Friday, January 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1941, Gov. James H. Price established the Virginia Protective Force. Members donned blue-gray wool uniforms, stitched by prisoners, and carried surplus M-1917 Enfield rifles. The force filled the role of the Virginia National Guard when it was called to federal service.

Virginia's cars will sport new inspection stickers this year. The State Police debuted a blue design that will adorn all cars that pass muster in 2026. If your car fails, you'll be given a white rejection sticker and a short grace period to fix any issues.

Welcome to a shortened, holiday issue of The Virginia Flyover. We will return with a full edition on Monday.

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New Laws Take Effect

Several new state laws passed in 2025 are now in effect, as of Jan. 1.

Social media platforms are now required to restrict users under the age of 16 to just one hour per day on their apps, although the law allows parents to adjust the time limits. "When we get hooked on social media, it's almost like a drug addiction, you just have to have more," Republican Del. Wendell Walker explained.

Insurance companies are now required to cover breast and prostate cancer screenings with no out-of-pocket cost to the patient.

Also, manufacturers must test for toxic heavy metals in baby food and display results on the product label and their website.

When Norfolk Burned

Exactly 250 years ago, the city of Norfolk was in flames. It was the only city in North America completely destroyed during the Revolutionary War.

It isn't clear whether the departing British or the colonial patriots were responsible for the destruction.

On New Year's Day 1776, British warships opened fire on Norfolk. Colonial supporters saw that the city would be difficult to defend from the shelling and did little to fight the fires.

In July, Thomas Jefferson referenced the incident in the Declaration of Independence when he wrote that King George III had "burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people." The British governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, sailed away from the Tidewater area in August of 1776 and never returned.

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➤ New Kent: Donald Caldwell, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the handling of incoming Attorney General Jay Jones' 2022 reckless driving charge, has decided to close out the case, writing that there is no need for further legal action. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Commonwealth ranked second nationally in an analysis of K-12 education conducted by Autism 360. The group found that Virginia boasts an average ACT score of 24.6, an 89% graduation rate, and a record-low dropout rate of 3.5%. (More)

➤ Richmond: The city's 5-cent per plastic bag tax took effect yesterday. The levy will be applied to disposable plastic bags used by retailers, with the store taking a penny and the city taking four cents. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Health reported a recent surge in hospitalizations related to respiratory illnesses. Almost a quarter of patients visiting an ER were suffering from a respiratory issue. (Details)

➤ Ashland: Randolph-Macon men's basketball, ranked No. 2 in Division III, hosts Lynchburg tomorrow. (More)

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