Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1737, William Byrd published a newspaper advertisement in the Virginia Gazette that announced the founding of Richmond. He called it a town “with Streets 65 Feet wide, in a pleasant and healthy Situation, and well supply’d with Springs of good Water.“

The Virginia Flyover may have gotten in over our heads with the debate about which is Virginia’s highest town. Some readers said Bluefield, others cited Monterey, and a third pointed to Troutdale, with an elevation of 3,127 feet.

Some readers suggested we should celebrate cities of every elevation.

“People in Tidewater live at 8 feet above sea level,” one said. Another commented, “No dispute. Both places are breathtakingly awesome.” We agree, but we’re not starting a debate about which cities are most awesome.

Today’s sponsor, BiOptimizers, is tackling one of the most overlooked causes of digestive discomfort: declining enzyme levels with MassZymes, a powerful formula designed to help your body fully break down food and eliminate bloating, gas, and that sluggish post-meal feeling.

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.

Redistricting Referendum Passed

Voters narrowly approved a change to the state’s constitution that will allow congressional redistricting ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. The Associated Press called the race at 8:49 p.m. last night.

More than 2.5 million people voted in the special election. Democrats had already enacted a gerrymandered map that, based on voter approval, would give their party an advantage in 10 of Virginia’s 11 districts.

House Republican Minority Leader Terry Kilgore vowed to press ahead with legal challenges to the measure, which he said featured “misleading ballot language.”

The Virginia Supreme Court had allowed the voting process to proceed while it reviews two lower court decisions that had found the referendum was not legal, so the high court could still rule that the process was improper and set aside the vote.

Lawmakers Return to Consider Budget Bills

The General Assembly returns to Richmond today, as lawmakers attempt to agree on a two-year spending plan.

“If you look at the House and Senate budgets, for the most part, we’re very close on our priorities,” House Speaker Don Scott said.

Democrats control both houses, but the House and Senate did not agree on the tax treatment of data centers in previous budget proposals. Senators voted to repeal a $1 billion tax break for the industry, but the House of Delegates would not.

Lawmakers will also consider Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s changes to several bills, including a proposal to delay the launch of a retail marijuana marketplace until July 2027.

Agriculture Recovery Program Returns

The Virginia Farm Recovery Block Grant Program will reopen to provide support to farmers and timber owners who suffered damage from Hurricane Helene, which hit the Commonwealth in 2024. Owners can apply anytime from April 27 to July 1.

The state program is run by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The upcoming application window is specifically intended for those who did not apply during the initial period.

Flying together with our sponsor

Why Your Meals Are Getting Harder to Digest

Remember when you could eat a big pasta dinner, a greasy burger, or a late-night slice of pizza and feel completely fine the next morning?

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Blame your enzymes.

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➤ Virginia Beach: Police announced that they arrested three people last week for violating the city’s temporary 9:30 p.m. weekend curfew at the Oceanfront, a measure put in place after a pair of mass shooting incidents. The curfew will also be enforced this Friday. (Details)

➤ Montgomery County: The board of supervisors signed off on a five-cent real estate tax increase, boosting the rate from 76 cents to 81 cents per $100 of assessed value. The increased revenue will be earmarked for schools. (More)

➤ Northern Virginia: Unemployment in the region increased year over year in January, with Fairfax County posting the largest jump, according to the state Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. (More)

➤ Richmond: Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced the creation of the Virginia Wood Council, “a new advisory body focused on growing Virginia’s forestry industry, supporting loggers, and making sure Virginia’s forests remain strong into the future.” (Details)

➤ Martinsville: A judge reinstated Mayor L.C. Jones to the city council, two months after he was suspended amidst controversy following the firing of former City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides. (Details)

➤ Blacksburg: Pasha Palanker, the military veteran who hit the scoreboard at Lane Stadium while attempting to skydive onto the football field over the weekend, said his combat experience helped him survive the ordeal. “The hardest moments in life don’t break you—they forge you,” he wrote. (More)

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➤ Richmond baseball toppled William & Mary 12-11 at home yesterday. The Spiders improved to 23-18 while the Tribe is 16-23. (Stats)

➤ UVA baseball, ranked No. 12 in this week’s USA Today baseball coaches poll, hosts Liberty today at 6 p.m. (Score)

➤ The Washington Nationals recalled right-hander Julian Fernández from Triple-A Rochester this week after he posted six straight scoreless, hitless outings in the minors. (More)

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➤ BWX Technologies of Lynchburg announced it will acquire Precision Components Group. The deal is expected to close later this year. (Details)

➤ Leidos, a defense technology company based in Reston, will spin off its security screening technology business into a new unit that will partner with the technology company Analogic. (More)

➤ RoVa Labs at Carilion Clinic, a biotechnology incubator formed in connection with the city of Roanoke, launched to support the growth of research spinoffs and start-up companies in the region. (Details)

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Still Bloated After Meals? It Might Not Be the Food.

Digestive enzyme levels decline naturally with age, and most people never know it.

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➤ Washington County in Virginia joined more than two dozen counties in other states named for the first president, each contributing a square to a quilt stitched together to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech named Warren Dixon as the next dean of its College of Engineering. (More)

➤ Virginia Humanities unveiled its 2026 K-12 Educator Fellows. “This year’s cohort includes two librarians, three history/social studies teachers, and a language arts teacher,” the program’s director said. (Details)

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