Monday, September 29, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1864, Union troops under Gen. Benjamin Butler launched the Battle of New Market Heights, near Richmond. A brigade of black soldiers played a key part in the battle, and 14 eventually received the Medal of Honor.

Last year, Hurricane Helene ripped through southwest Virginia, leaving destruction in its wake. By this time next year, the U.S. Forest Service hopes to have finished repairing the 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail, half of which was knocked out by the storm.

Damascus is where the Creeper Trail meets the Appalachian Trail. Town Manager Chris Bell called the reconstruction goal both “remarkable” and “aggressive.” Do you think the feds will meet their timeline? Hit reply and let us know.

From White Castle fryers to Amazon-backed AI breakthroughs, today’s sponsor, Miso Robotics, is reshaping the $1T fast food industry—and now you can invest alongside 40,000 others in its rapid growth.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Virginia Beach Preps for Heavy Weather

Officials in Virginia Beach are monitoring a tropical system that may inundate the city this week. The storm might not make landfall, but it is expected to bring wind and heavy rain starting tomorrow.

Public utility crews are checking storm drains to make sure they’re not clogged ahead of the storm, which has the potential to flood city streets.

“We’re urging residents to please listen to public safety partners,” the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Renee McKinnon said. “If there’s deep water, don’t drive through it.”

The city is also monitoring Hurricane Humberto, which is churning in the Atlantic and may interact with the existing tropical depression.

Contempt Charge over Missing Giraffes

Gretchen Mogensen, the owner of the Natural Bridge Zoo, was found guilty of contempt of court after she repeatedly refused to allow state inspectors into the zoo to check on the status of two missing giraffe calves.

The legal saga began in 2023 when the state raided the facility and seized 96 animals, although the four giraffes on the property were too large to move at the time. Two of the animals were later determined to be pregnant, with calves due this spring.

State officials have attempted to check on those newborns, but have never been able to see them and don’t know where they are.

Mogensen was ordered to turn the two missing calves over to the county by Oct. 29 or spend 100 days in jail.

Commanders Lose at Atlanta

The Washington Commanders dropped to 2-2 after a 34-27 road loss to the Falcons. Marcus Mariota made his second straight start at quarterback in place of the injured Jayden Daniels and went 16 for 27 for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

The Commanders struggled to move the football or even hold on to it. The team dropped the ball four times in the first half alone, although it recovered the football each time.

Atlanta outgained the Commanders and controlled the football, running 64 plays to Washington’s 51. The Falcons are also 2-2.

The team travels to California to face the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday, and Daniels may be able to return for that game.

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Jeff Bezos Says This New Breakthrough is Like “Science Fiction”

He called it “a renaissance,” the “golden age.” And investors are taking advantage.

In fact, nearly 40,000 people have already invested in an Amazon-partnered startup that’s already making the $1T fast food industry feel like The Jetsons.

Miso Robotics’ AI-powered kitchen robot, Flippy, has fried 4M baskets of food for brands like White Castle with perfect consistency. With the $1T fast food industry facing 144% employee turnover and up to $20/hour minimum wages, that’s big.

So are Miso’s other partnerships with NVIDIA and Uber’s AI team. No wonder initial units of Miso’s newest Flippy sold out in just one week.

Now, Miso is scaling its US-based manufacturing to address 100,000+ fast food, stadium, and theme park locations in need—a $4B/year revenue opportunity. Invest today to unlock up to 8% bonus stock.

➤ Alexandria: Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine questioned whether Lindsey Halligan—President Trump’s appointee as interim U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia—is in the post legally. If she is not, the indictment of former FBI director James Comey, which she alone signed, would be invalid. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The State Board of Education voted to raise the standardized test scores that elementary school students must achieve to meet proficiency standards in math and English. (More)

➤ Goochland County: The county’s planning commission signed off on a proposal to create both a “technology overlay district” and a “technology zone” along the Henrico County border. The site may eventually contain a small modular nuclear reactor or a natural gas power plant. (Details)

➤ Alberta: The Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office charged 33-year-old Michael Ray Stawmeyer with texting a politically motivated death threat to Delegate Kim Taylor. (More)

➤ Statewide: State Sen. Bryce Reeves, a Republican from Spotsylvania, announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat that will be on the 2026 ballot. On the Democratic side, incumbent Mark Warner is expected to seek a fourth term. (Details)

➤ Doswell: The State Fair of Virginia continues through next weekend. (More)

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➤ Connor Hall finished 11th at the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville, which was good enough to capture NASCAR’s 2025 Virginia Triple Crown. (Details)

➤ UVA will pay a $50,000 fine imposed by the ACC after fans rushed the field to celebrate this weekend’s upset win over then-No. 8 Florida State. The Cavs moved to 4-1 (2-0 in the ACC) with the victory. (Details)

➤ Liberty women’s lacrosse hosted its fall Play Day yesterday, with Longwood, Old Dominion, Radford, and Virginia Tech also taking part. (More)

➤ James Madison field hockey fell to Appalachian State 5-4 on the road yesterday. (Stats)

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➤ The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce handed out its 2025 Distinguished Service Awards to military veterans who are now shaping the business community. (Details)

➤ The Haven restaurant is getting ready to open at Campbell Ave. and Market St. in Roanoke at the site of a former eatery. (More)

➤ Alexandria’s Planning Commission will consider a proposal to build a 365-foot-tall residential building. It would be the city’s tallest structure. (Details)

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How a $25M Catalyst Could Bring Robotics Nationwide

Automation is the future. But 71% of execs say upfront costs prevent its adoption. That’s why Miso Robotics’ recent announcement of its new $25M hardware financing facility for customers turned a lot of heads.

A first-mover in kitchen automation, Miso’s AI-powered robots have already logged 200k+ hours in kitchens for brands like White Castle.

With this $25M line and partnerships with NVIDIA, Amazon, and Uber’s AI team, Miso unlocks quick, flexible adoption of cutting-edge automation. And with 144% labor turnover industry-wide and up to $20/hour minimum wages, it couldn’t be more needed.

The demand is there. Initial units of Miso’s newest robot sold out in just one week. Now, the biggest hurdle to automation adoption in a $1 trillion industry may be gone.

Get up to 8% investor bonus stock today as Miso scales across a $4B/year revenue opportunity.

This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com.

➤ The Virginia Board of Historic Resources added Fairfax County’s William H. Randall Estates to the Virginia Landmarks Register. (Details)

➤ Runners slogged through the rain at the Virginia 10 Miler in Lynchburg. Organizers said competitors came from 34 different states and four countries. (More)

➤ The Virginia Department of Forestry issued its first fall foliage forecast. (Peak Dates)

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