The parking garage and buildings are located at 7980 and 7990 Quantum Drive, and Serverfarm, the developer, aims to transform the site into a 鈥渃ompletely modernized, architecturally refined, state-of-the-art office/data center,鈥� according to Jill Parks, an attorney for the applicant.

Because Fairfax County adopted stricter standards for data centers in 2024, the developer is requesting modifications to county ordinances so the project can be built at the Quantum Drive site.

Fairfax County requires data center buildings to be at least a mile from Metro station entrances, but Serverfarm’s proposed project site is 0.9 miles from the Tysons Corner Metro entrance.

The developer is also requesting an increase in gross floor area to allow the two buildings to go from 80,256 square feet to 95,014 square feet for one building, and from 202,500 square feet to 221,214 square feet for the other one.

A separate requirement calls for a 200-foot buffer for data center buildings near residential areas. The existing conditions at the site don鈥檛 meet that requirement.

鈥淭his is really precedent-setting in terms of what the decision is going to be,鈥� said Renee Grebe, Northern Virginia conservation advocate for the group Nature Forward. 鈥淚f this gets passed, then I think it demonstrates that our zoning ordinance amendment is not as strong as it was touted to be by our board of supervisors.鈥�

Fairfax County has a comprehensive plan for the area surrounding the proposed data center, Grebe said. It envisions the section of Tysons where the data center would be as an 鈥渁ctive 24-hour environment where people go to restaurants or stores after work.”

Instead, she said, “residents will be getting 24 hours of noise pollution and 28 diesel generators next to residences and a nearby sports field.”

Parks, the attorney, wrote that it鈥檚 not 鈥渕echanically feasible鈥� to fully enclose the data center鈥檚 equipment, but it will be contained within a generator yard in the back of the property.

The county’s development plan also calls for new pedestrian facilities, including a sidewalk along Kidwell Drive and a trail, both offering access to the athletic field. A new playground is also proposed.

The proposal encompasses a combined 316,000 square feet.

A planning commission public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Supervisor Dalia Palchik told 海角精品黑料 that a community meeting is also being scheduled, but a date hasn鈥檛 been finalized.

The project will help the Serverfarm 鈥渕eet the ever-growing demand for capacity,鈥� Parks wrote in the exceptions application.

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They immediately noticed a difference, she said.

Oakton High was modernized and expanded in a renovation completed 2022.

But at Centreville High School, Hussein said indoor sports facilities, particularly the gym, aren鈥檛 in good condition. Neither are the music or art rooms or classrooms in general, she said.

One night during a grad event there was an issue with the electricity.

鈥淢y boys, both of them, they didn鈥檛 want to come to school,鈥� Hussein said. 鈥淭hey saw the difference being in a different school that was renovated.鈥�

And as Fairfax County prepares to open its first new high school in decades this fall, some families and students in the Northern Virginia suburb said the condition of Centreville High School doesn鈥檛 seem to be a priority.

鈥淚t is great that the new Skyview High School will open next month,鈥� a rising junior at Centreville told the school board at a recent meeting, 鈥渂ut the Centreville community feels that you have neglected us.鈥�

In 2021, Fairfax County voters approved funding for a project that would include renovating and adding capacity to Centreville High School. Renderings on reveal the scope, including updated classrooms and a renovated library.

But with Skyview High School in Herndon welcoming its first ninth and 10th graders in a few weeks, it鈥檚 unclear whether the extra room at Centreville is still necessary.

During a meeting in June, the school board tasked Superintendent Michelle Reid with examining renovation and potential capacity needs and update elected officials by Aug. 28.

Asked about family concerns, the district told 海角精品黑料 in a statement that it has invested more than $260,000 in capital improvements at Centreville, including upgrades to flooring, athletic facilities and accessibility.

鈥淐entreville High School is an important part of the Fairfax County Public Schools community, and we remain committed to providing each and every student with a safe, modern, and welcoming learning environment,鈥� the statement said.

