Virginia removed the last Confederate monument from Richmond's Capitol Square on Saturday, closing out a years-long effort to strip Confederate iconography from state government grounds, per the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The statue of Culpeper stagecoach runner and Confederate-era figure "Extra Billy" Smith came down; the broader removal push traces to 2026 General Assembly legislation introduced by then-Sen. Adam Ebbin of Alexandria. What changes: the seat of Virginia's government is now, for the first time in over a century, free of Confederate statuary. Watch whether the vacated pedestals draw a fight over what — if anything — replaces them.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Friday that 100,000 Virginians with past felony convictions have had their voting rights restored, per WSLS. Virginia is one of just three states whose constitution strips voting rights over felony convictions, leaving restoration to the sitting governor's personal discretion — a power that swings with each administration. That's exactly what's on the November 3 ballot: one of the state's constitutional amendments would restore voting rights automatically upon release from incarceration, permanently removing the governor from the equation. With the election now 64 days out, watch whether the amendment's fate turns the restoration issue from a gubernatorial favor into a hard-coded right.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission ruled that Dominion Energy must directly assign the cost of new transmission infrastructure to the large-load facilities — read: data centers — that make it necessary, per Utility Dive. The ruling centers on the Trappe Rock Substation in Ashburn, near Google's campuses, and establishes a mandatory "contribution in aid of construction" for substations and transmission lines. What changes: for the first time, the world's largest data center corridor may stop quietly loading its grid buildout onto everyone's electric bill. Watch whether Dominion appeals or whether other localities cite the ruling to shield their own ratepayers as the pipeline of new campuses grows.

Gov. Spanberger appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Box" to explain her decision to intervene in the proposed merger between Florida's NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, a deal her office pegs at $67 billion. "Virginia has been, and will continue to be, a national leader in the requirements that we are putting on data centers," she said. The stakes are direct: the merger would reshape how power is priced and delivered statewide, hitting both the Loudoun data center corridor and residential ratepayers from Bristol to Virginia Beach. Dominion's own filings, per GV Wire, show it now expects to buy 23% of its energy from the PJM wholesale market — a cost hedge the utility argues the merger would help it escape. Watch the regulatory process for whether the governor's intervention wins actual conditions or just a seat at the table.

Richmond Public Schools cleared teachers to return overnight into Monday after a mold investigation that hit multiple aging school buildings, per WWBT NBC12. Cleanup is progressing at Barack Obama Elementary, while confirmation is still pending on possible mold at Frances McClenney and Bellevue elementary schools. What changes: school infrastructure funding is now a live campaign issue, with candidates Jackie McDonough and Anne Holton fielding forum questions about what should change after mold surfaced in Richmond's aging buildings. Watch the pending test results at McClenney and Bellevue — a second confirmed site turns a facilities headache into a budget fight.

VDOT's Shenandoah Valley work list for the week has overnight left-lane closures on I-81 at mile markers 237 to 240, Monday through Thursday nights, with a 60 mph work-zone limit, per Rocktown Now. The closures support construction of new truck-climbing lanes, a project not expected to wrap until late 2027. What changes: freight and commuter traffic on one of Virginia's busiest corridors — the backbone of the Valley's agriculture and logistics economy — faces nightly bottlenecks for years. If you drive I-81 north of Harrisonburg after dark this week, plan for the squeeze.

• Sterling pedestrian fatally struck on Route 7 identified. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office identified 24-year-old Shawneil Clarke Alexander of Sterling as the pedestrian killed Saturday night on Route 7 near Palisades Parkway; the driver remained at the scene and the crash remains under investigation. WTOP

• Woodbridge man charged with murder after relative stabbed to death. Prince William County police say 27-year-old Maliek Raykwon Harrington died after being stabbed multiple times inside a Woodbridge home; his 25-year-old relative, Ryheim Darnel Harrington, was arrested at the scene and is charged with second-degree murder, held without bond. WTOP

• Dominion Energy: Prince William "major outage" was a system glitch. Dominion Energy says a system error falsely showed more than 6,000 Prince William County customers without power, while in reality two transformer failures in Woodbridge cut power to just 25 and 73 customers respectively before crews restored service overnight. Potomac Local

• National Park Service backs Trump's triumphal arch despite Arlington sightline concerns. The National Park Service's Section 106 review supports President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery, even as the agency's own report finds the monument would have adverse visual effects on historic sightlines between key Washington landmarks. ARLnow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Pick Up and Drive Food Pantry donations, Friday mornings only. Centreville volunteers can spend about an hour on Friday mornings helping collect and deliver food pantry donations.

