Friday, October 4, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 2016, Longwood University in Farmville hosted the vice-presidential debate between Republican Mike Pence and Democrat Tim Kaine, who had a rare home-state advantage for the exchange.

There's no debate that The Virginia Flyover is happy to bring news from across our state to your inbox. Please hit reply and let us know how we are doing.

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Schools Report a Wave of Threats

Three students were charged after a 17-year-old was stabbed at Meadowbrook High School in Chesterfield County on Tuesday.

The attack comes amid a wave of threats at Commonwealth schools in the last month, with at least 36 systems reporting bomb threats, shooting threats, and other warnings of violence.

In Central Virginia, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin hosted parents, educators, and elected officials in a forum at Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss ways to promote school safety.

At least four incidents in the last month have led to criminal charges in Newport News, Manassas, Harrisonburg, and Chesterfield.

Panic Buying as Strike Pauses

The East Coast dockworker's strike was suspended on Thursday until January, but not before some stores in Virginia reported panic buying and shortages of items such as paper products.

The Port of Virginia closed on Monday ahead of the strike. It isn't clear when it will resume operations.

Before the strike was suspended, shoppers were lining up in grocery stores. One shopper in Hampton reported empty shelves in the toilet paper aisle. Another noted that water and frozen foods were also going quickly.

Childcare Funding Exhausted

More than 7,500 children statewide are on a waiting list for child-care services, but the $400 million budgeted to pay for it has been exhausted.

The state funding had been intended to fill a gap created when federal funding, which had been boosted during the COVID-19 years, dried up.

Lawmakers may appropriate additional funding in January. In the meantime, state agencies, employers, and community service organizations are trying to fill the child-care gap.

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➤ Grayson County: All schools will be closed until Oct. 14 as the system seeks to recover from Hurricane Helene. (Details)

➤ Staunton: City council members and the mayor will get a raise starting in 2027, the first time their pay has increased since 1998. (Details)

➤ Fort Monroe: The Virginia Marine Resource Commission will hold a public hearing this month to seek input on whether to keep the winter dredge crabbing season closed and extend the pot-catching season. (More)

➤ New Kent County: A train hit a pickup truck on Thursday, and the tracks and two roads were closed for investigators. No one was hurt. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The Poe Museum took possession of a letter that a young Edgar Allen Poe wrote to novelist Washington Irving. (See the letter)

➤ Lancaster: The Board of Supervisors signed off on changes to a proposed solar farm that will deliver three megawatts of power. (More)

➤ UVA returns from a bye week to host Boston College in an ACC matchup. (More)

➤ Radford University’s baseball coach says the school’s baseball field may need “a total rebuild” after it flooded during Hurricane Helene. (Details)

➤ The Washington Commanders host the Cleveland Browns this weekend with a chance to remain in first place in the NFC East. (Preview)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | PGA

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➤ GENEDGE of Martinsville launched a Virginia Smart Manufacturer Accelerator program to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers learn ways to be more efficient. (Details)

➤ Afton Scientific will invest $200 million to expand its biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Albemarle County. (More)

➤ The Boeing Co., whose Defense, Space & Security unit is based in Arlington, booked $4.6 billion worth of Pentagon contracts. (Details)

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➤ The Blue Ridge Bigfoot Fest featured true believers swapping stories about the creature that may or may not be skulking around Virginia. (Details)

➤ This is the final weekend of the Virginia State Fair. Here's the "Daily Thrill Guide and Food Map" to plan your trip. (More)

➤ Recipe of the Week: Strawberry Shortcut Cake. (Try it)

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