Charge Filed in Track Attack

Alaila Everett, a runner for I.C. Norcom High School, has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery by the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Lynchburg.

The charge stems from an incident during last week’s VSHL Class 3 State Indoor Championships when Everett struck Kaelen Tucker in the head with her baton during a relay race at Liberty University. Tucker tumbled off the track and was diagnosed with a concussion and possible skull fracture.

The Portsmouth NAACP defended Everett, saying, “Alaila is NOT AN ATTACKER” and expressing that criminal charges are “not warranted” in this case.

Everett said the contact was accidental. “I would never do that on purpose,” she told reporters.

Cavs Dismiss Sanchez

UVA launched a search for a new men’s basketball head coach hours after the Cavaliers were ousted from the ACC Tournament to finish their season at 15-17 overall and 8-12 in conference games—their first losing season since 2009-10. 

Interim Coach Ron Sanchez took the reins in October, just weeks before the season started, after his mentor, former coach Tony Bennett, announced his immediate retirement.

“Ron and the staff provided great stability, guidance and support for the young men on the team and we are thankful for his commitment to UVA and the values that are foundational to Virginia men’s basketball,” UVA athletic director Carla Williams said while adding that Sanchez will not be retained.

The Cavs are reportedly conducting a nationwide search for their next bench boss.

Things to do This Weekend

It will be a busy weekend in Virginia Beach, which will host the annual Shamrock series of runs, featuring an 8K on Saturday and a half and full marathon on Sunday. Organizers expect 25,000 runners to take part.

Other runners and many more athletes will be inside the Virginia Beach Sports Center, which is hosting the Division I NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships for the first time.

The Norfolk Scope Arena is the site of this year’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Semifinal games will take place tonight, with the finals set for tomorrow, and Norfolk State’s teams will be in action. 

It is also the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, which means green beer will flow across the Commonwealth. Whether you’re in Northern Virginia, the capital region, or the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Living has a list of St. Patrick’s Day events near you.

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Somalia is facing a devastating combination of natural disasters, global conflicts, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks. East Africa has just endured its worst drought in 40 years, leaving tens of millions without access to clean water, wiping out millions of livestock, and destroying crops. With domestic food production crippled, Somalia has relied heavily on imports—90% of its wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine—until those shipments stopped.

Now, two in five children in Somalia suffer from acute malnutrition, and cholera is spreading in some regions. The food crisis, compounded by global humanitarian aid being redirected to Europe and the Middle East, has created a perfect storm, leading to a sharp rise in child malnutrition.

Be Doers

We’re asking The Flyover community to join us in partnering with World Concern to help get emergency nutrition packs (a peanut paste fortified with nutrients), water, and hygiene products to those with the most need.

Every $12 feeds a child for a month. We’re matching the first $750; just give through this link.

➤ Alexandria: Federal agents with ICE and DEA arrested 41-year-old Salvadoran national Roxana Beatriz Ayala-Duran, who was convicted of assault in 2020. The U.S. Border Patrol said she illegally entered the U.S. in 2004. (More)

➤ Southwest Virginia: Officials from the Radford Army Ammunition Plant are still looking for four of the 13 containers of toxic chemicals that were swept into the New River when Hurricane Helene passed through the area six months ago. They maintain that “public health was not jeopardized, and there were no observed impacts to the environment” as a result of the accident. (Details)

➤ Albemarle County: Food banks in Central Virginia report that recent cuts to USDA programs have made it more difficult for them to obtain fresh food and have harmed local growers. (More)

➤ Roanoke: Most of the Blue Ridge Parkway is still closed to traffic as crews work to clear debris from the roadway after a number of winter storms. (More) 

➤ Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Two officials from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office are taking part in search efforts for Sudiksha Konanki, the college student who disappeared from a beach Dominican beach last week. Dominican authorities fear she may have drowned, but Sheriff Michael Chapman said he hasn’t yet seen evidence of that. (Details)

➤ Danville: Site Selection magazine tapped the city as one of the top micropolitan areas—places with 10,000-50,000 residents—in the United States. Danville jumped from 44th on the list in 2023 to 8th last year. (More)

➤ Virginia State, seeded No. 3 in the NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament, plays West Chester tomorrow in the first round. (Bracket)

➤ Hampden-Sydney plays Redlands in the third round of the Division III men’s basketball tournament today. (Details)

➤ Randolph-Macon visits Gettysburg tonight in the third round of the Division III women’s basketball tournament. (Bracket)

➤ VCU and George Mason take the court today as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball tournament. (Details)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NBA | NHL | PGA | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Northern Virginia hosts one-third of the planet’s data centers. Now, the industry is spreading and bringing changes to other areas of the state. (What to Expect)

➤ The United States Postal Service has unveiled recent upgrades to its Norfolk sorting and delivery center. (More)

➤ RiverStreet, a service provider, will acquire several assets in Virginia, including Amelia Telephone Corporation, Citizens Telephone Cooperative, and New Castle Telephone Company. (Details)

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Somalia faces a crisis caused by natural disasters, conflict, poverty, and disease. The worst drought in 40 years devastated crops and livestock, while food imports from Russia and Ukraine were halted. Two in five Somali children now suffer from acute malnutrition. Join us in partnering with World Concern to provide emergency nutrition packs and clean water to children. $12 feeds a child for a month.

➤ Virginia State University will host AgFest on its campus on Tuesday. The event spotlights the role that farming plays in the Commonwealth. (Details)

➤ Southwest Virginia is set to experience an emergence of 17-year Brood XIV cicadas starting next month. (Where the Bugs Are)

➤ A Lynchburg rental offers a unique weekend getaway—guests can sleep in a train caboose that overlooks the James River. (Details)

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Which team will win the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball tournament this weekend?

1. VCU
2. George Mason
3. A non-Virginia team

Thursday’s Results:

Is your household “upper middle class?” 

1. Yes: 34%
2. No: 35%
3. We used to be: 31%

When was the first Shamrock Marathon?

Show me the answer