Schools and COVID-19 Physicians’ Group Mathews to Stay with Virtual Instruction Through 2020 Dr
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GLOUCESTERMATHEWS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 VOL. LXXXIII, no. 43 NEW SERIES (USPS 220-560) GLOUCESTER, VA. 23061 | MATHEWS, VA. 23109 two sections 32 pages 75 CENTS Ransone to lead national Schools and COVID-19 physicians’ group Mathews to stay with virtual instruction through 2020 Dr. Sterling N. Ransone Jr. of Cobbs Creek, was elected BY CHARLIE KOENIG the school board, meeting tion. end they voted unanimously by the American Academy of on Tuesday in the Harry M. The decision did not seem to approve the staff recom- Family Physicians’ Congress The majority of students Ward Auditorium at Mathews to be an easy one for school mendation for its second of Delegates as its president- at Mathews County Public High School. The decision board members, who all ex- nine weeks instructional de- elect. Schools will continue to re- came after a public comment pressed sympathy for the dif- livery plan. The AAFP represents ceive their instruction virtu- period, where several par- fi culties that both students While the plan calls for 136,700 physicians and medi- ally, at least until the end of ents and one middle school and teachers are facing on most students to continue cal students nationwide. As the calendar year. student made a plea for the a daily basis with virtual in- an AAFP board member, Ran- That was the decision of return to in-person instruc- struction. However, in the SEE MATHEWS SCHOOLS, PAGE 12A sone advocates on behalf of family physicians and pa- tients across the country to inspire positive changes in Gloucester High seniors return to classroom Monday the U.S. health care system. BY KIM ROBINS Students who will be not be used at GHS at this for their courses. He will serve as president- Dr. Sterling N. Ransone Jr. returning to GHS should bring time. Students who select the elect, president and board Gloucester High School a charged Gloucester Public The recommended supply hybrid model will attend chair of the AAFP over the practice, Ransone is an as- seniors who have selected a Schools-issued Chromebook list for returning students school two days each week. next three years. sistant clinical professor of hybrid schedule are slated to school each day that they includes a backpack, Students assigned to group Ransone is a third-genera- family medicine and popula- to return to GHS beginning attend, according to the mask and hand sanitizer, A will attend school on Mon- tion family physician and has tion health at Virginia Com- Monday. GHS freshmen, school. Chromebooks will writing utensils and wired days and Tuesdays and stu- practiced rural medicine for monwealth University in Rich- sophomores and juniors be distributed to any hybrid headphones or earbuds. dents assigned to group B will more than 20 years. He is the mond. He previously held the are set to return to GHS student who has not received Teachers will provide a list physician practice director at role of chief resident of family beginning Nov. 12. one. Personal devices will of specifi c supplies needed SEE GLOUCESTER SCHOOLS, PAGE 12A Riverside Fishing Bay Family medicine at Riverside Fam- Practice in Deltaville. In addition to his offi ce SEE DR. RANSONE, PAGE 12A After dramatic rise, new cases slow down locally BY SHERRY HAMILTON been no new deaths, with Gloucester remaining at After a sharp rise in local three and Mathews at zero. COVID-19 cases last week, COVID-19 cases in Middle- the ongoing increase slowed sex increased to a total of down this week, with 24 new 150, with hospitalizations at cases in Gloucester, for a to- eight and deaths at 11, the tal of 337, and fi ve new cases most in the Three Rivers TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL CHARLIE KOENIG / GAZETTE-JOURNAL in Mathews, totaling 127 cas- Health District. es since the beginning of the Dr. Richard Williams, Di- pandemic. rector of the Three Rivers In the Halloween spirit Wi-Fi on Wheels Hospitalizations in- Health District, said that The Hayes neighborhood of Seawell’s Trace is a real scream thanks to some of Gloucester County Public Schools’ Wi-Fi on Wheels, a school bus equipped with creased slightly, with both community spread of the