Rocket Plant Breaks Ground in Hurt

Italian rocket maker Avio broke ground Tuesday on a $500 million plant in the Pittsylvania County town of Hurt that’s expected to create more than 1,500 jobs.

The 900,000-square-foot facility will build solid rocket motors for missile systems, tactical propulsion, and commercial space. Avio expects to open it during the first quarter of 2029.

The jobs will pay about $81,000 a year, well above the county average, on the 800-acre site of a Burlington Industries mill that closed in 2007.

Avio USA chief James Syring, a retired Navy vice admiral, said many states courted the company, but it picked Virginia for this area’s “access to workforce and trade.” Gov. Abigail Spanberger called it one of the largest economic development projects in the region’s history. 

Wolfe Freed after 25 Years

A judge vacated Justin Wolfe’s 2002 murder conviction Monday, freeing him from a Prince William County jail after 25 years, including 13 on death row.

The admitted triggerman, the only witness tying Wolfe to the March 2001 killing of Daniel Petrole Jr., recanted years ago and swore Wolfe had no part in it. Wolfe, who always maintained his innocence, pleaded guilty to marijuana distribution and no contest to criminal solicitation in a deal for time served.

Federal courts had earlier found the original prosecution engaged in misconduct, citing suppressed evidence and coerced testimony under a previous commonwealth’s attorney.

Current Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth called the resolution a “just and appropriate outcome” to a case mishandled by a prior administration. Petrole’s family said current prosecutors reached “a resolution that we can accept.”

Christian Clubs Sue Virginia State University

Two Christian student groups at Virginia State University have sued the school in federal court, saying a new campus ministry policy strips them of registered club status because of what they believe.

Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship say the August policy folds student-led ministries into VSU’s Campus Ministries office, where the campus minister approves gatherings and a faculty advisor must attend everything from Bible studies to a dorm pajama party. It also ended Sunday rides to a nearby church.

The clubs say the policy exempts the Muslim Students Association, the Community Faith Alliance, and secular groups. VSU, which describes Campus Ministries as support for students’ spiritual life, has not commented publicly on the suit. 

The case was filed Sept. 24 in Richmond, and no hearing is set.

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➤ Eastern Virginia: A preschool-age child from the state’s eastern region has died of flu complications, marking Virginia’s third pediatric flu death of the 2025-26 season. No additional details were shared to protect the family’s privacy. (More)

➤ Newport News: The city’s school system launched a study of all 40 schools, weighing new attendance boundaries as enrollment falls and more buildings sit underused. (More)

➤ New Kent County: Clerks warn that a proposed bill forcing payment of speed-camera ticket fines would swamp court dockets, noting that the county issued more than 71,000 tickets in work and school zones last year. (More)

➤ Richmond: The city council unanimously passed a resolution Monday asking Mayor Danny Avula’s administration to draft rules barring city employees from voluntarily assisting federal immigration enforcement. (More)

➤ McLean: Virginia’s priciest ZIP code is McLean’s 22101, with a $2.2 million median home price. The city ranks 23rd in a national ranking topped by Florida’s Fisher Island, which has a median home price of $10.8 million. (See Map)

➤ Winchester: Shenandoah University has launched an air traffic controller training program, aiming to help ease the nationwide shortage of controllers. (More)

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➤ The Washington Mystics were eliminated Wednesday after falling 93-75 to the Atlanta Dream in Game 2, as the Dream forced 19 turnovers, overcame foul trouble, and completed a first-round sweep in the 2026 WNBA playoffs. (More)

➤ The ACC’s Week 5 slate features nine games Friday and Saturday, with Virginia Tech opening the conference schedule when it hosts Pitt Friday night. (See Schedule)

➤ NASCAR fined Chad Bryant—owner of Chad Bryant Racing—$2,000, suspended him indefinitely, and ordered anger-management training after his team attacked reigning Truck Series champion Corey Heim in the pits following a Saturday crash at Martinsville. (Watch Video)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA | Soccer

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➤ Dominion Energy, Transource, and FirstEnergy revised one proposed path for the Valley Link transmission line, a 765-kilovolt project running about 115 miles from Lynchburg to Culpeper, as developers narrow the route. (More)

➤ Grayson County confirmed an $11 billion data center, once known as “Project Lightning,” is planned for Wildwood Commerce Park, with more than $1 billion in projected revenue over 10 years for Galax, Grayson, and Carroll County. (More)

➤ X-Pro in Fairfax walks inventors from a napkin sketch through manufacturing and fulfillment, with founder and CEO Alex Tomic describing the firm as offering full product development under one roof. (More)

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➤ Washington, D.C., which employs a large share of Northern Virginia’s workforce, ranked second among the 25 best U.S. cities for work in 2026, while Charlottesville placed 10th, according to a ranking of 228 U.S. metro areas. (See List)

➤ Virginia Commonwealth University ran a large-scale emergency-response exercise at the Siegel Center that kicked off Wednesday morning, with more than a dozen agencies taking part. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech’s Corps of Cadets introduced Growley IV, their new mascot, who’s actually named Bedford to honor the Bedford Boys, the Virginia National Guard soldiers who suffered some of the heaviest D-Day losses of any U.S. town. (See Photos)

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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. 

➤ Two retirement destination rankings crown completely different winners, and one snubs Florida entirely. (See Top 10)

➤ Surgeons at an Ohio hospital are accused of amputating the wrong appendage of a 74-year-old Army veteran. (Hear Details)

➤ Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in more than 200 years was halted about an hour before it began. (Listen Now)

What’s your take on flu shots?

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2. Get one every few years
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Yesterday’s Results:

If you could direct a $150 million gift to a university, where should most of it go?

1. Scholarships: 64%
2. Student opportunities: 16%
3. Academic programs: 10%
4. Campus facilities: 7%
5. Athletics: 3%

What unusual prize do race winners at Martinsville Speedway receive?

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