The proposed renovation was submitted for building permit review in January 2025. However, the statement said the site plan is contingent on what鈥檚 called a Floor Area Ratio requirement. A resolution to the zoning issue may require discussion with the Fairfax County Park Authority and possibly the Board of Supervisors, local news site .

鈥淎s a result, architectural and engineering design activities have been placed on hold pending resolution of the FAR issue,鈥� the statement said.

Meanwhile, Hussein, the PTSA president, said the Centreville campus 鈥渇eels like a jail,鈥� emphasizing issues with air conditioning and classroom conditions.

She and other parents plan to continue drawing attention to the issue in the coming weeks.

鈥淚鈥檝e been in many, many other schools in Fairfax County,鈥� Hussein said. 鈥淭his school鈥檚 condition is the worst.”

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Virginians are preparing to head to the polls next week for the Commonwealth鈥檚 primary election, and some of the outcomes in Northern Virginia districts could ultimately impact the balance of power in the U.S. House.

The primary is scheduled for Aug. 4, later in the summer than usual because the possibility of redistricting prompted the election to be delayed. But Virginia鈥檚 Supreme Court struck down the proposed redistricting plan that passed a referendum this spring, meaning the state鈥檚 congressional districts remain unchanged.

One of the most competitive races, experts said, is expected in Virginia鈥檚 7th Congressional District. It includes parts of Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, among others.

Three Republicans, Philip Harding, Douglas Ollivant and Rick Smithers, are competing for the chance to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman.

鈥淰indman has been a longtime target of both Republicans generally and the current president in particular,鈥� Virginia Tech political science professor Karen Hult said.

鈥淏ut more than that, this has always been a competitive seat, and so that means it鈥檚 going to be one that many people are going to be looking at and paying a lot of attention to.鈥�

Bob Holsworth, a Richmond-based political analyst, said in addition to the 7th District, a competitive primary may emerge in the 10th District.

There, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam is finishing his first term and running for reelection. Three Republicans, Dave Beckwith, Julie Perry and Anthony Suttles, will face off for the chance to face Subramanyam in November.

鈥淔irst-term incumbents are always at somewhat of a risk for being challenged,鈥� Hult said.

鈥淓specially in an area where there鈥檚 a lot of uncertainty, a lot of demographic movement and concerns about the economy, cost of living, things like that. Any of those things can come into play as well.鈥�

Virginia鈥檚 10th District covers parts of Loudoun, Prince William and Fairfax counties and Manassas City and Manassas Park City, among others.

In the nearby 8th District, which includes Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria and Falls Church, several Democrats are running against longtime Rep. Don Beyer. Beyer is currently in his sixth term representing the area in Congress.

Lorena Bruner, Michael Duffin, Adam Dunigan and Mohamed 鈥淢o鈥� Seifeldein will all be on the Democratic primary ballot with Beyer.

Challengers to Democratic incumbents in heavily Democrat areas typically fare better if 鈥渢hey can kind of consolidate behind one person,鈥� said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato鈥檚 Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

鈥淭he field right now against Don Beyer seems fairly split. He鈥檚 raised something like five times the amount of all his opponents combined.鈥�

Coleman said it may be interesting to monitor the protest vote against Beyer, but 鈥淚鈥檇 still be shocked if he actually lost.鈥�

Meanwhile, Hult said some Democrats seem to think 鈥減erhaps Mr. Beyer has been in office for a little bit too long, and it鈥檚 time for a change in generation. That would be somewhat of a surprise in the broader D.C. area, because that is clearly a Democratic district.鈥�

Analysts are expecting Virginia鈥檚 first and second districts to be the most competitive races this fall.

Seven Democrats are competing for the chance to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District. Shannon Taylor, the Henrico County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney, has emerged as the front-runner in the Democratic primary.

In the 2nd District, meanwhile, former Rep. Elaine Luria and several other Democrats are competing for the chance to square off against Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.

Because this year鈥檚 primary is later in the summer than usual, experts are expecting lower turnout.

