Wednesday, April 16, 2025

On this day in 2007, a gunman opened fire on the Virginia Tech campus, murdering 32 students and faculty members and wounding 17 others before killing himself. The university has events planned throughout the day to remember the victims.

The Virginia Department of Education has been turning its assignments in late. The Virginia Flyover has more on that in Top Stories, along with a successful operation to sweep up drugs in Appomattox County.

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Drug Busts in Appomattox

The Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office charged 11 people as part of Operation Spring Cleaning, a year-long effort to curtail illegal drug activities.

Nine of the suspects are in custody, and two are still at large.

Authorities stated that they seized hundreds of fentanyl pills, 121 grams of methamphetamine, 18 grams of heroin, and nine firearms, along with some other illegal drugs.

Officers with the Central Virginia Drug Task Force, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Task Force participated in the operation.

Assigned School Reports Arrive Tardy

Two months after a January deadline imposed by lawmakers, the Virginia Department of Education published four of five requested reports in early March—after the legislative session had ended.

One report was dated March 6, another March 7, and two were dated March 10.

All the reports were signed electronically by Lisa Coons. At that time, she was Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction, but she resigned suddenly on March 14 to “pursue new opportunities.”

A fifth report requested by lawmakers covering teacher retention and student achievement is apparently still in the works.

A Week without Screens?

After you finish reading The Virginia Flyover, please feel free to put your phone down for the rest of the day in honor of Virginia Screen-Free Week.

The week is part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Reclaiming Childhood Initiative, an attempt to improve Virginians’ mental health by encouraging them to spend less time on screens and more time interacting with family and friends.

Polls show that teens who spend less time on social media apps say they are happier.

“Virginia Screen-Free Week is a call to action—to hit pause on digital distractions and say ‘yes’ to deeper connection and stronger mental health,” Youngkin said.

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➤ Fairfax: George Mason University will offer a master of science degree in artificial intelligence beginning this fall. It’s the first such graduate program at a state university in Virginia. (Details)

➤ Lexington: The president of Virginia Military Institute’s Board of Visitors stepped down last week, reportedly for “personal reasons.” John Adams’ resignation comes six weeks after the board decided it would not renew the contract of Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins. (More)

➤ Charlottesville: UVA and the College of William & Mary were selected by Forbes for inclusion on its “New Ivy” list of 20 outstanding universities. Virginia is the only state with two schools on the list. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: A 43-year-old man who came to the U.S. from Cambodia as an 8-year-old refugee has not been seen by his family since he was detained at a routine check-in with ICE more than a month ago. The man has a green card, a work permit, and two daughters, but his wife fears he will be deported. (Details)

➤ St. Paul: Democratic Sen. Mark Warner told the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority Board that a planned roadway did not get federal earmark funding in the 2025 budget. (Details)

➤ Statewide: State Senator Mark Peake is the newest Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. He faces a busy year, with statewide elections and 100 seats in the House of Delegates up for grabs in November. (More)

➤ Liberty baseball beat UVA in Charlottesville 10-3. The Flames move to 23-14, and the Cavs drop to 20-15. (Stats)

➤ UVA men’s golf finished second in the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial Tournament, the only event the Cavs are hosting this spring. (Leaderboard)

➤ Virginia Tech men’s tennis begins ACC championship play today in Cary, North Carolina. UVA will take the court tomorrow. (Details)

➤ JMU hosts Liberty in women’s lacrosse today. (Stats)

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➤ Buc-ee’s, a travel center with locations across the Southeast, announced that it will build a second location in the Commonwealth in Stafford County—in addition to the one scheduled to open this summer in Rockingham County. (Details)

➤ The University of Virginia Foundation announced that Deborah van Eersel will replace Tim Rose as chief executive officer. Rose is retiring after 33 years at the helm. (More)

➤ Balico, a development company, withdrew a rezoning application for a gas power plant and data center campus in Pittsylvania County. The company may consider building homes on the land instead. (Details)

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➤ The Central Virginia Iris Society will host an iris show and sale on May 4 at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond. Irises usually bloom from April until June. (Details)

➤ Marcy Fisher, a first-grade educator in Clifton, is in the quarterfinals of America’s Favorite Teacher. Voting runs through 7 p.m. tomorrow. (More)

➤ State officials are urging drivers to “Slow Down, Arrive Alive,” a message they are delivering on hundreds of bright yellow safety signs placed at rest stops across the Commonwealth. There were more than 25,000 speed-related crashes in Virginia last year. (Details)

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