Virginia
- Prince William Supervisors Vote Unanimously to End By-Right Data Center Development
An 8-0 board vote advances Tom Gordy’s 90-day grace framework, shrinks the 2016 overlay, and leaves residential and school setbacks for later Planning Commission action.
- Virginia Subcommittee Advances HB642 on Adult-Use Cannabis Framework
A House subcommittee unanimously advanced a substitute version of HB642 that raises penalties for illegal marijuana sales and revises appointments to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority board.
- King George school board settles suit, will allow middle school LGBTQ+ student club
(Illustration by mustafahacalaki/Getty Images) King George County Schools will now allow sixth- to eighth-grade students to form non-curricular clubs, including one supporting LGBTQ+ students, after the school board settled with the families of two students who said the school did not allow them to form the LGBTQ+ club previously, according to a Monday announcement.
- ¡Vamos! Breeze Announces Nonstop Service to Cancún
Twice weekly flights on Mondays and Fridays starting in January 2027 Starting in January, Richmond travelers seeking sun and fun can catch a quick, nonstop flight with Breeze Airways to Cancún, Mexico, where they’ll be greeted by gorgeous white sand beaches, vibrant culture and nightlife, and experiences for everyone.
- Dominion unveils route changes for Valley Link Transmission line
The proposed Valley Link Transmission Line's Route 2 option with variations, which Dominion Energy has shared with nine Virginia counties that the line could cross, if approved.
- Virginia Outdoors Foundation protected 11,000 new acres and awarded nearly $6 million in grants
From family farms and public parks to expanding the Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, VOF's work in 2025 added to its portfolio of protected open space for future generations.
- Roanoke region remains in emergency drought conditions despite rain in other areas
A map shows the Roanoke region of Virginia in emergency drought conditions in October 2026.
- Dominion Seeks SCC Blessing for Valley Link Affiliates as FERC Weighs 11.4% ROE Incentives
RICHMOND — Dominion Energy is asking Virginia regulators to bless affiliate contracts that would let shell companies carry a
- Virginia localities weigh 1% sales tax for school construction as voters decide on expansion
A view from the front entrance of the renovated Gloucester County High School, which opened in September 2025.
- Bull Run Mountains Preserve inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network
BRMNAP becomes the 14th forest in Virginia to be inducted into the network, and the second in Prince William County.
- Mike Turner Strategy: Require Onsite Microgrids, Green Business Zone With Up to 50% Tax Rebate — Or Keep Building 500 kV Lattices
Ashburn supervisor’s paradigm paper says Loudoun’s grid cannot keep pace; he floats mandatory carbon-net-zero microgrids, SMRs, and a Green Business Development Zone sweetened with rebates against ~$666M in data-center BPPT.
- Virginia House Bill 406 Extends Workers' Comp to Law Enforcement Spouses
Proposed legislation would provide temporary wage replacement for spouses who leave work to care for officers injured in the line of duty.
- 41,085 Declined ICE Detainers Nationwide — Arlington Held Up as Democrat Sanctuary Case Study
House Judiciary: sanctuary jurisdictions declined at least 41,085 ICE detainers Oct. 2022–early 2026 and 17,864 in Trump’s first 12 months back; Arlington’s Democrat Trust Policy is the Virginia deep dive.
- Virginia Shield Bill Gains Support to Protect Healthcare Access
Delegate Simon and advocates push the Shield Bill as a key measure to shield Virginia providers and patients amid out-of-state abortion restrictions.
- Henrico Advances $304 Million East End Water Main to Cut Reliance on Richmond
Utilities to file 50 percent design next week on a 13-mile western-to-eastern transmission main after the January 2025 Richmond plant failure; construction targeted for 2028–2031.
- Henrico Teachers and Parents Confront School Board Over Sweltering Classrooms and HVAC Failures
Educators describe 85-degree rooms and year-long neglect as parents demand a public daily repair audit; Teacher of the Year ties facilities failures to broader safety and support gaps.
