VA and Ohio Team Up on 3-Year Degrees

Virginia and Ohio will jointly design a three-year bachelor’s degree model, trimming a year off the standard timeline. Both states currently require at least 120 semester credit hours for a bachelor’s degree. By spring 2028, participating institutions are expected to propose two 90-credit programs.

The effort is part of a national push called Scaling College in 3, which includes groups such as Jobs for the Future and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Higher-education representatives from both states will meet with national experts over the coming year on the program’s design.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Executive Director Scott Fleming said schools nationwide already offer three-year degrees but lack a national model, and that this effort would create new pathways while maintaining rigorous standards.

A 90-credit degree could eventually require legislative action, depending on how programs are structured.

VA Raises Unemployment Benefits July 5

Virginia’s maximum weekly unemployment benefit climbs from $430 to $478 for new claims filed on or after July 5.

The minimum weekly payment also rises from $112 to $160, under House Bill 1320, sponsored by Del. Marty Martinez, D-Loudoun, and Senate Bill 759, sponsored by then-Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria.

The higher amounts apply only to new claims, so anything filed before July 5 stays on the old schedule, and claims can’t be backdated. To hit the $478 maximum, a worker’s combined earnings from two quarters of the base period must total at least $18,900.01.

Employment Commission Commissioner Melissa Smith said the increase helps families cover essentials during a job search and steadies the broader economy.

Wytheville’s Octagon Mansion Hits Market

A rare eight-sided mansion built in 1870 in Wytheville—one of only a handful of octagon houses left in Virginia—has been listed for $295,000.

Dr. Henry Quincy Adams Bowyer began construction of the six-bedroom, roughly 5,000-square-foot home around 1870, then sold it to Rev. Dexter A. Snow in 1874, who had construction completed. Octagon houses had a brief mid-1800s vogue on the theory that eight sides yielded more space for less money, then largely vanished.

Most recently, it ran as the Octagon Mansion History Museum, complete with regular “Dinner with a Ghost” events, until it closed in March 2025. Local lore pins the haunting on a girl who died during the 1950s polio epidemic.

A substantial remodel added a commercial kitchen and updated bathrooms, wiring, and windows, while original hardwood floors, built-ins, and millwork remain. With B-2 zoning, the property could serve as a residence, event venue, short-term rental, or bed-and-breakfast.

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➤ Statewide: Starting July 1, the Virginia Lottery will stop publishing the names of Lottery Rewards and second-chance prize winners on its website, notifying them by email instead. Officials are urging players to confirm their contact information to avoid missing a winning notice. (More)

➤ Richmond: The General Assembly weighed Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s 14 budget amendments on Monday ahead of the July 1 fiscal deadline. The changes would draw an extra $62 million from the state surplus. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: Virginia Task Force 1 pulled a mother and her 9-month-old baby alive from a collapsed building in Venezuela, where twin earthquakes have killed more than 1,400 people. The team deployed 79 personnel and six search dogs. (Watch Video)

➤ Norfolk: A Guatemalan man was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers Saturday after fleeing a targeted vehicle stop on Edward Street. No injuries were reported, and he accepted voluntary departure to Guatemala. (Watch Video)

➤ Alexandria: The Tall Ship Providence, a replica of the Revolutionary War sloop that has been docked in Old Town since 2019, suspended tours and educational programs on Friday amid mounting losses. Backers hope to fold the vessel into a proposed 50,000-square-foot national maritime museum near Waterfront Park. (More)

➤ Pulaski: Town officials are pursuing a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, a historical-horse-racing venue, as an economic boost for the former factory town. Backers must gather enough voter signatures to put the question on a future ballot. (More)

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➤ Virginia Tech landed in-state football recruit Tyson Washington this week, the 26th commit of their 2027 recruiting class. The Hokies now have the No. 12-ranked recruiting class in the entire country. (More) 

➤ Former UVA swimmer Gretchen Walsh broke the world record in the 50-meter freestyle in Rome, clocking in at 23.55 seconds. She takes the record from her training partner and fellow Virginia swimmer Kate Douglass, who had set it just nine days earlier. (More)

➤ Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick said Washington will target both forwards and defensemen when free agency opens tomorrow, even after trading for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch earlier this week. The Caps have about $12.7 million in cap space remaining. (More) 

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | Wimbledon

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➤ Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden workers staged a one-day strike on June 25, accusing management of regressive bargaining after union proposals for higher wages were met with reduced counteroffers amid a major expansion that increased workloads without extra pay. (More)

➤ New York investment firm TJC LP has agreed to buy Luna Innovations, a fiber-optic sensing company based in Blacksburg, for $1.39 per share. The deal follows a $7.3 million class-action settlement over alleged securities fraud. (More)

➤ Eclipse Arcade, a pinball arcade with about 45 machines, is set to open July 4 in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition, taking over the 3,200-square-foot space at 1310 Altamont Ave. that now houses Wax Moon, which is relocating around the block. (More)

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➤ Virginia Beach native and Old Dominion graduate Derrick Borte released The Get Out, a neo-noir crime comedy starring Russell Crowe as an aging Albanian nightclub owner. It’s Borte’s seventh feature and his second with Crowe, after the 2020 road-rage thriller Unhinged. (See Photos)

➤ Anna Vocino, an Arlington native, is the new voice of Mrs. Potato Head in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, taking over the role originated by Estelle Harris, who died in 2022. Vocino said she was in “disbelief” until after she had finished recording. (More)

➤ A five-person crew paddling the New River’s full 320 miles will share their journey during a 7 p.m. meet-and-greet Wednesday at Rising Silo Brewery in Blacksburg. The trip, backed by the New River Conservancy, aims to spotlight river communities and grow the New River Trail. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Americans chase 10,000 steps a day, but a major new study says how you walk matters far more. (Hear Details)

➤ A coalition that owns nearly 400 local newspapers has accused OpenAI and Microsoft of copying their reporting to train AI systems. (Hear Episode)

➤ President Trump declared the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “in full use” and blamed radical left vandals for the pool’s recent problems. (Listen Now)

When did you last play a game of pinball?

1. This year
2. During the last decade
3. Not since I was a kid
4. Never

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you visited Patrick Henry’s Red Hill home in Brookneal, Virginia? 

1. No: 58%
2. Not yet: 23%
3. Yes: 19%

In which two cities was Virginia’s capital located before Richmond?

Show me the answer