Maryland Republicans plan ‘Unite the Right’ event and more Va. headlines

The state Capitol. (Ned Oliver/ Virginia Mercury)

• Former Republican congressman Denver Riggleman endorsed Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in a new ad.—Washington Post

• Republican activists in Maryland are planning an event called “Unite the Right.” One of the co-hosts said she had no idea the term was associated with the violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.—Baltimore Banner

• A lawsuit aiming to block Charlottesville’s plan to melt down its dismantled Robert E. Lee statue is moving forward, with a trial set for February. A judge ordered the city and its partner museum to tell the plaintiffs where the statue is being held.—Daily Progress

• New traffic-stop data shows Black and Hispanic motorists are pulled over at disproportionate rates, but a state report stops short of saying racial bias is to blame.—Richmond Times-Dispatch

• Richmond and Virginia Beach are moving forward with plans for police oversight boards.—Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginian-Pilot

• “How fossil fuel firms use Black leaders to ‘deceive’ their communities.”—The Guardian

• Prince William County authorities charged a 13-year-old student with a hate crime after he allegedly used a homophobic slur during a classroom fight.—Prince William Times, WTOP

• A Rocky Mount Town Council candidate filed assault charges against an assistant town manager over a heated parking-lot encounter earlier this year.—Roanoke Times

• Chesterfield County rejected a permit for a cannabis dispensary, arguing it had no choice because marijuana is illegal at the federal level.—Richmond BizSense

• A mysterious boom shook the Outer Banks last week.—Virginian-Pilot

• After a prize-winning gourd disappeared from a tent at the state fair, a Virginia gardener is offering a $335 reward for its safe return. “I know it’s just a squash, but it was mine that I grew with love and attention.”—WRIC