- Richmond Solar Deal for Nearly 40 City Buildings Heads to Full Council Amid $28M Exit-Fee Fight
Government Operations advanced a 25-year Secure Solar proposal with no recommendation after members demanded a fuller risk assessment before the Sept. 28 vote.
- Judge Upholds Caroline County's Eminent Domain for Rappahannock Water Project
A Caroline Circuit Court judge ruled that the county properly exercised eminent domain to acquire 11 acres from farmer Cory Garrett for a Rappahannock River water intake facility.
- Virginia Western redesigns Information Systems Technology specialization to respond to AI impact and forge new pathway to Radford University bachelor’s degree
Virginia Western has revolutionized a two-year programming degree into the Associate of Applied Science in IST: Data Analytics & Programming Solutions degree.
- Virginia health committee considers mandating licensed nurses in every school
A newly proposed legislative measure would require all school districts in Virginia to employ a licensed nurse in every school.
- Mother-Daughter Duo Graduates Together
Mother-Daughter Duo Graduates Together After more than twenty years at Daikin Applied Americas, Army veteran Rachel Sicheri decided she wanted to earn a degree to help advance her career.
- Virginia Committee Reviews Local Option Measure on Pet Shop Puppy Sales
The Counties Cities and Towns Committee examined HB1238, a proposal allowing Virginia localities to set inspection rules for pet shops that sell puppies.
- Loudoun Schools Detail Purchase Card and Order Thresholds
Loudoun County Public Schools outlines recommended purchase card use under 5,000 dollars and purchase orders for higher amounts to improve efficiency and secure rebates.
- Virginia Data Centers Point Past 60 GW as Bills, Water, and Diesel Costs Mount
Statewide impact study cites ~1,300 possible facilities, Dominion bill path toward $315, Loudoun’s billion-plus gallons, 8,910 generators, and PJM transmission skewed to data-center load under Democrat-era growth policy.
- Attorney General Jay Jones Asks Regulators to Reset Clock on Dominion-NextEra Merger
Jones says September supplemental filings — including four-year residential bill credits — create a different $67 billion deal requiring a fresh 180-day State Corporation Commission review period.
- Virginia Lawmakers Advance Home Health Care Authority Bill for Collective Bargaining
House Bill 1263 would create a state authority enabling collective bargaining for home health workers and certain public employees while setting startup costs and regulatory conditions.
- Few Va. universities have studied food insecurity among students, though 80% say it’s an issue
Most of Virginia’s public universities and colleges are aware of student food insecurity at their institutions, according to a November survey conducted by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
- Governor Spanberger Announces $23 Million in Grants for Community Development Across the Commonwealth
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced $22.7 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that will fund 17 community projects across Virginia.
- Loudoun County Board to Review Grant Initiative for Broad Run Farms Water Connections
Loudoun County, Virginia, is governed by a nine-member Board of Supervisors consisting of Chair At-Large Phyllis Randall, Vice Chair Michael Turner of the Ashburn District, Juli Briskman of the Algonkian District, Sylvia Glass of the Broad Run District, Caleb Kershner of the Catoctin District, Matthew Letourneau of the Dulles District, Kristen Umstattd of the Leesburg District, Laura TeKrony of the Little River District, and Koran Saines of the Sterling District.
- Virginia Republicans urge Spanberger to call special session for fuel-tax holiday
Republican lawmakers are urging Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session to suspend Virginia’s gasoline and diesel taxes for 90 days to ease fuel costs for families and businesses.
- Attorney General Jones Permanently Blocks Federal SNAP Penalties Targeting Virginia
A federal judge in Oregon made a multi-state injunction permanent, shielding Virginia from steep SNAP fines and clarifying food aid for certain lawful permanent residents.
- Average Residential Bills Toward $315 by 2039 as Data-Center Load Dominates
Unconstrained Demand cites Dominion figures taking typical residential bills from about $142.77 now to $315.25 by 2039 — primarily on data-center sector energy needs — while JLARC separately pegs $14–$37 monthly generation and transmission cost pressure by 2040.
- Workforce training program earns another No.1 ranking for Virginia
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership oversees the Talent Accelerator Program, which provides customized recruitment and training services at no cost to qualifying employers.
