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ELECTION Smithson answers questions as voting starts getting underway
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Vol. 6 No. 2 | Richmond Suburban News | September 16, 2020
Registrar’s office gets ready for big election By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local
SHAWN TALMADGE
HANOVER — With the 2020 presidential election less than two months away, General Registrar/ Director of Elections Teresa “Teri” Smithson provided the Hanover County Board of Supervisors with an update on important deadlines regarding voting by absentee ballot at last week’s regular meeting. Smithson clarified that early voting in Hanover equates to casting a ballot by an already established absentee system in person. Early voting begins on Sept. 18. “Early voting in Virginia is simply in-person absentee voting,”
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Smithson said. “You still come in and get checked in on an electronic poll book just like you would if you went to a polling place.” She described the set-up for early absentee voting in the Wickham Building as a “polling place on steroids.”
Employees who will man the operation are currently being trained and renovations in the old Commissioner of Revenue office are nearing completion. “We are already in training for our part-time staff members who will be managing the day-to-day operations in there,” Smithson said. The in-person absentee voting office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the last two Saturdays of October. Drive-thru curbside voting also will be available on those last two Saturdays. “The parties are
Ex-battalion chief named to state post R-MC requests CUP for new use at 301 Caroline Staff Report news@mechlocal.com
RICHMOND — A former Hanover Fire-EMS battalion chief has been named to serve as Homeland Security Advisor, in addition to continuing in the position of Assistant Secretary for Public Safety and Homeland Security. Shawn Talmadge’s appointment was announced on Friday, Sept. 4, by Governor Ralph Northam. He has been serving as see TALMADFE, pg. 8
By Melody Kinser Managing Editor ASHLAND – A request for denial and one for approval of a change in a Conditional Use Permit involving Randolph-Macon College ended last week with the Ashland Planning Commission deciding to defer any action until the Oct. 14. Members agreed to review the conditions for the use. Will Tucker, a Planner II in the office of Planning & Community Development, appeared first before the commission, explaining that the college wants to use the house at 301 Caroline St., covering
one-half acre, for administration services. A portion of the street consists of single-family residences. Tucker said the site is just outside of campus, with the “footprint property being requested to change to office use.” He noted that the house, which was built in1920, is Colonial Revival in style and “resembles a lot of building patterns you’ll see throughout town.” Looking ahead, Tucker said it was significant to preserve the property’s character, as well as continue to provide a walkable, predominantly residential and traditional neighborhood. He said there
are one to four units per acre. He described the street as higherend and that there is a need to protect the “higher-end that we currently have.” Those living there, he said, are “folks bringing higher-paying jobs.” If the CUP were to be approved, Tucker said it would expand the footprint and operations of the 2009 Master Plan, while, if denied, R-MC would stay within the existing campus footprint from the Master Plan. He again referred to the impact of the pedestrian/walkable environment, as well
see ELECTION, pg. 8
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see PLANNING, pg. 5
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