Broadly, Holsworth said Republicans will either be supporting candidates who are fully aligned with President Donald Trump 鈥渙r do they think the party needs to take another direction? On the Democratic side, the basic arguments tend to be between what I would call the center-left Democrats and the more progressive Democrats, who want to see the establishment be greater fighters than they are right now.鈥�

(EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE July 31, 2026 3 p.m. 鈥� This article has been updated to correct Mohamed 鈥淢o鈥� Seifeldein鈥榮 name.)

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During last fall’s federal government shutdown, Tim Laughlin was furloughed and searched for ways to occupy his time.

A group called DMV Dads hosted weekly meetups on Friday mornings at a Panera Bread in Alexandria, Virginia. But when the shutdown ended, Laughlin was unable to attend the sessions, which he said helped him “maintain my sanity and come through it all in one piece.”

Searching for the same type of companionship, Laughlin was inspired to start his own weekly meetup. He started with email invitations, and the first dinner included nine people. Now, it’s grown into a Facebook community and the weekly Tuesday night dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings in Manassas draws about two dozen dads. It’s been executed for about 40 straight weeks, even through the holidays.

Prince William Times reported that Laughlin created the group Prince William Dads in October 2025.

“It is hard to make friends once you become a parent,” Laughlin, a father of three, said. “There’s so many other things pulling at your time and your energy and your attention that the one thing you kind of tend to lose focus on is building friendships. For many of us, it’s just something we’ve unintentionally neglected for a long time.”

For Laughlin, the feeling was amplified when two of his closest friends moved away during the pandemic. He quickly realized that the only outlet he had for meeting new people came through his kids’ social circles.

“I needed regular interaction that wasn’t about the kids,” Laughlin said. “I needed that time to sort of recharge my battery, so that when I do go back home at the end of the night, I’m ready to go, ready to rip and roar the next day with my kids and my wife.”

The dinners start at 5:30 p.m. and are hosted at the same long rectangular table near the bar. Sometimes, they last until close to 9 p.m. Conversations usually cover work, kids, spouses, the stock market or fantasy football. The group, Laughlin said, isn’t political, religious or focused on professional networking.

The group popped up on Kelvin Hamilton’s Facebook page, and though he considers himself an introvert, he decided to attend because he lives nearby. Now, he’s been a part of the meetups for about eight months.

“I took this opportunity to try to meet some folks and get out of the house, get out of my comfort zone and break out of the whole introvert thing,” Hamilton said. “I’m glad I did because it turned out to be a good brotherhood. A lot of guys here that I wish I’d have known a long time ago, but I feel like we’ve known each other for years.”

The events include both new dads and granddads and Laughlin doesn’t check if any attendees actually have kids or live in Prince William County.

In some cases, the bonds have become so strong that there have been other events too. There are planned Nationals or Wizards games, camping trips and pool parties. In one case, there was a painting and ice cream party at a frozen yogurt shop. Some of those events include spouses and kids.

“Mental health is so important and this is providing a great opportunity for just men to let their hair down, so to speak, to just hang out without having any type of motive or directive,” Gary Shivers said. “Just coming, hanging out for a few minutes and that’s it.”

Recently, Laughlin’s family had an emergency. With no family in the area, he panicked about where the kids could stay while he and his wife went to the hospital. Laughlin called one of the group dads and asked if the kids could be dropped off. He was told yes without any hesitation.

Then, when they got home from the hospital, the group put together a “meal train,” so they had home-cooked meals to enjoy for a week.

“When I started it, I was just hoping for a Tuesday night hangout once a week to find some people to connect with once a week,” Laughlin said. “It’s turned into way, way more than that. And I think it’s turned into way more than that for a lot of these guys, too.”

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A group of Arlington, Virginia, students has launched a website aimed at removing barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The idea came from the trio鈥檚 desire to enter the Build with Gemini XPRIZE contest, a Google competition that challenges participants to build a functioning AI-powered business.

