The Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to end by-right data-center development countywide, shrinking the qualifying overlay from roughly 9,700 acres to about 3,650 — a 62% cut. Most projects outside the revised zone will now need a special-use permit and public review, handing the board direct authority over where the next server farm lands and forcing developers into a process residents can actually contest. A 90-day transition period covers some projects already in the pipeline, and by-right approvals had been the default since 2016, per Patch. The live subplot is Dominion Energy's Vint Hill substation request near Nokesville — expansion tied to as many as seven proposed buildings — which tests whether individual power projects keep advancing under old approvals despite the new zoning wall.

While Prince William slammed the door, Loudoun County supervisors advanced a resolution that would pause review of all new data center and substation applications for up to 12 months. This is not a small county flinching: Loudoun holds the world's largest concentration of data centers — 233 built or under construction as of March — and the industry funded $1.2 billion, or 39% of the fiscal 2026 budget, per the Washington Times. Supervisor Juli Briskman said residents have "basically been begging us to do something about the unchecked growth," per the Virginia Mercury. Because Loudoun anchors the corridor carrying the majority of global internet traffic, a freeze here reshapes where hyperscalers build next — watch whether diverted demand quietly lands in Fauquier and Prince William's remaining 3,650 acres.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), whose district includes Reagan National, called for the immediate suspension of the FAA's new AI system — Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, or SMART — now managing flights at Washington-area airports. Beyer says controllers were neither trained on the system nor consulted on its design, and that airlines have been "privately panicking" over the rollout, per Newsweek. The FAA argues SMART prevents landing bottlenecks at single-runway airports like DCA by making micro-adjustments early in a flight, per WUSA9 — but Beyer invoked last year's fatal DCA crash to argue Virginians shouldn't be the test case. The signal to watch: whether the FAA answers his suspension demand in writing or lets an untrained rollout keep running through peak fall travel.

NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy unveiled a Virginia sweetener package — expanded bill relief and 1,000 new in-state jobs — as they push their $67 billion merger toward regulatory approval, per Bloomberg. The deal would make Dominion a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra, with closing expected in the second half of 2027 pending sign-off from the State Corporation Commission (Case No. PUR-2026-00112). Shareholders have already backed it, per 12 On Your Side, but Arlington County has formally intervened and Democratic lawmakers are pressing for more General Assembly review time. A public hearing is set for October at Christopher Newport University in Newport News — the concessions only appeared once localities and lawmakers made the SCC docket a real fight over who pays for data-center power.

The U.S. Navy announced that Hunt Military Communities will take over all housing for young sailors at Norfolk and Virginia Beach bases and build a new complex in Newport News, in a five-year, $1.7 billion deal. The agreement covers constructing or renovating 8,098 beds, with more than $450 million going to HomePort Hampton Roads 2 — two 17-story towers with about 750 apartments in downtown Newport News, per Virginia Business. The project follows a series of sailor suicides and investigations into living conditions that pushed the Navy in 2023 to overhaul quality of life. Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones called it "the largest federal investment in Newport News history," and it's partly backed by a Commonwealth of Virginia loan that gets reimbursed only if the project hits its criteria, per WHRO.

Early voting is underway statewide ahead of the November 3 midterms, with every Virginian deciding one of the Commonwealth's two U.S. Senate seats — incumbent Democrat Mark Warner against Republican Bert Mizusawa, per Northern Virginia Magazine. Voters also face three ballot questions on reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and automatic restoration of voting rights after felony prison terms, per Fox5DC. In House District 20 — covering Manassas, Manassas Park, and parts of Prince William — a special election pits Democrat Sonia Ruth Vasquez Luna against Republican Nathaniel Fritzen, per WTOP. The registration deadline is October 23; watch whether turnout in the Loudoun–Prince William data-center corridor spikes, because those precincts could decide House control.

• Prince William supervisors unanimously block Dominion Energy's $300 million Vint Hill switching-station upgrade. The Board of Supervisors denied Dominion's special-use permit amid resident pushback, with critics arguing the expansion primarily served surging data-center demand rather than general grid reliability. Prince William Times

• Prince William County moves to end by-right data-center development. The county took a landmark step toward requiring Board of Supervisors approval for all new data centers, a change that would sharply shrink the existing data-center opportunity zone. Prince William Times

• Manassas debates the future of First Friday after deadly shooting. City officials and community members are weighing security upgrades and event redesigns for the popular monthly downtown gathering after a teenage girl was shot and killed there earlier this month. Inside Nova

• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors restores $707,908 for high-school crossing guards. After hours of public testimony, supervisors approved funding to keep crossing guards at 11 county high schools through the rest of the 2026–27 school year, reversing a budget-cut consequence. WTOP

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Trail Cleanup Friday Mornings Leopold's Preserve. Volunteer Fridays at Leopold's Preserve in Broad Run offer a chance to help with trail cleanup in Northern Virginia.