vi- the festive residents going all out with Halloween decorations. Several of the wireless internet, is now available for students. Here, the bus is parked at a cul-de- counties adding two, for rus is still the main problem. homes in the neighborhood are decked out with webs, headstones, skeletons 17 in Gloucester and 10 and other ghoulish items. sac in the Stonehenge subvidision Tuesday. For story, see page 11A. in Mathews. There have SEE COVID19, PAGE 12A In-person voting to be held next two Saturdays Early in-person voting in this week in Gloucester and wealth. the 2020 election has been Mathews counties. The Mathews offi ce, at Lib- going on for over a month Voters who wish to cast erty Square on Buckley Hall now, and for those who their ballots in advance of Road, will be open from 8 a.m. haven’t been able to make it the Nov. 3 election can do so to 4 p.m. on those two Satur- to the registrar’s offi ce dur- this Saturday, as well as next days, while the Gloucester of- ing normal weekday hours, Saturday, Oct. 31, at the two fi ce, at Building 1 in Glouces- the fi rst of two Saturday vot- offi ces, as well as registrar’s ing opportunities comes up offi ces across the common- SEE 2020 ELECTION, PAGE 12A Tower proposal could boost broadband Backpack drive coverage Coastal Community Church, with a campus in Gloucester, held a backpack drive recently to help distribute Back to School BY SHERRY HAMILTON items for those in need in the Gloucester community. The church donated a total of 46 backpacks, all full of school sup- The Mathews County Broad- plies for grades K-6th. Page Middle School teacher and church member. Kimberly Vogt along with fellow church member band Advisory Board is on Wayne Hunley assembled the backpacks while Vogt brought the backpacks to Debra Falkenberg, the Page Middle School the cusp of scoring its fi rst Community Engagement Coordinator. Falkenberg then distributed the backpacks to each of Gloucester County’s Com- major win toward the goal of Sunrise at Hole in the Wall munity Engagement coordinators to take to their respective schools. The backpack exchange took place in front of the providing broadband to every Mathews County Planning and Zoning Director Thomas Jenkins snapped this Community Engagement and Public Information main o ce located in the Stewart Building on Main Street. Shown, from household in the county. sunrise photo last Thursday at Hole in the Wall while adjusting the ash set- left, are Gloria Williams, CE&PI Manager; Cindy Thomas, Petsworth Elementary School Coordinator; Deborah Bone, Achil- In a potential deal with tings on the lights of two of the county’s private aids to navigation—number 8 les Elementary School Coordinator; Linda Buswell, Peasley Middle School Coordinator; Valerie Lewis, Bethel Elementary SEE BROADBAND, PAGE 14A (shown above) and number 3. School Coordinator; Falkenberg, and Sulva Dow, Abingdon Elementary School Coordinator. INSIDE THIS WEEK TO REACH US: Lemon tree, very pretty Phone: 804-693-3101 Gloucester. .2A Schools. 11A Variety . .5B Mathews. .3A Sports . .13A Days Past . .9B Commonly found in more tropical climes like Florida, Melissa Ashe was Fax: 804-693-7844 Gloucester Point. .4A Coming Events . .14A Business . 10B11B able to harvest lemons from her trees at Gloucester Point. For more, in- Neighbors . .5A Community News . .1B Public Record . 12B cluding recipes, see story on page 1B. On the web Editorial . .6A Church News . 3B5B Classi eds . 13B16B www.gazettejournal.net *The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank N.A., an Equal Housing Lender. Spe- cial terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to COZY UP TO HOME COMFORT apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR THIS FALL for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. Locally owned and trusted since 1955 For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. 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Y M C K 2A GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL Gloucester GleaninGs THURSDAY OCTOBER 22, 2020 This year’s Gloucester’s Veterans Day ceremony moved to Post 75 Gloucester’s annual Veter- navirus pandemic, organiz- the flags that fly on the post the spread of the virus by Mathews American Legion ans Day ceremony, hosted by ers decided to forego the grounds.