Monday, April 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1775, the Gunpowder Incident began when 20 British sailors from the armed schooner HMS Magdalen entered the Williamsburg powder storage magazine during the night, removed the barrels of gunpowder, and returned them to their ship.

Last week, we asked for unique facts about your corner of our Commonwealth. One reader wrote to tell us that “Bluefield is known as ‘Virginia’s Tallest Town,’ elevation-wise.” We didn’t know that!

Hit reply to let us know what’s special about your neck of the woods.

Today’s sponsor, Share-Ify, is using AI to help food companies improve safety, streamline operations, and respond faster to potential risks across the supply chain.

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.

Vogler Attacker Pleads Guilty

Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding for his attack last summer on Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler. He will be sentenced on June 25.

Buck-Hayes attacked Vogler at the councilman’s workplace and set him on fire. He said he added styrofoam to the gasoline “because I just thought that would make it burn longer.”

Vogler underwent treatment at a burn unit for months before he returned to attend a city council meeting on Oct. 21, months ahead of what had been expected.

After Buck-Hayes pleaded guilty, he told the judge he was not a U.S. citizen. The judge noted that the plea could alter his immigration status and force him to leave the United States.

Referendum Vote Tomorrow

Polls will be open tomorrow for the final day of voting in the state’s referendum on whether to change the constitution to allow redistricting before this fall’s congressional elections.

Many schools will be closed so the buildings can be used for voting.

The proposed map is drawn to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of the state’s 11 districts. Early voting ended on Saturday with more than 1.3 million votes cast.

“It’s a bit confusing,” one voter said, referring to the fact that this isn’t a typical election in that it involves a constitutional issue instead of voting for particular candidates.

Skydiver Gets Stuck on Scoreboard at Spring Game

Virginia Tech’s spring football game was delayed on Saturday after a skydiver participating in pregame entertainment went off course and got stuck on Lane Stadium’s scoreboard.

Another skydiver landed outside the stadium, with only one of the three parachutists landing on the field as planned.

Rescue crews freed the man, and he sustained no serious injuries. The game went ahead once the skydiver was secured.

Flying together with our sponsor

48M Americans Get Sick From Food Every Year. Share-Ify’s AI-Based Solution is Fixing That

Share-Ify is the world’s first AI-based platform helping food companies keep food safe and act fast when it matters. Every inspection, supplier record, allergen alert, and traceability log stays connected, automated, and updated in real time.

There are more than 5 million food companies worldwide, most still running on spreadsheets and phone calls. Share-Ify has already modernized 35,000+, including Denny’s, Outback Steakhouse, and McLane, yet has captured less than 1% of the market.

Invest before Share-Ify scales from $4M in annual revenue to a targeted $160M by 2030.

➤ Virginia Beach: Some business owners complained about the city’s 9:30 p.m. curfew at the Oceanfront, which was in effect over the weekend and will be in place on Friday. “At that 9 o’clock hour, that’s when we make our money,” one business manager said. (Details)

➤ Rockingham County: VDOT plans to begin construction today to widen six miles of I-81 near Harrisonburg. Drivers can expect overnight single-lane closures in both directions. (More)

➤ Annandale: A Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge had ordered former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to vacate his home by the end of April amid ongoing divorce proceedings. Fairfax murdered his wife before he killed himself last week. (Details)

➤ Arlington: The county saw a 60.5% jump in property crime between 2020 and 2024, the largest increase in the nation. (More)

➤ Charlottesville: The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors Finance Committee approved a 3.6% average tuition increase for next year. (Details)

➤ Danville: Police are investigating a shooting incident that left one dead and four wounded on Saturday. The department reported that multiple shots were fired at a large gathering at a local residence. (More)

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➤ Virginia Tech softball dropped two of three games to Georgia Tech, including a 9-7 loss yesterday. (Box Score)

➤ The Washington Nationals salvaged the final game of a three-game series against the Giants with a 3-0 win yesterday. (Box Score)

➤ UVA women’s tennis fell 4-0 to N.C. State in the ACC championship finals. (Details)

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➤ Scientists at Washington University discovered that doing this simple couch-yoga pose fixes constipation, bloating, and embarrassing gassy moments. At the same time, they were shocked to see that something SO simple can empty your bowels faster than any laxative or fiber-rich diet can. Read all about this revolutionary trick here: This Couch-Yoga Pose Clears Your Gut Fast

➤ The Henrico County Economic Development Authority transferred ownership of The Crossings Golf Club to a North Carolina company for $1. It purchased the property for $3 million in 2024. (Details)

➤ Botetourt County economic development officials hosted a summit to help local businesses grow. (More)

➤ The Downtown Norfolk Council will pause its monthly First Fridays event downtown after businesses raised concerns about litter and quality-of-life issues. (Details)

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➤ Elon Musk is so desperate for electricity…He shipped a power plant across the ocean. He’s running dozens of gas turbines around the clock. And by some estimates, he’s burning nearly $1 billion a month — because he can’t turn on the world’s largest supercomputer without equipment that takes up to 2 years to get. One small company can deliver it on his timeline. Wall Street hasn’t connected the dots yet. See the one stock Musk can’t build without >>

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Meet the Tech Innovator Outback Steakhouse Can’t Live Without

Before an Outback Steakhouse ribeye reaches your table, dozens of companies along the supply chain touch it.
Each must know exactly what’s in it, where it came from, whether it’s been inspected, and that every safety certification is up to date. Multiply that by millions of products and millions of companies, and you start to see the scale of the problem.

It’s why Outback parent company Bloomin’ Brands is one of 35,000+ companies using Share-ify to stay on top of it all, joining industry standouts like Denny’s. Share-ify’s AI-based digital hub lets companies manage and share all of that information from one place, in real time.

And when Bloomin’ joins, their entire supplier network follows. That’s how Share-ify has grown 40%+ annually for five years running, almost entirely through word of mouth.

Invest before Share-ify scales toward a $160M revenue target by 2030.

This is a paid advertisement for Share-ify’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.share-ify.com/

➤ The Rotary Club of Bedford installed a Peace Pole as part of an effort to promote conflict prevention and recognize the cultures that have shaped the region. (Details)

➤ Henrico County’s Fair Oaks Elementary School plans a 100th anniversary celebration next month. (More)

➤ A Potomac Shores Middle School student in Dumfries spoke at the school’s “Heart Challenge” assembly to tell his classmates about his fight to overcome a congenital heart defect. (Details)

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➤ I check every single one of my patients for this…Because it can signal a heart attack is right around the corner. Are you at risk? Please check now.