After interviewing small business owners in their Northern Virginia neighborhood, Leo Fall, Chase Rosen and Carter Eckle identified obstacles to starting a business. They found that obtaining an LLC and tax identification number, along with completing large amounts of paperwork can take so long that it discourages some would-be entrepreneurs.

“So we came up with starting our own business launcher for those who are interested in starting a business, but don’t really know the process of how to or are a little scared of that first step,” said Rosen, a rising junior at the University of Virginia.

Called , the website uses an AI model that requires minimal information from aspiring entrepreneurs. Users enter the name they want for their business and describe some of their ideas.

Then, within three days, the site provides an LLC, identification number, a professional website and Stripe account ready to accept payments.

“A lot of business owners maybe drop their business idea because they think it’s too hard to start,” said Fall, a rising junior at Virginia Tech University. “The goal for us, we wanted to make it an easy option where they could just sign up, get selling right away.”

The site charges a one-time $350 fee, which includes the $100 Virginia state filing fee, Rosen said. Unlike comparable services, LaunchBridge doesn鈥檛 require a subscription service.

Because there鈥檚 sensitive information involved, Fall said they review the parts of the process that involve artificial intelligence.

“We used a lot of encoding and all this information doesn’t go anywhere but on your computer, in our system and then it deletes itself after we apply for it,” Fall said. “It’s all very safe. It’s safer than it would be with a human.”

Eckle, a rising senior at H-B Woodlawn high school, said the biggest challenge was “figuring out which pieces we wanted to offer because there鈥檚 a lot different things in starting a business.”

Some of their peers have tested the site, including one who wants to start a business booking bands to perform for college parties.

“A lot of them didn’t know what it actually took to start a business in Virginia and they said this made it super easy and simple,” Rosen said.

The platform is designed primarily for entrepreneurs starting businesses in Virginia, However, Rosen said Maryland and D.C. residents can use it too, because it provides a registered agent.

“It just kind of gives them that head start of like, ‘OK, I have all my resources needed and now I can actually start promoting my product,'” he said.

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It was a surprising observation, Rai said, given research suggests 鈥渕any of the habits, such as having patience and gratitude, actually start at” the elementary school level. So Rai, Austin Chen and Ayush Ranjan worked to address that by creating a book.

Called 鈥淭he Seed That Grows,鈥� the book emphasizes the importance and value of saving, among other things. The trio wrote the storyline and created the images, and the book has now been distributed across Fairfax County elementary schools and to various countries abroad.

鈥淔or being able to be financially stable, you have to have those basic skills about not just spending money whenever you get a chance, but actually having that basic discipline in order to save it or wait awhile,鈥� Rai said.

The book, Rai said, uses a metaphor of a seed to discuss saving, investing and delayed gratification. It tells the story of two kids who each get a seed: one who decides to plant it and wait for a tree to grow, and the other who traded the seed for a piece of candy, a short-term goal.

As the story progresses, the contrast between thinking in the near and long terms is revealed, Rai said.

The group raised over $1,000 for the project and 274 books were distributed at 12 nearby Fairfax County schools and five international schools.

Because their adviser has connections at the World Bank, Rai said translated versions of the book made it to India, China, Kazakhstan and Australia.

They also hosted several read-aloud sessions, asking students to participate in surveys before and afterward.

鈥淲e saw a 74% in understanding,鈥� Rai said.

Now, they鈥檙e planning to take the same concepts used in the book and turn them into a financial literacy game, Rai said.

The hope, Rai said, is students will develop 鈥渉abit-based learning in order to instill their success and their discipline and their financial success when they grow up and manage their finances.鈥�

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The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in a townhouse community not far from Dulles Airport. The van鈥檚 driver, a woman, was making a left turn from Highland Mews Court onto Madden Court when the crash happened in the parking lot.

