Thursday, February 6, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1993, tennis star and human rights advocate Arthur Ashe died at age 49. He had contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during surgery. Ashe, from Richmond, was the first black man to win the U.S. Open (1968) and Wimbledon (1975). A statue in his honor stands on the city’s Monument Avenue.

As the legislative session passes its midpoint, The Virginia Flyover will report on which bills survive, including a possible gambling expansion. Also, if you want to bare it all (or most) this weekend (for charity), our Et Cetera section explains why you should head to Virginia Beach.

We’re sponsored today by the non-profit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help needy Christian children in Somalia.

Crossover Day Passes in Legislature

Lawmakers in each house passed a flurry of measures ahead of “crossover day,” the midpoint of Virginia’s 2025 legislative period.

Halfway through each assembly session, bills that passed one chamber “cross over” to the other for consideration until the term ends on Feb. 22. If a bill does not pass the house in which it was introduced, it is set aside for the year.

The deadline led to a busy day. The House had already passed 320 measures and took up another 300 on Tuesday, while the Senate had already passed 375 bills and dealt with another 80. Both houses have small Democratic majorities, while the governor is a Republican.

Some of the bills that advanced include proposals to spend more on maternal health, regulate data centers, increase workers’ compensation benefits, and restrict the use of automatic license plate readers.

Any bills that pass during the second half of the session go to Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “The governor had a record number of vetoes last time,” Speaker Don Scott said. “I’m sure he’ll do a lot of vetoing this time.”

Controversial Casino Bill Survives

One measure that advanced was Senate Bill 982, which would allow the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to set up a citizen’s referendum on whether to build a casino in the upscale Tyson area.

The measure breezed through the Senate by a 24-16 vote. It would require any potential site to be outside the Beltway, near a METRO line, and close to a large, enclosed mall.

The Senator representing the possible casino site voted against the bill and said his office fielded almost 1,300 emails and calls opposing the project. “I urge the House to reject this bill so we can focus on legislative priorities that truly serve our constituents,” Sen. Saddam Salim said.

Under current law, casinos are not allowed in Fairfax County.

Romantic Dining is on the Menu

According to the website OpenTable, six of the country’s 100 most romantic restaurants are in Virginia.

Four are in Northern Virginia, including 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, Bistro L’Hermitage in Woodbridge, Fahrenheit 132 in Fredericksburg, and L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls.

The site also recommends The Ivy Inn Restaurant in Charlottesville and Le Yaca in Williamsburg.

If you can’t get a reservation at any of these—or you don’t require romance—check out Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint in Charlottesville, which was recently honored as having the best burger in Virginia.

What’s your favorite romantic spot in the state? Hit reply and let us know!

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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.

Every $12 feeds a child for a month. We’re matching the first $750; just give through this link.

➤ Arlington: The remains of all 67 victims of last week’s air disaster were recovered from the Potomac River. Navy salvage teams moved on to recovering the wreckage of the aircraft involved in the collision. (Details)

➤ Hampton Roads: The homicide rate is down sharply across the region in 2025. In January 2024, there were 13 homicide victims, a rate of 8.94 murders per 1,000,000 people. Four homicides have occurred in 2025, a rate of 2.75 murders per 1,000,000 people. (More)

➤ Henrico: The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital started accepting patients again. The unit closed last year after several babies were discovered to have “unexplainable fractures.” Former nurse Erin Strotman is in custody in connection to one of those cases. (Details)

➤ Chatham: Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC filed an amended request with the federal government to allow it to build a 31-mile natural gas pipeline from Virginia into North Carolina. (Details)

➤ Virginia Beach: A SpaceX rocket launched from Florida was visible across a large swath of the Commonwealth on Tuesday. The rocket will place new satellites into orbit. (Photos)

➤ Statewide: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Virginia ranked last for seatbelt use among the 50 states in 2023, the most recent year for which stats are available. Nationally, 92% of people wore seat belts as compared to only 73% in the Commonwealth. (More)

➤ The Washington Commanders beefed up their coaching staff, bringing on former 49ers special teams coach Brian Schneider as their assistant special teams coordinator. (Details)

➤ The Washington Capitals visit Philadelphia tonight. The team is in first place in the Metropolitan division and is coming off a win against the Florida Panthers. (Preview)

➤ William & Mary’s men’s basketball team is 8-2 in the CAA conference and visits Drexel tonight. (Preview)

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

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➤ Virginia Beach selected Christian Green to direct the city’s Department of Economic Development. He has managed more than $40 billion in public-private projects during his 20-year career. (Details)

➤ The Harbor at Quantico Creek project, aiming to provide 125 senior housing units in Dumfries, moved ahead this week. Partial financing is being provided by the Virginia Housing Opportunity Tax Credit program. (More)

➤ Dominion Energy announced that its offshore wind project is halfway finished and remains on track to be ready by the end of 2026. The installation will eventually deliver 2.6 gigawatts of clean electricity. (Details)

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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.

➤ The House of Delegates paused Tuesday to honor Master Gunnery Sergeant Carroll Braxton. The 100-year-old is the oldest living Montford Point Marine who served in World War II. (Video)

➤ The Inova Saville Mobile Cancer Screening Clinic rolled out to offer testing services to underserved communities. Screenings include mammograms and colon cancer testing. (More)

➤ Runners in Virginia Beach plan to shed their clothing this weekend for a good cause. The annual “Cupid’s Undie Run” at 2 p.m. Saturday is held to raise awareness and funding for neurofibromatosis. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Check out CozyCharge, the rechargeable hand warmer that provides eight hours of warmth whenever you need it. (See It Here)