The $513 million transmission line cutting through eastern Loudoun County — 185-foot towers strung with 230- and 500-kilovolt lines to feed the data centers of "Data Center Alley" — is now bound for the Supreme Court of Virginia. The State Corporation Commission declined to suspend its June 29 final order, even though Dominion Energy itself backed the pause, writing that further delay "unreasonably jeopardizes" reliable electric service. The Loudoun County School Board has filed its notice of appeal, arguing the SCC ignored a possible land swap, overvalued Dominion's schedule, and dismissed a new state law making undergrounding more feasible. The county, the schools, and Dominion meet in a joint session Wednesday, July 29 — but with the commission's jurisdiction expired, any deal would need a brand-new legal vehicle to move the route. Watch whether that meeting produces a settlement with nowhere to file it.

A developer behind the Digital Gateway project bordering Manassas National Battlefield Park has withdrawn its challenge to an appeals-court ruling that went against the plan, easing near-term legal pressure on Prince William County's most contentious data-center fight. The move signals capital may pivot away from battlefield-adjacent tracts toward corridors with cleaner zoning and existing transmission paths — Western Prince William, Fauquier, and Loudoun's established Ashburn hub. For residents near Gainesville and Manassas, that could mean the fight shifts venues rather than ends. Watch the Prince William County Planning Office over the next 30–60 days for new rezoning applications and substation filings in those alternative corridors.

Virginia's August 4 primary enters its last stretch, with in-person early voting running through Saturday, August 1. Every Virginia Republican chooses among Kim Farington, Bert Mizusawa, and David Williams to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Warner this fall, while three Northern Virginia U.S. House districts hold primaries — including the 7th, where Philip Harding, Douglas Ollivant, and Rick Smithers compete to face Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman. The primary was pushed from its usual June slot to leave room for a midterm redistricting that never happened — Virginia's Supreme Court struck down the ballot initiative, leaving the 6-5 congressional map intact. Turnout has been reported as light, according to WVVA, which means a thinning pool of die-hards will pick nominees for competitive fall races. Watch the August 1 walk-up cutoff: after that, no cushion.

WSLS 10 has issued a Weather Authority Alert Day for Tuesday, July 28, covering Southwest and Central Virginia, including the Roanoke and Lynchburg metro areas, with strong-to-severe storms expected to arrive in two distinct rounds. Two-wave setups matter because the first line can leave downed limbs and saturated ground that make the second round's wind and flooding more dangerous. Residents across the Roanoke Valley are advised to monitor conditions throughout the day. Watch for afternoon and evening warnings as each wave moves through. [DEVELOPING]

• Quantico schedules live-fire training through August 7. Marine Corps Base Quantico will conduct live-fire exercises through Aug. 7, with officials warning residents in Prince William and surrounding counties to expect loud noises and possible vibrations during daytime and nighttime hours, though there is no threat to public safety. Potomac Local

• Manassas school board candidate's social media posts spark church-school separation debate. A Manassas City School Board candidate is under scrutiny after sharing posts endorsing school prayer and biblical authority on gender and evolution, fueling debate over the role of religious beliefs in public education governance ahead of November's election. Potomac Local

• Arlington mourns Dr. Alfred Taylor, Green Valley civic leader and historian, at 91. Dr. Alfred Taylor, a central figure in Arlington's Green Valley neighborhood and a key chronicler of its Black history, has died, leaving a lasting legacy in civic engagement, education advocacy, and community preservation. ARLnow

• Dream Chaser's Coffee reopens in Alexandria's Eisenhower West after rent dispute. The neighborhood café Dream Chaser's Coffee has reopened following a sudden shutdown over unpaid rent, after reaching a new agreement with its landlord that restores a popular gathering spot for area residents. ALXnow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: FRESHFARM Farmers Market Volunteer - Arlington & Fairfax FRESHFARM Markets ✨ Assist with farmers market operations. Northern Virginia volunteers can help with farmers market operations at FRESHFARM markets in Arlington and Fairfax.