Fairfax County Police Capt. Harold Morris, assistant traffic division commander, said during a news conference Friday that the van made a left turn when 鈥渢he 9-year-old who was operating the electric scooter struck the rear of the minivan on the passenger side.鈥�

The boy, who investigators said wasn鈥檛 wearing a helmet at the time, was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

鈥淭his is a tragic event, and we want to make sure that everyone knows that we are with the family during this time,鈥� Morris said.

In a news release later Friday, police said neither alcohol nor speed were a factor in the crash. They identified the van as a 2012 Honda Odyssey.

The driver remained on the scene at the time of the incident, police said. Morris said there鈥檚 鈥渘o indication at this time that there鈥檚 any unsafe or reckless manner鈥� in which the woman was driving the van. No charges have been filed as of Friday.

While police have received some video footage of the crash, Morris said it鈥檚 unclear how fast the e-scooter was going, what kind it was and who owned it.

The police鈥檚 Victim Services Unit has been on the scene of the crash, and 鈥渙ur chaplain was out there last night to provide services for those to comfort them,鈥� Morris said.

Fairfax County law requires anyone 15 and under to wear a helmet when operating any type of e-bike.

In the Commonwealth, e-bikes are sorted into one of three categories. Class 1 e-bikes are pedal assisted only and have a 20 mph maximum assisted speed.

Class 2 e-bikes have pedal assist and throttle and a 20 mph maximum assisted speed. Class 3 bikes are pedal assist only and have a 28 mph maximum assisted speed.

Anyone with information about Thursday鈥檚 crash can call Fairfax Police鈥檚 Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.

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A group of Northern Virginia residents protested Thursday against a plan to build a transmission line in a 6.5-mile stretch of Prince William County, as Dominion Energy hosted an event explaining why the project is needed.

At Patriot High School in Nokesville, Virginia, Dominion organized an hourslong open house for its proposed Nokesville-Bristow project. The plan calls for a 230-kilovolt transmission line that will connect the existing Nokesville Substation with a planned Bristow Switching Station.

Last week, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors effectively took two routes out of contention, saying it didn鈥檛 plan to offer Dominion easements or use of county property for the routes called 鈥渂lue鈥� and 鈥渓ight blue.鈥�

The proposal led to the latest clash between the Virginia utility and residents and lawmakers.

鈥淓verywhere I go, there are either data centers or more substations and these transmission towers,鈥� Carylee Carrington, a longtime Prince William County resident, said. 鈥淭his is where I want to have my kids grow up. I have a 14 and 11-year-old, and it鈥檚 just been shocking to see how things have changed.鈥�

Transmission line critics held a news conference in the school鈥檚 parking lot. Some sat on tractors. Others held signs that read 鈥淏ury the Lines鈥� and 鈥淪ave Our Rural Land.鈥�

An organization called The Coalition to Protect Prince William County planned the event, which featured state officials such as state Sens. Danica Roem and Jeremy McPike, among others.

Deshundra Jefferson, who chairs the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, told 海角精品黑料 local officials鈥� hands are 鈥渢ied to a certain extent, but that doesn鈥檛 mean we鈥檙e not going to fight against this.鈥�

鈥淒ominion can do better and they need to do better,鈥� Jefferson said. 鈥淲hat they’re looking at is profitability, not the people, not the communities that they’re impacting.鈥�

Dominion Energy said the Nokesville line is necessary to ensure community members have 鈥渄ependable electric service as the Innovation Park area expands,鈥� according to the project鈥檚 website.

At the company’s open house inside the school, residents lined up to read signs with project details and ask questions about the proposal.

Data centers are frequently mentioned as a reason for the need for the extra lines and Dominion spokeswoman Aisha Khan said they鈥檙e 鈥渁 big factor in driving that demand.鈥�

鈥淏ut so is electrification. So is the growing population. So are your hospitals, your schools, your fire stations,鈥� she said.

Demonstrators called for the line to be buried underground. Khan said that option has been studied but isn鈥檛 feasible. Other buried utilities are in the way, she said, and bedrock is a barrier.