• Charlottesville finalizes operator for new low-barrier shelter days before Sept. 1 opening. Charlottesville has signed an agreement with Central Arizona Shelter Services to operate the new low-barrier shelter at 2000 Holiday Drive, just days before its planned opening, locking in a multi-year operations contract for a roughly 120-bed facility funded by up to $4 million approved by City Council. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Obama Elementary students set to return Wednesday after mold cleanup. Richmond Public Schools cleared most classrooms at Barack Obama Elementary for re-occupancy after additional mold remediation and air-quality testing over the weekend, keeping students on track to return Wednesday while a few areas undergo re-cleaning and re-testing. WRIC

• Chesterfield brush fire in Matoaca to smolder for days. A brush fire burning two to three acres of stumps and demolition debris near Church and River Roads in the Matoaca area has been contained but will continue smoldering for several days; Chesterfield Fire and EMS, working with the Department of Forestry, are monitoring the site and asking residents not to call 911 if they see smoke. WRIC

• Refrigerant leak forces evacuation of Carytown Kroger. Customers and employees at the Carytown Kroger in Richmond were evacuated after a refrigerant air line leak was discovered, prompting a public safety response and temporary store closure while crews ensured the building was safe to re-enter. WRIC

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Share Joy as a Hospice Companion Volunteer during the Holiday Season Enhabit Hospice. Richmond residents can volunteer as hospice companions with Enhabit Hospice during the holiday season, offering service through a local opportunity listing.

• 64th East Coast Surfing Championship closes with tribute to Virginia Beach legend Pete Smith. The 64th East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach concluded with a memorial paddle-out honoring late surf legend and event co-founder Pete Smith, celebrating his role in building the city's surf culture and the world's longest-running surfing competition. WAVY

• Virginia Beach motorcyclist, 73, killed in crash at James River Bridge. Donald William Keeling, 73, of Virginia Beach died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash on US-17 south at the James River Bridge in Isle of Wight County on Saturday afternoon, temporarily closing all southbound lanes while Virginia State Police investigated. WAVY

• Power outage hits nearly 3,500 Dominion customers in Norfolk. Nearly 3,500 Dominion Energy customers in Norfolk lost power Sunday afternoon across neighborhoods including the NEON District, Young Terrace, Calvert Square, Olde Huntersville, and North Ghent, with the cause still under investigation. WAVY

• Joey Chestnut to headline Williamsburg Pancake Festival eating championship. Competitive eating star Joey Chestnut is scheduled to headline the World Pancake Eating Championship at the Williamsburg Pancake Festival in Merchants Square on September 26, an event organized by Visit Williamsburg and free for the public to attend. WAVY

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Hospice Volunteer Needed Enhabit Hospice ✨ Provide companionship and support to patients. Enhabit Hospice seeks a volunteer in Hampton Roads to offer companionship and support to patients.

• Free Bridge encampment residents say they remain in the dark as Sept. 1 clearance deadline arrives. With Charlottesville's deadline to clear the Free Bridge/Rivanna River encampment here, residents report confusion and fear over whether they will face arrest or shelter placement, saying city communication has been inconsistent and unclear. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Encampment residents lay out specific demands for how the Holiday Drive shelter should operate. Two people living at the Rivanna River encampment told Charlottesville Tomorrow they want real beds instead of cots, space for pets and couples, adequate storage, and greater autonomy — arguing that prior broken promises have eroded trust in city institutions. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• UVA opens communitywide survey to shape its next strategic plan. UVA has launched a survey as a first step in developing its next strategic plan, explicitly inviting not only students, faculty, and staff but also Charlottesville-area residents and alumni to weigh in on the university's mission, priorities, and local impact. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Kid-friendly volunteers needed at Virginia Discovery Museum Virginia Discovery Museum ✨ Maintain galleries and run museu. Virginia Discovery Museum seeks kid-friendly volunteers in Charlottesville to help maintain galleries and run museum activities.

