Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1731, George Washington was born. That is, he was born on Feb. 11 according to the Julian calendar, the standard at the time. When Britain and its colonies switched to the Gregorian calendar decades later, Washington’s birthday was set as Feb. 22, 1732.

As the storm that leads our Top Stories was bearing down, The Virginia Flyover had shovels at the ready. We can weather the snow together! In the meantime, scroll down to our Around Virginia section, where we’ll tell you about a record on the rails.

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Storm Covers the Commonwealth

Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a State of Emergency as a significant winter storm moved in. “I urge all Virginians to monitor your local forecast and to prepare for possible impacts to roadways and infrastructure,” he announced.

Most of the state is forecast to see snow this morning, with up to 6 inches possible in certain areas. The precipitation is forecast to change over to rain in southern Virginia by late afternoon.

Crews in the Fredericksburg District have been preparing for several days, loading tanker trucks with brine so they can pretreat roads. VDOT warned that “motorists should avoid travel on Tuesday, Feb. 11, due to forecasted heavy snow in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands.”

The National Weather Service warned of possible power outages as the storm moves through. After the snow, rain is expected to continue tomorrow.

Health Insurance Costs Soar

Virginians pay more than ever for health insurance, even as private insurers spend less on services. The average annual cost for a single person’s health insurance premium was $8,144 in 2023 (the most recent year available), up from $6,776 before the pandemic.

Virginia insurance companies spend far less than the national average to provide care. Per capita spending in the Commonwealth on care was $4,650, compared to $6,838 nationally—one-third less.

A new report from Onpoint Health Data added, “While annual single and family premiums for private health insurance increased by more than 20% between 2019 and 2023 … total PHC spending (including hospital and professional care) increased by only 1.2% over the same period.”

More than half of Virginians get coverage through an employer. Another 388,000 purchased coverage for this year through Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace, where open enrollment for 2025 ended last month.

Autism Seminar Improves Communications

The Richmond Police Department and the Autism Society of Central Virginia (ASCV) offered a seminar last week aimed at enhancing communication and trust between individuals with autism and first responders.

“One of the main goals of this seminar is to promote safety between officers and individuals with autism, teach them tips and skills and communication strategies to make sure everyone stays safe,” said Ann Flippin, ASCV’s Executive Director.

One tip from the seminar is for drivers with autism to voluntarily indicate their diagnosis on their driver’s license to help police understand the situation during a traffic stop.

A bill that passed the state senate and will be considered by the assembly this month would increase flexibility for officials when there is an exchange between somebody with autism or a similar diagnosis and a police officer.

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➤ Statewide: The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) reported record ridership last year on the train lines it operates with Amtrak. Almost 1.4 million passengers traveled on the VPRA’s four routes, up 4.3% from 2023 and up 45% in five years. (More)

➤ Fairfax: Del. Dan Helmer filed a defamation lawsuit against several members of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. He said the defendants spread “known falsehoods” about him during the congressional primary last year and is seeking $15 million in damages. (Details)

➤ Richmond: Susan Swecker, the chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, is stepping aside after a decade in the job. (More)

➤ Stafford: David Campbell was charged with breaking and entering, assault, and public intoxication after he allegedly forced his way into a Bible study group he believed to be a human trafficking operation. (Details)

➤ Roanoke: City officials have asked for $5 million from the state to build clean rooms in a new biotechnology incubator. The funding was included in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s budget and the Assembly’s proposal, but it hasn’t been approved by the Senate. (Details)

➤ Richmond: A bill under consideration in the state Senate would allow people who have been adopted to see their original birth certificates once they reach adulthood. The provision passed the House unanimously. (More)

➤ The Virginia High School League reversed course and will immediately ban biological males from competing in girl’s sports. Gov. Youngkin had warned state schools could lose millions of dollars in federal funding if VHSL did not comply. (Details)

➤ The Washington Capitals entered the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off winter break with a big lead in the Metropolitan Division. How are they doing it? (Watch)

➤ UVA’s women’s tennis team lost to Georgia in the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. (Details)

➤ The Richmond Boxing Club offers free training for kids who are willing to put down their phones and put on some gloves. The small gym currently trains about a dozen students. (Details)

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

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➤ The average price of a gallon of gas climbed 1.3 cents last week in Virginia, according to the site GasBuddy. The price is 9.7 cents more than a month ago but 7.3 cents less than last year. (More)

➤ MicroStrategy, based in Tysons, shortened its corporate name and will now go by “Strategy” followed by a stylized Bitcoin “B.” The company is the world’s largest corporate investor in Bitcoin. (Details)

➤ Norfolk International Airport generated almost $2.2 billion in economic activity for the region in 2023, according to a report from Old Dominion University. The airport supports 17,000 jobs. (More)

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➤ Volunteers trapped 128 feral cats in the Richmond area. The felines were given medical care, including vaccinations and neutering, then were released back into the community. (More)

➤ More than 70 students from across the Commonwealth competed in the SkillsUSA district competition in Charlottesville. Some of the trades they were tested in included cosmetology, carpentry, and electrical. (Details)

➤ A new study by researchers at VCU and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy recommends adding pharmacy services at 44 locations in the Commonwealth. The number of pharmacies statewide has dropped about 6% between 2016 and 2024. (More)

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