鈥淭rying to get through that bedrock,鈥� Khan said. 鈥淚t’s going to take so long, so many months to try to drill through that. And on top of that, it’s going to be costly.鈥�

Dominion must submit a preferred line route to the State Corporation Commission for consideration before the project can move forward.

Khan did not have a cost estimate for the project or an estimated time frame for identifying a preferred route.

Walker Trenum, who has lived in Nokesville for 23 years, said many people are worried 鈥渁bout the whole data centers constantly pushing in, taking over Ashburn and they鈥檙e eventually going to work their way down here.鈥�

鈥淭he important thing is trying to drag that out as long as possible to keep the fight alive until people can see the real harms behind it.鈥�

Kat, another Nokesville resident, said the line is going to 鈥渃ut apart people鈥檚 private properties and it鈥檚 going to destroy the beauty of our lifestyle.鈥�

Khan said Thursday鈥檚 event was the second open house for the project, and comments can also be .

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The bus driver facing charges in the deadly Stafford County crash was granted bond Wednesday, but a second court has to weigh in before he can be released.

Jing Sheng Dong faces five involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the May 29 crash along Interstate 95 in Stafford County, near mile marker 146.

During the hourlong bond hearing in Stafford County Circuit Court, Judge Charles Clark granted Dong $25,000 secure bond on three of the five charges.

Clark also ordered that Dong not consume any alcohol or drugs unless a doctor prescribes it, and to surrender his U.S. and Chinese passports, personal driver鈥檚 license and commercial driver鈥檚 license.

Clark ordered Dong, who lives on Staten Island, not to leave Virginia and to remain in the commonwealth under house arrest, with the exception of court appearances, lawyers’ meetings and doctor鈥檚 visits. He鈥檚 not allowed to have any contact with crash victims or their families.

Dong, who was in a wheelchair and had an interpreter present for the hearing, nodded in agreement.

In issuing his ruling, Clark said he weighed whether Dong is a danger to himself or others and whether he is a flight risk. Ultimately, he said, 鈥渢he danger and risk can be mitigated.鈥�

Dong won’t be released until another bond hearing in General District Court, where prosecutors filed two of the five involuntary manslaughter counts. They did so to avoid having a trial begin within five months, which is the circuit court requirement.

Thomas Walsh, Dong鈥檚 attorney, said a bond hearing in District Court could be scheduled as early as this week. If all parties agree to the same bond terms, Walsh said, a formal hearing may not be needed.

Dong鈥檚 trial is scheduled for Oct. 6, but Walsh said that may change based on the bond rulings.

In court Wednesday, Stafford Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Eric Olsen argued Dong should be held without bond. He said Dong’s Chinese passport made him a flight risk.

Olsen also said that because Dong had a commercial driver鈥檚 license and was driving a bus, he had heightened responsibility under the law.

On May 29, Dong was driving a charter bus with more than two dozen passengers from New York to North Carolina. At around 2:30 a.m., Dong was passing through Stafford on southbound Interstate 95 when his bus struck a line of cars that was slowing for a construction zone near Marine Base Quantico.

Dong approached a 鈥渟ea of red lights,鈥� Olsen said in court, and didn鈥檛 show any evidence of slowing down.

Prosecutors entered photos of the chain-reaction crash aftermath into evidence under seal. They also played three videos in court 鈥� one from an express lane pole camera that showed the cars slowing and subsequent crash, another video from the inside of a truck and footage from a sheriff deputy’s drone that flew over the crash scene at daybreak.

A witness who was part of the crash, Olsen said, will describe Dong鈥檚 鈥渄riving behavior鈥� in the moments before it happened.

Olsen also described Dong鈥檚 previous traffic violations, including one in Annapolis for driving a bus 72 mph in a 50 mph zone.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a danger behind the wheel, and nothing can stop him from getting behind the wheel,鈥� Olsen told the judge.

But Walsh said Dong wasn鈥檛 on his phone, under the influence of alcohol or drugs or sleeping at the time of the crash. Walsh previously argued that Dong was driving under the speed limit.

