Category: Local
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A look back at government responses to the coronavirus pandemic, Oct. 12-16, 2020
Although the first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed on Jan. 21, 2020, it wasn’t until March when the novel coronavirus upended life for most Americans. Throughout the year, states issued stay-at-home orders, closed schools, restricted travel, issued mask mandates, and changed election dates. Here are the policy changes that happened Oct. 12-16,…
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Loudoun County Circuit Court rules school board recall may advance to trial
An effort to recall Beth Barts from her position as the Leesburg District representative on the Loudoun County Public Schools school board in Virginia moved forward at a pre-trial hearing on Oct. 5. At the hearing, a Loudoun County Circuit Court judge ruled that the recall effort could advance to a full trial, denying Barts’ motion…
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Two challengers defeat incumbents in Birmingham general runoff election
Birmingham, Ala., held a general runoff election on Oct. 5. The runoff was necessary after no candidate earned a majority of the vote in several races during the general election on Aug. 24. Candidates competed for two seats on the nine-seat city council. Challengers defeated incumbents in both districts. J.T. Moore won the District 4…
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Port Angeles City Council candidates discuss coronavirus pandemic, housing, and the future of the city
On Sept. 21, Port Angeles City Council Position #2 incumbent Mike French and challenger John Madden participated in an online candidate forum. The Port Angeles Business Association hosted the event. French, who was elected to the city council in 2017, is the owner and operator of the First Street Haven Restaurant. Madden owns Ready Remodeling.…
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Andrew Yang leaves Democratic Party
Former candidate for mayor of New York and president of the United States Andrew Yang announced his registration as an independent on Oct. 4, 2021. Yang previously belonged to the Democratic Party since 1995. Yang ran for mayor of New York in 2021 as a Democrat. He lost during Round 7 of the Democratic Party’s…
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Three Sequim candidates complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey
Three city council candidates in Sequim, Wa., completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in recent weeks. Sequim is located in Clallam County, in the northwestern corner of the state. Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections on Nov. 2 in Clallam County’s three cities—Port Angeles, Sequim, and Forks. In Sequim, eleven offices are up for election, including seats…
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Cincinnati city council fixes error that would have made Issue 3 increase city council salaries instead of decrease them
On Sept. 30, the Cincinnati City Council passed an emergency ordinance to fix an error in the legal text of Issue 3 on the Nov. 2 ballot. The error would have made Issue 3 increase city council pay instead of decreasing it. Issue 3, a citizen initiative, was designed to decrease city council pay to…
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How Clallam County’s cities vote in presidential elections
There is one county in America that has, since 1980, voted for the winning presidential candidate—Clallam County, Wa. The county’s 40-year record of voting for Republican and Democratic candidates reflects its political diversity. In Clallam County, elections, especially federal and state elections, tend to be closely decided. In 2020 and 2016, for example, Joe Biden…
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How Clallam County has voted in recent presidential primaries
Clallam County, Wash., has a long record of voting for the winning presidential candidate. Since 1980, the county has voted for the Republican and Democratic candidates that would go on to become president—Ronald Reagan (R), George H.W. Bush (R), Bill Clinton (D), George W. Bush (R), Barack Obama (D), Donald Trump (R), and Joe Biden…
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Newest Clayton County Board of Education member elected
The special general election for Clayton County Board of Education District 8 in Georgia was on Sept. 21. The filing deadline to run passed on Aug. 11. Joy Tellis Cooper (D) defeated Arvis Walker (D) for the District 8 seat. A runoff election was initially scheduled for Oct. 19, but it was not needed after…