TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1860, George Fawcett was born in Alexandria. The stage and film actor who appeared in over 150 features was best known for portraying Grand Duke Michel in the 1927 silent film Love. He died June 6, 1939, in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The 64th annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships are making waves in Virginia Beach this week. Learn more in Top Stories, then reply to our Poll to let us know if you’ve ever tried surfing.

New state editions alert: We’re launching The Michigan Flyover and The Pennsylvania Flyover on Sept. 1! If you call one of these great states home (or just want to stay informed on them), click your link above and sign up. We'll see you in a week!

Flying over the Atlantic Sunday night, passengers on a red-eye to Rome felt the plane suddenly drop. Then the captain came over the intercom and said one of the engines had "blown out." Inside the cabin, some passengers prayed while others screamed, fearing this flight might be their last. What happened next, and during the long night that followed, is a story no other outlet is covering. In a first-of-its-kind exclusive for The Flyover Podcast, Ayla spoke directly with a passenger who lived through it all, including one moment nobody saw coming. Tune in here!

Later today, our partner Fisher Investments is sharing seven habits high net worth investors use once their portfolios reach $1 million, including a few that may be surprisingly easy to overlook.

Today’s sponsor, Splash Spotless Cleaning Products, is here to upgrade your cleaning routine with a hands-free foam toilet cleaner that tackles stains and odors without scrubbing. Just pour, let it foam, and flush for a fresh, sparkling bathroom.

Google Pledges $10M for Virginia Water

Google announced $10 million in funding to protect Virginia water resources as it builds data centers, including a $4.4 million grant to install about 400 stormwater filtration systems across the Chesapeake Bay and Roanoke River watersheds.

The grant goes to Frog Creek Partners, whose “Gutter Bin” systems capture sediment, nutrients, microplastics, and trash before it reaches waterways.

Google says it has spent more than $500 million worldwide on water infrastructure and aims to replenish more freshwater than it consumes by 2030.

The money lands amid friction over the industry’s thirst for water and power. Northern Virginia is the world’s data center capital, and the facilities’ demands have divided communities statewide.

NC Doctor Charged in VA I-77 Shooting

A Charlotte doctor has been jailed in Virginia after allegedly firing into a Jeep carrying two sisters during a road rage confrontation on I-77.

Richard T. Ariviello, 61, was arrested Saturday morning after Virginia State Police say he shot at the moving Jeep from his Mercedes-Benz on northbound I-77. The two sisters, ages 12 and 20, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

Troopers stopped Ariviello near Exit 19 in Carroll County. He faces felony charges including malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle and is being held at the New River Valley Regional Jail.

Ariviello is a licensed physician who owns Family Urgent Care in Monroe, North Carolina. The Jeep’s driver was charged with reckless driving, and police have not said what sparked the confrontation.

Virginia Beach Surf Fuels Year-Round Economy

Virginia Beach is hosting the 64th annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships through Aug. 30 this week at the oceanfront, drawing hundreds of competitors and crowds to the area between 1st Street Jetty and 10th Street.

The world’s oldest continually run surfing contest—which began as a casual gathering of surfers—now also includes professional and amateur competitions, beach volleyball, skateboarding, concerts, family activities, and more.

Organizers expect over 850 competitors across seven days of events, fueling city leaders’ efforts to transform this surf heritage into a year-round economic engine, aided by the Atlantic Park Surf lagoon, which delivers consistent waves and attracts visitors beyond the summer season.

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➤ Statewide: Legislators and advocates are weighing whether to require a full-time licensed nurse in every public school by updating the state’s Standards of Quality, after finding nearly 10% of schools operate without one. A report is expected next month. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Virginia’s health department is reducing a nursing home inspection backlog by hiring more inspectors, and plans to adopt stronger sanction criteria by year’s end to address repeated deficiencies in facilities. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: Nearly 1,700 students are changing schools this fall after the district’s first comprehensive boundary review in about 40 years, meant to ease crowding and fix issues related to attendance islands and split feeders. (More)

➤ Hampton Roads: Flash flooding swamped parts of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake on Aug. 22 after heavy rain caused the region’s second major flooding event of the month. (See Photos)

➤ Lexington: Washington & Lee University is expanding its W&L Promise program, offering free tuition to students from families earning under $200,000 starting in fall 2027. Students from families earning under $75,000 will also get free room and board. (More)

➤ Goochland County: Acton Academy West End, a microschool that now has around 60 students, plans to move from Manakin-Sabot into a 1940s dairy barn on a 7-acre campus at Three Chopt Road and Broad Street, with room to potentially double enrollment. (More)

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➤ Former JMU linebacker Trent Hendrick committed to UCLA after a court granted him a fifth year of eligibility. The 2025 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year had 106 tackles last season and now reunites with coach Bob Chesney. (More)

➤ Virginia football opens game week as a five-and-a-half-point favorite over NC State in a rare early-season ACC matchup. The Cavaliers kick off Saturday in one of the first college football games of the year. (More)

➤ Three years after selling the Washington Commanders for a then-record $6.05 billion, former owner Dan Snyder has relocated to London and cut ties with everyone in the NFL. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | U.S. Open | WNBA | Little League World Series

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➤ Coffee vs Hot Cacao vs Green Tea: Which of these hot drinks was proven in a study boost stem cells by 220% in 30 days? Billionaires drop 6 figures on stem cell therapy, but this hot drink costs 50 cents a day and boosts anti-aging stem cells improving heart health, blood pressure, and longevity.

➤ Chesapeake Regional Medical Center is nearing a deferred prosecution agreement that could allow it to avoid a criminal trial related to former OB-GYN Javaid Perwaiz, even as more than 1,000 of his former patients continue pursuing civil lawsuits against the hospital. (More)

➤ The Nichols brothers, owners of the Richmond laundry company HandCraft, paid $1.2 million for a 3,500-square-foot office building at 3305 W. Leigh Street in Scott’s Addition, across from their redeveloped plant. (More)

➤ Tokyo Market in Carytown, open since 2006, will reopen as Haru: Japanese and Korean Market under new owner Kim Cho, who bought the building after founder Chong Akiba died in December 2024. (More)

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➤ Are you ready for Christ’s second coming? Unearth important historical and Biblical facts about the island of Patmos and three of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation by watching The 7 Churches of Revelation: Times of Fire. This critically acclaimed documentary is brought to you for free by RevelationMedia.

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➤ Filming for the movie America’s Favorite starring Dane DeHaan was scheduled to begin Sunday on Granby Street in Norfolk, with temporary traffic closures during daytime and nighttime shoots. (More)

➤ VMI grad, Marine veteran, and retired Washington & Lee law professor Al Carr is navigating on his own using free Meta Ray-Ban glasses that link him to remote volunteers via a camera feed, part of a program distributing about 100 pairs to vision-impaired Virginia veterans. (See Photo)

➤ A family of four in Virginia needs $242,944 in annual income to live comfortably in 2026, ranking 20th among states according to a recent SmartAsset analysis using the 50/30/20 rule. (See Map)

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