Monday, December 2, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1823, President James Monroe outlined his signature policy proposal in his message to Congress. The "Monroe Doctrine" told European powers that the U.S. did not intend to interfere in their affairs and that, in return, it expected them to stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

President Monroe presided over the "Era of Good Feelings." His home here in Virginia will be preserved and may eventually become part of a state park. More on that in Et Cetera.

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Williamsburg Outlets Fire Is Out

Firefighters extinguished a blaze underneath a parking lot at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets in time for Black Friday shoppers to pack the shopping center. "I can breathe. It's beautiful outside. I have no complaints," one employee at the center said as she walked to work.

The rare underground fire burned for more than five days in a system that was designed to hold stormwater runoff. As the fire consumed plastic crates, an employee parking lot on top of the system collapsed in on itself, and smoke billowed up from the asphalt.

Firefighters from James City County and the City of Newport News worked alongside a contractor hired by the outlets to fight the fire, which was finally extinguished just before Thanksgiving.

Multiple government agencies, including the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, were at the site to monitor environmental conditions as the fire burned.

Commanders Blast Hapless Titans

The Washington Commanders wasted no time overpowering the Tennessee Titans at home yesterday.

Washington jumped out to a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter, taking advantage of fumbles by the struggling Titans. Washington pulled away for a 42-19 win.

Jayden Daniels played like a Rookie of the Year candidate once again, accounting for four touchdowns in the game.

Marshon Lattimore, picked up at the trade deadline last month to help the team's defense, did not play and has yet to appear in a game with the Commanders.

The Commanders had lost three straight coming into this game. This win moves the team to 8-5, while Tennessee dropped to 3-9.

Washington has a bye next weekend.

Slight Quake Noted in Commonwealth

A minor earthquake shook parts of Virginia just ahead of Thanksgiving.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 1.8 earthquake in Louisa County at 11:39 pm last Wednesday. The quake was too small to be felt by people in the state.

Central Virginia is occasionally rattled by small earthquakes, such as one in April that was centered near Glen Allen. A much larger, magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocked the state in 2011.

In October, the state participated in the "Great ShakeOut" earthquake drill to help prepare for future events. ShakeOut participants rehearsed ways to protect themselves when the earth moves suddenly.

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➤ Richmond: Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a personal invitation to those who will work in the incoming Trump administration, saying they should live in Virginia. "We offer a great quality of life, safe communities, award-winning schools where parents matter, and lower taxes than D.C. or Maryland," Youngkin said. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Elections said some 100,000 people registered and voted on election day this year. That is up from the 25,000 who did so in 2022, the first year that same-day registration was available. (More)

➤ Washington, D.C.: President Biden signed the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm (BEACH) Act, a law proposed by Rep. Jen Kiggans of the state's Second District. The bipartisan legislation attempts to protect the Virginia coastline and strengthen the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. (Details)

➤ Norfolk: The city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers unveiled a draft of the first phase of a planned floodwall. The federal government would provide two-thirds of the funding for the project, which would include levees, tide gates, and pumps. (More)

➤ Roanoke: A panel of three judges will oversee a recount of the city's mayoral race. Democrat Joe Cobb was declared the winner over Republican David Bowers by 59 votes in a three-way race. (Details)

➤ Herndon: State Attorney General Jason Miyares said Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano should resign after a 31-year-old man was released from custody and allegedly raped a woman. Police say the suspect, Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, is in the U.S. illegally. (More)

➤ UVA and Virginia Tech players got into a pregame scuffle at the "Commonwealth Clash." When the teams later took the field to play football, Tech prevailed 37-17 to finish 6-6 and earn bowl eligibility. The Cavaliers finish the season at 5-7. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech's women's soccer team lost at Duke 1-0, ending its run in the NCAA tournament one game short of the College Cup. (Details)

➤ The Richmond Spiders ended their season at 10-3 after an upset loss to Lehigh in the first round of the FCS playoffs. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NFL | NCAAF | CFP | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ Norfolk International Airport expects to handle a record number of passengers this year and has already served nearly 8% more flyers than at this time last year. It is also gearing up to handle more ground traffic: cars parking and picking people up at the airport. (Details)

➤ Coresite has completed building an 8MW data center in Fairfax County. Next year, it plans to develop another 4MW data center at the same site. (More)

➤ The Commonwealth's labor force added 3,649 people in October, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent, according to federal BLS statistics. (Details)

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➤ The annual model railroad show brought thousands of visitors to the Science Museum of Virginia over Thanksgiving weekend in a building that was once a Richmond railroad station. (Details)

➤ Vernice Bell Archer, known as "Granny" in Norfolk, celebrated her 100th Thanksgiving among family and friends. She has frequently opened her home to provide a free holiday meal to anyone who came by. (More)

➤ The Conservation Fund will get $2 million in state grant money to acquire and preserve 86 acres at James Monroe's Oak Hill estate. The property may eventually become a state park. (Details)

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