• Richmond kicks off fiscal year 2028 budget season with focus on housing and workforce. City leaders identified the municipal workforce, public housing, and lowering residents' cost of living as top priorities, with formal budget discussions expected to begin in October. WRIC

• Unpaid real-estate taxes continue to pile up in Richmond with no clear resolution. City officials have yet to announce a plan for addressing the growing backlog of delinquent property taxes, raising concerns about municipal finances and local services. WRIC

• Chesterfield County man pleads guilty to abusing cats for financial gain. The case drew attention as a notable local animal-welfare matter, with sentencing and potential restrictions still to come. 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 service opportunity.

• September 22 storm flooding partially submerges vehicle in York High School parking lot. Heavy rain and tidal flooding from the coastal storm created hazardous conditions across Hampton Roads, with York County among the hardest-hit areas. WAVY

• Hampton police investigate shooting with serious injuries. At least one person was seriously wounded in an active public-safety investigation; details remain limited as the inquiry continues. WAVY

• Suffolk celebrates grand opening of Hampton Roads' first Sheetz. The store — the company's 861st nationwide and 131st in Virginia — drew crowds on opening day, marking a significant retail addition to the region. WAVY

• Chesapeake condominium fire displaces five residents. Emergency crews responded to the blaze, leaving five people without housing as the incident drew local attention. WAVY

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Special Needs Education & Care Volunteer and Internship Placement SFLIG Volunteers ✨ Support local educators and therapi. SFLIG Volunteers offers Hampton Roads volunteer and internship placements supporting local educators and therapists in special needs education and care.

• Charlottesville City Schools hosts "Budget Bistro" tonight for public input on school spending. The division is inviting residents to Charlottesville Middle School from 6–7:30 p.m. to discuss spending priorities over a free dinner, with interpreters, child care, and transportation available. 29News

• Charlottesville Planning Commission begins review of the city's Comprehensive Plan. Staff from the Department of Neighborhood Development Services outlined how they intend to proceed with the update, which will shape long-term decisions on land use, housing, and transportation. Info Cville

• Charlottesville's first two battery-electric school buses enter service. The City of Charlottesville and Charlottesville Area Transit announced the rollout as a notable step forward in local transportation infrastructure. City of Charlottesville

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Copy of Hospice Volunteer in Fishersville: Bring Comfort, Companionship, and Hope Medical Services of America Hospice ✨. Medical Services of America Hospice seeks Charlottesville volunteers in Fishersville to offer comfort, companionship, and hope through service.

• Construction begins today on Route 1 intersection improvements in Fredericksburg. Work starts Wednesday between Stafford Avenue and the College Avenue/Eagle Village Drive intersections, with lane restrictions and detours expected through October 2027. Potomac Local News

• Route 301 intersection upgrades get underway in Dahlgren. The King George County project at Commerce Drive/University Drive and Market Center will convert both intersections to signalized double restricted-crossing U-turn designs, with completion targeted for June 2027. Potomac Local News

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

• Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith defends the county's Flock license-plate-reader camera program. Smith addressed public criticism of the program, including scrutiny of its reported success rate, as debate over automated surveillance technology continues statewide. Augusta Free Press

• Waynesboro Public Library hosts art exhibit on domestic abuse, produced in partnership with James Madison University. New Directions Center and JMU collaborated on the exhibit to highlight domestic-abuse issues in the local community. Augusta Free Press

• Harrisonburg teenager charged with making threat against Westwood Hills Elementary School. The charge follows an alleged threat involving the school, prompting a local law-enforcement response. 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.. Volunteer in Harrisonburg to sort, clean, repair, price, and display items at Gift and Thrift, Inc.

• Western Virginia Industrial Facility Authority confirms Wood Haven Technology Park sale involves a potential data center. The project would draw water from Spring Hollow Reservoir, with Clearview Dynamics funding infrastructure; specific demand figures are still being negotiated. Cardinal News

• Roanoke-area leaders explore building an AI-ready regional economy. Discussions include a potential facility near the proposed data center campus at Botetourt Center at Greenfield, as the region looks to attract artificial-intelligence businesses. Cardinal News

• Virginia investigators sought Florida search warrants in the Natural Bridge Zoo case involving Asha the elephant — and were turned down. Florida authorities declined to honor Virginia's warrant requests, complicating the interstate animal-welfare investigation. Cardinal News

• Washington County supervisors hold public hearing on 1% sales-tax referendum for school upgrades. The board considered whether to seek court authorization for a voter referendum on the tax increase, which would fund school-building improvements amid ongoing debate over possible government and school-system consolidation. 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.

• Northern Virginia: Trail Cleanup Friday Mornings Leopold's Preserve. Volunteer Fridays at Leopold's Preserve in Broad Run offer a chance to help with trail cleanup in Northern Virginia.

• Hampton Roads: Special Needs Education & Care Volunteer and Internship Placement SFLIG Volunteers ✨ Support local educators and therapi. SFLIG Volunteers offers Hampton Roads volunteer and internship placements supporting local educators and therapists in special needs education and care.