Motive Revealed in Councilman’s Attack

The man accused of attacking Danville Councilman Lee Vogler in July claimed that the lawmaker was having an affair with his wife. Shotsie Buck-Hayes, 29, appeared in court this week to be charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding.

He allegedly poured gasoline on Vogler, then set him aflame outside his office. On Tuesday, a Danville police officer testified in court that Buck-Hayes later told him, “he set the person on fire who had an affair with his wife.“

Blair Vogler, the councilman’s wife, also took the stand. She said her husband has endured five operations and remains in the ICU burn unit.

Buck-Hayes did not present a defense at the hearing. The case will go to a grand jury on Oct. 27.

Norfolk to Host Navy Birthday Bash

President Trump reportedly plans to travel to Norfolk tomorrow to see the country’s “great Naval assets.”

Naval Station Norfolk, the planet’s largest navy base, is scheduled to host a celebration of 250 years of service with speakers including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

At a gathering of hundreds of military leaders on Tuesday, Trump criticized the aesthetics of some ships and said his administration is considering bringing back “the concept of battleship, nice six-inch side, solid steel, not aluminum, aluminum that melts if it looks at a missile coming at it.“

Shutdown Begins Amid Finger Pointing

The federal government closed yesterday after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a spending measure to fund its operations. Non-exempted employees are on furlough, while essential workers must remain on the job. 

The shutdown comes just as DOGE’s Deferred Resignation Program is also set to end, adding to concerns. At least 147,000 federal employees live and work in the Commonwealth, with 30,000 in Southwest Virginia.

Virginia’s political leaders exchanged blame. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin called on constituents to pressure Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to vote with the GOP and pass a continuing resolution. “They have the White House, House, and Senate,” Warner responded. “This is a Republican shutdown,” he added.

Both gubernatorial candidates weighed in, with Republican Winsome Earle-Sears saying Democrats “chose politics over people and left families wondering how they’ll pay their bills.” Democrat Abigail Spanberger responded that, “President Trump must reverse course and work in good faith to end this shutdown as soon as possible.“

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➤ Fairfax County: Attorney General Jason Miyares called on Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano to resign after a state investigation revealed what Miyares called a pattern of policies that violate the rights of crime victims. Descano called the report “a sad, last-ditch political stunt by a man who’s about to lose an election.” (Details)

➤ Hampton Roads: Hurricane Imelda is moving east, away from the Virginia coastline. The storm is still causing potentially life-threatening rip currents near Virginia Beach, however. (More)

➤ Chantilly: Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, drafted a letter to Senate appropriators asking them to block spending to relocate the Discovery Space Shuttle from Virginia to Texas. Lawmakers set aside $85 million, but the Smithsonian estimated the total bill for the project could be $375 million. (Details)

➤ Statewide: As of yesterday, solo drivers in electric vehicles will no longer be allowed to use HOV lanes during rush hour in Virginia and 11 other states due to a change in Federal policy. (More)

➤ Central Virginia: Farmers warned that this year’s soybean crop suffered from dry conditions this summer. They’re also concerned that federal tariff policies will prevent them from selling their crop overseas this fall. (Details)

➤ Emory: Emory & Henry University announced it will slash tuition next year from nearly $40,000 to just under $20,000 per year. The president of the private school said she hopes to draw applications from students who are concerned about costs. (More) 

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➤ Randolph-Macon football plays Roanoke College in Salem on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets are 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, while the Roanoke Maroons are 3-0 and will be playing their first conference game. (Details)

➤ Fairfax High School was disqualified from the 2025 postseason following recruiting violations. An assistant coach reportedly paid a player almost $8,000 to transfer. (More)

➤ UVA men’s lacrosse received two donations totaling $2.6 million. The gifts will be used to endow two scholarships. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | Soccer

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➤ Virginia’s home sales numbers were almost unchanged from year-to-year in August, according to a state realty group. The total number of houses sold increased by 15 homes, while the median sales price jumped 3.6% to $430,000. (Details)

➤ The State Corporation Commission hosted two public hearings to consider Dominion Energy’s proposal to build the Golden to Mars transmission line in Loudoun County. About 1,600 people turned out to speak. (More)

➤ Retired eye doctor Robin Rinearson, who owns two snack shops in Falls Church that employ disabled adults, earned a humanitarian award from her alma mater, the Illinois College of Optometry. (Details)

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➤ October is Virginia Archaeology Month. To kick things off, Jamestown Rediscovery will host events all day on Saturday. (Schedule)

➤ The Virginia Beach SPCA is looking for new, forever homes for seven dogs it helped rescue from abusive conditions in other states and brought to safety in Virginia. (Adopt)

➤ Virginia Tech researchers have visited more than 1,000 families and enrolled 149 children into the HEALthy Brain and Child Development consortium. It’s the nation’s largest study of early brain and child development. (Details)

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