A single line on every Dominion Energy bill — the transmission rider called Rider T-1, currently 1.1789 cents per kilowatt-hour, or about $11.79 a month for a typical household — is now the center of the most consequential utility fight in the state. At issue before the State Corporation Commission: whether ordinary ratepayers or the data centers themselves should shoulder the cost of the billions in new power lines being built to feed Northern Virginia's server farms. Dominion's own filings concede that roughly 68% of its $7.59 billion in planned transmission projects through 2031 is driven by data center growth, per WUSA9. In a rare move for a sitting administration, Gov. Abigail Spanberger's Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond has entered the case urging regulators to assign those costs to the facilities and mandate upfront payments — joined by the Piedmont Environmental Council, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, and SCC staff pushing a "but-for" test. Watch whether the Commission adopts that standard; if it does, it rewrites who bankrolls the Ashburn corridor's expansion for a decade.

The Virginia Tech Presidential Search Committee met Tuesday morning in Torgersen Hall in Blacksburg and locked in a flexible seven-month timeline — pushing back an earlier plan that could have installed a successor to Tim Sands as soon as this fall, per the Roanoke Times. That means Virginia's largest public university, with 31,536 undergraduates and an economic footprint stretching from Blacksburg to Roanoke to Alexandria, heads into the academic year with no named leader. The committee's balance of power shifted July 1, when Spanberger's newly seated Board of Visitors appointees — several now on the search committee — began their terms, giving the governor's picks a direct hand in the outcome, per the Roanoke Star. A listening session ran at the Alexandria campus on Monday, and Cardinal News laid out four questions the winner will have to answer. Watch the December target: a search firm originally pegged the process at six to eight months, so any slippage past winter signals a committee still divided over who fits.

The Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force met Tuesday as the Roanoke Drought Evaluation Region — ten counties plus Danville, Martinsville, Roanoke, and Salem — sits in full emergency status after nearly a year of below-average rainfall, per Morning Ag Clips. Groundwater wells across the region keep setting provisional record daily lows, dropping below the 5th percentile, per WDBJ7, and Spanberger has called this "the second driest water year on record." Acting Drought Coordinator Adrienne Kotula warned that "if conditions on the ground do not rapidly improve, mandatory water conservation measures may be necessary in the Roanoke Region." A formal drought emergency by executive order — which would trigger mandatory industrial water-withdrawal cuts under the Department of Environmental Quality — remains on the table pending the task force's read. Watch for that executive order: the difference between a request to conserve and a legal mandate on factories and farms turns on this week's assessment.

Virginians pick their midterm nominees on August 4, with primary contests in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 8th Congressional Districts, per the Virginia Mercury. The unusual August date is the residue of this year's redistricting whiplash: voters approved a redistricting amendment in April, the Supreme Court of Virginia overturned it in May, and the 2021 district lines stayed put — but the calendar had already been shoved back. In the 5th, longtime Republican Rep. John McGuire faces a challenger from his own party plus three Democrats; GOP incumbents in the 1st and 2nd defend against Democratic challengers. The deadline to register and cast a regular ballot is July 24 — three days from Tuesday. If turnout runs thin in an off-cycle August, the nominees who emerge will be chosen by the most motivated sliver of the electorate, not the broad middle.

A Virginia Senate higher education subcommittee advanced legislation Monday that would require more detailed public reporting and stricter conflict-of-interest rules for presidential search committees at public universities, per the Washington Post. The bill follows a string of controversies over opaque executive searches — and lands with unusually sharp timing, given Virginia Tech's own search now running under a fresh, governor-shaped committee. If it becomes law, it could reshape how the very process now underway in Blacksburg discloses its finalists and vets its insiders. Watch whether it clears the full committee: the closer it gets to passage, the more pressure builds on Tech to conduct the rest of its search in daylight.

The Virginia Board of Education unanimously adopted emergency regulations Monday letting school divisions use registered apprenticeships more widely as a route to teacher licensure, per the Virginia Mercury. The change lets paraprofessionals and career-changers earn a license while already working in classrooms — aimed squarely at the chronic teacher shortage in rural and high-poverty divisions. Because the rules are emergency regulations, they take effect quickly rather than grinding through the usual multi-year process. Watch which divisions move first: the emergency label means a district hungry for staff could stand up an apprenticeship pipeline this school year.

