Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1969, A. Linwood Holton was elected as the first Republican governor of Virginia in the twentieth century. He was followed by the same man he succeeded: Mills Godwin, who won a second term in 1973 as a Republican after serving his first as a Democrat.

Should UVA have dropped the self-description essay from its student application? Readers weighed in.

"College application consideration should be based on merit, one's academic record," a reader wrote. Another added, "These essays are a veiled attempt to justify the admission of less qualified students."

Others disagreed. "Applicants should be able to write an essay which is grammatically correct, accurate, comprehendible, and readable."

We love hearing from readers. Hit reply anytime to let us know what's on your mind.

If you've ever wanted to invest alongside icons like Derek Jeter and Adam Levine, today's sponsor, AMASS Brands Group, is giving everyday investors that chance—to join a fast-growing, health-focused beverage company preparing for their Nasdaq debut.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Election Day Dawns

It is Election Day in Virginia. If you haven't voted yet and aren't sure where your polling place is, click here to find out.

All 100 seats in the House of Delegates are up for grabs, along with the three statewide offices. The Old Dominion is certain to have our first female governor: either Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears or Democrat Abigail Spanberger.

Spanberger, who resigned from her seat in Congress to seek the governor's mansion, has led in most opinion polls, coming in at 55% to 44% in the final statewide Emerson College survey. As of yesterday, President Trump had not officially endorsed Earle-Sears, who nonetheless thanked him for his support.

Down the ballot, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi had a narrow lead over Republican John Reid for lieutenant governor, and Democrat Jay Jones had a 2-point lead over incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares. The Virginia Flyover will have full results in tomorrow's edition.

Food Aid Program Kicks In

The Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) initiative launched yesterday to provide food aid to the more than 850,000 Virginians who rely on SNAP. The federal government stopped paying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Saturday due to the ongoing shutdown.

When Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched it last week, VENA was the first program in the nation to use state tax money to replace SNAP benefits.

The program will cost the Commonwealth an estimated $37.5 million per week. Youngkin stated that Virginia has sufficient funds set aside to cover benefits until December.

Some local programs are also stepping up their efforts. The Lynchburg Community Market usually matches up to $50 in SNAP benefits. During the shutdown, their Virginia Fresh Match will give SNAP recipients an additional $20 for fresh produce.

Flood Mitigation and Recovery

Virginia's rivers provide clean water, recreation, power, and transportation. Sometimes, they also bring devastation in the form of powerful floods.

Lawmakers in the General Assembly established a disaster relief fund earlier this year to help victims of Hurricane Helene and a storm that struck on Valentine's Day weekend. More than 140 people have already requested help.

The Roanoke River jumped its banks 40 years ago today. It flooded sections of the city's industrial center.

The disaster triggered the construction of a flood reduction project, which has kept the river under control ever since, even during Helene last year.

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➤ Charlottesville: The University of Virginia went into lockdown yesterday after false reports indicated a shooter at Shannon Library. "After a thorough investigation, no evidence of an active shooter, attack, or threat of any sort was found on UVA property," officials later announced. (Details)

➤ Loudoun County: A school bus driver was charged with assault and battery after he allegedly struck a student while driving his route on Oct. 23. (More)

➤ Statewide: Virginia's Head Start centers remained open this week despite the ongoing federal government shutdown. More than 12,000 students are enrolled in the program across the state. (Details)

➤ Manassas: Chipmaker Nvidia plans to build an artificial intelligence research facility and a power-flexible data center on the same site. Both facilities would open next year. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging whether Senate Democrats can block some of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's appointments to serve on state university governing boards. The high court gave no indication when it will issue a decision. (More)

➤ Roanoke City Council met yesterday to consider several spending measures, including requests by the city's school board to fund programs that could eventually be reimbursed by the federal government. (Details)

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➤ Virginia Union's Curtis Allen set the CIAA conference record for most rushing yards in a game this weekend with 369 yards and five touchdowns. He needs 114 more yards to break the conference's season record. (More)

➤ UVA field hockey clinched a share of the ACC's regular season title by beating No. 6 Wake Forest 5-3. The playoffs start today in Louisville as the Cavaliers face Stanford. (Details)

➤ The Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Corey Schueneman from the St. Louis Blues yesterday in exchange for defenseman Calle Rosen. Both men are playing in the American Hockey League. (More)

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➤ Gas prices increased across Virginia last week. The tracking site GasBuddy reported the average price yesterday was $2.90 per gallon, up 5.7 cents over the last week. That's eight cents less than last month and 8.7 cents less than last year. (Details)

➤ CarMax, the Goochland-based used car retailer, will eliminate 350 jobs nationwide. About two dozen are in the Richmond area. (More)

➤ The State Corporation Commission is considering whether to approve a rate increase requested by Dominion Energy. In the meantime, Dominion is sharing ways for customers to reduce their electricity use. (Details)

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➤ Want the best Carolina-style barbecue in the nation? USA Today says you need to drive to Carolina Brothers BBQ in Ashburn. (Details)

➤ Fairfax County supervisors voted unanimously to use eminent domain to acquire 34 parcels along Richmond Highway for a proposed bus rapid transit project. (More)

➤ The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center launched a fundraising campaign to raise money to install warm boxes for its population of raptors. The initiative will run for the remainder of the month. (Details)

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➤ A rogue scientist just revealed the "pee in 0 gravity" trick used by astronauts—and it's helping men shrink prostate inflammation by 67% without drugs or surgery. This simple method is going viral for restoring bladder control fast. Watch how it works before it's taken down.