Lynchburg Vice Mayor Curt Diemer declined to comment on a Facebook account under a different name or whether he wrote its posts.
A Facebook Account, and a Vice Mayor's Silence
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Diemer declined to comment on a Facebook account under a different name or say whether he had written its posts.
Concert Photos
Photos from a concert appeared on a Facebook account under a different name, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
A Water Outage at a Lynchburg Apartment Complex
Lynchburg apartment residents did in fact lose water service during an outage, a crisis that played out over several days this fall.
WDBJ reported that residents of Park Place Apartments in Lynchburg were without water for days in September after a burst pipe forced a shutdown, and that water restored one night was gone again by midday the next day after another pipe burst. A follow-up report from WSET found that water service was eventually restored after a separate leak caused flooding that led management to condemn additional units; Greenbrier Management, which runs the complex, relocated those displaced residents to a hotel.
Not Diemer's First Social Media Controversy
This is not the first time Diemer's online conduct has drawn scrutiny from his own council. Cardinal News, which identified him as Lynchburg's vice mayor, reported in March that earlier social media comments from Diemer sparked an emotional public comment period at a city council meeting, followed by heated exchanges among council members. Diemer ultimately faced no formal consequences over the political analogy involved in those remarks, according to that report.
Rules for Devices at Polling Places
Virginia has rules governing electronic-device use in polling places.
That guidance prohibits authorized candidate and political-party representatives from taking photos or video inside polling places. Separately, under Virginia administrative code, an electoral board cannot adopt a blanket policy barring every individual from using any electronic device inside a polling place. The Election Day Manual from the Virginia Department of Elections allows officers of election to restrict device use when it disrupts voting. The regulation also permits restrictions when device use attempts to solicit or influence a vote or intimidate someone. Restrictions require majority agreement among the officers at that polling place, and the decision can be appealed immediately to the local electoral board.
The question of who is behind the Facebook account remains unresolved. Diemer has declined to comment.
