Navy Assigns Blame for ‘Truman‘ Incidents

The Navy released reports that blamed leadership failures, a lack of training, and equipment malfunctions for a series of mishaps suffered by the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman during its most recent deployment.

Between last December and this May, the ship collided with a merchant tanker in the Mediterranean, lost one F/A-18F Super Hornet to friendly fire from USS Gettysburg, and lost two more F/A-18E Super Hornets overboard.

No casualties were reported in any of the events, but none of the jets were recovered from the sea.

The Navy removed Capt. Dave Snowden from command after the Feb. 12 collision, which the report described as avoidable. The ship is scheduled for refueling and overhaul in Newport News.

JMU Earns a Shot at the Title

James Madison University earned a No. 12 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff and will visit No. 5 Oregon in a first-round game on Dec. 20. The team will be coached by Bob Chesney, who has announced he will leave to take over at UCLA after the season. 

The Dukes capped a 12-1 season with a victory over Troy in the Sun Belt Conference championship game over the weekend.

The University of Virginia did not make the playoff. The Cavaliers suffered a 27-20 overtime loss to Duke in the ACC championship in Charlotte on Saturday night. UVA finished 10-3 and will play in a bowl game.

In Blacksburg, Virginia Tech fans may see a familiar face on the sideline again soon. Head Coach James Franklin is expected to name Brent Pry, the team’s former head coach, as defensive coordinator.

New Year Will Bring New Laws

Newly passed laws are set to take effect on Jan. 1.

The state minimum wage will increase to $12.77 per hour, up from its current rate of $12.41.

To protect privacy, social media platforms will be required to use “commercially reasonable methods” to limit those under 16 years old from using sites more than one hour per day, and it will be easier to permanently unsubscribe from text messages sent by solicitors.

The new Medical Debt Protection Act will limit the ways creditors can collect debt and cap the interest rate they can charge on overdue medical bills.

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➤ Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel safely rescued two window washers after their rig collapsed at a Tysons skyscraper, leaving them trapped several stories up. (Watch Video)

➤ Statewide: The latest Roanoke College poll showed 74% of Virginians think the country is on the wrong track. That number jumped from 60% in the school’s August survey. A majority has never said the nation is on the right track in the poll’s history. (Details)

➤ Virginia Beach: A 729-pound great white shark named Bella was spotted off Fishermen’s Island Wildlife Refuge after leaving Nova Scotia earlier this year. It may be heading for Florida. (More)

➤ Statewide: More wintry weather is expected across the Commonwealth today, with an inch of snow possible in many places. (More)

➤ Big Stone Gap: The Union High School football team’s season ended with a 21-20 loss to Glenvar in the state semifinal. The team’s former coach, Travis Turner, disappeared Nov. 20 as authorities prepared to charge him with 10 counts involving child exploitation and remains at large. (Details)

➤ Norfolk: Old Dominion University hosted a memorial service for the school’s former athletic director, who died last month at the age of 88. Dr. Jim Jarrett led the Monarchs’ athletic programs for four decades until his retirement in 2010. (His Legacy)

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➤ The Washington Commanders were shut out at Minnesota, falling 31-0. Quarterback Jayden Daniels left the game with an injury in the third quarter. (More)

➤ JMU women’s basketball cruised past VCU 81-63 to move to 8-3 on the year. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech women’s basketball fell at home to Duke 70-54 in its ACC opener. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | PGA | F1

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➤ JetBlue Airways will begin nonstop service from Richmond to Puerto Rico in March. (Details)

➤ Gov. Glenn Youngkin credited Virginia’s farmers with improving lives across the Commonwealth and around the world. “You feed us, you fuel us, you clothe us,” he said at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention. (More)

➤ Henrico County approved Dominion Energy’s proposal to build a solar farm on a 58-acre former landfill in Varina. Dominion will have a 35-year lease on the property. (Details)

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➤ Hanover County Animal Protection is raising money by selling T-shirts featuring an illustration of the raccoon that broke into an ABC store in Ashland and wreaked havoc before passing out. The sale has already raised $60,000. (Details)

➤ Flags were at half-staff across the Commonwealth yesterday in memory of those killed and wounded in the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. (More)

➤ The Piedmont Environmental Council razed a former gas station at the intersection of U.S. Routes 15 and 50 in Loudoun County. The landmark station at Gilberts Corner stood for 98 years. (Details)

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Should the ACC change its football tiebreaker in favor of the higher-ranked team?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I don’t care

Friday’s Results:

Will you send Christmas cards this year? 

1. Yes: 40%
2. No: 35%
3. Already did: 25%

What year did ODU begin offering women’s athletic scholarships?

Show me the answer