Friday, November 15, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1860, Virginia Gov. John Letcher responded to Abraham Lincoln's election as president by summoning a special session of the General Assembly to be held on January 7, 1861. The session eventually led to Virginians voting to leave the Union and join the Confederacy.

Are you ready to run Richmond? The city's annual marathon is coming up tomorrow (more on that in Et Cetera). The Virginia Flyover may see you at the starting line, or at least in our poll results!

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Commanders Lose on Thursday Night

The Washington Commanders fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 26-18 to drop into second place in the NFC East.

Washington goes to 7-4 with the loss, its second in five days. Philly moves to 8-2.

Running back Brian Robinson played for the first time since October 27 and scored a touchdown for the Commanders, his seventh of the year.

But most of the offense came from the Eagles. Saquon Barkley ran for more than 140 yards and two TDs and Philadelphia dominated time of possession.

The Eagles won despite several missed opportunities. Kicker Jake Elliott struggled, missing two field goals and an extra point in the game before finally connecting on two fourth quarter extra points.

Washington is off until Nov. 24 when it will host the Cowboys.

Program to Boost School Performance

The Department of Education's new Road to Readiness Hub is a website that will provide data about the performance of the Commonwealth's K-12 schools and give parents information about the tools available to help children learn.

The hub is part of a larger framework that the state says "shows how students are mastering grade level content, whether each student is growing, and how the school is preparing students for their next phase of their education."

Virginia is also unveiling an accountability system that rates schools as either "Distinguished," "On Track," "Off Track," or "Needs Intensive Support."

In August officials estimated that more than half of schools were off track, but say the latest data indicate that only one-third of schools are lagging, while 19% are "Distinguished."

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has promised to boost spending on education by at least $50 million in his next budget proposal. The governor added that he supports President-elect Trump's plans to slash the federal Department of Education.

"Quality education is defined at the state level. We are the ones driving forward excellence in our standards," Youngkin said.

High School Football Playoffs Tonight

The Virginia High School League football playoffs kick off tonight across the Commonwealth with regional games.

The eight best teams in each region, based on points earned during the regular season, made the playoffs.

Four of last year's six champions are back to try to defend their titles: Maury, Phoebus, Liberty Christian Academy, and Radford.

In the weeks ahead, there will be region championships on Nov. 29, with the winners advancing to the state semifinals at local fields on Dec. 6 and 7.

Championship games are scheduled for Dec. 14 at three sites: Liberty University, James Madison University, and Salem City Stadium.

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➤ Richmond: A Democrat-controlled House committee moved forward with three proposed amendments that would enshrine abortion, voting rights, and same-sex marriage in the state Constitution. The full Assembly would need to pass them in both 2025 and 2026 before the measures would go before voters. (Details)

➤ Virginia Beach: Smoke alarms installed by the city’s fire department last year alerted a family that their mobile home was on fire, allowing all three people to escape the blaze. (More)

➤ Roanoke: Democrat Joe Cobb edged Republican David Bowers 15,221-15,162 with all votes counted in the city’s mayoral race. An independent candidate took a quarter of the vote. (Details)

➤ Fairfax County: Residents have until Nov. 29 to speak out on whether the county should boost entrance fees at recreational centers. The full Park Authority Board is set to vote on the proposal on Dec. 11. (More)

➤ Stafford County: Deputies broke up a cockfighting ring, seizing 80 chickens and some controlled substances on site. The birds have been turned over to the animal shelter. (More)

➤ Richmond: City Council voted against a plan to cut real estate taxes by four cents per $100 of assessed value, but did agree to outgoing Mayor Levar Stoney’s proposal “RVA Stay” plan, which aims to help homeowners with a four-cent (per $100 of assessed value), one-off rebate on real estate taxes. (Details)

➤ UVA's basketball team faces its first real test of the season this evening when the Cavs take on Villanova on a neutral court in the Hall of Fame Series Baltimore. (Preview)

➤ Olympic champion Torri Huske, raised in Arlington, talked about her return to Stanford this fall and what's next. (Details)

➤ The Washington Wizards visit Atlanta tonight in an NBA Cup game. The team erupted for 130 points on Wednesday against San Antonio, including 42 points from Jordan Poole, but ultimately fell to the Spurs. (More)

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➤ Two state agencies and their partner recently published The Virginia Handbook for Success: Small Business, Startup, Entrepreneur, & Innovator Opportunity Guide. The handbook points investors to programs, funding opportunities, and support organizations in the state. (Details)

➤ American Freight, a furniture chain with 11 locations in the Commonwealth, is closing all its stores and going out of business. (Details)

➤ The number of occupied rental units in Virginia jumped 4.27% in the last decade, increasing from 1.05 million units in 2013 to 1.09 million in 2023, according to a study by Virginia Realtors. (Read the Report)

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➤ The Richmond Marathon is at capacity, with 6,200 runners signed up to go 26.2 miles (and try to qualify for the Boston Marathon). An additional 15,000 runners will compete in the half marathon or 8K on the same course on Saturday. (Details)

➤ Nauticus, a nautical museum in Norfolk, opened a “Reimagined Maritime Discovery Center” to teach visitors about sailing, the port, and the Navy. (More)

➤ The Black Crowes are signed to appear at FloydFest next July in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The group was supposed to appear in 2023, but the festival was canceled. (Details)

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