools with names like Lee-Davis Confederates and Stonewall Jackson Rebels is a violation of the First Amendment guaranteed protection against compelled speech. An attorney representing the plaintiff said the suit outlines violations regarding the Equal Protection Amendment and also violates the Equal Education Act. The suit cites
Jim Ridolphi for The Local
both First and Fourteenth Amendment violations. Hanover County NAACP president Robert Barnette said the school names and imagery represent an atmosphere of exclusion and sends a continuing message to the African American community.
Robert Barnette, left, serves as president of the local NAACP chapter. Above, Harold Stills, who was the first African-American teacher at Lee-Davis High School, addressed the crowd gathered to seek support for changing the names of L-DHS and Stonewall Jackson Middle School.
“Students at both schools are forced to glorify the Confederacy and its leadership, which are intertwined with the history of slavery in America and today are used as symbols of racial oppression,” Barnette said.
Disaster preparedness workshop to be held Sept. 7 at courthouse HANOVER -- A Disaster Preparedness Workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, in the Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting room at Hanover Courthouse. The “Plan Safe” workshop will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude around noon. When seconds count, being prepared is critical. Your household may not be together in an emergency, so it is important to plan in advance. Attend this highly interactive, three-hour workshop to learn how to be better prepared as an individual or family. Discussions will include how to make a household plan, build an emergency kit, what
items should be included, and the proper way to store the contents. The workshop also will teach basic prevention or mitigation strategies that you can do in your home to protect your household members and valuables. This presentation is intended for a broad array of audiences (aged 12 and over), including individuals and families preparing their homes, businesses or non-profit organizations looking to increase preparedness for their employees, or community groups looking to improve the see DISASTER, pg. 3
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The tradition continues! Ashland-Hanover Local once again has included bus routes for Hanover County Public Schools. Thanks to the HCPS Transportation Department, we share the routes on pages 10-17,18 & 20.
After numerous efforts to force the school board to change the names, he said the local NAACP chapter filed a lawsuit. “Four days ago, the Hanover Unit of the NAACP filed a lawsuit with the county
and the school board to change these names and take other steps to address the climate that denies African American students equal education,” Barnette said.
HANOVER -- The public is invited to Hanover County’s 9/11 Memorial program, which will get underway at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the Hanover Courts Complex. Those first responders and civilians who gave their lives serving others on September 11, 2001, will be honored. Guest speakers include: Keith Pressley, representative for Woodmen of the World.
Canova Peterson, chairman of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. Col. David R. Hines, Hanover County Sheriff. Chief Jethro Piland, Hanover County Fire/EMS. Savannah Shaver, LeeDavis High School student, speaking on growing up in a post 9/11 world. The program also will feature the Hanover County
see GROUP, pg. 2
County presenting 9/11 Memorial program
see 9/11, pg. 3