Thursday, October 24, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1861, voters in 39 counties in the Allegheny Mountain region agreed to carve out a new state that would remain a part of the United States rather than join the Confederacy. They would eventually enter the Union as the state of West Virginia, one of two states formed during the Civil War.

Welcome to The Virginia Flyover, where we cover the Commonwealth for the living and for the ghosts that may be among us. Read on to learn more about some haunted locations. If you have a ghost story of your own, please hit reply and let us know about it.

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Congressional Race Preview

All 11 congressional districts in Virginia will be on the Nov. 5 ballot, and several of those races feature open seats.

The 5th District has no incumbent. Democrat Gloria Witt will take on Republican State Sen. John McGuire, who ousted fellow MAGA Rep. Bob Good in a tight primary. Some Good voters have vowed to write him in, which may benefit Witt in an otherwise GOP-leaning district.

In the 7th District, which also has no incumbent, Democrat Eugene Vindman is up against Republican Derrick Anderson for a seat currently held by Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is leaving to run for governor in 2025.

Finally, Democratic State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam will take on Republican Mike Clancy for the 10th district seat being vacated by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who is leaving for health reasons.

If you are not sure what district you are in, you can find out here. You probably already know, however, since Virginia is the second-most politically engaged state, according to Wallet Hub.

Electric Bills Set to Jump

Dominion Energy is projecting that electricity bills will increase by 2.7% annually for the next 15 years, meaning the average electric bill in the state would jump 50% by 2040.

The Commonwealth’s many data centers are increasing the demand for energy, potentially by two-thirds. Virginia is the top site in the world for such hubs, with more than one-third of the planet’s data centers in our state.

Dominion promises to keep rates down and notes that Virginians currently pay less than our neighbors in other states, 13.31 cents per kWh as opposed to 15.11 per kWh in the entire South Atlantic region. It also promises to develop more zero-emission electricity, like that from the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.

Another zero-emission solution may be deep beneath our feet: geothermal energy. Several companies are working on projects that could make geothermal available by the end of this decade.

Ghost Tours in Virginia

Did you know that the Commonwealth is home to almost 170 places that claim to host poltergeists?

From Alexandria to Abingdon, human guides (or are they?) can show you where people once walked and where their ghosts supposedly visit even today.

Some of the state's oldest regions apparently have the most spirits. Plenty of tours are ready to show you the haunted areas of Williamsburg, Richmond, and Yorktown, among other places.

Finally, if you are tired of "real" ghosts and just want to visit a frightening place, check out one of the Commonwealth's "scariest haunted houses."

Wherever you are, please stay safe this Halloween.

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➤ Richmond: City Council candidate Tavares Floyd is facing questions about his biography, campaign donors, residence, and resume after investigations by multiple news outlets. (Details)

➤ King and Queen County: Virginia State Police may have closed a 33-year-old case using DNA evidence. They've arrested a Tappahannock man in connection with the death of a woman in 1991. (More)

➤ Portsmouth: Researchers from William & Mary announced that the Commonwealth's striped bass population is down for the second year in a row, with this year's catch less than half the historic average. (Details)

➤ Sterling: Authorities indicted Roger Bentley on four charges, including involuntary manslaughter, in connection with a deadly house explosion earlier this year. One person was killed, and more than a dozen were injured in the blast. (More)

➤ Washington County: The federal Department of Transportation will spend $10 million to "restore and reopen" a mile of Route 58 that was damaged by Hurricane Helene last month. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 40 to help the Commonwealth prepare for and respond to wildfires. (More)

➤ The Washington Commanders released former first-round pick Jamin Davis and practice squad player Sheldrick Redwine, signing Ben Nikkel and Michael Strachan to the practice squad. (Details)

➤ William & Mary's new men's basketball coach, Brian Earl, discussed his journey from the Ivy League to the CAA and his plans for the Tribe this season. (Watch)

➤ James Madison football will celebrate Homecoming this weekend, hosting Southern Mississippi in a Sun Belt Conference matchup on Saturday. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NHL | NBA | NCAAF

➤ Want to stay up to date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in college sports? NIL Wire is just the place for you. Sign up here with one click!

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➤ Virginia Cooperative Extension agents said the final cost to agriculture in the Commonwealth from Hurricane Helene was $159.3 million. (More)

➤ The founders of the Howler Brothers clothing company will be back at their alma mater, UVA, tomorrow to introduce a new clothing line, the Wahoowa collection. (Their Story)

➤ Duke's Mayo is putting its stamp on rest stops across the state. The Richmond-based company has placed signs saying "Welcome to Duke's Country" at many Interstate pitstops. (Details)

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➤ A Richmond man pocketed a cool $1 million by matching five out of six numbers in a Virginia Lottery drawing. (Details)

➤ A Virginia Tech graduate is seeing his dream of a surf park in Virginia Beach come true with a bit of help from Pharrell Williams. (Details)

➤ A Fauquier County farmer is again piling up truckloads of dirt after the Virginia Supreme Court overruled a circuit court that had issued an injunction stopping him. (Details)

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