Turkey Tales in Virginia

The Old Dominion is sixth in the country for the production of domestic turkeys, so a lot of the meat Virginians are eating today was produced right here.

Some domestic turkeys manage to survive Thanksgiving, including those that get a presidential pardon. The most recent recipients, pardoned this week, will end up in Minnesota.

John Zimmerman, the head of the National Turkey Federation, said the birds that go to the White House are carefully selected to be docile. “Obviously we don’t want the turkey to flap around and scratch the President or anyone else, so we have to make sure these birds are acclimated to being around people.”

In recent years, several pardoned turkeys spent their remaining days on the farm known as “Gobbler’s Rest” at Virginia Tech. “We joke around campus that they get free room and board, as well as free education,” quipped a Tech professor.

There are also roughly 180,000 wild turkeys here, with most in the Tidewater, South Mountain, and South Piedmont regions.

Outlet Mall Fire Burning Underground

A rare underground fire at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets was contained, but firefighters said they couldn’t extinguish the blaze and will instead allow it to burn itself out.

Officials have monitored the fire since Saturday as it slowly swallowed up much of the shopping center’s parking lot. The damage is so extensive that officials say they may not be able to determine what caused the fire.

The blaze is in “an underground stormwater chamber that is made of high-density plastic chambers that caught on fire,” Fire Chief Ryan Ashe said. “It is not connected to any sanitation sewer system. There are no natural gas lines in the affected area.“

Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality and the federal  Environmental Protection Agency visited the site to test the air and water quality near the fire. “All of our air monitoring results so far have shown no levels of concern,” the EPA’s coordinator on site said on Wednesday.

Commanders Stadium Update

The lease keeping the Washington Commanders at their stadium in Maryland expires in 2027, but it remains unclear where the team might be playing after that. 

A new facility is unlikely to be built in Virginia because the state does not have a football stadium authority and cannot currently offer public funds.

Last week, a U.S. Senate committee passed a bill that would give the football team operational control of the site that now houses the crumbling RFK Stadium, where the team played until 1996.

However, time is tight: the full Senate would need to take up and pass the measure before the end of the year. If it fails to do so, the proposal will need to be considered anew by the incoming Congress and presidential administration.

The Commanders will maintain their practice facility in Virginia for the foreseeable future, no matter where they play their games. However, they may eventually repurpose the practice space as well.

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend!

Flying together with our sponsor

Dear Virginia Flyover Reader,

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope your day is filled with family, food, and football—and I hope you take a little time to consider the blessings we enjoy in this great land.

Today, I’m thankful for turkey (the white meat, of course), for my two children (even when they act like turkeys; ever had a bow and arrow fired at your head during a Zoom call?), and for the freedom to enjoy it all.

Here’s another one of mine: The demand in America for biased, elitist news media is dropping. MSNBC’s audience is down 39% since October, and Comcast has announced plans to spin the network off into a new company. The new entity will be named… SpinCo. These things really do write themselves.

It’s a bright sign for America’s future that folks are ditching the propaganda factories, and I want as many of those people as possible to join our movement for reliable news.

Here’s another thing I’m thankful for: More than 50,000 of you subscribed to The Virginia Flyover in our first two months, and you’ve been telling your friends about us! I’m grateful for each of you.

Today, if The Virginia Flyover is on your list of things to be thankful for, would you help me with a donation? Your direct support is the best way to help us cover our costs, and it would mean a lot to me.

Whether or not you can donate, I’m thankful for your support!

I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving.
-Cole, CEO

➤ Statewide: The average price to feed a family of 10 this Thanksgiving day was $81.07 in Virginia, according to the Virginia Farm Bureau. That is $10 less than last year. (Details)

➤ Wise County: The director of the Virginia Department of Corrections invited lawmakers to visit Red Onion State Prison and observe how inmates there are treated. Six prisoners at the facility have injured themselves in recent months. (Details) 

➤ Richmond: The number of drug overdose deaths plunged 23% over the last year in the Commonwealth, according to Attorney General Jason Miyares. (More)

➤ Statewide: Youth of Virginia Speak Out wants kids to write a jingle that promotes traffic safety throughout the holiday season. The deadline to enter is Dec. 5. (Details)

➤ Richmond: Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a plan to spend some $14 million to conserve 1,220 acres of land across the Commonwealth. The funding will be doled out during the state’s 2025 fiscal year. (More)

➤ Statewide: Virginia State Police reminded drivers that officers will be increasing patrols this holiday weekend as part of the annual Operation C.A.R.E. There were 11 fatalities on Virginia roads last Thanksgiving. (Details) 

➤ Washington Commanders star cornerback Marshon Lattimore practiced with the team for the first time on Wednesday. He’s been rehabbing a leg injury since he was acquired at the NFL trade deadline. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech’s women’s soccer team visits Duke in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals on Saturday. With a win, the team would advance to its second College Cup. (Details) 

➤ In the annual Army-Navy game next month, the Midshipmen will wear uniforms featuring a Virginia squadron’s skull-and-crossbones logo. The “Jolly Rodgers” fly out of Virginia Beach. (More) 

➤ James Madison has a chance to finish the football season unbeaten at home when it faces Marshall on Saturday night. (Preview) 

➤ Yesterday’s Results: CFP | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Right NOW: 15% Off Sale site-wide for Flyover Roast Coffee!  We offer two exclusive single-origin coffee roasts: the Afterburner Nicaraguan Dark Roast and the Cruising Altitude Guatemalan Medium Roast, both in whole bean and ground. This coffee is how we stay fueled to bring you the best news every morning at no cost to you! 

➤ Appalachian Power wants to slash the amount it must pay through its net metering system to new customers that install solar arrays. (Details) 

➤ HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division is giving thanks this month after receiving the 2024 Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Award. (More)  

➤ A UVA study projects that the proposed Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, which would cost $4.7 billion, could lead to 33,688 new jobs and $6.7 billion in statewide economic output. (Details)  

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The Lightbulb That Protects Your Home – Introducing Sight Bulb™, the revolutionary security camera that easily screws into any socket like a lightbulb! It’s perfect for homeowners, parents, pet owners, and businesses. (See It Here)

Flying together with our sponsor

Are you thankful for The Virginia Flyover? If so, would you donate to help us cover our costs?

Our sponsors are fantastic, but we still rely on the direct support of our readers.

Give $15
Give $50
Give $150
Give $500 

Thank you!
Cole, CEO

➤ Tired of turkey and looking for something else to gobble this weekend? There are plenty of great eats that were invented in Virginia. Learn more about BBQ, mac & cheese, or even Brunswick stew. (Details) 

➤ Virginia Beach is considering two plans that would redesign the area around the convention center. (More) 

➤ The United Way of Southwest Virginia hosted its annual “Celebrity Bagging” event this week at grocery stores in Tazewell and Wythe County. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Save Your Loved Ones From Choking. LifeVac is a patented life-saving device that is proven to be the most effective way to help a child or adult during a choking emergency. (See It Here)

How do you prefer your cranberry sauce?

1. Fresh!
2. Canned!

Wednesday’s Results:

Do you plan to go deer hunting this season?  

1. Yes. 38.2%
2. No. 61.8%

When was the only time Virginia Tech’s women’s soccer team made the College Cup?

Show me the answer