Attorney General Jay Jones has asked the State Corporation Commission to restart the 180-day clock on Dominion Energy's proposed merger with NextEra Energy, arguing that the companies' newly expanded conditions amount to "a different deal on the table." The fight is no longer a formality: the two utilities recently sweetened their pitch with bill credits and a promise of 1,000 new Virginia jobs, and Arlington County has already voted to intervene in the proceeding (Case No. PUR-2026-00112). At Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi's Roanoke stop Friday, advocates tied the merger directly to rising energy bills and who ultimately pays for the power that data centers demand. Watch the SCC's decision on the reset request — grant it, and the review slides toward 2027, giving regulators more room to litigate ratepayer protections instead of rubber-stamping a shareholder deal.

Legal analysts publishing Friday flagged that Gov. Abigail Spanberger's Executive Order 22 — signed Sept. 18 alongside the new Virginia Data Center Accountability Framework — raises real questions about how far a governor's executive authority reaches into local zoning and land-use decisions. The order bans nondisclosure agreements on data-center deals, targets noise and emissions, designates Eastern Virginia a cooling-water-scarcity area, and organizes oversight around five pillars from grid reliability to workforce. But localities still hold the approval levers on the ground, and much of the framework is meant to become permanent only through 2027 General Assembly legislation. The signal to watch: whether counties treat the EO as binding guidance or as a suggestion they can route around — and whether lawmakers codify it in January.

Loudoun County — home to 233 data centers, the largest concentration on Earth — voted 7-1-1 to move toward pausing board action on new data-center and certain substation applications for up to 12 months, with a formal resolution expected in October. Algonkian Supervisor Juli Briskman put it plainly: "It is time to take a breath, take a step back, make sure we have all the regulations in place." The stakes are enormous — data-center taxes brought in $1.2 billion, 39% of the county's fiscal 2026 budget, so a pause is also a bet against the revenue that funds the schools and services residents rely on. Prince William, meanwhile, voted 8–0 to gut by-right data-center development, and Frederick County is weighing removing them from its zoning code entirely. The question these votes leave open: where does diverted demand land next.

A newly disclosed land-purchase agreement reveals that Clearview Dynamics LLC is pursuing roughly 94 acres at Wood Haven Technology Park in Roanoke County for a data center, with water expected to come from Spring Hollow Reservoir. Because Roanoke, Roanoke County, and Salem jointly own the site, this becomes a regional decision rather than a single-county zoning vote — the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority is already negotiating development standards and community protections. Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb has addressed the proposal publicly as residents raise concerns, and City Council candidates debated data centers at a Thursday forum. The next pressure points: the inspection period, closing timeline, and any formal development application that turns speculation into a filing.

After more than three years of work, Wythe County is asking residents to weigh in on a draft comprehensive zoning ordinance — a foundational shift for one of the few Virginia localities still operating without countywide land-use rules. The proposal would create agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial districts, and notably would require a public hearing before any data center could be approved. For landowners, this means moving from largely unstructured decisions to a formal permitting system with public accountability built in. Watch the public-hearing and adoption process, where data-center siting is set to be the most consequential early fight.

Gov. Spanberger announced a second Free Fishing Weekend running Friday through Sunday, Sept. 25–27, letting Virginians fish without the usual license during the window. The timing coincides with National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day, effectively packaging free access to water with free access to public land. For families, it's a rare no-cost, no-paperwork outdoor weekend across the Commonwealth. The observable follow-through: whether these expanded free days become a recurring fall fixture rather than a one-off.

• Sterling pedestrian killed after being struck by two vehicles. Jacqueline Heaps, 77, of Sterling, died Wednesday night after being hit by a sedan and an SUV near Innovation Avenue and Sully Road; the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors. WTOP

• Roundabout construction begins on Sudley Road into Old Town Manassas. Work is underway on a safety-focused project that will bring detours and congestion to the area, with improvements including raised medians, connected sidewalks, and pedestrian refuge islands. WTOP

• Manassas weighs future of First Friday event after deadly shooting. City officials and community members are debating whether to continue, restructure, or end the popular First Friday gathering, with discussion centering on event security and whether organizers and the city created conditions that enabled the violence. InsideNova

• Arlington County weighs how to preserve affordable housing near Ballston. County officials are considering options to keep units below market rate as existing affordability protections near expiration, a decision that could affect hundreds of residents. ARLnow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Pick Up and Drive Food Pantry donations, Friday mornings only. Help feed the hungry in Centreville by picking up and driving food pantry donations for about an hour on Friday mornings.

• 2-year-old girl reported missing in Cumberland County. Authorities are searching for a toddler last seen on Hidden Valley Road, and the public is being asked to remain alert and share information with investigators. WRIC

• Suspect in VDOT contractors' deaths extradited, booked into Chesterfield jail. The woman accused of killing two VDOT contractors has been returned to Virginia and is now held at the Chesterfield County Jail. WRIC

• Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond closed for a day amid criminal investigation. School officials kept students home while authorities investigated possible unlawful student activity; the criminal investigation remains ongoing. WRIC

• Henrico County schools superintendent apologizes for persistent HVAC failures. Superintendent Amy Cashwell issued a video apology for ongoing air-conditioning and HVAC problems continuing to affect Henrico County Public Schools buildings. 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.

