Fatal Tent Collapse at Moneta Church

A large tent collapsed during an outdoor service at EastLake Community Church in Moneta on Friday night, killing one person and injuring 22 as severe thunderstorm winds swept through Bedford County.

Bedford County officials said 11 people were treated at the scene and 11 were transported to nearby hospitals by ambulance. The tent fell around 6:45 p.m. during the church’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Meteorologists attributed the collapse to outflow from a thunderstorm that drove high winds and heavy rain into the outdoor event space. Rep. Morgan Griffith issued a statement offering his condolences to those affected.

Democrats Split on Virginia Budget

The Virginia House of Delegates released a $74 billion two-year budget earlier this week with Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s backing, while the Senate unveiled a competing plan the same day, opening a Democrat intraparty standoff with 16 days until the current budget expires.

The central fight is over data centers. The House version, backed by Speaker Don Scott and Spanberger, preserves the existing sales tax exemption for data center operators. The Senate plan, led by Finance Chair Louise Lucas, would end the break early.

The House budget also includes language launching a regulated adult-use marijuana market, an agreement reached with Spanberger after years of stalled legislation.

If the two chambers cannot reconcile their differences by June 30, Virginia faces a government shutdown.

Virginia Sheriffs, Prosecutors Reject Gun Ban

Prosecutors and sheriffs across the Commonwealth are openly defying Virginia’s new semi-automatic weapons ban ban, which takes effect July 1.

Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison sent a formal letter to Police Chief Kennith Edwards declaring the law unconstitutional and stating her office will not prosecute violations. Prosecutors from at least seven other counties—including Spotsylvania, Pulaski, and Warren—have also refused to enforce it.

Gun background checks in Virginia are running more than double last year’s pace as buyers rush to acquire weapons before the deadline. Attorney General Jay Jones is defending the ban against several lawsuits in state and federal court.

Paying Too Much for Car Insurance? It Might Be Time to Compare Rates

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➤ Statewide: New Virginia laws taking effect July 1 include a salary transparency requirement, a ban on semi-automatic weapons, a record-sealing law for some past felonies, and cannabis framework changes. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach: JCOC opens the Macon and Joan Brock House—38 supportive housing apartments with on-site staff and affordable rents—what officials call one of the most significant additions to the region’s homeless services in years. (More)

➤ Chesapeake: A court denied bond Friday for a 19-year-old Navy sailor charged in a May 29 crash that killed a landscaper, keeping him in custody as the case proceeds. (More)

➤ Richmond: Richmond and Henrico County police launched a joint operation targeting repeated late-night vehicle takeovers near Rocketts Landing, with heightened patrols set to continue through the summer. (More)

➤ Central Virginia: Virginia’s measles outbreak has reached 111 confirmed cases—the most since 1988—with 89 in Buckingham County. State health officials are urging unvaccinated residents to get immunized ahead of summer gatherings. (More)

➤ Hampton Roads: Heat index values hit 108 degrees across Hampton Roads on Friday, pushing officials to urge residents to stay hydrated. The dangerous heat compounds an exceptional drought affecting more than 99% of the Commonwealth. (More)

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➤ Virginia Tech and UVA both competed at the NCAA Track & Field Championships over the weekend. The event concluded yesterday. (See Results)

➤ Washington Nationals No. 1 prospect Eli Willits, who was recently promoted to High-A Wilmington, hit his fourth home run in as many games with the new team on Friday night. (Watch Video)

➤ Former James Madison University football player Luke Warner passed away in a car accident in North Carolina on Thursday morning. Warner was just 26 years old. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | NBA | MLB | College World Series | WNBA | Golf 

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➤ The Blue Ridge Music Center wraps up its first-ever Fiddle & Fork Festival today, a Smithsonian-backed celebration of Appalachian music and foodways tied to America’s 250th. The free finale today along the Blue Ridge Parkway features live mountain music, storytelling, and traditional craft demonstrations. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech researchers completed the first evolutionary history of all living millipede orders, tracing the leggy decomposers back nearly 460 million years, tens of millions of years earlier than thought. Published in Current Biology, the study confirms millipedes were among Earth’s earliest land animals, beating vertebrates onto dry ground by more than 80 million years. (More)

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Have you sailed on a tall ship?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Depends on what you consider a tall ship

Yesterday’s Results:

What do you love most about Virginia?

1. Mountains: 12%
2. Coast: 15%
3. History: 26%
4. Food: 13%
5. Other: 25%
6. Still trying to figure it out: 9%

What remote Virginia island, settled in the 1680s, is home to residents who speak a dialect reminiscent of 17th-18th century English due to its geographic isolation?

Show me the answer