A medical report, Walsh said, revealed Dong had to be cut out of the bus and transported to the hospital. He now has 鈥渟taples down his stomach,鈥� among other injuries, Walsh said.

鈥淭here’s videos from inside the bus where he’s driving, not asleep, not on a phone, no drugs,鈥� Walsh told reporters after the hearing. 鈥淚t’s just a horrible accident.鈥�

Dong has shown remorse for the crash, Walsh said.

鈥淲hen I showed him news reports of the accident with the pictures, he broke down crying,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淭he first time we met him, he just started crying. He got emotional.鈥�

The bond condition that requires Dong to stay in Virginia before trial could be challenging, Walsh said, because he doesn鈥檛 live in the state. The judge said a hotel could be a sufficient proof of address.

鈥淚t’s an accident,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淚t’s horrible. Getting a jury is going to be tough, to set aside the emotions of losing a family that just basically disintegrated, and another person. It’s going to be hard for me to get that.鈥�

海角精品黑料’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

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In a letter to Spanberger on Tuesday, state Del. Joseph McNamara and Sen. David Suetterlein wrote that affording the commission “the necessary time for conscientious review is critical.”

“Virginia should not be rushed,” they .

The proposed $67 billion merger would create an energy giant as data centers drive increased demand. If approved, the company would serve about 10 million utility customer accounts in Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, The Associated Press reported.

Under Virginia law, the review process is 60 days from a completed application, though the State Corporation Commission can extend that time frame another 120 days. A deal is approved by default if that time expires, though the governor or elected officials can call for a special session to extend the review period.

Separately, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told 海角精品黑料 the commission “needs an additional six months to look at the merger. I reached out to the SCC and talked to them about it, and they’ve indicated they could use the additional time.”

In a announcing the merger filing last week, Dominion said its customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina would receive $2.25 billion in bill credits over the first two years after the deal closes.

The merger, Dominion said, would also allow the company to have greater purchasing power and help “meet growing power demand affordably while maintaining service quality and reliability.”

Dominion referred 海角精品黑料 to the press release when asked for comment on the call to grant the State Corporation Commission more time to review the deal.

Spanberger, meanwhile, signaled support for the extra time when it was included in the House of Delegates’ budget proposal in June. That amendment would have given the commission up to a year. However, that did not make it into the final budget package.

In a statement Tuesday, a Spanberger spokesman said the governor is reviewing the proposed merger and her administration is “assessing all available avenues to lower costs for Virginians and achieve these shared priorities.”

The merger also requires approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Their reviews “may expose risks, produce concessions, or supply conditions unavailable to the SCC before the Commonwealth’s clock runs out,” McNamara and Suetterlein’s letter said.

Brennan Gilmore, executive director of utility watchdog Clean Virginia, said the current time frame isn’t sufficient to examine the potential impacts on customers. This week, Clean Virginia filed a motion with the commission suggesting the proposed merger can’t move forward because there are many unanswered questions, including how the merger could affect Virginians.

“Virginians, no matter where you are in the state, these decisions will be impacting you,” Gilmore said. “I know people are having a hard time paying their electric bill as it is. If this acquisition goes forward, it looks like bills will be even higher, so now’s the time to let your voice be heard.”

Asked for comment about customers worried about rate increases after a merger, Dominion told 海角精品黑料 in a statement: “Under Virginia law, the State Corporation Commission is the established, independent body with the authority and expertise to evaluate utility mergers. We believe the SCC鈥檚 longstanding, fact-based process is the appropriate venue to ensure a thorough review that protects customers.”

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Loudoun County Public Schools and Supervisors, and Dominion Energy, had asked the commission to hold off on a decision while the parties worked through challenges associated with the proposed “Golden to Mars” transmission line project. The $513 million plan calls for 230 and 500-kilovolt lines that will help power data centers.

Dominion said the plan will help “keep electricity reliable in your community.” It includes 185-foot towers, and the plan has drawn fierce opposition from the community.

