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Virginia leaders remember Rep. Gerry Connolly’s fighting spirit and commitment to Fairfax
If you were looking for evidence of Rep. Gerry Connolly’s influence in Virginia Democratic politics, his annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser — on what he joked was “the holiest day of the year” in a nod to his Irish roots — would be a pretty good place to start. At this year’s event in March, more than a thousand people packed a room festooned with green streamers and filled with the smell of corned beef and cabbage. And with statewide elections later this year, nearly all the Democratic candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general turned out. Connolly, fresh off of treatment for esophageal cancer, was upbeat as he greeted a long line of supporters.
Section of U.S. 58 reopens 5 months ahead of schedule
U.S. Route 58 reopened to traffic Thursday afternoon, some seven months after floodwaters obliterated a 1.5-mile section between Damascus and Konnarock. Repairs were completed five months ahead of schedule and significantly under budget, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during a midday ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event occurred at a spot where floodwaters from Hurricane Helene turned Whitetop Laurel Creek into a raging torrent last September,
Preservation Virginia lists historic battlefields among endangered sites thanks to data centers
Two Civil War battlefields in and around Northern Virginia have been named to Preservation Virginia’s 2025 list of the state’s most endangered historic places, with the nonprofit citing the growing threat posed by data center development. Manassas National Battlefield Park in Prince William County and Wilderness Battlefied in Orange County are among 11 sites identified in this year’s report. Both are located near large-scale data center projects that have already been approved ...
NOAA predicts above-average Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 19 named storms
Warm seawater will likely drive another above-average hurricane season this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday. Forecasters expect between 13 and 19 named tropical storms to form in the Atlantic Ocean between June 1 and November 30. Six to 10 will become full-blown hurricanes, with three to five eventually becoming major storms. National Weather Service director Ken Graham said improved forecasting has dramatically cut fatalities from these storms, particularly storm surge projections. But he warned that things can change quickly and people need to heed warnings and be prepared.
The Army looks at ways to downsize at Ft. Eustis under merger with Austin
Roughly 1,000 soldiers and civilian jobs at the headquarters unit for Training Doctrine and Command at Fort Eustis are under scrutiny as the Army looks to relocate the headquarters to Austin, Tx. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered that TRADOC merge with Army Futures Command and Austin, Tx. An Army planning team was created just outside the Pentagon last week to look at how the merged command will operate. They have a deadline of June 15 to create a report, said Brig. Gen. Jennifer Walkawicz, TRADOC Deputy Chief of Staff in a press briefing.
Personnel and details of Fort Eustis’ TRADOC merger to be decided in summer
The Army Training and Doctrine Command headquarters, along with the Center for Initial Military Training, at Fort Eustis are both up for a potential relocation as part of a merger with the Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas. However, Army officials said Thursday they will have to wait until June 15 to receive orders from the Army on how that merger will occur before the new command is formed in October. The two branches of Fort Eustis under the proposed merger include nearly 1,000 people, roughly 650 are civilians and the rest are military positions, said Army spokesperson Col. Jennifer Walkawicz in a Thursday press briefing.
Navy wants to test drinking water for synthetic chemicals near Chesapeake’s Northwest Annex
The Navy is asking Chesapeake residents who live within a mile of the Northwest Annex to reach out and have their drinking water wells sampled for certain long-lasting synthetic chemicals. The testing is for for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — a combination of thousands of different chemicals that have been commonly used in household and industrial products for decades, particularly due to stain- and water-repellent qualities.
Eddie Radden Jr., Richmond activist and longtime Capitol doorkeeper, dies at 96
From city streets to church sanctuaries to the corridors of the Virginia State Capitol, Eddie L. Radden Jr. spent his life serving and uplifting the Richmond community. A lifelong advocate for civil rights and community progress, he died peacefully last Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 96, leaving behind a lasting impact on Richmond. “Through every trial, he remained a pillar of strength, faith, and unwavering love,” Radden’s family said in a statement. “His legacy of faith, kindness, and devotion will forever guide us.”
Protesters Line Up at Trump National as President Meets Crypto Buyers
The sidewalks and lawn at the entrance to Trump National Golf Course were filled with protesters Thursday night as the president attended a private dinner at the venue with buyers of his $TRUMP meme coin. Lawmakers and citizens booed gala attendees as they entered the golf course and while chanting “our democracy is not for sale” and “Trump must go.” The protesters specifically referenced the gift this week of plane from Qatar to President Donald J. Trump and the recently passed Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins or GENIUS Act, which establishes a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.
Reps. Kiggans and Wittman sold out their constituents
As the sweeping Republican spending bill lurched its way through the U.S. House in recent weeks, members of Virginia’s congressional delegation promised they would oppose those sections that made life more difficult for commonwealth residents or which imperiled our economic future. Yet when push came to shove — when residents of Hampton Roads really needed the elected representatives to defend their interests — U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman folded. On Thursday morning, they voted with their party and with the president instead of with the people they swore to serve.