• Stafford County cuts ribbon on $2.1 million Staffordboro Boulevard sidewalk project today. Stafford County completed the Staffordboro Boulevard Sidewalk Project, adding about 1,200 feet of sidewalk and new crosswalks near the Route 610 Park and Ride lot, with a ribbon-cutting scheduled for Monday at 3:30 p.m. as the first of four locally administered projects in a $70 million road and safety investment. Potomac Local

• Stafford-area defense firm SimVentions lands $140 million Dahlgren cyber contract. SimVentions, based in the greater Fredericksburg/Stafford region, announced a five-year, $140 million cyber contract supporting work at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, expected to bolster regional high-tech employment. Go Stafford Virginia

• Free pesticide disposal event coming to Fredericksburg area in September. Stafford County, in coordination with Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, will host the 2026 Fredericksburg Area Pesticide Collection Event on September 17 at Greenline Service Corp. on Tidewater Trail, offering free disposal of unwanted pesticides with preregistration required for large quantities. Potomac Local

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

• One injured in Harrisonburg shooting on Devon Lane. Harrisonburg police responded around 11:05 p.m. on August 29 to the 1200 block of Devon Lane for a reported gunshot wound; the victim was initially in serious condition but later reported stable after transfer to UVA Medical Center. Rocktown Now

• Dayton woman killed in two-vehicle crash in Rockingham County. A Dayton woman died in a two-vehicle crash on Coopers Mountain Road in Rockingham County at approximately 8:15 a.m. on August 28, with local authorities investigating the incident. Rocktown Now

• Harrisonburg man sentenced to one year in jail following police standoff conviction. Jason Mercado was found guilty on one of three charges in Rockingham County Circuit Court after a two-day trial and received a one-year jail sentence stemming from a prior police standoff in Harrisonburg. Rocktown Now

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Therapeutic Horsemanship Volunteers RIDE WITH PRIDE INC. RIDE WITH PRIDE INC seeks volunteers in the Shenandoah Valley to support therapeutic horsemanship services.

• Christiansburg Amtrak depot and Galax's Rex Theatre land new funding. About $1 million in grants will rehabilitate the historic passenger rail depot in Christiansburg ahead of planned Amtrak service by 2027, while $700,000 will fund Phase II renovations at Galax's historic Rex Theatre, including balcony, accessibility, and seating upgrades. Cardinal News

• Christiansburg and Giles County drop Flock license plate camera contracts. Christiansburg Town Council voted unanimously to end its Flock Safety camera program — halting six planned readers, purging collected data, and forfeiting roughly $18,000 already spent — while the Giles County Sheriff's Office separately terminated its contract a year early amid growing public opposition to the surveillance technology. Cardinal News

• Voyant Beauty plant in Roanoke closes today, laying off nearly 100 workers. The Voyant Beauty manufacturing plant in Roanoke permanently ceases operations today, August 31, following a WARN notice issued earlier this year that nearly 100 workers would lose their jobs as operations wound down over the summer. WSLS

• I-81 on-ramps near Roanoke County to close for blasting this week. Roanoke County officials report scheduled blasting work during the week of August 31 that will periodically close the northbound I-81 on-ramp at Exit 146 and southbound on-ramps at Exits 150A and 150B between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Roanoke County

• 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.

• Northern Virginia: Pick Up and Drive Food Pantry donations, Friday mornings only. Centreville volunteers can spend about an hour on Friday mornings helping collect and deliver food pantry donations.

• Shenandoah Valley: Therapeutic Horsemanship Volunteers RIDE WITH PRIDE INC. RIDE WITH PRIDE INC seeks volunteers in the Shenandoah Valley to support therapeutic horsemanship services.