• Discolored tap water reported across Richmond neighborhoods. Some Richmond residents are seeing yellow and brown tap water, which the city's Department of Public Utilities attributes to increased demand and stirred-up sediment, saying the water is safe to drink and advising residents to run cold water until it clears. WRIC

• 13-year-old dies after medical emergency at Henrico pool. Henrico Police are investigating after a 13-year-old was pulled from a county pool during a medical emergency and later died at the hospital; authorities say foul play is not suspected but are continuing to review the circumstances. WRIC

• Petersburg leaders demand transparency on advancing data center project. Some Petersburg City Council members say they lack key information on the scope, incentives, and community impact of a large data center development, calling for more public transparency on land use, infrastructure demands, and potential economic benefits. WRIC

• Richmond begins routing 911 calls to regional emergency communications center. The City of Richmond has started transferring 911 calls to the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications rather than the police department, a change officials say will streamline dispatch and improve response times across police, fire, and EMS. WRIC

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Richmond ReStore Volunteer🛒♻️ Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity ✨ Process donations and assist store customers. Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity seeks volunteers to process donations and assist customers at the Richmond ReStore.

• Norfolk police chief addresses wave of weekend shootings. Norfolk's police chief held a press conference to address multiple homicides and injuries from a series of weekend shootings across several city neighborhoods, outlining the department's investigative progress and ongoing efforts to curb gun violence. WAVY

• Religious hat dispute turns violent in Virginia Beach courtroom. A confrontation over a man's religious hat in a Virginia Beach courtroom turned violent, prompting a review of courthouse security procedures and policies governing religious expression and conflict de-escalation in local courts. WAVY

• Man dies after boat strikes dock on Elizabeth River. A man died after a boat crashed into a dock on the Elizabeth River, prompting a marine accident investigation by local authorities examining speed, visibility, and possible impairment as contributing factors. WAVY

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: SHARE SUMMERTIME JOY AS A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER (Virginia Beach area) Enhabit Hospice ✨ Provide friendship and socialization. Enhabit Hospice seeks volunteers in the Virginia Beach area to offer friendship and socialization as part of hospice service.

• Charlottesville selects "Rooted" baobab tree sculpture to replace melted Lee statue. Charlottesville's public art process has advanced a plan to transform the melted Confederate monument into a bronze baobab tree sculpture called "Rooted," slated for Market Street Park as the city continues to reshape its public spaces. Cville Tomorrow

• Greene County Sheriff and ICE arrest 49 people days before new state restrictions took effect. A joint operation between the Greene County Sheriff's Office and ICE resulted in 49 arrests, drawing regional attention because it was conducted just before a new state law would have limited that kind of local-federal cooperation. Cville Tomorrow

• Charlottesville advocates push for summer shelter count to better gauge housing need. Local advocates are calling for a summer point-in-time shelter count to more accurately estimate housing instability and help city leaders and nonprofits plan resources for those in need. 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 police investigate three assaults on local walking paths. Fredericksburg police are investigating three reported assaults on walking paths and are urging residents to remain vigilant, while directing victims to the Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault for support. DC News Now

• King George County man sought in Fredericksburg late-night shooting. Fredericksburg police have identified a King George County man as a suspect in a late-night shooting that injured a victim and are asking the public for information to help locate him. Patch

• Mary Washington Healthcare reports half of residency graduates staying in the region. Mary Washington Healthcare says roughly 50% of its residency program graduates are remaining to practice in the Fredericksburg–Rappahannock area, a positive sign for local healthcare capacity, though the system is declining to release graduates' names. Potomac Local

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

• Austrian company RINGANA to open first U.S. headquarters in Roanoke, bringing 435 jobs. RINGANA, an Austrian life sciences company, will establish its first American headquarters in Roanoke with an $85 million investment and 435 new jobs projected over five years, marking a major economic development win for the city and the broader region. City of Roanoke

• Radford Arsenal incinerator completion pushed back to 2027. The long-delayed waste incinerator project at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant has had its completion date pushed back again, sustaining local concerns in the New River Valley about emissions, environmental impacts, and oversight near Radford and Montgomery County. Cardinal News

• Wythe County native tapped to lead Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. A Wythe County native has been selected to head the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, a role that will direct economic development investments across tobacco-dependent communities in Southwest and Southside Virginia. Cardinal News

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Hospice Volunteer Agape Care Group. Agape Care Group is seeking volunteers in Roanoke to support hospice services.

• Northern Virginia: FRESHFARM Farmers Market Volunteer - Arlington & Fairfax FRESHFARM Markets ✨ Assist with farmers market operations. Northern Virginia volunteers can help with farmers market operations at FRESHFARM markets in Arlington and Fairfax.

• Hampton Roads: SHARE SUMMERTIME JOY AS A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER (Virginia Beach area) Enhabit Hospice ✨ Provide friendship and socialization. Enhabit Hospice seeks volunteers in the Virginia Beach area to offer friendship and socialization as part of hospice service.