Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 11/11/25: hiring package; student journalists; screen capture v. archiving; not an afterthought #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 11/11/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

November 11, 2025 at 1:17 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

There is no newsletter today. Instead, here's an interesting read on how localities differ in measuring emergency response times, making apples-to-apples data comparisons difficult.
www.governing.com/management-a...

The Complex Challenge of Comparing Emergency Response Times

Just about every jurisdiction measures them differently. The data should differentiate between life-and-death situations and less serious ones. Doing so could save lives — including those of first res...

www.governing.com

November 10, 2025 at 1:41 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 11/7/25: nominations are open! censure; First Amendment issues?; property sale #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 11/7/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

November 7, 2025 at 1:20 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 11/6/25: employee accountability through audits, camera footage; missing materials #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 11/6/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

November 6, 2025 at 1:33 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

There's no newsletter today because, well, you know...#elections

a man with a mustache is wearing a plaid shirt and looking at the camera .

ALT: a man with a mustache is wearing a plaid shirt and looking at the camera .

media.tenor.com

November 5, 2025 at 1:41 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG daily access news, 11/4/25: behind the scenes friction; the cost of legal services; ICE flights #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 11/4/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

November 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

Sunshine Report for November 2025: athlete payments; meeting materials; online FOIA library; near-total redactions #FOIA
opengovva.org/sunshine-rep...

Sunshine Report for November 2025 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

November 3, 2025 at 9:11 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 11/3/25: DOC data; just VPAP it; following Eptstein's money
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 11/3/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

November 3, 2025 at 1:19 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 10/30/25: shouting match; preserving history; misuse of public funds
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 10/30/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

October 30, 2025 at 12:26 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

Remember "Ghostbusters?" "Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!"
This school board member wants to ban kids from wearing ears or tails in school. And sports uniforms? Two colors only! Don't hand me a gray one!

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/shenandoah-county-school-board-aims-to-ban-animal-ears-and-tails-in-schools/article_cab27dc7-52d9-5ad5-8c38-f44904222dbe.html

t.co

October 29, 2025 at 12:20 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 10/29/25: COA on dog bites; getting materials to the public; registries #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 10/29/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

October 29, 2025 at 12:19 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 10/28/25: public records confirm/deny; statistics; FBI requests #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 10/28/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

October 28, 2025 at 12:04 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

Sometimes when government officials/employees complain about a provision in FOIA and how FOIA needs to be changed, what they're really complaining about the fact that their systems aren't set up to follow those provisions.

October 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 10/23/25: about fees or #FOIA; pepper spray video; embezzlement; email access; 2:30 a.m.
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 10/23/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

October 23, 2025 at 1:27 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

VCOG All Access News, 10/22/25: dueling libraries; where'd the money go; dangerous precedent #FOIA
opengovva.org/transparency...

Transparency News, 10/22/25 – Virginia Coalition for Open Government

opengovva.org

October 22, 2025 at 12:30 PM

Megan Rhyne

@opengovva.bsky.social

Another unpublished opinion from the Court of Appeals on defamation. The court said an individual's comments that the then-chair of the Prince William County school board was a sexual predator/harasser were "non-actionable expressions of opinion."
www.vacourts.gov/static/opini...

www.vacourts.gov

October 21, 2025 at 4:55 PM