Thursday, February 12, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1920, Virginia's legislature rejected the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. The amendment was approved by enough other states to take effect and was eventually ratified by the Commonwealth in 1952.

We asked to hear some of your romantic stories ahead of Valentine's Day. "We were married in Love, Virginia, at the Mountain Top Christian Church off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. My wife had a plan to mail all of the invitations from there so that the postmark would read 'Love, Virginia,' " one couple wrote. "Perfect August weather with amazing mountain views made for a memorable, beautiful wedding."

Tomorrow, The Virginia Flyover will offer suggestions for Valentine's Day activities.

Today's episode of The Flyover Podcast highlights surprising new research suggesting your daily coffee or tea habit could be linked to a lower risk of dementia. Host Ayla Brown unpacks what scientists found, including the ideal number of cups per day and why decaf didn't show the same effect. Listen here.

Are you actually using everything Amazon Prime gives you? We're breaking down 9 perks many members miss. Keep an eye on your inbox later today for an email from our sponsor, Brad's Deals, on Amazon Prime benefits hiding in plain sight.

Today's sponsor, GoldCo, is sharing how an IRS-approved strategy could help you protect your savings from inflation and economic uncertainty.

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.

Affordability and Tax Measures Advance

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced that half of her "Affordable Virginia Agenda" has already passed one house of the state legislature. "Virginians are feeling the strain of high housing, healthcare, and energy costs. That's why we're focused on delivering real relief for families," she wrote.

The agenda includes more than 50 new taxes and tax hikes.

One proposal would create a new income tax bracket imposing a 10% tax on annual income exceeding $1 million. The Commonwealth currently imposes a 5.75% tax on all income above $17,000.

Republicans called for reducing taxes instead. "We've come forward with a plan that could lower taxes for our citizens across the Commonwealth tomorrow," House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore said. "We could eliminate other taxes that we have put forth, and we could actually provide lower costs to Virginians immediately," he added.

County Commonwealth's Attorney Found Dead

Virginia State Police officers are investigating the death of Mathews County Commonwealth's Attorney Marie Walls, who was found dead in the driveway of her home on Tuesday.

"Walls suffered an apparent gunshot wound," a state police spokesman said. "At this point in the investigation, there is no indication a suspect is involved."

Walls won election as the county's Commonwealth's Attorney in 2023 after a career as a prosecutor, where she often tried sex crimes and child abuse cases.

She was the executive director of the Child Abuse Program at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters and is survived by her 14-year-old son.

Weighing Data Center Power Usage

State Sen. Louise Lucas, a Democrat from Portsmouth, introduced an amendment to an energy bill that would require the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to determine whether data centers and high-energy-use facilities should be compelled to pay for their own capacity costs.

Currently, utilities pay those costs to ensure that electricity is available at peak periods and pass the bill along to all consumers. "There are more than 200 energy bills this session," Lucas said, "and as far as I'm aware, this is the only proposal to actually reduce rates in the near term."

The SCC estimated that this approach would reduce the typical residential customer bill by about $5.52 each month, while the rate paid by data center customers would jump by 15.8%. The move would also save local governments an estimated $8.3 million in 2027.

"We want data centers to pay their fair share, and we want to lower costs for our customers. This legislation delivers both," Dominion Energy spokesperson Aaron Ruby said. "It's a good thing for our customers."

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➤ Richmond: The House of Delegates advanced a bill that would eliminate a license plate that honors Robert E. Lee. Lawmakers are also considering measures to revoke the tax exemption held by the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy since 1950. (Details)

➤ Richmond: A House education subcommittee approved a proposal to reform the way members are appointed to public university governing boards. A similar measure was introduced in the Senate. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association reported that the number of ER visits linked to cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) jumped almost 29% over the last five years. In addition to nearly 25,000 visits related to CHS, hospitals treated 172,778 other patients for cannabis-related problems. (Details)

➤ Caroline County: The Rappahannock Tribe filed an appeal after the Department of Environmental Quality granted a permit to allow the county to pull millions of gallons of water each day from the Rappahannock River. Local farmers and environmentalists also oppose the permit. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County, Fla.: A woman's body discovered almost five decades ago has been identified as the remains of Patricia Ann Ritchie from Harrisonburg. She was in her early 20s when she was last seen near a Virginia truck stop in 1977. (Details)

➤ Chesapeake: Tiana Morton told the school board that her son was subjected to racial slurs while he was playing in a high school basketball game last week. "We take all reports involving student conduct, including allegations of inappropriate or discriminatory language, seriously," a spokesperson said. (More)

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➤ Mystique Ro, a native of Prince William County, competes for gold this weekend in women's skeleton. (Her Story)

➤ One Virginia lawmaker wants to raise the cap on how much money from student fees public universities are allowed to spend on athletics. It's currently 20%. The proposal would increase that to 25%. (Details)

➤ The Washington Commanders re-signed punter Tress Way to a one-year contract extension, which will keep him on the roster for a 13th season. (More)

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➤ The Orvis Co. sold its warehouse in Roanoke to an affiliate of Coca-Cola Consolidated for $29.7 million, but is leasing back part of the building. Orvis reported that its business model has been disrupted by federal tariffs. (Details)

➤ By Light Professional IT Services, based in McLean, purchased Dignitas Technologies, a company that also provides modeling, simulation, and training. (More)

➤ Norfolk will pay H&M $1.5 million to break the clothing company's retail lease at the MacArthur Center. The mall is scheduled to close on June 30. (Details)

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➤ Virginia's Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require the Department of Transportation to seek safe alternatives to using sodium chloride to treat roads during snowstorms. "When you're putting down 24 million tons of salt, it has to go somewhere. It can be very corrosive," warned a conservation expert from Virginia Tech. (Details)

➤ The Smith Mountain Lake Association reported that water quality levels last year remained on par with the lake's 20-year average. (More)

➤ The Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center reported a surge in demand as grocery prices remain elevated. "I thought after the government shutdown that things would kind of ease back down and go at a more even pace," Pantry Manager Joanne Jones said, "but it seems like it's even increased more." (Details)

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