Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1789, voters selected electors in the nation's first presidential election under the U.S. Constitution. One month later, those electors overwhelmingly picked George Washington to lead the nation.

The Virginia Flyover is recovering from the first snow of 2025. Please hit reply and tell us how the weather looks in your corner of the Commonwealth. Of course, the wintry mix won't prevent today's special elections. Scroll down to Top Stories for a preview.

Did you know that the team that makes The Virginia Flyover also produces a national publication called The Flyover? Click here to subscribe and stay up to date with the latest national headlines—without the bias of legacy media outlets.

We're sponsored today by GoldCo. Check out their guide to investing in gold and silver.

Former Deputies Charged in Jail Death

Three former Virginia Beach deputies appeared in court Monday to face second-degree murder charges in connection with the 2024 death of Rolin Hill.

Eric Baptiste, 39; Michael Kidd, 39; and Kevin Wilson, 34, were on duty at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center in June when Hill was brought in to be booked for trespassing at a convenience store.

Deputies said they had to restrain Hill because he was being "uncooperative and combative." The medical examiner found that Hill's death was triggered by "positional and mechanical asphyxia resulting from restraint with neck and torso compression."

In addition to the murder charge, Baptiste is charged with five counts of assault and battery, and Kidd is charged with two counts.

Special Elections Set for Today

Voters in three Virginia districts can participate in special elections today: two for state senators and one for the House of Delegates.

Two of the elections are in Democrat-leaning districts in Loudoun County, while the third is in a Republican-leaning Senate district in Goochland County.

The vacancies were created because Republican Sen. John J. McGuire III and Democratic Sen. Suhas Subramanyam won election to the U.S. Congress last year. The other opening happened because a Delegate from Loudon is bidding for Subramanyam's open seat.

The Virginia General Assembly reconvenes tomorrow with Democrats controlling both houses by narrow margins.

Wintery Mix Leaves a Mess

Many school districts across Virginia are closed for a second day today as the Commonwealth recovers from a messy mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

The storm has mostly moved off to the east. It left behind varying amounts of snow, including several inches in the western mountains and nearly a foot in the Northern Virginia suburbs.

The statewide storm brought snow to the Hampton Roads area for the first time in more than 1,000 days, although accumulation was limited.

At the height of the storm, more than 60,000 people were without power as ice brought down tree limbs and power lines. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) asked drivers to stay home as it worked to clear and treat roads, while state police responded to more than 300 crashes.

Flying together with our sponsor

Stability. Wealth Protection. Long Term Financial Growth. This is what many Americans are searching for when they invest in precious metals like gold and silver. But what's the best way to buy these precious metals?

Do you buy an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund), or do you get your hands on the real thing? Here's the thing about ETFs… You don't actually own the gold or silver. You can't take physical delivery of the metal. Taxes and fees can eat away at your gains. Shares may or may not have sufficient gold or silver backing. But with physical gold or silver, you are the one in the driver's seat.

You have the control you're looking for with your hard-earned money. If you want to learn more about buying and controlling your own physical gold and silver, get your free copy of… How To Buy Gold & Silver - A Beginner's Guide To Today's Most Desired Assets

➤ Moseley: The pygmy hippo born last month at the Metro Richmond Zoo finally has a name. "Poppy won the overall vote, the USA vote, the Virginia vote, and the in-person vote," a zoo spokesperson said. "Poppy" garnered 56% of the final vote. (More)

➤ Statewide: Two-thirds of homeowners in Virginia pay less than $1,500 a year for insurance premiums. However, the Census Bureau reported that prices are increasing, and around 8% now pay more than $3,000 annually. (Details)

➤ Richmond: A Democratic state lawmaker has pre-filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session requiring any political ads that use artificial intelligence to disclose it. "AI-generated material is extremely dangerous in a political environment, and by the time anybody realizes it's AI, it's too late," Sen. Scott Surovell said. (More)

➤ Norfolk International Airport: Some commercial flights were delayed when a private plane's landing gear collapsed on the runway. None of the three people on the small plane were hurt, and regular airport service resumed when the plane was removed. (More)

➤ Springfield: Pat Herrity, a Republican who has served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for 15 years, announced he will seek the nomination for lieutenant governor this year. The only other GOP candidate is John Curran, a Williamsburg-based business consultant. (Details)

➤ Bristol: City Councilman Michael Pollard apologized for sending a false Facebook message about a city employee. "The private message contained numerous falsehoods," Pollard admitted, "that I knew to be false at the time I wrote the message." (Details)

➤ The Washington Commanders will open the NFL playoffs on the road at Tampa Bay on Sunday at 8 p.m. It will be the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2020. (More)

➤ Virginia Commonwealth University and hundreds of other colleges agreed to a legal settlement allowing athletes to be compensated through NIL agreements. "The days of amateur athletics and student-athletes not being paid like we had for the last hundred-and-some-odd years, those days are dead," Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin said. (Details)

➤ Washington and Lee, ranked 14th nationally in women's D-III basketball, will visit Hollins tomorrow. The Generals are coming off a dominating weekend win over Virginia Wesleyan. (More)

➤ Want to stay up to date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in sports? NIL-Wire is just the place for you. Sign up here with one click!

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Never lose your wallet again. SmartCard is the world's first tracker designed specifically for your wallet or purse. Even though it recently launched, it's already going viral across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. More than 70,000+ people use it already to track their wallets, earning an incredible 97.2% satisfaction rating. (See It Here)

➤ The average price of a gallon of gas jumped more than five cents last week across Virginia, according to GasBuddy. Regular unleaded averages $2.93 per gallon, slightly less than at this time last year. (More)

➤ Hampton Roads Ventures, a community development entity established to attract tax credit-driven investments to Norfolk, has so far primarily focused on projects in other states. (Details)

➤ The Stratford Solar Project in Suffolk is too loud, neighbors say. The developer is taking steps to remediate the noise. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Never lose your reading glasses again! With ThinOptics®, you'll always have your reading glasses handy! These thin, incredibly durable, and comfortable glasses stick right to the back of your phone, keeping them safely tucked away until you need them. (See It here)

Flying together with our sponsor

If you have $50,000 or more saved for retirement, it could be at risk! Discover the 2024 IRS Loophole that thousands of Americans are using to protect their retirement savings with gold and silver! 100% Tax & Penalty FREE! Get Your FREE INFO KIT NOW!

➤ Virginia Living magazine wants you to rate your favorite businesses and services for its upcoming "Best of Virginia" issue. Voters have until Jan. 31 to participate. (Details)

➤ Brood XIV cicadas are set to emerge in the eastern U.S. this summer, but they won't be easy to find in the Commonwealth. (See the Map)

➤ Construction is underway on the 2025 St. Jude Dream Home in Chesapeake. When finished, the house will be raffled off to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The Gold Standard In Scientific EMF Protection. Aires neutralizes the harmful EMF radiation coming from your devices with patented, clinically proven NanoTechnology. No harmful methods, no fake science, no false claims — just science.

You can't escape technology today… but you can save yourself from the dangerous EMF radiation it emits.