Friday, May 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1699, the General Assembly met for the first time in the College Building at the College of William and Mary. That facility is now called the Wren Building.

We asked about ways to improve education, and readers responded. Many focused on the problems schools face in measuring educational outcomes.

“Teachers and school administrators put way too much emphasis on passing the SOLs and not enough on the things that really matter,” one reader wrote. “Get rid of current testing programs. The current programs focus on the lower levels of learning,” another told us.

“A lot of money rides on graduating classes’ percentages and keeping kids in school,” another wrote. “The school systems over the course of many years have calculated this money into their budgets and will do anything to keep that money coming in.”

We will share more of your comments about education in the days ahead.

Big news! We’re excited to announce that beginning tomorrow, The Virginia Flyover will be expanding to a seven-day-a-week schedule, adding Saturday and Sunday editions every weekend going forward. Let us know what you think about the new weekend editions by replying to this email.

One year ago, we hit “record” on something new, and it’s grown into something incredible. Today, The Flyover Podcast reaches more than 1.4 million listeners each month, delivering clear, direct, and unbiased coverage of the stories that matter most. What started as a simple idea is now part of daily routines across the country, and we couldn’t have done it without you. As we head into year two, we’re excited to bring you new content, new formats, and new ways to stay informed. We’re just getting started. Tune in to today’s Podcast Extra stories, featuring a new form of “genetic cholesterol” that could become the next big breakthrough in preventing heart attacks. Listen here.

Today’s sponsor, United States Tungsten Corp, is tapping into a rapidly growing $10 billion market by reopening a key domestic mine to meet surging demand for one of the world’s most essential industrial metals.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Virginia Beach Curfew Lawsuits

Two of the three people who were arrested for violating Virginia Beach’s 9:30 p.m. curfew on the weekend of April 17 and 18 have filed lawsuits against the city. Each person is seeking $5 million.

The plaintiffs are suing for loss of liberty, emotional distress, humiliation, legal expenses, and damages. Both asked for a jury trial.

Stephanie Vann was detained while smoking near her apartment. “[The curfew] was done hastily and without real thought or concern for the selective enforcement, the constitutional concerns that go along with it,” she said.

Virginia Beach imposed the curfew at the Oceanfront after a pair of mass shootings in recent weeks. A judge struck down the curfew before it could be imposed last Friday night.

Hundreds of Animals Rescued at a Farm

The Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office rescued more than 100 animals from dangerous living conditions. The livestock seized included horses, cattle, and donkeys.

Deputies spent three days on the farm in Mount Jackson. Over 60 law enforcement personnel and volunteers were present to process the scene. Many of the animals there were “found in extremely poor condition and appeared malnourished,” the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office received assistance from animal rescue organizations, the Virginia Department of Agriculture, volunteers, and four teams of veterinarians who examined the animals and administered medical treatment.

Deputies also found the remains of dead animals in several places on the farm.

Troopers Target Dangerous Driving

Virginia State Police rolled out Operation DISS-rupt this week on I-81.

“Initiatives like ‘DISS-rupt’ are aimed at getting Virginians back to the basics about traffic safety: making sure they are driving sober, driving safely, buckling up, and focusing on the task ahead,” police Captain Patrick Kirtner said.

The two-day crackdown covered all 325 miles of the highway that slashes across the northern and western part of the Commonwealth.

In the first four months of the year, 167 people have died on Virginia roadways, down from 200 during the same period in 2025.

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➤ Statewide: An injunction that prevents election officials from certifying last week’s constitutional referendum remained in effect as the state Supreme Court deliberated whether the process was held legally. If the justices approve, a new map would give Democrats an edge in 10 of the state’s 11 congressional districts. (Details)

➤ Front Royal: Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla wrapped up their four-day visit to the U.S. with stops in Arlington and Front Royal yesterday. (Details)

➤ Giles County: The mayor of Rich Creek, Paul Morrison, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication as he visited the site of this week’s train derailment on the West Virginia border. He was released on his own recognizance. (More)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Abigail Spanberger has until May 22 to either sign or veto a legislative bill that would create a retail market for marijuana on Jan. 1. The governor had proposed pushing that date back to July 1, 2027, but lawmakers declined to accept her changes. (Details)

➤ Loudoun County: The school board is considering five different educational calendars for the school year that begins in 2028. One of the versions would provide what is essentially a year-round schedule. (More)

➤ Blacksburg: Virginia Tech announced it has sold out all available 2026 premium seating season tickets, the earliest it has ever done so. Single-game tickets will be available on Thursday, May 7. (More)

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➤ The Washington Nationals return home to face Milwaukee tonight, after taking two of three from the struggling Mets on the road. (Score)

➤ Virginia Tech baseball opens a three-game ACC series at Cal tonight. (Schedule)

➤ Former Wizards guard John Wall was named president of basketball operations at Howard University, returning to D.C. to oversee recruiting, roster management, and NIL strategy for the Bison. (More)

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➤ Virginia Beach has seen several restaurants shutter recently, including Philly Cold Cuts, some Bahama Breeze locations, and all Smokey Bones locations. The city imposes a 12% total tax on meals, one of the highest in the state. (Details)

➤ Lightshift Energy, a battery system developer, said it will install energy storage systems at three electric utilities in the Commonwealth. (More)

➤ Virginia received $110 million in tobacco settlement award funds, part of the state’s share of the 1998 master agreement. The money will be used to offset the cost of healthcare for smoking-related illnesses and support the commonwealth’s economy. (Details)

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➤ Virginia suffered 17.2 hazmat transit incidents per 100,000 residents last year. That ranks it in the bottom 10 for such accidents, according to a recent study. (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech agreed to buy land north of the border—in Canada—which it will use to conduct research on space weather events. (More)

➤ Prince William County released an environmental sustainability report that shows 17 of its Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan’s “high-priority” actions have been launched. (Details)

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