• 2-year-old boy fatally shot on LaSalle Avenue in Hampton. Hampton Police are investigating the killing of a toddler in what represents one of the region's most serious public-safety incidents this week. WAVY

• Severe weather batters Hampton Roads with flooding, high winds, and lightning strikes. Local agencies in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Newport News activated preparations including designated parking shelters, while Virginia Beach postponed a flood-protection groundbreaking to September 30. WAVY

• Neptune Festival schedule altered by high winds at Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Organizers modified portions of the September 25–27 festival program due to dangerous wind conditions affecting the beachfront venue. WAVY

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: RESET INC 2026 Trunk or Treat & Car/Motorcycle Show RESET INC. RESET INC will hold a 2026 Trunk or Treat and car and motorcycle show in Portsmouth, Virginia, as a service event.

• Albemarle County supervisors approve 165 additional units at Fifth Street complex. The rezoning approval adds significant density to an existing development and continues the county's ongoing debate over growth and infrastructure capacity. C-VILLE Weekly

• Charlottesville City Council considers temporarily redirecting $1 million in affordable housing funds. Council is weighing a request from Piedmont Housing Alliance to temporarily shift funds from the Kindlewood Phase 3 project to cover a loan payment tied to Carlton Mobile Home Park. VPM

• Albemarle School Board moves to fill vacant seat amid trust-rebuilding effort. The board is selecting a new member expected to be sworn in at the October 8 meeting, as the division works to restore public confidence in its governance. Cville Right Now

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Administrative Support Volunteer Trinity Hospice ✨ Perform general office and administrative tasks. Trinity Hospice seeks a volunteer in Charlottesville to help with general office and administrative tasks.

• Stabbing investigated on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg police responded to a stabbing on Caroline Street, while Stafford County authorities separately documented multiple fraud-related reports. Potomac Local

• Route 1 and Augustine Avenue construction project gets underway in Fredericksburg. Work began at the Route 1–Augustine Avenue intersection and is expected to continue through October 2027, affecting travel between Stafford Avenue and the College Avenue/Eagle Village Drive intersections. Potomac Local

• Supervisors call Faith in Housing proposal an unfunded mandate. Local supervisors pushed back against a proposed housing requirement, arguing it would impose costs on counties without local authorization and raises broader questions about state versus local control of housing policy. Potomac Local

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

• Knife found in 9-year-old's desk at Berkeley Glenn Elementary School in Waynesboro. Waynesboro Public Schools officials launched an investigation after a student reported the weapon to an instructional assistant, raising school-safety concerns. Rocktown Now

• Staunton Police identify man killed in officer-involved shooting. Staunton Police released the name of the male suspect who died at the scene of an officer-involved shooting, as the investigation continues. Rocktown Now

• Special prosecutor rules Page County officer-involved shooting was justified. A special prosecutor reviewed the case and determined the officer's use of force was legally justified, closing a significant local law-enforcement inquiry. Augusta Free Press

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Companion Hospice Volunteer-Fishersville area Legacy Hospice ✨ Visit patients to provide companionship. Legacy Hospice seeks volunteers in the Fishersville area to visit patients and offer companionship.

• FBI identifies Wilmer as responsible for 38-year-old disappearances of Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey. The FBI Norfolk Field Office announced a resolution in the long-unsolved cases of Richard "Keith" Call of Gloucester and Cassandra Lee Hailey of Grafton, bringing closure to decades of unanswered questions. Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal

• Expert warns data center construction in Historic Triangle would be "irresponsible" given groundwater conditions. A Chesapeake Bay Foundation policy expert urged local officials to reconsider major development projects, citing dwindling groundwater supplies across Coastal Virginia. The Triangle

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: RESET INC 2026 Trunk or Treat & Car/Motorcycle Show RESET INC. RESET INC will host a 2026 Trunk or Treat and car and motorcycle show in Portsmouth on October service hours.

• Radford officials back TripStop travel center near I-81 Exit 105. City leaders are supporting the commercial development project as a key revenue opportunity, with the travel center expected to expand Radford's commercial tax base. Cardinal News

• VHSL approves Grayson County reclassification appeal, rejects three others. The Virginia High School League granted Grayson County's athletic reclassification appeal while turning down similar requests from Patrick Henry-Roanoke, Marion, and James River. Cardinal News

• Virginia's Blue Ridge GO Cross event expected to draw 5,000 visitors to Fallon Park. The UCI-sanctioned cyclocross event is set to bring significant weekend tourism activity to Roanoke, with potential impact on local businesses and traffic. Roanoke Patch

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Hospice Volunteer Agape Care Group ✨ Provide companionship and support to patients. Roanoke volunteers can offer companionship and support to hospice patients through Agape Care Group.

• Northern Virginia: Pick Up and Drive Food Pantry donations, Friday mornings only. Help feed the hungry in Centreville by picking up and driving food pantry donations for about an hour on Friday mornings.

• Hampton Roads: RESET INC 2026 Trunk or Treat & Car/Motorcycle Show RESET INC. RESET INC will hold a 2026 Trunk or Treat and car and motorcycle show in Portsmouth, Virginia, as a service event.