Data Center Needs 2M Gallons Per Day

The Western Virginia Water Authority released details of its agreement to provide 2 million gallons of water each day for a proposed Google data center complex in Botetourt County. The information was released after a lawsuit filed by The Roanoke Rambler.

The water requirements are projected to increase over time, eventually reaching 8 million gallons per day. The water would be drawn from Carvins Cove Reservoir, which officials said can handle the demand.

“The board seems to be scrambling at this point to figure out what to do,” county resident Chad Bean said. “Seems like they may have entered into an agreement that is kind of exposing them.“

Google expects to spend at least $3 billion to build the facility and would employ at least 150 workers at the campus.

Dashboard Tracks Pot Sales

The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority unveiled a data dashboard to allow residents to track the state’s current medicinal marijuana industry.

The dashboard provides information from Virginia’s seed-to-sale tracking system, including prices and sales volume.

“We want to make the Virginia Medical Cannabis program as accessible and easy to understand as possible,” Jessica Fullerton, the spokesperson for the authority, said.

The dashboard arrives as lawmakers move forward with proposals to create a retail cannabis market. Police in Virginia Beach, meanwhile, arrested a man last week, charging him with illegally selling marijuana.

Drought Continues

Most of the Commonwealth remains abnormally dry, despite several days of rain and snow in February. Farmers are struggling with the unusually dry conditions that began last summer.

“Recently, we had pretty good rain, about three inches here in the last week or so,” Charlotte County farmer Henry Carwile said. “With getting some moisture back in it, warm weather last week, wheat started [greening] up a little bit.“

The Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to update its drought report.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statewide: More people are moving into Southwest Virginia than are moving out, according to the latest information from UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Meanwhile, portions of Northern Virginia are seeing more residents move out than in. (Details)

➤ Washington, D.C.: The health department will lift advisories in D.C. that recommend against boating in, fishing in, or walking pets near the Potomac River next week. Advisories are expected to remain in effect in Virginia, downstream from a pipeline break that dumped millions of gallons of raw sewage last month. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Flags will be at half-staff tomorrow to honor Del. Barry D. Knight, who passed away on Feb. 19. (More)

➤ Rockingham County Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance that will give developers three years—instead of two—to begin building approved solar installations, energy storage projects, and residential projects after a Special Use Permit is issued. (Details)

➤ Richmond: Sheriffs in Amherst, Campbell, Henry, Appomattox, and Bedford counties spoke out against gun legislation that’s pending in the General Assembly. “The changes they’re making or want to make to our Second Amendment right would only impact law-abiding citizens,” warned Amherst County Sheriff L.J. Ayers. (More)

➤ Norfolk: Capt. Ray Glenn took command at Naval Station Norfolk during a ceremony yesterday, making him the 53rd commanding officer of the world’s largest naval base. (More) 

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend! ✈️

➤ UVA baseball, coming off an 11-0 shutout win against George Washington on Wednesday, will play three games against VCU this weekend. (More)

➤ The Old Dominion Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament resumes tonight in Salem. Randolph-Macon, ranked No. 1 in the nation in DIII, faces Hampden-Sydney, while Roanoke College plays Virginia Wesleyan. (Details)

➤ Former Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett accepted a job as an NBA draft advisor for the Los Angeles Lakers. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The DIY Trick That “Flushes Out” Calories What if I told you there’s a “metabolic switch” you can flip — that can help your body “flush out” excess body fat? Well, it might seem outlandish at first…But by activating 1 specific process in your body—thousands of people are losing stubborn fat and keeping it off for good. Just do THIS once each day (takes about 2 minutes).

➤ The George Mason Research Foundation signed a license agreement for a patented coastal resilience system designed at the university that could help protect against flooding. This is the first use of the state’s new Lab-to-Launch initiative. (Details)

➤ Developers broke ground on a 172-unit senior community, the first project receiving funding from the Virginia Beach Attainable Workforce Housing Performance Grant. (More)

➤ Bryan Fairbanks, the CEO of Winchester-based Trex, will retire in April after nearly 23 years at the helm. COO Adam Zambanini will be promoted to the top job. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Silver is facing its sixth consecutive year of supply deficit—just as AI and EV demand accelerates worldwide. Meanwhile, confidence in the dollar continues to erode. The result? A historic wealth reset already in motion. On March 4th at 7PM ET, join Jeremy Blossom, Benny Johnson, Jason Hanson, and Ken Rogoff for the 2026 Gold & Silver Summit. Discover strategies to protect your retirement and position for what’s next. [Reserve your virtual seat today.]  

Flying together with our sponsor

RAD Intel’s Reg A+ round remains open at $0.85 per share, though the company has indicated the tier will change. 

RAD has raised $60M+ from 15,000+ investors, is backed by multiple Fidelity funds, and was selected by the Adobe Design Fund. Valuation increased from $10M at merger to $225M+, with recurring seven-figure enterprise contracts across Fortune 1000 brands. Sales contracts doubled from 2024 to 2025*, and the Nasdaq ticker is reserved as $RADI. 

$0.85 won’t last — deadline March 12.

➤ The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reported that Smith Mountain Lake leads its list of the state’s top five bodies of water for catching trophy largemouth bass. (The List)

➤ The Virginia Beach Police Department unveiled its IBIS ClearCase machine, which can help link shell casings found at a crime scene to the firearms used in the crime. (More)

➤ The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham announced it manages more than $110 million in charitable assets and has distributed nearly $97 million back into the community since it was started in 1998. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Scientists tackling astronaut health uncovered a powerful solution for stubborn toenail fungus. Inspired by conditions in space, this breakthrough “deep-space” anti-fungal hack helps eliminate yellow, brittle nails at the source. Now available to the public, it’s an easy way to restore clear, healthy-looking nails. Watch the short video to learn more.

Will you go bass fishing this year?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Maybe

Thursday’s Results:

Did you act in a high school drama production? 

1. Yes: 39%
2. No: 61%

What was the first National Park in Virginia?

Show me the answer