Buried beneath the Senate and House races on this November's ballot are constitutional questions that could reshape how Virginia treats reproductive rights and same-sex marriage — the latter would strip the state's still-standing constitutional ban on marriage between same-sex couples. WDBJ's weekend coverage framed these amendments as arguably the most consequential decisions voters face, precisely because a constitutional change outlasts any single administration or legislative majority. Early voting is already underway across the commonwealth and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. The observable signal: turnout patterns and county-by-county margins on the amendment questions, which will tell you whether Virginians treat these as culture-war flashpoints or settled ground.

Early in-person voting opened Friday, Sept. 18 and continues through Oct. 31, with Election Day set for Tuesday, Nov. 3 — and the stakes stretch well past Virginia's borders. Voters are deciding a U.S. Senate contest, all 11 U.S. House seats, three constitutional amendments, and in 47 localities, whether to raise the sales tax to fund school construction. The marquee fight is the 7th Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman defends a seat he won with roughly 51% in 2024; Republicans are targeting it hard across Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, and parts of Prince William. A separate special election in House District 20 — Sonia Ruth Vasquez Luna against Nathaniel Fritzen for Michelle Maldonado's vacated seat — will read as a proxy for Democratic strength in the shifting Northern Virginia suburbs. Watch the 7th District returns; analysts say some Virginia House races could tip the balance of Congress.

Executive Order 22, signed Sept. 18, is the most sweeping executive action on data centers in Virginia's history: it bans NDAs tied to data center projects, restricts state economic-development assistance, and requires local approval for any facility drawing more than 25 megawatts — ending by-right approval across the commonwealth. Per the Daily Signal, new data centers may be required to supply their own power at peak demand, like sweltering summer afternoons, to spare the grid. The catch is legal reach: localities control zoning on the ground, and much of EO 22 reads as guidance rather than a hard mandate. Spanberger has said she'll work with the General Assembly in the 2027 session to codify the standards into permanent law. Watch whether counties treat the 25-megawatt threshold as a rule or a suggestion — the framework lives or dies on what January's legislature makes binding.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted 7-1-1 on Sept. 15-16 to draft a resolution pausing new data center applications for up to 12 months while it rewrites its zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan. This is the world's densest data center cluster — 233 centers generating $1.2 billion, or 39% of the county's fiscal 2026 budget — so a pause here is a genuine bet against the county's own revenue engine. Leesburg's Kristen Umstattd voted no; Catoctin's Caleb Kershner abstained. Loudoun is also moving to pause direct-serve substations while keeping the right to approve grid-reliability ones. The formal resolution is expected in October — watch whether it survives contact with the county's budget math intact.

The State Corporation Commission is reviewing NextEra Energy's proposed acquisition of Virginia Electric and Power Company under case PUR-2026-00112 — what would be the largest utility merger in U.S. history — with the first public hearing scheduled for November. NextEra has agreed to keep Dominion's headquarters in Richmond, and the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2027 pending approvals. Gov. Spanberger has formally intervened, saying Virginians "deserve to know that their long-term interests, not simply those of the companies involved, are being put first." For ratepayers, the SCC's evaluation of service quality and bill impact is where the abstract merger becomes a number on your monthly statement. The November hearing is the signal to watch — it's the first place the public gets to contest who pays for the grid the data centers keep straining.

Virginia faces a highway maintenance shortfall of at least $1.7 billion, a gap that Transportation Secretary Nick Donohue bluntly told the Commonwealth Transportation Board has "no mitigation strategy that makes this not painful." Over two decades, the state's inventory has ballooned to 21,200 bridges and 59,700 miles of pavement — all demanding millions annually — while one-time budget infusions that plugged the gap under the Youngkin administration weren't sustained, per Virginia Mercury. Deferred maintenance is a slow-motion safety and economic liability that can choke off future construction. Watch how the incoming General Assembly and Spanberger's administration handle this in the 2027 budget: it's the difference between potholes now and bridge closures later.

• Five wounded in Arlington house-party shooting. A shooting near Columbia Pike left five people wounded, one seriously, after gunfire erupted at a large house party in the Arlington View neighborhood shortly before 3 a.m. ARLnow

• Fairfax County School Board unanimously bans license-plate readers on school property. The board voted 12–0 to prohibit automatic license-plate-reader systems, including Flock cameras, from all roughly 200 Fairfax County Public Schools properties, citing privacy concerns. WTOP

• Loudoun County hosts Ashburn open house on data-center standards tonight. Residents can weigh in on siting and development policies for future data centers at a public open house Monday evening at Broad Run High School, part of the county's Data Center Standards and Locations planning process. InsideNova

• Manassas debates future of First Friday after deadly shooting. City officials and community members are discussing whether to restructure the popular First Friday event, weighing changes to event management and public-safety measures following a fatal shooting. InsideNova

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Donations- Oakton High School Pantry Oakton High School Pantry. This reads as a broad community-service option around Northern Virginia, not just another calendar event.

