Good morning, RVA: Vaccines for little kids, the Jefferson Davis statue, and saying goodbye to reporters

I spent yesterday afternoon hiding from the storm in my basement. Related:
The Virginia Mercury is hiring a climate reporter.

Good morning, RVA! It's 70 °F, and that's about where temperatures will stay for most of the day. You can expect a slightly warmer evening and maybe some sunshine to take in at the end of your day. You'll probably find me on a porch or in a hammock!

Water cooler

Eric Kolenich at the Richmond Times-Dispatch has a quick and charming report on the first couple of families in our region to get their littlest kids vaccinated against COVID-19. People have been waiting a long time for this, and it's heartwarming to read about their reactions; how many mornings do I link to a pure, wholesome, good-news story? Very few! Take advantage of it and tap through. Also, if you're looking to make a vaccination appointment for the child under five in your life, you can do so through your pediatrician, local pharmacy, or with the health department by visiting vax.rchd.com.

VPM has posted an update on their Peoples Agenda Congressional election project. You can read more about journalism professor Jay Rosen and the ideas behind the Peoples Agenda (or Citizens Agenda) here, but the short of it is: Ask people what that want to know about their elected leaders and use their answers to direct media coverage—avoiding the horserace journalism of who's beating who in whatever poll. So, after asking around, what did VPM find concerned most folks? 1) The lack of action in congress due to polarization, and 2) Climate change. The first seems pretty challenging to address since one political party exists almost entirely to prevent action and admitting that in news reporting would challenge The View From Nowhere (another Jay Rosen concept). The second, I'm glad to see so high up on the list, and hope VPM's journalists are relentless about it. Now VPM will take what they've learned and use it in coverage of the 5th and 7th U.S. House of Representatives elections. Stay tuned!

Bill Martin, Director of the Valentine, has an introspective column in the RTD as the museum prepares to open an exhibit called "This is Richmond, Virginia" which includes the now-removed Jefferson Davis statue. RICToday has a great picture of how the Valentine decided to display the Davis statue in its final, fallen state, covered in paint. Edward Valentine, president and namesake of the museum, made the statue in the early 1900s and, as Martin says, "used his clout and artistic skills to promote the Lost Cause — an effort after the Civil War that denied slavery’s central role in the conflict and glorified Confederates like Davis as heroes facing long odds. His legacy is part of our institution, and we must confront it with clear eyes." As the Valentine—a history museum!—grapples with their own place in the history of our city, they've put together a survey for folks to fill out that will help inform how that story gets told.

The Virginia Mercury has a column by Bob Lewis that digs into some of Richmond's media history, but also reports—and maybe this is just news to me?—that both Kate Masters (health reporter) and Robert Zullo (editor-in-chief) will leave the Mercury. Sarah Vogelsong, the Mercury's environment and energy reporter will takeover the top spot, which seems right and good. All this shifting around means new opportunities for bright, young reporters, so if that's you: The Virginia Mercury is looking to hire someone to report on all the ways climate change is destroying our planet!

Finally, that storm last night was no joke.

This morning's longread
Leaded airplane fuel is poisoning a new generation of Americans

We still use leaded gasoline in airplanes?? What the heck!

Leaded gasoline was banned decades ago from America’s roadways. Yet some small airplanes still use the highly toxic substance. Children living near Reid-Hillview, as well as general aviation airports around the US, have seen the lead levels in their blood rise as a result. Piston aircraft are now the largest source of airborne lead in the US, emitting 468 tons annually, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is aiming to find an unleaded avgas substitute by 2030. But it’s been on a quest (pdf) to develop a replacement fuel on and off for three decades, with little to show for it.

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