Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! On this day in 1607, settlers at Jamestown celebrated the first Christmas in English North America. The festivities were low-key, as the settlers were barely surviving their first winter. Still, they gave praise to God from their new country.

We are enjoying time this holiday week with our families, so today’s and Friday's editions will be shorter than usual. We will be back with a full edition on Monday. Thank you for reading, and we wish you a blessed Christmas Day or first night of Hanukkah.

We’re sponsored today by Laughland, the 100% safe and easy-to-use teeth whitening kit you can use at home.

Virginia Named State of the Year

Congratulations to all Virginians this Christmas. We live in Business Facilities magazine's 2024 State of the Year!

Virginia earned the honor due to its business-friendly environment, workforce development programs, and the wide range of companies setting up shop or relocating branches here.

“Virginia is a prime location for businesses of all varieties, and this honor underscores the work we’ve been doing since day one to make Virginia the best place for business investment and job creation,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said.

This marks the third time the Commonwealth has topped this list. Virginia also led CNBC’s list of top states for business in 2024.

Students Perform for Christmas

This holiday wouldn’t be the same without music. According to the site FinanceBuzz, the most popular Christmas-season song in the Old Dominion is Jingle Bells.

For more traditional Christmas music, WTKR in Hampton Roads recorded performances by local high school and middle school student choirs, bands, and orchestras.

The first episode featured Granby High School in Norfolk. The station also recorded performances at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Kempsville Middle School in Virginia Beach, Woodside High School in Newport News, and Smithfield High School in Smithfield.

Merry Christmas from—and to—all of Virginia’s talented student musicians!

Flying together with our sponsor

Whiten Your Teeth With Science — Not Gimmicks!

Laughland is the dentist-formulated, clinically proven whitening kit that’s given 200,000+ people their dream smile — without pain or sensitivity. It’s easy to use, 100% safe, and guaranteed to work!

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➤ Statewide: VDOT is making holiday travel a bit easier by lifting lane closures on interstates until noon tomorrow—and again from noon on New Year's Eve until noon on Jan. 2. (More)

➤ South Boston: A newborn calf abandoned in a dumpster is getting a new lease on life thanks to the Lloyds. They have nursed the animal back to health and welcomed her into their family. (Details)

➤ Northern Virginia: From Tysons Corner to the outer exurbs, the region has transformed dramatically over the past 60 years. Explore the region’s growth from the Beltway and beyond. (See Transformation)

➤ Virginia Beach: Ramona Chandler dedicates her time to helping others through Aid Now, a Hampton Roads nonprofit. A local TV station recognized her contributions by presenting her with an Everyday Hero Award. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has so many treasures it doesn't have space to display them all. Still, the museum's neighbors are pushing back against its proposal to build a 12,000-square-foot art storage facility nearby. (More)

➤ Statewide: Want to make the most popular holiday dessert in the Commonwealth? According to allrecipes.com, you'll need to whip up gingerbread cake with lemon glaze. (See List)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Losing your hearing? Don’t pay $2,500+ for a prescription; try this new OTC Hearing Aid for only $189 from Audien Atom! (See It Here)

Flying together with our sponsor

How does Laughland whiten your teeth by 7+ shades in less than a week without sensitivity? It’s simple — we partnered with a team of renowned dentists, then did exactly what they told us to do!

That’s why our proprietary formula combines Hydrogen Peroxide — the exact same whitening agent your dentist uses — with a soothing blend of Glycerin, Sodium Bicarbonate and more natural ingredients that prevent sensitivity and boost results.

Finally, we keep our formula temperature controlled at all times to guarantee maximum effectiveness.

Only your dentist can offer similar results — yet Laughland is a fraction of the price, and you can use it from the comfort of your couch!

Laughland is the only whitening kit with a 100% success rate in clinical trials.