Thursday, October 17, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1922, Lt. Cmdr. Virgil C. Griffin took off from the deck of the USS Langley, which was anchored in Virginia's York River. It was the Navy's first carrier takeoff.

Welcome to The Virginia Flyover, where we take off daily and cover everything happening in the Commonwealth. Please take a moment to hit reply and let us know how we are doing and what we can do better.

Today's sponsor is The Photostick OMNI, the simplest way for you to store and organize all of your digital photos.

Powering Virginia's Future

Dominion Energy filed its 2024 Integrated Resource Plan with state officials. The proposal outlines how the company expects to deliver more electricity to power Virginia in the years ahead.

"Nearly 80% of the plan's incremental power generation over the next 15 years is carbon-free," Dominion writes. That includes new offshore wind, new solar arrays, new batteries, and, beginning in the mid-2030s, small modular nuclear reactors.

According to a recent report, the U.S. Navy is also considering building a shore-based nuclear power site in the Commonwealth; four of the seven potential sites are in Virginia.

In the Southwestern section of the state, the nonprofit Energy DELTA Lab is developing plans to transform abandoned coal mines into clean energy hubs that could power data centers. Our Commonwealth is already home to one-third of the data centers in the world.

Richmond Meets its Mayor

All five candidates for mayor of the city of Richmond took the stage together at The Citizens Debate to discuss their plans for governing the city.

Voters will select from a candidate list that includes current and former City Council members (Andreas Addison and Michelle Mosby), a former public health official (Dr. Danny Avula), a community organizer (Maurice Neblett), and a nonprofit executive (Harrison Roday).

Each candidate vows to reform city hall, although some have more detailed proposals than others. The city is facing several scandals, including complaints about meal taxes and city officials misusing credit cards.

Nine City Council districts are in the city, and a mayoral candidate must win at least five to be elected. There will be a runoff election in December if there is no clear winner on November 5.

Best Bike Rides in VA

The crisp Fall weather is perfect for getting active outdoors, and the Blue Ridge Mountains have plenty of trails and routes waiting for you to explore.

Albemarle County boasts Preddy Creek Park and its 16 miles of trails, which offer some of the best mountain biking in the area.

Those looking for a longer ride can start from Crozet Park or Beaver Creek Park and cycle the Western Albemarle Scenic Tour. That ride also provides plenty of wineries and breweries and natural scenery.

For a more daring ride, tackle Fox Mountain on its gravel loop bike trail. Just beware that the elevation changes here aren't for everyone.

Finally, when you are ready to get off the bike, explore the libations on the Monticello Wine Trail. Just make sure to have a designated driver around for that adventure.

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➤ Haymarket: Firefighters investigating reports of a gas leak withdrew from a house before it exploded. No one was injured. (Video)

➤ Jarratt: The USDA is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether the agency was slow to react to reports of health code violations at the now-shuttered Boar's Head plant. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Forestry warned that fall fire season is underway, following record-breaking seasons last spring and fall. (More)

➤ New Kent County: John Hunter Raines pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $5 million from a state-run fund established to support disabled children. (Details)

➤ Winchester: Bodycam footage shows the city's ousted police chief was involved in a potential drunk driving incident outside a bar the day before she was dismissed. (Video)

➤ Hamilton: The town of 674 people in Loudoun County wants to install speed cameras along Route 7 if lawmakers will allow it. (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech hosts Boston College tonight, while UVA visits Clemson on Saturday. We mistakenly published next week's college football schedule in yesterday's edition. Apologies! (Details)

➤ The Washington Commanders Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears has been moved from 1:00 PM ET to 4:25 PM due to increased interest. (More)

➤ James Madison (5-1) goes on the road to face Georgia Southern (4-2) on Saturday. The Eagles are undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play. (Preview)

➤ Yesterday's Results: MLB | NBA | NHL | WNBA

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➤ The Virginia529 education saving plan is rebranding as "Commonwealth Savers" as it seeks to become a national leader in financial planning. (Details)

➤ Dairy manufacturer Shamrock Farms will invest $59 million to expand its facility in Augusta County, eventually adding 28 new jobs. (More)

➤ The Virginia Lottery reported that the Bristol Casino brought in $14 million in September via slots and table games. (Details)

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➤ Actor Henry Winkler and his co-author Lin Oliver will be signing copies of their new children's book in Richmond today. (More)

➤ The "Save Jane" event to raise awareness of child abuse in Virginia will take place in Fredericksburg's Market Square on Friday. (Hear more)

➤ Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS only comes past Earth every 80,000 years, and this is your chance to see it. The comet should be visible in most of the Commonwealth shortly after sunset every night until October 21. (Details)

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