Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1766, Great Britain repealed the Stamp Act. The law required that all paper goods be taxed. It had become a rallying point for colonists, who called the Stamp Act "Taxation without Representation."

Are you a top-performing real estate professional or brokerage in Virginia? The Virginia Flyover, a trusted daily news email with 95,000 engaged subscribers, is seeking strategic partners to highlight outstanding properties and connect with buyers and sellers across the Commonwealth.

If you're ready to showcase your brand to a massive audience and generate quality leads, we want to hear from you! Reach out today, and let's start building success together!

We're sponsored today by Skybound, offering an investment opportunity in the entertainment industry you won't want to miss.

Emergency Landing in Richmond

An American Eagle flight operated by Piedmont Airlines made an emergency landing in Richmond on Sunday with 50 people aboard.

Flight 5852 departed from Newport News to fly to Charlotte when it was diverted due to a possible maintenance issue.

The plane, an Embraer E145, landed safely at Richmond International Airport around 1 p.m. and was taken out of service for inspection by a maintenance team.

"We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans, and we apologize for the inconvenience," American Airlines said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

Virginia Escapes as Powerful Storms Pass

The Commonwealth was mostly spared the worst effects of a devastating storm system that marched across the country over the weekend, as local weather conditions helped to prevent severe elements from forming.

Wind, hail, and rain did bring down some power lines, leaving roughly 9,000 Appalachian Power customers in the dark in Southwest Virginia.

The storm system caused some property damage in Northern Virginia, where it knocked down trees and blocked roads with debris.

Storms brought strong winds and pop-up thunderstorms to Hampton Roads, leaving some without electricity before the system moved out to sea.

Virginia Basketball Teams Set for Tourney Runs

The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament will include three men's and five women's teams from Virginia.

On the men's side, Liberty won the Conference USA tournament to earn a No. 12 seed and will play Oregon. VCU, seeded No. 11, is set to play BYU. MEAC Tournament Champion Norfolk State is a No. 16 seed and drew Florida in the first round.

For the women's tournament, Liberty is a No. 13 seed and will face Kentucky. George Mason is a No. 11 seed taking on Florida State in the first round. Richmond is a No. 8 seed facing off against Georgia Tech, and Norfolk State is a No. 13 seed set to play Maryland.

William & Mary's women's team rounds out that field after their four-day run through the CAA tournament. They were seeded No. 9 in that bracket and picked off the Nos. 1, 3, and 4 seeds on their way to the championship. The Tribe is a No. 16 in the NCAA bracket, set to play a "First Four" game on Thursday.

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend!

Flying together with our sponsor

From Comic Book to Billion-Dollar Empire

You know The Walking Dead and Invincible. But did you know they're both from Skybound? These creative minds are turning beloved stories into HUGE franchises. Think TV, games, the works.

Just as they expanded The Walking Dead universe from a graphic novel to a $10B empire spanning streaming, merchandise, and more, they're continuing to push boundaries with 100's of potential franchises in their ownership.

They have just the team to do it—leadership from companies like Amazon, Electronic Arts, and Marvel + more

With Invincible Season 3 already a hit on Prime and crowds raving for more, Skybound is aiming for a slice of the $300B entertainment pie.

Invest in Skybound by today's deadline and get 20% investment bonus.

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Social Services introduced the ConnectEBT app to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users prevent fraud. Nearly 4,000 Virginians reported their SNAP benefits stolen in the fourth quarter of 2024. (Details)

➤ La Altagracia, Dominican Republic: Dominican authorities again questioned a "person of interest" in the case of Sudiksha Konanki, 20, a University of Pittsburgh student who disappeared from a Dominican beach on March 6. They also began using jet skis in the search. (More)

➤ Greene County: The elimination of the federal government's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Program is putting pressure on farmers. "I think farmers are really going to have to look at, how do we pivot to sustain," said Sarah Morton, an operations manager at one Virginia farm. (Details)

➤ Annandale: Northern Virginia Community College announced a scholarship program to provide free tuition to federal workers and contractors who have lost their jobs due to cutbacks. They can take classes in fields including artificial intelligence, information technology, project management, and human resources. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach: The Army Corps of Engineers expects to finish the resort area segment of its beach replenishment project by Memorial Day and the Croatan Beach segment by the Fourth of July. (Details)

➤ Fairfax: Police said they have uncovered new evidence in the disappearance of Amanda Childress, who hasn't been seen in more than three years. They suspect foul play and are urging anyone with information to come forward. (More)

➤ Liberty University's softball team, ranked No. 24 and on an 11-game winning streak, visits Duke today. (More)

➤ UVA baseball, ranked No. 23, will host Richmond tomorrow. The Cavs took two of three on the road against Cal. (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech will send four top-six seeds to the NCAA wrestling championships that begin on Thursday. (More)

➤ College sports fans see that their future is being driven by name, image, and likeness policies. Sign up for NIL Wire, and you'll know what's changing.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Experience cleaner, fresher air effortlessly with Ionize Pro. This compact, filter-free device plugs into any outlet, eliminating odors, allergens, and airborne pathogens without harmful chemicals. Enjoy ultra-fresh, healthy air in minutes—safe for your family and pets. Order now and get up to 50% off!

➤ Gas prices across the state climbed 1.4 cents per gallon over the last week to an average of $2.86, according to GasBuddy. That price is 50 cents per gallon lower than what drivers were paying at this time last year. (Details)

➤ Speyside Bourbon Cooperage announced it will lay off 75 employees at its barrel-making plant in Smyth County, citing a slowdown in the bourbon industry. (More)

➤ Dominion Energy plans to use artificial intelligence to automate the paperwork review process at its nuclear plants in Louisa and Surry counties. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Enhance your nighttime driving safety with Drive Bright glasses, featuring advanced "GlareCut" technology to reduce glare from LED headlights and improve visibility in low-light conditions. Designed for comfort, these lightweight, wraparound glasses fit seamlessly over prescription eyewear, ensuring clear vision during nighttime journeys. Join over 300,000 satisfied drivers who trust Drive Bright for a safer driving experience.

Flying together with our sponsor

A Legendary $10B Track Record—With Even More Growth Ahead

The $300B+ entertainment market continues to expand, and Skybound's multi-platform model is positioned to capture even more value across TV, film, gaming, and merchandise. They already turned The Walking Dead into a $10B empire. Now, they're continuing to build with a vault of 100's of potential franchises. Don't miss this opportunity to get a piece of what could be another Netflix or Prime hit. Invest in Skybound and get a 20% investment bonus (ends today).

This is a paid advertisement for Skybound's Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.skybound.com.

➤ National Poison Prevention Week runs through Saturday. The Virginia Department of Health offers tips to keep people of all ages safe. (More)

➤ A juvenile gray seal has come ashore to rest at Virginia Beach. The Virginia Aquarium has asked visitors to leave the seal alone and said that it will monitor the animal until it returns to the ocean. (Details)

➤ Bear Creek Lake State Park won the 2025 Virginia Green Travel Award for its "efforts to recycle and operate sustainably." (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

This week marks The Flyover's 2nd anniversary. Over the last 2 years, we've grown from an idea—and 47 readers—to 2.1 million total readers and one of the fastest-growing news publications in the country. If you like The Flyover and find value in our work, would you become a partner by making a donation to keep The Flyover flying? We know everyone isn't able to, but your financial contribution is important to keep The Flyover free. You can donate by clicking here. It's a huge help!