Virginia Electric and Power Company, Dominion's operating unit, now forecasts $4.35 billion in fuel expense through June 2027 — averaging 3.95 cents per kilowatt hour, a figure 88% higher than its 2021 fuel cost of $2.31 billion, according to Reuters. The reason is the Northern Virginia data center corridor: Dominion expects to buy 23% of its energy supply on PJM Interconnection's wholesale market this year, up from 14% in 2021, and market power costs more than power you generate yourself. That surge lands directly on residential and small-business ratepayers. The proposed $67 billion merger with NextEra is pitched as the fix — more owned generation, less market dependence — but until that closes, watch your next few bills for the difference.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Governor Abigail Spanberger announced she will formally intervene in the proposed $67 billion merger between Florida-based NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy — the first time a Virginia governor has taken standing at the State Corporation Commission. The move gives her office a seat inside a review that would reshape the state's dominant utility, folding Dominion's data-center-strained grid into NextEra's renewable portfolio. It follows the SCC's August 6 ruling, which she pushed for, ordering utilities to build tariffs making data centers cover the full cost of transmission lines serving only their operations. The SCC review is ongoing; the signal to watch is how narrowly Dominion's forthcoming tariff defines "but for" — because if it's narrow, most transmission upgrades quietly slide back onto ordinary ratepayers.

Virginia's measles count stands at 177 statewide, with 154 cases concentrated in three adjoining Central Virginia counties — Buckingham (126), Cumberland (18), and Prince Edward (10) — per the Virginia Department of Health. The good news: no new cases have been reported since the week of July 4, and VDH epidemiologist Emily Rich credits local officials "very actively working in the community." The concern is timing. Loudoun opens Monday, August 17; Fairfax and Alexandria on August 24; most divisions within two weeks — and health officials are urging administrators to verify immunization records before unvaccinated students gather again. Virginia has topped 100 measles cases only four times in 49 years; 2026 is one of them.

A WARN Act notice filed with Virginia's Rapid Response team warns that 174 GDIT workers "may experience layoffs" beginning August 8 or within 14 days after, according to Patch. GDIT's transition team gave no reason in the filing, but it follows earlier notices covering 236 Northern Virginia employees — 133 at the Falls Church office on Fairview Park Drive and 103 at 1401 South Clark Street in Arlington. The Arlington cuts were tied to the end of the F-35 Joint Program Office contract's base year, scheduled to close July 31; the Falls Church cuts to a recompete in process. For a region built on federal contracting, these are the layoffs that arrive quietly in a filing before they show up in a neighborhood.

Governor Spanberger announced that the Virginia Department of Corrections has launched an intensive reentry program at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County — among the first at a supermax facility anywhere in the nation. The program, already running at 14 other Virginia facilities, houses participants together and uses "cognitive restructuring" to build problem-solving and decision-making skills before release. VADOC Director Joseph Walters called successful reentry "central to the VADOC's public safety mission." The move is part of a broader push — including a new Corrections Advisory Council seeking public participants — to reform a system that has faced documented safety concerns at Red Onion itself.

Morning Consult found 54% of registered Virginia voters approved of the job Governor Spanberger is doing in the second quarter of 2026, against 37% who disapproved, per WRIC. The 17-point margin gives her political room as she wades into two of the year's hardest fights — the NextEra-Dominion merger and the data-center cost battle — both of which put her directly between voters' electric bills and the state's biggest utility. Approval is a resource, and she's spending it. Watch whether the number holds through campaign season as rate hikes hit mailboxes.

• Manassas Battlefield remains transferred to Arlington for examination. Human remains believed to be connected to the Manassas Battlefield are being moved to Arlington for further handling, a notable historical and public-interest development for Prince William County. Potomac Local

• Revised Center Street redevelopment plan heads back to Manassas Architectural Review Board. A reworked proposal for the Center Street corridor is returning to the city's Architectural Review Board, with implications for downtown design standards and the future of the area. Inside Nova

• The Twig prepares for 84th annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour benefiting Inova. The long-running civic event combines historic preservation and philanthropy, with proceeds supporting Inova hospital. ALXnow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Assist with the Fairfax County Parks and Rec Adaptive Aquatics Programs. Teens can volunteer in Vienna to support Fairfax County Parks and Recreation’s adaptive aquatics classes, working in the pool with students under an instructor’s direction.

• Richmond Raceway announces first post-season race for 2027. The Henrico County venue revealed a significant scheduling milestone as part of its newly released 2027 race calendar, with tourism and economic implications for the region. WRIC

• First responders search for man after possible drowning at Lake Anna. Emergency crews responded to a possible drowning in Louisa County at Lake Anna, with a search for the missing man underway. WRIC

• Henrico Police seek public's help in possible identity theft case. Henrico Police are asking residents for information as they investigate a potential identity theft incident in the county. WRIC

• Ten years after teen's drunk-driving death, father launches new pledge campaign. A Henrico County family is marking the decade anniversary of Frankie Woolwine's death by asking the community to sign a new pledge against impaired driving. WRIC

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: End Alzheimer’s – Become a “Do What You Love to End ALZ” Volunteer Alzheimer's Association ✨ Make calls and send emails. Richmond volunteers can make calls and send emails to support the Alzheimer’s Association’s Do What You Love to End ALZ efforts.