• Richmond City Council considers solar agreement and tax-rate cut. At its Monday meeting, the council is scheduled to vote on a 25-year solar-panel agreement for city-owned buildings and a proposal to reduce the property tax rate four cents, from $1.20 to $1.16 per $100 of assessed value. VPM

• Richmond police shoot man accused of domestic abduction. Officers shot a man at an apartment on Southwood Parkway on Friday after he was accused of holding a woman against her will; the investigation is ongoing. WRIC

• Man found dead inside North Side business. Richmond Police Department detectives are investigating after a man was found unresponsive with an apparent gunshot wound inside a business in the 4200 block of North Avenue early Saturday morning. WRIC

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Respite Care Volunteers — Giving Caregivers Relief ACG Hospice Virginia ✨ Provide companionship and emotional support. ACG Hospice Virginia seeks Richmond volunteers to offer companionship and emotional support while giving caregivers a needed break.

• Dominion Energy crews work to restore power after nor'easter. More than 9,000 Dominion Energy customers in Hampton Roads remained without electricity Monday as crews repaired storm-related damage from the weekend nor'easter. WAVY

• Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel to close four weekends for repaving. VDOT announced phased weekend closures of one direction of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel to complete necessary repaving work, with significant traffic impacts expected for Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and surrounding communities. Norfolk.gov

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Volunteers Needed in Norfolk to Spend Time with Hospice Patients - FLEXIBLE HOURS Suncrest Hospice ✨ Provide friendly vi. Suncrest Hospice seeks volunteers in Norfolk to spend flexible hours visiting hospice patients and offering friendly companionship.

• David Storm appointed to Albemarle County School Board. Albemarle County selected David Storm to fill the at-large School Board seat vacated by Allison Spillman, affecting local governance on issues including staffing, student services and school operations. Charlottesville Tomorrow

• Community summit examines alternatives to incarceration. A free public summit in the Charlottesville area will highlight programs and organizations working outside traditional incarceration, focusing on local approaches to public safety, accountability and reentry. Charlottesville Tomorrow

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

• Rapes at Plank Road massage businesses prompt Fredericksburg to review regulations. Two reported rapes involving women working at massage businesses — one in Fredericksburg and one in Stafford — have led city officials to examine local massage-parlor rules; Fredericksburg police are investigating an Aug. 31 report from the 2100 block of Plank Road. Potomac Local News

• Stafford County appoints Erris Dunston deputy county administrator. Dunston is set to begin the role Oct. 5, marking a significant leadership change in Stafford's executive administration. Potomac Local News

• Stafford celebrates new Tank Creek Preserve in Widewater. Officials marked the establishment of the 19.5-acre Tank Creek Preserve in northeastern Stafford County, expanding protected open space and public conservation resources. Fredericksburg Free Press

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

• Rockingham County schedules public meeting on Lake Shenandoah Dam renovation. A community meeting is set for Tuesday, Sept. 29, to review renovation plans for Lake Shenandoah Dam, a local infrastructure project affecting the Harrisonburg–Rockingham area. Augusta Free Press

• Missing Fishersville man Raymond Ashby safely located. Augusta County resident Raymond Ashby, who had been reported missing, was found safe by Sept. 26. Rocktown Now

• 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 in the Shenandoah Valley.

• FBI identifies Wilmer as responsible for 1988 Gloucester and Grafton disappearances. After more than 38 years, the FBI Norfolk Field Office announced a resolution in the disappearances of Richard "Keith" Call of Gloucester and Cassandra Lee Hailey of Grafton, declaring Wilmer responsible. Gazette-Journal

• Gloucester County issues water-conservation warning as reservoir drops. The county issued a conservation warning after the water level at Beaverdam Reservoir fell below 38.9 feet, raising concerns about local water supply. Gazette-Journal

• Flooding closes Mathews schools, shifts Gloucester classes online. Storm-driven flooding and high tides forced Mathews County schools to close and prompted Gloucester County Public Schools to move to virtual learning, with road conditions deemed potentially unsafe for buses. Middle Neck News

• 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, Virginia, in October.

• Salem City Council swears in chiropractor Joe Foley to fill vacant seat. Foley was unanimously selected from 13 applicants to replace the late Councilman John Saunders and is expected to be sworn in at Monday's council meeting, serving until a special election in November 2027. Cardinal News

• Salem task force to present public input on data-center policies. Salem City Council is set to receive a summary of community feedback as a task force develops local policies governing data-center development, an issue with implications for land use, electricity demand and water resources. Salem Reporter

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

• Historic Triangle: 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, Virginia, in October.