The Virginia Flyover

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1921, Wendell Oliver Scott Sr. was born in Danville, Virginia. He was the first black driver to race regularly in NASCAR’s top series, starting in 495 races. He was also a team owner.

If you slept through Friday’s lunar eclipse, we have you covered. A Hanover County astronomer captured the moon glowing red-orange with a bright edge resembling a diamond ring. Did you take get some shots of the lunar eclipse? Hit reply and share them with us!

Which coffee is the healthiest? Seven in ten Americans drink it every week, and most of us settled on our “healthy” version years ago. But when we ranked the 10 most common coffee orders against what the research actually shows, the results were sobering. It turns out that a splash of creamer might be killing coffee’s only health benefits. Even black coffee isn’t without fault, because how you brew it matters more than you’d think. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Christopher counts down all 10 from worst to best and reveals the healthiest way to drink your morning cup. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, Convoy of Hope, is rushing emergency food and essential aid to families devastated by catastrophic flooding in Nepal—and The Virginia Flyover is matching the first $4,000 donated to help survivors in urgent need.

10 Northern Virginia Pilgrims Missing in Nepal Floods

Ten Northern Virginia residents remained missing Friday after catastrophic flooding devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region. Seven were confirmed to be from Loudoun County.

The group was making a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet. One member, 67-year-old former World Bank employee Anil Goel, had his visa approved at the Rasuwagadhi immigration checkpoint about 35 minutes before the flood struck. His family does not know whether the group crossed into Tibet before the disaster.

Nearly 600 people had died and about 2,500 remained missing across Nepal and Tibet by Friday, including approximately 90 Americans. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said his office was working with the State Department to locate the missing travelers and assist their families. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Sunday evening at the Fairfax County Government Center.

Virginia Beach-based Operation Blessing will deploy a disaster-response team carrying water-filtration systems, solar lights, emergency food, and other supplies. The team is expected to arrive Monday and work with Compassionate Hands For Nepal.

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to help those impacted by the devastating floods in the Himalayas, The Virginia Flyover is matching the first $4,000 in donations to our partner, Convoy of Hope in direct response to this tragedy. Learn more here.

Virginia Infrastructure Earns C Grade

Miss Virginia Crowned Miss USA

Arlington resident Justus Kelley was crowned Miss USA Thursday in Miami, becoming the first mother and first married woman to win the national pageant.

Kelley, 31, became Virginia’s fifth winner and its first since 1970. Her victory followed 2023 rule changes allowing married women and mothers to compete.

Kelley and her husband are foster parents to two siblings and founded Foster Footprints, which supports foster children and families. She also works for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Kelley will represent the United States at the Miss Universe competition in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November.

Flying together with our sponsor

Provide life-saving aid for Nepal

Desperate flood survivors need your help ASAP!

Glacial collapse triggered violent flash flooding in Nepal — the impact was so severe, the avalanche initially registered as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake. Death toll has surpassed more than 500 — survivors are desperate!

You can rush aid to survivors — and The Flyover will be matching the first $4,000 donated to Convoy of Hope for this urgent need!

Floodwaters wiped out entire communities in moments, catching both local families and travelers off guard — as of this writing 1,900 people are missing — and a lake of rising water has formed, prompting fears of more flooding if it bursts its banks.

You can respond with emergency food and essential aid — and we’re matching every dollar of the first $4,000 donated, so please respond now.

And you can give with confidence: Convoy of Hope has served more than 350 million people facing disaster, hunger, and crisis. They are ranked by Forbes as one of America’s Top Charities.

Your compassionate gift now will offer hope and a way to rebuild for families who have lost everything.

➤ Manassas Park: Police arrested high school teacher Shannon Sanders, 40, Thursday on a public intoxication charge after police said she appeared intoxicated on campus. Officials said no students were endangered. (More)

➤ Lorton: Police arrested a 22-year-old man after detectives said they saw him in a Scream-style costume carrying bricks toward a homeowners association community center. He faces six destruction-of-property charges and one charge of wearing a mask in public; police estimated the damage at about $8,000. (More)

➤ I-95 corridor:The Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban are studying 24/7, two-way express lanes along approximately 45 miles between Spotsylvania Parkway and Franconia-Springfield Parkway.(More)

➤ Spotsylvania County: A jury convicted Tyler Butler of second-degree murder in the 2025 fatal shooting of high school senior Michael Bosworth Jr. Jurors also convicted him of attempted second-degree murder for shooting two other teens. Sentencing is Oct. 30. (More)

➤ West Springfield: Birmingham Lane will close to through traffic along Rolling Road, Springfield Valley Drive, and Ontario Street beginning Sept. 2. Property access will remain open, with traffic detoured via Springfield Valley Drive. (See Detour)

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➤ UVA’s season opener against NC State today sold out Scott Stadium for the first time since 2008. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech landed four-star defensive back Chris Tangelo, a former Vanderbilt signee who transferred through Hutchinson Community College. He won’t be eligible to play until 2027. (More)

➤ JMU extended women’s lacrosse coach Shelley Klaes through 2032. Most recently she led the Dukes to back-to-back conference titles and has a 259-111 record in 20 seasons, including a national championship. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ FREE Bottle: Most people blame age for stiff, achy joints. But what if the real culprit is a sticky protein called fibrin? Heal-n-Soothe uses powerful enzymes designed to help break it down. Flyover readers can request a FREE bottle while supplies last.

Flying together with our sponsor

Devastating floods in Nepal! You can respond

Your impact can be doubled to rush aid to flood survivors in Nepal!

The Flyover is matching the first $4,000 donated to Convoy of Hope to provide emergency food and essential aid for flood victims in the devastating natural disaster. Your compassionate gift now offers relief and hope in a desperate moment!

Landslides, flooding, fast-moving mud, and debris destroyed entire communities — more than 500 people have died, and 1,900 are missing. Survivors need your help now.

Give now — The Flyover will match the first $4,000 donated — and you’ll deliver help and hope for flood survivors!

➤ The Richmond Flying Squirrels’ Go Nuts for Reading program uses baseball to encourage students to read. (See Video)

➤ The Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra will perform music from Titanic, Jaws, and Pirates of the Caribbean during its water-themed Symphonic Masquerade fundraiser Oct. 30 in Charlottesville. (More)

➤ A partial lunar eclipse covered approximately 96% of the moon early Friday, giving the moon a deep red-orange glow over Hanover County, while its bright edge created a “diamond ring” effect. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ A Duke University doctor is drawing attention to one often-overlooked nutrient that may play an important role in heart health—and it’s not Omega-3s. Dr. Rick Cohen explains why standard blood work may miss this deficiency and shares a simple pre-shower technique designed to support a strong heart. Discover the #1 “Heart Strong” nutrient >>

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ The 10 most common coffee orders ranked from healthiest to worst, with one surprising twist. (Hear More)

➤ Dolly Parton’s music is surging across streaming platforms following her death this week at age 80. (Listen Now)

➤ Two men bought tickets to a Vienna museum, then smashed a display case and walked out with a 200-carat diamond necklace. (Podcast Available)