- Feds suggest parts of Bath and Highland counties as a critical habitat for the rusty-patched bumblebee
The little Bumblebee is considered a keystone specie because it helps the environment by pollinating.
- Bristol building owners continue to fight legal battle against abortion clinic
The landlords of Bristol who tried for two years to get the abortion clinic out of their building have appealed the dismissal their lawsuit against clinic owner.
- Falls Church Mayor Backs Limits on Land Use Lawsuit Standing
Mayor Ladi Hardy tells a Virginia subcommittee that restricting standing in zoning challenges would protect local housing reforms from costly delays.
- Lawmakers Eye Fix for 1% School Construction Sales Tax as 47 Localities Head to Voters
Newport News officials warn the 20-year sunset may not line up with bond issuance; Simonds and Rasoul open to more flexibility.
- Virginia Education Press Needs intense Support
You can forget about any humility you might have expected after the Virginia education media falsely claimed for months that 70+ Virginia
- Seven Rural Virginia Community Colleges Share $5.93 Million to Train Nurses and Behavioral Health Workers
Germanna, Laurel Ridge, Mountain Gateway, Patrick & Henry, Paul D. Camp, Rappahannock, and Virginia Highlands win Rural Health Transformation Fund awards.
- Virginia Bill Advances to Make Landlord-Supplied Air Conditioning an Essential Service
House Bill 519 would add air conditioning supplied by landlords to essential services under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act after a subcommittee vote.
- From Marye’s Transmission Study to the 2013 Amendment — Utilities Still Take Land for Data Center Load
RICHMOND — Virginia’s modern property-rights constitution did not begin with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 Kelo decision.
- West Piedmont Planning District Commission Awarded Funding Through Virginia Housing Workforce Housing Investment Program
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission learned back in December that it was awarded $1,000,000 in funding through the Virginia Workforce Housing Investment Program.
- UCS: Data-Center Grid Hookups Put $4.3B on PJM Customers in 2024 — Virginia Alone Near $2B
Union of Concerned Scientists brief says transmission-level campus taps are socialized through FERC and state rates; Virginia’s 60 tracked projects total about $1.988 billion under the rules Democrat-era load growth exploited.
- Loudoun’s Turning Point: First 5–4 Data-Center Denial in 2024, Scaled 6–3 Pass, Then March 18 End of Open By-Right
Turner’s timeline traces Democrat-board politics from the first major denial of a 2.9M sq ft project, to a 1.3M by-right comeback, to the 7–2 March 18, 2025 vote ending open by-right — with grandfathering still attached.
- James Morefield House Bill 62 Eases Tazewell Town Manager Residency Rule
RICHMOND — In a move underscoring the value of local decision-making and practical governance, the Virginia General Assembly has sent House Bill 62 to the governor’s desk, amending the charter of the Town of Tazewell to ease residency requirements for its town manager.
- Loudoun: 55% of Cited Data Centers Sit Within 200 Feet of Homes
Unconstrained Demand’s Fairfax proximity stats — 55% within 200 feet, 70% within 500 feet — show how Democrat land-use permissions put industrial campuses into residential buffers statewide.
- State regulators to allow part of NextEra’s political past to be examined in Dominion merger case
Virginia State Corporation Commission allows new documents in the Dominion-NextEra merger case.
- Survey Finds Majority of Virginia Families With Children Face Food Insecurity
State-commissioned poll fills gap left by ended USDA hunger survey; food banks report rising demand and thinner donations.
- Early voting begins in Virginia, as Trump mail-ballot restrictions remain blocked
Early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections begins Friday, with a U.S. Senate race, all 11 congressional seats, three proposed constitutional amendments and numerous local referendums on ballots across the commonwealth.
- Central Virginia Lined Up for 290+ Data Centers — Spreading Loudoun’s Fight Down the I-95 Corridor
Unconstrained Demand says Central Virginia expects 290-plus campuses that would rival Northern Virginia’s hubs, with statewide tallies near 1,300 facilities and 390 million square feet as Democrat recruitment goes statewide.