• Victim in Ghent shooting dies; suspect remains at large. Norfolk police confirmed the victim from a shooting in the Ghent neighborhood has died, and the search for the suspect continues. WTKR

• Deadly domestic shooting on Colley Avenue prompts Norfolk manhunt. A fatal shooting tied to a domestic situation on Colley Avenue has Norfolk police searching for a suspect. WAVY

• Man dies after stabbing on Woods Road in Newport News. A man was fatally stabbed on Woods Road, marking another serious violent-crime incident in one of the region's largest cities this week. WAVY

• Hampton City Council approves rezoning and use permits for three new developments. The council signed off on rezoning requests and a use permit Wednesday, including a project at the former Cinema Café site in Coliseum Central. Hampton, VA News Flash

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Family Fun Day Bon Secours Community Health Team. It looks like a hands-on cleanup option with broad fit for students, families, or groups.

• Albemarle County School Board member resigns; board votes for independent investigation. The at-large board member's departure is the latest sign of turmoil in Albemarle County Public Schools, as the board moves forward with an independent inquiry into the district. Cville Tomorrow

• Charlottesville City Council commits $4 million in surplus funds to emergency shelter and direct-to-housing programs. The council approved additional spending to expand emergency shelter capacity and support housing initiatives amid ongoing homelessness pressures in the city. Charlottesville Community Engagement

• 501 Cherry development in Fifeville moves forward without Charlottesville Food Co-Op. The redevelopment project is advancing, but the Charlottesville Food Co-Op will no longer be part of the plan, reshaping the future of the Fifeville neighborhood site. Cville Tomorrow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Habitat for Humanity - Volunteer with Us Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, VA. This reads as a broad community-service option around Charlottesville, not just another calendar event.

• Fredericksburg City Council set to vote on $179.8 million capital plan. The council is scheduled to take action on a major capital and transportation spending package, one of the most significant local government decisions in the region this year. Patch

• Fredericksburg launches citywide sewer cleaning and inspection program. The city's Department of Public Works and Utilities has begun preventive maintenance on the sanitary sewer collection system, starting in the Mayfield neighborhood and working westward over multiple years. Potomac Local

• Woman charged with filing false burglary report and assaulting Spotsylvania County deputies. A 19-year-old woman allegedly fabricated a burglary call, then tried to flee and assaulted law enforcement during her arrest; she was booked without bond on multiple charges. WJLA

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Administrative Assistance Community Touch, Inc.. Community Touch, Inc. seeks administrative assistance support in the Fredericksburg region.

• Warren County cancels August 18 data center meeting after applications withdrawn. The county pulled a planned public meeting on data center development after the applicants withdrew their proposals, pausing what had been a closely watched local land-use debate. The River 95.3

• Frederick County Sheriff's Office makes arrest in Catlett homicide. An arrest has been made in the Catlett homicide investigation, marking a significant development in a local public safety case. The River 95.3

• Warren County Fire and Rescue recovers victim from Shenandoah River. Crews completed a recovery operation on the Shenandoah River on August 10, following a water-related fatality in Warren County. The River 95.3

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Volunteer at Harrisonburg Gift and Thrift Gift and Thrift, Inc.. Harrisonburg Gift and Thrift, Inc. is seeking volunteers in the Shenandoah Valley for a service opportunity.

• Roanoke police identify officers involved in fatal shooting following knife attack. Officers were identified after a man who allegedly cut a woman with a knife was fatally shot in an early-morning incident, drawing significant local scrutiny. Roanoke Times

• Roanoke City adopts rules for data centers ahead of anticipated development pressure. City officials established a policy framework for future data center proposals before major developers begin approaching the city, a proactive local land-use move. WSLS

• Roanoke school leaders revisit budget as state funding falls short. School officials are back at the table on budget challenges after receiving less state money than anticipated, putting fiscal pressure on the division. Cardinal News

• Sixteen U.S. senators urge Trump administration to declare Roanoke Valley native wrongfully detained in Russia. A bipartisan group of senators signed a letter pressing for the official designation, elevating a case with deep local ties into a national diplomatic issue. Cardinal News

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Hospice Volunteer Agape Care Group ✨ Provide companionship and support to patients. Agape Care Group seeks volunteers in Roanoke to offer companionship and support to hospice patients.

• Hampton Roads: Family Fun Day Bon Secours Community Health Team. It looks like a hands-on cleanup option with broad fit for students, families, or groups.