ICE Arrests Follow Quinceañera Shooting

ICE agents arrested more than a dozen illegal immigrants while responding to a deadly shooting at a Fauquier County quinceañera last month, the agency confirmed this week.

Fauquier deputies responded to a noise complaint at a party near Catlett the night of Aug. 8, then heard gunfire and found 16-year-old Samuel Ojeda of Triangle shot. He died at the scene. A 17-year-old from Dumfries was later charged with second-degree murder.

ICE said local police requested help that night and that agents detained people in the country illegally, some with prior charges for offenses such as illegal reentry and DUI. The agency said it “will not ignore the rule of law.”

Univision reported at least 20 people were detained, some after sheltering in a mobile home before agents entered.

Fairfax Teachers Protest Weapons-Detection Duty

Some Fairfax County teachers protested outside a back-to-school event this week over a new requirement that they help staff the district’s weapons-detection scanners, with some teachers at Lake Braddock Secondary School chanting, “Let us teach!” on Tuesday.

Fairfax County Public Schools installed OpenGate screening systems at all middle and high schools last fall and told teachers they must help run the checkpoints at building entrances. 

Union representatives say the duty puts educators at risk. “They didn’t enter teaching to be on the front lines of weapons detection,” said Emily VanDerhoff of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.

The district says the work carries no added danger. One teacher who refused the assignment last year and was reprimanded said the superintendent’s office told him violence “can occur in any area of a school.”

94K Virginians Drop ACA Coverage

About 94,000 Virginians have dropped their Affordable Care Act coverage over the past year, new state figures show—near the 100,000 officials had warned were at risk.

Marketplace enrollment fell from 389,000 in 2025 to about 295,000 this week. State exchange officials tie much of the drop to the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies, which raised premiums.

The enhanced credits, expanded during the pandemic, lapsed after Congress declined to extend them, a fight that helped trigger a federal shutdown last year. Supporters of ending them noted the subsidies were temporary and also lowered costs for higher earners.

State lawmakers set aside $150 million for a temporary Virginia version of the aid for residents between 138% and 250% of the poverty level. Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, said it should be available when enrollment opens in November.

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➤ Eastern VA: Nine alleged members of the Cautious District—described by federal prosecutors as an Eastern Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware street gang—were charged in a federal indictment that includes murder and racketeering counts. (More)

➤ Henrico: A judge appointed Chesterfield Commonwealth’s Attorney Erin Barr as special prosecutor in the drowning of 9-year-old King Overton at a SwimRVA summer camp, after Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor recused her office over a staffer’s ties to the nonprofit. (More)

➤ Buchanan County: Four aging high schools have merged into one, the $92 million Southern Gap High School, which opened as the coalfield county’s enrollment declines. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach: A judge held Virginia Beach City Public Schools in contempt for failing to remove racial-harassment findings from students’ records tied to Kellam High School. (More)

➤ Cumberland County: The county’s planning commission recommended approval of Dominion Energy’s proposed 3,000-megawatt natural gas power plant Monday, advancing the project amid economic benefits and environmental health concerns. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is monitoring an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease after reports of scattered deer deaths across the state. The virus, spread by biting midges, is common in late summer and poses no threat to humans. (More)

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➤ The Washington Commanders placed left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who has torn triceps, and defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, who has a torn pectoral, on injured reserve Monday, sidelining both for at least the first four weeks of the season. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin added South Carolina safety DQ Smith on Tuesday, a late boost to a thin position group. Smith went undrafted this spring and won an extra year of eligibility through a court ruling that let him transfer. (More)

➤ UVA head coach Tony Elliott earned Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week honors and offensive line coach Joey Orck received Shriners Children’s recognition after the Cavaliers’ dominant 34-8 season-opening victory over NC State. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | MLB | Soccer

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➤ Veritas School cut the ribbon this week on six new $1 million tennis courts at its Northside campus in Richmond, funded by a completed $20 million capital campaign that also supports a field house. (More)

➤ Delta Star, a Lynchburg-based maker of electrical transformers and mobile substations, is being acquired by Fort Mill, South Carolina-based MacLean Power Systems. The company employs 755 in Lynchburg and more than 1,400 overall. (More)

➤ Some unionized workers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond went on strike over wages and dues collection. The garden says it has agreed to 23 of 25 contract articles and remains open to visitors. (More)

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➤ Norfolk Botanical Garden is days away from opening its $50 million Garden of Tomorrow, which features a new conservatory and glass art by Dale Chihuly. Area media got a sneak peek on Tuesday. (Watch Report)

➤ Electra flew its hybrid-electric aircraft at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, showing off ultra-short takeoff and landing technology that backers say could reshape regional air travel. (Watch Video)

➤ Skipper, the Virginia Tech cannon fired after every Hokies touchdown, began as a secret project by a group of cadets determined to build their own game-day tradition. (See Details)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Five after-dinner rituals every American once knew have gotten lost over a single generation. (See Rituals)

➤ The Lindsay Clancy murder trial has hit another wall, leaving jurors deadlocked and a mistrial looming. (Hear Details)

➤ Meanwhile, in the Charlie Kirk assassination trial, Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty and now faces a possible death penalty. (Listen Now)

Would you ride in a hybrid-electric airplane?

1. Sure
2. No way
3. Maybe

Yesterday’s Results:

If you retired in Virginia tomorrow, where would you plant your flag? 

1. Right where I am: 58%
2. Blue Ridge Mountains or Shenandoah Valley: 28%
3. Hampton Roads coast: 8%
4. A college town: 6%

Which Virginia city claims the oldest English formal garden in North America?

Show me the answer