Thursday, February 20, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1960, more than 200 Virginia Union University students and faculty members went to Woolworth’s in downtown Richmond, sat at seats labeled “whites only” at the segregated lunch counter, and asked for service. The management closed the restaurant instead. Their peaceful protest was a precursor to the arrest of the “Richmond 34” during a sit-in at Thalhimers Department Store two days later.

A winter storm should finish pushing its way across the state today. More on that in Top Stories, along with the first legal filings in the air collision near Reagan National.

We’re sponsored today by the nonprofit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help children in need in Somalia.

Where Federal Money Flows

According to the most recent Rockefeller Institute of Government report, Virginia receives more money from the federal government than it pays in federal taxes. The Old Dominion has a higher per capita balance of payment than any state except Maryland and New Mexico.

The report found that the Commonwealth is unusual in that it is a “relatively high-income” state that is also home to about 145,000 federal employees. The Rockefeller numbers are based on fiscal year 2022, the most recent for which data are available.

A portion of federal funding is for educational support to local school districts, and many rural areas get one-fifth of their money from Washington. The exact amounts range from 27% in southwestern Lee County to 3% in northeastern Loudoun County.

Federal funding also supports infrastructure projects such as Norfolk’s proposed $400 million floodwall, which is reportedly moving ahead with no delays.

The Passing Storm

Virginia State Police (VSP) asked residents to stay home if possible as a winter storm crossed the Commonwealth yesterday and into this morning. VSP officers have responded to scores of accidents, primarily fender-benders.

The Virginia National Guard has been on duty since powerful rainstorms pounded Southwest Virginia over the weekend. Its troops remain staged throughout the state, from Virginia Beach to Bowling Green.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin called the confluence of the storms an “all-hands moment” for the Commonwealth, and VDOT was prepared to work through the night to clear the roads.

The Weather Channel broadcast live from Virginia Beach, with meteorologist Jim Cantore noting that “this will easily be the biggest storm of the season here.” Up to 10 inches of snow is forecast in the Hampton Roads region.

Legal Claims Filed in Airport Collision

The family of Casey Crafton, one of the 67 people killed when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet approaching Reagan National Airport last month, has filed legal claims against the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Army. The family is asking for $250 million in each claim.

Further suits are possible against the airline and the helicopter manufacturer. “It’s documented there’s a congestion problem that’s well-known to the aviation industry, and there’s going to be legitimate questions asked about how preventable this crash was, in light of that,” a lawyer for Crafton’s survivors said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the Black Hawk’s crew might not have heard instructions from the air traffic controller, who told the military helicopter to pass behind the plane. The Army crew was wearing night vision goggles during its flight.

A figure skating tribute, Legacy on Ice, will be held on March 2 in Washington to raise money for families that lost loved ones in the disaster.

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Flying together with our sponsor

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.

➤ Charlottesville: The University of Virginia announced it will release the final report detailing an external review of a triple murder on campus next month. Former UVA student Christopher Jones has pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the 2022 incident and will be sentenced later this year. (Details)

➤ Cape Charles: A single truck crash closed all travel lanes in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel for six hours yesterday. Three local fire crews helped extinguish the flames and clear the wreckage. (More)

➤ Hampton: Army veteran Valerie Jackson said she was told her annual mammogram at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, scheduled for Feb. 24, has been postponed until June because of staffing shortages. More than 1,000 VA employees nationwide were fired last week as a cost-cutting measure. (Details)

➤ Fairfax: The county’s draft budget called for a property tax increase of 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and the firing of more than 200 employees. The Board of Supervisors will meet on March 18 to consider the proposal. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Commonwealth ranked in the highest tier for flu activity in the latest CDC report through the week ending Feb. 8. The flu has sickened more than 24 million people nationwide this season. (More)

➤ Crozet: An off-duty federal agent shot and killed a gunman who had opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle, killing two people in a grocery store parking lot. Police have not identified the federal agent but called the person a “heroic individual.” (Details)

➤ “Baseball,” a course offered by the UVA Law department, explores how American laws shape the game and other sports. (Details)

➤ The ACC men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships are underway in Greensboro and run through Saturday. UVA’s women are looking to win their sixth straight title. (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech’s softball team, off to an 8-2 start and ranked No. 18 in the nation, travels to Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Easton Bama Bash along with Drake, Southern Utah, and Alabama. (More)

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➤ The housing market in some regions of the Commonwealth started the year hot. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors reported that sales increased 8% year-over-year from January 2024, the first time that has happened since 2021. (Details)

➤ Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Tom Barkin is set to give a speech about inflation on February 25. (More)

➤ Virginia’s three licensed casinos generated $72.3 million in adjusted gaming revenue in January, according to the Virginia Lottery. That is one-third more revenue than they brought in last January. (Details)

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Flying together with our sponsor

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

➤ Gar-Field High School’s Michael Carter won the National Plumbing Teacher of the Year award. He’s in his seventh year at the school. (His Story)

➤ Registration for the 2025 VA Festival of the Book in Charlottesville is underway. The annual event is scheduled for March 20-25. (Details)

➤ Project Lifesaver, developed in Chesapeake by former Police Captain Gene Saunders, allows families to track missing loved ones. Saunders said more than 4,400 people have been located since the service launched in 1999. (More)

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