Thursday, December 5, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1960, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Boynton v. Virginia. The case involved a black passenger who refused to leave a “whites-only” area of a restaurant at a bus station. The Court held that segregation in public transportation facilities was unconstitutional.

Changes may be coming to Virginia’s restaurant business. We’ll explain in our Top Stories. Meanwhile, selling pot remains illegal, but some stores are doing it anyway. More on that in Business.

If you don’t already subscribe to The Virginia Flyover, we’d love to see you five days a week. Just click here!

Today’s sponsor is GoldCo, offering a free beginner’s guide to buying Gold and Silver.

Housing Market Still Blistering

The Commonwealth’s housing market remained hot in October as more properties became available and prices increased.

Statewide, closed sales jumped 12.5% over October of 2023. Last month’s median sale price increased 6.4% to $415,000, some $25,000 higher year-over-year.

Home sales were especially brisk in Northern Virginia. Closed sales there jumped 10%, and the median price in October was $715,000, 6.7% more than a year ago.

Sales are expected to keep increasing. “This is the first time the overall supply of active listings has exceeded 20,000 statewide in about four years,” according to the state realtors’ October 2024 Home Sales Report.

Regulating the Food-to-alcohol Ratio

Virginia lawmakers discussed ways to change the state’s food-to-beverage ratio policy. Under current law, 45% of a restaurant’s total monthly sales must be generated by food or non-alcoholic beverages.

Tommy Herbert of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association appeared this week before the state’s Small Business Commission.

Herbert said his 1,200 members are evenly divided: about half want to keep the current policy, and the other half want to be allowed to earn a more significant percentage of profits from the sale of alcohol.

In their last session, state lawmakers shelved a proposal that would have allowed restaurants to earn two-thirds of their revenue from selling booze.

Winter Weather Warnings

The calendar says it is still autumn, but winter has come to parts of the Commonwealth.

Temperatures have been near or below freezing in most of the state, and a cold front moving through is expected to bring wind and snow to areas in the Blue Ridge.

The National Weather Service has issued Wind Alerts through this afternoon, and power outages are a possibility throughout western Virginia.

The storm will eventually reach across Northern Virginia, and it may bring snow showers to the D.C. region today.

This is Winter Weather Awareness Week, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. It warns residents to prep for storms by having an emergency kit, staying off the road, and being prepared for power outages.

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend!

Flying together with our sponsor

Stability. Wealth Protection. Long Term Financial Growth. This is what many Americans are searching for when they invest in precious metals like gold and silver. But what’s the best way to buy these precious metals? Do you buy an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund), or do you get your hands on the real thing?

Here’s the thing about ETFs… You don’t actually own the gold or silver. You can’t take physical delivery of the metal. Taxes and fees can eat away at your gains. Shares may or may not have sufficient gold or silver backing. But with physical gold or silver, you are the one in the driver’s seat.

You have the control you’re looking for with your hard earned money. If you want to learn more about buying and controlling your own physical gold and silver, get your free copy of…

How To Buy Gold & Silver – A Beginner’s Guide To Today’s Most Desired Assets

➤ Statewide: The December Roanoke College survey showed that consumer sentiment in the Commonwealth has increased almost 3.5 points since August and now stands at 77.6. “With low unemployment and strong wage growth, Virginians likely feel more financially secure,” the report said. (Details)

➤ Newport News: The city has applied for some $20 million in federal grant money that it wants to spend to clean up coal dust pollution. The state DEQ is monitoring air quality and assessing potential health risks from the dust. (More)

➤ Richmond: The city’s 50 school buildings require more than $40 million in repairs before the end of 2025, according to reports from an independent inspection company. The problems cited include mold, leaking pipes, and faulty electrical systems. (Details)

➤ Washington County: Inspectors found lead levels above safe limits in 13 water fixtures at Glade Spring Middle School and 16 at Holston High School. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach: The city’s Department of Emergency Medical Services may begin charging a fee for ambulance services, which are currently free. A recent study recommended charging hundreds of dollars per trip, which would create some $14 million of revenue the first year. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia State Police said seven people were killed in traffic accidents over the holiday weekend. That is a decline from the 11 people who died on the roads at Thanksgiving a year ago and the 19 people killed in 2022. (More)

➤ Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was nominated for the NFL’s Rookie of the Week award. Daniels has already won the award seven times this season. (Cast Your Vote Here)

➤ The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame will induct new members next year, including high school football coach Mike Smith, basketball player Joe Smith, and soccer player Ali Krieger. The ceremony will be the weekend of April 25. (Details)

➤ The Richmond Spiders are losing at least three players to the transfer portal: QB Cam Coleman, RB Zach Palmer-Smith, and DB Matt Traynor. The team finished 10-3 and placed 12 players on All-Coastal Athletic Association conference teams. (More)

Yesterday’s results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Kailo’s Flex™ is an all-natural pain patch, designed to quickly relieve pain anywhere on your body. It is the most flexible, comfortable and affordable Pain Patch device we have ever made! (See it here)

➤ Cannabis stores keep popping up throughout the Commonwealth, even though state law makes it legal to possess small amounts of cannabis but illegal to sell it. (Details)

➤ Diane Leopold, Chief Operating Officer at Dominion Energy, will retire next year after 30 years with the company. (More)

➤ Virginia lawmakers may take up a bill that would redirect the tax revenues from vehicle rentals into the Special Aviation Fund, which pays for projects at state airports. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Final Day: Former Zillow execs now targeting $1.3T market. Spencer Rascoff co-founded Zillow. Austin Allison sold his company to Zillow for $125M. Now they’re transforming the $1.3T vacation home market with Pacaso. By bringing co-ownership to luxury properties, Pacaso’s already earned $100M+ in gross profit. Invest before Pacaso’s share price changes tonight.

This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com.

Flying together with our sponsor

If you have $50,000 or more saved for retirement, it could be at risk! Discover the 2024 IRS Loophole that thousands of Americans are using to protect their retirement savings with gold and silver! 100% Tax & Penalty FREE!

Get Your FREE INFO KIT NOW!

➤ The Dominion Energy Christmas Parade will make its way through Richmond on Saturday, featuring an appearance by Olympic gold medal winner Charlie Swanson. (Details)

➤ A Virginia Lottery winner in Hanover County has until Monday to cash a lottery ticket from June 11. The winning ticket is worth more than $1.6 million, but it will expire if not claimed. (More)

➤ Gray Ghost Vineyards in Amissville never throws away a wine cork. Instead, the owner reuses them to celebrate the Christmas season. (Hear About It)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Give the gift of preserving all of your photos this holiday season. The PhotoStick® OMNI automatically finds, sorts, and saves up to 60,000 photos and videos across all your devices with just ONE click. Over 1.5 Million People Use ThePhotoStick® OMNI!