Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Payne in Richmond issued a preliminary injunction Monday halting most of Virginia's new law restricting how local law enforcement cooperates with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under federal 287(g) agreements. The law was supposed to force those partnerships to be rewritten by September 1 to bar enforcement at schools, churches, courthouses, and polling places — instead, the ruling keeps existing arrangements at sheriffs' offices and police departments across the state exactly as they are. The case tests how far a state can go in curbing local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement without colliding with federal supremacy, per Virginia Mercury. Watch whether Virginia appeals to the Fourth Circuit, which would set the schedule for the full legal fight.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is weighing a resolution from two supervisors that would set an expiration date on 23 data center projects previously grandfathered in ahead of a proposed countywide moratorium. On July 22 the board voted 6-1 to study whether a moratorium is even legal, with that determination expected September 15 — a decision that could void by-right status on billions of dollars of digital infrastructure in the county that hosts the world's densest concentration of data centers, per FOX 5 DC. If the moratorium survives a court test, neighboring counties inherit a ready-made ordinance to copy. The September 15 legality finding is the domino everyone is watching.

The Campbell County Board of Supervisors indicated it will adopt a formal resolution opposing a $1 billion electric transmission line — part of a three-state project running from Campbell to Culpeper County — built primarily to feed Loudoun County's data center cluster. Board members questioned why rural Southside residents should host new grid infrastructure for a Northern Virginia tech hub they see no direct benefit from, and gave themselves a 30-day window to draft resolution text for submission to the State Corporation Commission. A strong county resolution can shape SCC hearings on route adjustments, mitigation, and delay. The pressure now falls on every other locality along the route to align with Campbell or hold back to preserve their own leverage.

Fourteen Democratic delegates and senators signed a letter Monday urging Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special General Assembly session so lawmakers can extend the State Corporation Commission's review timeline for the proposed $67 billion Dominion Energy–NextEra merger, per The Virginian-Pilot. Spanberger has noted the Assembly never fully adjourned its 2026 budget session, meaning lawmakers could theoretically reconvene on their own to attach conditions to one of the largest utility consolidations in state history. The stakes reach beyond Virginia: if the legislature secures enforceable merger conditions, other states get a template to slow NextEra's national expansion. Watch whether that letter converts into an actual reconvene date.

Attorney General Jay Jones announced a new Federal Accountability Unit inside the Office of the Attorney General — four new attorneys spanning the Solicitor General and Civil Litigation divisions, led by Deputy Solicitor General Megan Keenan — to challenge federal actions Jones says exceed constitutional authority. Jones framed the targets specifically: tariffs "that exacerbate the cost crisis" and "the damage left behind by DOGE," the federal cost-cutting effort that gutted parts of Northern Virginia's federal workforce. The unit turns a campaign posture into staffed litigation capacity aimed squarely at Washington. The signal to watch: the first filing, and whether it names a specific federal agency rather than gesturing at overreach in the abstract.

Amazon held a press event and community meet-and-greet at Richmond Raceway to sell residents on Prime Air drone delivery for parts of Richmond, Henrico County, and Hanover County — while still seeking the federal and local approvals it needs to actually fly, per The Richmonder. Prime Air serves 11 U.S. localities today, with Amazon claiming a target of 500 cities and towns by year's end. Much of the enabling legislation passed years ago, but Henrico County and the City of Richmond still have to sign off on operations. Watch those local approval votes — the meet-and-greet is Amazon manufacturing public support before the paperwork lands.

Virginia Tech cut the ribbon on its Counter-UAS Testing and Research Center, a $5 million Army-funded project at Blacksburg's Kentland Farm aimed at detecting and destroying drones that threaten military installations, law enforcement, and infrastructure. U.S. Senator Mark Warner attended alongside Corps of Cadets commandant Gen. William H. Seely III and National Security Institute director Eric Paterson, per Cardinal News. The timing is pointed: it lands the same week Naval Station Norfolk briefly locked down its gates under heightened security. National-security work is now the largest slice of Tech's federal research portfolio, which means Blacksburg's growth is increasingly tied to the drone-threat environment playing out at Hampton Roads.

• Fairfax County reinstates crossing guards at 11 high schools after student struck by car. The move comes after a vehicle hit a 16-year-old near South Lakes High School in Reston; county leaders will also review school crossings and are expected to discuss restoring funding for guards at high-risk locations at a Sept. 15 Board of Supervisors meeting. WTOP

• Love triangle cited in Great Falls trail stabbing death. Fairfax County prosecutors say Herndon man Alexis Cedillos-Campos told a witness he planned to kill 42-year-old Carmen Puch before allegedly leaving work with a kitchen knife and gasoline-filled bottle; he is being held without bond ahead of a Nov. 30 preliminary hearing. WTOP

• Washington Manassas Airport earns FAA commercial certificate, but first flights still a year away. The City of Manassas-owned airport received its Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate — the last federal approval needed before hosting scheduled passenger airlines — though officials say commercial service likely won't begin until late 2027. Potomac Local News

• Arlington restaurateur Bobby Lee dies at 87, closing Mister Days permanently. Lee spent decades shaping the D.C. area's bar and restaurant scene; his family confirmed that Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe in Clarendon will not reopen following his passing. ARLnow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Pick Up and Drive Food Pantry donations, Friday mornings only. In Centreville, Virginia, volunteers are needed for about an hour on Friday mornings to help with food pantry donations.

