Virginia Holds First Readiness Summit

Roughly 1,000 police, fire, EMS, hospital, and utility leaders filled Richmond Raceway on Wednesday for Virginia’s first statewide readiness summit.

They came from 30 fields, and the agenda ran from extreme weather and natural disasters to cyberattacks and acts of mass violence. Coordination was the common thread: how agencies that rarely plan together move as one when a crisis hits.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Virginians deserve to know their local leaders have the tools to work together when a crisis comes. 

Wednesday’s session builds on seven regional summits held earlier this year, where more than 750 local leaders flagged gaps in communications, staffing, and joint planning. Spanberger said she’ll work with the General Assembly to turn the findings into legislation and executive action.

Liberty University Eyed for New Cadet Corps

Liberty University is one of five schools being considered for America’s Corps of Cadets, a new officer training program from the Department of War. 

If finalized, the Lynchburg school would become a Distinguished Military College with Honor School status, giving its cadets priority for officer commissions. The program builds on the corps at the nation’s six senior military colleges, two of which are located at Virginia Tech and Virginia Military Institute. 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the program Sept. 30 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, saying the usual sources of new officers have drifted from the Constitution, American heritage, and the warrior ethos. 

Louisiana State, Tuskegee, Mississippi State, and Hillsdale College round out the group. Liberty already runs Army and Air Force ROTC programs and recently added a Navy and Marine Corps unit through a deal with the University of Virginia.

$1.3M Aimed at Nurse Shortage

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Thursday that nearly 350 prospective nursing students have been awarded nearly $1.3 million in scholarships and training incentives. 

Awards include long-term care scholarships of up to $2,000, and licensed clinicians who mentor students through required clinical hours can collect $500 to $5,000 per semester. Nurses and nurse aides who commit to working in Virginia may also qualify for help paying down student loans.

The money flows through the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center, which lawmakers created this year as part of Spanberger’s legislative agenda. Colleges, hospitals, and other providers can apply for up to $400,000 in grants for a two-year program that pays students while they finish clinical training.

Virginia is short roughly 17,000 registered nurses, a George Mason University analysis found earlier this year.

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➤ Statewide: Virginia ranks 12th among America’s safest states in a new study evaluating personal, financial, road, workplace and emergency preparedness factors, topping the nation in workplace safety while ranking 30th in emergency readiness. (See Ranking)

➤ Roanoke: Emergency drought conditions are holding around Roanoke even as rain revives the rest of Virginia. Carvins Cove is now within about five feet of the level where the water authority has said it might consider mandatory restrictions, and Spring Hollow is 27.5 feet down. (More)

➤ Petersburg: Crews set the final structural beam Thursday atop Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia on Wagner Road. The resort is slated to open by the end of 2027 with 1,600 slot machines, more than 60 table games, and a 200-room hotel. (See Renderings)

➤ Lynchburg: Mason Lane Entertainment, which runs the city’s riverfront amphitheater, owes about $106,000 in unpaid invoices and revenue shares, according to a Sept. 14 city letter. Past-due bills draw a 10% penalty every 30 days. The company has paid about $10,400. (More)

➤ Norfolk and Henrico: Two 25-year-old Chinese nationals, including a Virginia Tech student, face federal charges over an alleged scheme to buy and lease Teslas with stolen IDs in Norfolk and Henrico, strip the GPS units, and re-title the cars in Montana. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: Students from Thomas Jefferson High School created SafeWalkr, an app providing the safest walking routes to school by prioritizing sidewalks, traffic, and crosswalks over speed; it launched Wednesday for students at 14 schools. (More)

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➤ Liberty Flames football dominated Sam Houston 35-3 Thursday night, improving to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Conference USA behind strong rushing performances. (See Stats)

➤ The Washington Capitals handed Pittsburgh a 5-3 loss Wednesday night in Alex Ovechkin’s final home opener. Tom Wilson scored and set up two more, and Ryan Leonard’s power-play goal in the third put it away. (See Highlights)

➤ Virginia Tech and SMU played to a 1-1 draw in ACC women’s soccer Thursday night in Dallas, with Anna Weir scoring for the Hokies and Kamiya Beck equalizing for the Mustangs. (See Stats)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NCAAF | MLB | NHL | Soccer | NBA | Golf

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➤ Hardywood Park acquired rival Starr Hill Brewery on Oct. 1, merging Virginia’s two largest craft brewers. No cash changed hands, and Starr Hill’s owners took a minority stake. Both brands, their nine taprooms, and all 180 employees will be retained. (More)

➤ Valley Link’s $1 billion high-voltage line into Northern Virginia drew formal opposition from every county along its route after Campbell County’s 4-3 vote Tuesday. The developer says the power is needed for data centers and grid reliability. (More)

➤ Richmond’s development authority told the Flying Squirrels to clear out of the Diamond or be treated as trespassers. The team’s chief operating officer countered in an internal memo on Wednesday that they had an understanding with an Economic Development Authority staffer allowing temporary storage at the old ballpark. (More)

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➤ A 271-pound watermelon grown by Lancaster County’s Junior Brent broke the state fair record at the State Fair of Virginia’s Giant Vegetable Weigh-Off in Doswell. Meanwhile, Culpeper County’s Paul Jarosh tripled the squash record with a 173.6-pound Napoli. (See Photo)

➤ The average Virginian will pay an estimated $645,502 in federal and state income taxes over a 45-year career, the 12th highest amount in the country. Massachusetts tops the list at $884,660, while South Dakota is last at $324,568. (See Ranking)

➤ A horse-therapy farm in Powhatan County moved a step closer to hosting overnight guests Tuesday, after the planning commission unanimously recommended letting Pony Creek Farms operate as a campground for people who have experienced trauma or PTSD. (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. 

➤ More than 60 million children have been automatically enrolled in Trump Accounts, no parental sign-up required. (Hear Details)

➤ The USS Abraham Lincoln is home after a 321-day deployment that raised alarms over shortages and sailor mental health. (Podcast Available)

➤ One of New York’s best-known nightclubs is threatening permanent bans for anyone caught carrying smart glasses inside. (Listen Now)

Have you ever been to a casino?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not yet
4. Not gonna happen

Yesterday’s Results:

What do you do with old electronics? 

1. Recycle them: 45%
2. Trash them: 33%
3. Put them in storage: 19%
4. Other: 3%

What was Liberty University’s original name?

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