• Chantilly man charged with murder after fatal Gold's Gym shooting in Reston. Fairfax County police arrested 43-year-old Steve Taehee Ha on a murder charge less than eight hours after a daytime shooting inside a Reston Gold's Gym killed a 31-year-old victim. InsideNova

• Pokémon fans camp overnight at Woodbridge Sam's Club for rare card drop. Dozens of collectors lined up outside the Sam's Club in Woodbridge to secure limited-edition "Scarlet & Violet—Legendary Clash" boxes, with Prince William County police monitoring crowds during the early-morning release. Potomac Local

• Hepburn and Sons LLC expanding defense and maritime operations in Prince William County. The marine engineering firm is opening a new facility near Quantico Corporate Center, adding high-skilled jobs and strengthening the county's advanced industries sector. Potomac Local

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: and Family Day Volunteer of Guest House. Northern Virginia volunteers can participate in a service opportunity centered on a family day at Guest House.

• Multiple inmates injured in fight at FCI Petersburg Medium. A brawl at the federal prison in Prince George County sent multiple inmates to medical care, drawing attention to safety conditions at the facility. WRIC

• Driver turns himself in after hit-and-run sends Richmond bicyclist to hospital. Richmond police say the driver surrendered after the crash on Walmsley Boulevard, which left a cyclist hospitalized and raised fresh concerns about traffic safety in the city. WRIC

• 57-year-old unhoused man killed in series of Richmond stabbings. Richmond police are investigating multiple stabbings, one of which proved fatal, as the city grapples with one of its most serious recent violent-crime episodes. WRIC

• Henrico residents push back on Dominion Energy transmission line replacement project. Community members are raising concerns about neighborhood impacts as Dominion Energy moves forward with a proposed transmission line replacement in Henrico County. WRIC

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Richmond ReStore Volunteer🛒♻️ Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity. Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity seeks volunteers for ReStore service opportunities in the Richmond area.

• Norfolk City Council approves $400 million in airport bonds for major upgrades. The council authorized the bond package to expand capacity and modernize facilities at Norfolk International Airport, a major regional infrastructure commitment. Hampton Roads Report

• 19-year-old woman charged with second-degree murder in Norfolk stabbing. Norfolk police charged the suspect after a man was fatally stabbed on East Little Creek Road, with the case now moving toward court proceedings. WAVY

• Attendees call Hampton Roads Convention Center event "miserable" amid overcrowding complaints. Visitors to a weekend event reported long lines and poor conditions, prompting questions about event management and oversight at the venue. WAVY

• Gravesite of Norfolk boxing legend Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker left overgrown, family says. Family members of the Norfolk-born champion say his burial site has been poorly maintained, raising concerns about cemetery upkeep and respect for a prominent local figure. WAVY

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: SHARE SUMMERTIME JOY AS A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER (Virginia Beach area) Enhabit Hospice. Enhabit Hospice is seeking volunteers in the Virginia Beach area to help bring comfort during the summer months.

• Charlottesville selects "Rooted" baobab tree sculpture for former Lee statue site. City Council chose the proposal to cast bronze from the dismantled Robert E. Lee statue into a baobab tree for Market Street Park, marking a major milestone in the city's Confederate monument reckoning. Cville Tomorrow

• Greene County Sheriff–ICE operation arrests 49 people days before new state restrictions took effect. The joint sweep drew sharp criticism from residents and advocates who questioned the timing and its implications for civil rights and due process. Cville Tomorrow

• Hollymead Elementary principal will not return; Albemarle schools eliminating SEL coach role. Interim Superintendent Patrick McLaughlin announced that Principal Jason McCauley is out and that the social-emotional learning coach position at the school will be cut, prompting concern from families about leadership and student support. Cville Tomorrow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Food Equity Volunteer Bread Across Borders. Charlottesville volunteers can help support food equity through Bread Across Borders service opportunities.

• Roanoke Councilman Peter Volosin faces backlash over remark Councilman Phazhon Nash called racially offensive. Nash publicly described a whispered comment that another member "owns" him as a racial slight; Volosin says it referred to political alignment and acknowledges it "landed differently than intended," while Mayor Sherman Lea is urging the council to reckon with its racial dynamics. Cardinal News

• Galax rejects mural featuring ethnically diverse musicians, sparking inclusion debate. The Southwest Virginia artist behind the proposal says the city's decision sends a message that some residents are not welcome in a community that prides itself on its musical heritage. Cardinal News

• Appalachian School of Law merger talks continue as Buchanan County faces leadership turmoil. The Grundy-based law school is in active merger discussions to secure its future even as political instability in Buchanan County raises additional questions about governance and regional economic impact. Cardinal News

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Do you enjoy singing/playing hymns? Hospice Volunteers Needed. Affinity Care of Virginia is seeking volunteers in Roanoke who enjoy singing or playing hymns for hospice service.

• Historic Triangle: James House - Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter. It is a practical volunteer option for readers who want a concrete shift rather than a calendar outing.