Thursday, May 15, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1864, Confederate Gen. John C. Breckinridge defeated Union leader Franz Sigel in the Battle of New Market. The Federal troops were forced back across the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, leaving Confederate supply lines intact.

Virginia needs energy, and a pipeline company is in the early stages of its plan to deliver more natural gas. The Virginia Flyover has more in Top Stories, along with a warning about potential job losses this year.

We’re sponsored today by Mode Mobile, offering a pre-IPO investment opportunity in cell phone technology that is changing the game.

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Flood Victim’s Body Recovered

A rescue mission ended in tragedy when first responders in Albemarle County recovered the body of a young boy. They believe the body is that of 12-year-old Jordan Sims, who was swept away by a flash flood.

A 911 caller reported seeing the child carried away when a creek crested its banks and flowed across a nearby road on Tuesday afternoon.

Rescuers searched for the missing boy until dark and then resumed their search at dawn Wednesday.

“This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with the Sims’ family and loved ones,” Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said.

Forecasters Warn of Job Losses

A forecast from the University of Virginia projects the Commonwealth will lose roughly 32,000 jobs this year.

“The unemployment rate in Virginia will rise as job losses accumulate and will reach its highest rate since 2021,” the forecasters wrote, even as they expect unemployment to drop in other states.

Federal job cuts will be a key reason for the rise in unemployment. Roughly one of every seven jobs in Virginia is linked to the federal government.

As recently as February, the same forecasters had expected that Virginia would add about 1.2 million jobs this year, but they have updated their projection based on more recent federal policy changes.

Potential Gas Pipeline Expansion

The natural gas pipeline developer The Williams Companies plans another pipeline expansion in Virginia, this time to run from Pittsylvania County north.

The Transco Power Express would be built along existing rights-of-way and could deliver as much as 950 million cubic feet of gas each day.

Williams Companies’ CEO Alan Armstrong said the project would serve “the power-hungry Virginia market.”

The company has not yet filed plans with regulators, and the pipeline isn’t expected to be operational until 2030. Electricity demand is expected to soar in the years ahead because of a proliferation of power-hungry data centers.

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Apple’s Loss—Mode Mobile’s Gain

Apple’s 2024 iPhone shipments dipped as its AI push fell flat, with Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk criticizing the company for lacking innovation.

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➤ Alexandria: Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University professor arrested by immigration authorities in Virginia, has been released from the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, after a judge ordered the government to let him go. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two bills aimed at encouraging the installation of solar arrays and battery storage systems by homeowners and businesses. “We must be vigilant to limit cost increases to Virginia’s residents,” Youngkin said. The legislation had been supported by Dominion Energy. (More)

➤ Campbell County: A large retaining wall collapsed due to heavy rains this week, closing a road near the Centra Campus construction site. Nobody was injured in the incident. (Details)

➤ Blacksburg: Researchers at Virginia Tech reported that 28 American cities are sinking, mostly due to pumping out groundwater. The team warned that sinking can damage buildings, roads, and bridges. (More)

➤ Loudoun County: The Board of Supervisors is investigating the cost to the county to support the federal Secret Service when President Trump visits his golf course in Sterling. “Our overtime budget is not designed to support this,” Lt. Col. Christopher Sawyer of the sheriff’s office told lawmakers. (Details)

➤ Augusta County: The National Transportation Safety Board said a 2023 plane crash was caused by a loss of oxygen in the cabin that rendered the pilot unconscious. Four people were killed when the plane, bound for New York, crashed near Montebello. (More)

➤ The Washington Capitals face elimination at home tonight in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against Carolina. The Hurricanes lead the series 3-1. (Series Page)

➤ VMI junior multi-athlete Shea Hart earned All-Conference honors in the pentathlon at the 2025 Southern Conference Track and Field Championships. (Meet Results)

➤ UVA and Virginia Tech wrap up the baseball regular season with a three-game Commonwealth Clash series that begins in Blacksburg today. The Cavaliers are on a six-game winning streak. (Details)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | NBA | NHL | Soccer

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➤ The number of homes for sale in Northern Virginia jumped almost 70 percent year-over-year last month, while home sales in the region have dropped. A realty group reported there were more than 2,500 houses on the market in April. (Details)

➤ A Virginia Beach woman is asking McDonald’s to cover her $900 dental bill after she reportedly broke a tooth while eating a sausage biscuit. (More)

➤ Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Tom Barkin will talk about growth in rural communities at a conference in Roanoke on Tuesday. (Details)

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➤ Flags across the Commonwealth are at half-staff today in honor of Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. (Details)

➤ The Virginia Living Museum installed a 40-foot model of a prehistoric predator as part of its Dinosaur Quest summer exhibition. The show runs until September 7. (More)

➤ A Stafford County sheriff’s deputy rescued an abandoned fawn, which she named Buck Norris. The Wildlife Center of Virginia advises contacting authorities if you see an abandoned animal, rather than approaching it yourself. (See Photos)

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