• Richmond Public Schools closes Bellevue Elementary for mold remediation. The 114-year-old Church Hill school is shut down for full-scale remediation and air-quality testing, with students relocated to temporary instructional sites while HVAC and humidity issues are addressed. Axios Richmond

• Man arrested after damaging roughly 90 vehicles with bricks in Shockoe Bottom. Richmond Police took a male suspect into custody following the mass vandalism near Main Street Station; investigators are working with VCU Police to identify vehicle owners and assess the widespread property damage. WTVR

• Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden workers reject final contract offer, vote on strike. Unionized employees represented by the IAM Union turned down the Henrico nonprofit's final offer over wages and bargaining practices, raising the prospect of a work stoppage that could affect operations and public events. The Richmonder

• Virginia State University's "Fired Six" faculty remain terminated despite Faculty Senate support. Six agriculture research professors at the Chesterfield-area institution have not been reinstated even after the Faculty Senate recommended it, fueling ongoing controversy over alleged wrongful termination and disruption of multimillion-dollar research projects. 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 during the holiday season with Enhabit Hospice.

• Charlottesville signs contract with Central Arizona Shelter Services to operate new Holiday Drive shelter. The city finalized a $3.2 million agreement with CASS just days before the planned Sept. 1 opening of the 120-bed low-barrier emergency shelter at 2000 Holiday Drive, resolving weeks of uncertainty about who would run the facility. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Free Bridge encampment residents say they lack information as city's clearing deadline arrives. People living along the Rivanna River reported being "in the dark" about enforcement of Charlottesville's Sept. 1 no-trespassing deadline, underscoring tensions between official assurances and residents' fears of displacement. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Town of Orange more than doubles funding for two local food pantries. Local officials increased annual support for the two pantries in response to growing demand, with pantry leaders saying the additional funding is critical to keeping pace with rising need in the rural Piedmont community. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Clothing Center CVBA - Volunteer Hours Clothing Center CVBA. It is a practical volunteer option for readers who want a concrete shift rather than a calendar outing.

• Stafford County Planning Commission recommends Accokeek Center data campus in 4–3 vote. After a packed, hours-long hearing, commissioners narrowly backed rezoning and a conditional use permit for the Falmouth Tech LLC project — two data center buildings totaling 590,000 square feet plus a power substation on roughly 120 acres — sending it to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision. Potomac Local News

• Belvedere Plantation owners confirm plans to pursue a technology campus near Fredericksburg. The owners of the historic 600-plus-acre farm known for its fall harvest festival confirmed they are pursuing a data center development on the property, though the popular Fall Harvest Festival is still expected to run this season. Patch

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

• 19-year-old shot near James Madison University campus in Harrisonburg. The victim reported being shot in a housing complex on Devon Lane on Saturday night, and the Harrisonburg Police Department is continuing to investigate the circumstances. Augusta Free Press

• Staunton Police arrest six in online solicitation of minors sweep. Officers took six individuals into custody in a targeted operation focused on internet-based child exploitation, part of an ongoing local law enforcement effort. Augusta Free Press

• Virginia DEQ schedules second public hearing on Northrop Grumman pollution permit in Waynesboro. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality set an additional hearing to give residents and officials another opportunity to comment on the defense contractor's permit request and its potential environmental and public health impacts. Augusta Free Press

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Volunteer at Harrisonburg Gift and Thrift Gift and Thrift, Inc. ✨ Sort, clean, repair, price, and display items.. Volunteers in Harrisonburg can sort, clean, repair, price, and arrange items at Gift and Thrift, Inc.

• Carvins Cove reservoir data examined as Roanoke Valley water concerns persist. Cardinal News analyzed reservoir levels to assess how serious the water situation has become for the Western Virginia Water Authority service area, which includes Roanoke, Salem, and Roanoke County. Cardinal News

• Washington County courthouse to remain closed until Sept. 14 after microbial growth discovered. An air-quality issue forced an extended closure of the courthouse, directly affecting court operations and residents seeking services in the Southwest Virginia county. Cardinal News

• Pulaski councilman faces removal vote following arrest on child sexual abuse material charges. The arrest of the sitting municipal official has triggered a possible removal action, raising questions about local government continuity in Pulaski. Cardinal News

• Salvation Army denies employment discrimination claims in Lynchburg. The organization formally rejected allegations of workplace discrimination in a dispute that has drawn attention to labor practices at the Lynchburg operation. Cardinal News

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Hospice Volunteer Agape Care Group. Agape Care Group offers hospice volunteer opportunities in the Roanoke area.

• Northern Virginia: Pick Up and Drive Food Pantry donations, Friday mornings only. In Centreville, Virginia, volunteers are needed for about an hour on Friday mornings to help with food pantry donations.

• Charlottesville: Clothing Center CVBA - Volunteer Hours Clothing Center CVBA. It is a practical volunteer option for readers who want a concrete shift rather than a calendar outing.