Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1862, the Senate of the Confederate States met for the first time in its renovated chamber in the state capitol building near the state Senate chamber. The Confederate House began meeting that same day in the state capitol building, but renovations to its chamber were still underway. The renovations cost the Commonwealth an estimated $6,000.

The Virginia Flyover knows that Presidents Day is for citizenship. Check out our Et Cetera section for details on our newest fellow citizens, and tell us what you think in our Poll section.

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We’re flying today with our sponsors at Frontieras, offering a unique investment opportunity in the energy sector.

Federal Layoffs in the Commonwealth

County services and job centers in Northern Virginia geared up to handle an influx of applications from federal employees and contractors, as thousands were laid off this month. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has identified 80,000 open positions that could be filled by former federal employees.

Legislative leaders in Richmond convened an emergency bipartisan committee to consider possible effects of federal workforce and funding reductions on the state. More than 144,000 federal workers reside in the Commonwealth.

Lawmakers in Richmond are also considering two bills: one that would extend unemployment benefits for all filers to a maximum of 26 weeks and another that would increase unemployment benefits by $100 per week starting next year.

Virginia’s overall unemployment rate remained below the national average, ending last year at 3%. By county, unemployment remained under 3% in many areas and reached 8% in Emporia city.

Winter Brings Disastrous Weather

Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked the federal government for an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration, which would unlock emergency funding for response efforts after powerful storms swept through parts of Virginia. More than 7 inches of rain fell in some areas this weekend, triggering flash flooding.

Nine members of the Virginia Beach Fire Department’s Swift Water Team were on hand to help in the Richland area. They deployed ahead of the deluge and carried out water evacuations and emergency rescues on the Clinch River as it reached its 100-year flood record.

The Virginia National Guard also conducted missions in the area, evacuating scores of people, helping with more than 150 water rescues, and clearing road debris.

Appalachian Power reported it was working yesterday to restore electricity to 21,000 households. “Crews will face the challenges and hazards of frequent 35-45 mph wind gusts,” the company said. Gusts over 30 mph make it unsafe to work aloft in buckets.

A significant snowstorm is forecasted to arrive tomorrow and blanket the Commonwealth with “plowable” amounts of snow.

Localities Fighting Blight

A bill to give localities more options to fight blight by selling vacant or derelict property sailed through the legislature and is now with Gov. Youngkin for his signature.

Legislators from the Bristol area requested the policy change after a fire destroyed large swaths of the abandoned Virginia Intermont College last year. That site fell into disrepair in recent years, and the city was not able to force its absentee landlords, based in China, to maintain it.

Bristol’s city manager called the bill a “strong indication that communities across Virginia need the ability to take control of blighted and vacant property that has just been neglected.” The bill would allow a locality to sell vacant, blighted, or derelict property after it petitions a circuit court.

Other communities across the Commonwealth are finding ways to deal with problematic property, including Marion’s BAUD Program to handle blighted, abandoned, underutilized, and derelict property.

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➤ Arlington: The American Airlines jet that was destroyed in a collision over the Potomac last month made what appears to have been an evasive maneuver one second before it collided with a military helicopter. A different plane had taken similar action one night earlier. (Details)

➤ Statewide: More than 630,000 Virginians could lose Medicaid coverage if the federal government slashes its contributions to the program. The Commonwealth has a trigger law that shuts down Medicaid expansion if federal contributions dip below 90%. (More)

➤ Rockingham County: Gov. Glenn Youngkin awarded a $100,000 planning grant to the Briery Branch Community Club Center. The money will be used for projects that address the area’s greatest development needs. (More)

➤ Richmond: Lawmakers are considering bills that would more than triple the energy storage capacity that the state’s major utility companies would need to procure in the decades ahead. Under existing law, most of the state’s electricity is supposed to come from carbon-neutral sources by 2045. (Details)

➤ Blacksburg: Virginia Tech updated its “Beyond Boundaries” plan to eventually double the size of its campus. (More)

➤ Roanoke: The city council voted 4-2 to tap former city treasurer Evelyn Powers to fill a vacant seat on the body. The appointment came days after the council indicated it was deadlocked and would turn to a judicial panel to make the appointment. (Details)

➤ Virginians love watching football, even when we don’t have a team in the big game. Two Commonwealth cities, Richmond and Norfolk, were among the top five local markets that watched the Super Bowl. (More)

➤ UVA’s softball team is off to a slow start at 5-5 but earned a signature victory by beating No. 4 UCLA to close out the Clearwater Invitational. (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech took two out of three from Bucknell at home to open its baseball season. The Hokies host ETSU today. (More)

➤ UVA baseball, ranked No. 2 in the nation, won two of three games at a season-opening tournament in Puerto Rico. The Cavaliers visit Texas for the Karbach Round Rock Classic next weekend. (Details)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ The average gas price in Virginia dropped 0.8 cents per gallon last week, according to GasBuddy. The average price was $3.03 per gallon, down 3.3 cents from January and down 20.9 cents from last year. (Details)

➤ Construction started on the $750 million casino in Norfolk. The project is expected to be finished by late 2027. (More)

➤ Virginia farmers Janet Aardema and Dan Gagnon told an agriculture conference that “data is what makes a farm a farm business.” They operate Broadfork Farm in Chesterfield. (Details)

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➤ Dozens of new American citizens celebrated Presidents Day by taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. (Details)

➤ Loudoun County history teacher Erik Sassak was named the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution’s Teacher of the Year for 2024. (More)

➤ ODU Community Care hosted its first Women’s Day healthcare event in Virginia Beach. It provided breast cancer screenings and mobile mammograms, among other testing, for women in need. (Details)

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