But Monday night, the commission said the selected route will move forward, because delaying the project “unreasonably jeopardizes the provision of reliable electric service within the Commonwealth.” The decision paves the way for the project’s opponents to appeal to Virginia’s Supreme Court.

In April, the State Corporation Commission selected a path called Route 4 for the project. It would have put the line near Rock Ridge High and Rosa Lee Carter Elementary schools. That option would have required school board approval, but the board never provided it.

Instead, the agency announced a different path, Route 3A, would proceed. The commission called that option “clearly inferior.” But Loudoun’s school board accepted donated land from the Loudoun Valley Estates homeowner’s association, meaning both routes include school property.

During a special school board meeting last week, community members expressed concerns with the project’s future and urged the school board to push back against the project.

Robert Brown, for one, said Route 3A would “place major transmission infrastructure in a location with serious impacts on nearby homes, students, educators, school operations, neighborhoods and the Broad Run Stream Valley environment.”

Lauren Lillestolen, meanwhile, said the school board should “make the best choice for its schools, not the SCC. If the school board is unable to block all routes surrounding the schools and alternative options do not exist, please look at the information objectively and choose the route that reduces impact to students at school and at home.”

Vicky Hu has been a vocal critic of the project, because she said part of the proposed route would run along her property. During the meeting, Hu told the board, “When we are drowning, abandoned by the county, you have courage standing up for the school and for the community. I just want to say thank you.”

Dominion and the county had been making “meaningful progress” toward an agreement, according to a State Corporation Commission filing. A joint school board and Board of Supervisors meeting to talk more about the project is scheduled for July 29.

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A controversial plan to build a new transmission line across 115 miles of rural Virginia will help provide power to the northern part of the state, where customers will also be paying for it.

Valley Link鈥檚 Joshua Falls to Yeat Electric Transmission Line Project would use a 765-kilovolt line running from Campbell County to Culpeper County. PJM, which operates the regional grid, approved the project and is considering it a solution to address growing demand.

The line could cost between $1 and $2 billion and is scheduled to be completed by 2029, though Craig Carper, a Valley Link spokesman, said that timeline may change.

In communities along the proposed route, the project has been met with fierce resistance.听Critics have raised concerns about safety, environmental impacts, changes to neighborhood views and effects on property values.

As heat waves become more common and demand grows from data centers, electric vehicles and smart devices in homes become popular, Virginia will need more power. By 2040, demand is expected to nearly double, Carper said.

鈥淭here’s many drivers toward the increased load demands that we’ve got, but data centers are the lead, and the bulk of those are in that data center alley,鈥� Carper told 海角精品黑料.

The project is proposed by Valley Link, a joint venture between Dominion, FirstEnergy Transmission and Transource.

The group studied nine counties. The latest route no longer includes Spotsylvania County and runs through Orange, Louisa, Goochland, Fluvanna, Buckingham, Appomattox, Campbell and Culpeper counties, Carper said.

Fewer than 75 homes are within 500 feet of the proposed line, and fewer than 10 are within 150 feet of the latest route, according to Valley Link.

Valley Link said it aims to minimize impacts on wetlands, conservation easements and historic and architectural resources while avoiding schools, residential neighborhoods and river crossings whenever possible.

It has hosted a series of open houses aimed at addressing concerns and reviewed thousands of public comments.

Much of the proposed route crosses land where Valley Link doesn鈥檛 have existing rights of way, requiring negotiations with property owners. The right of way would extend 100 feet on either side of the center line, Carper said.

Court-settled purchases, he said, 鈥渁re used only as a last resort,鈥� but 鈥渆very landowner is compensated if an easement is put on their land.鈥�

The final design for transmission structures have not been determined. Valley Link plans to submit its preferred route to Virginia鈥檚 State Corporation Commission this fall and expects a ruling in fall 2027.

鈥淭he grid is interconnected,鈥� Carper said. 鈥淧roblems in one region do not stay in one region due to the interconnectivity of the grid.鈥�

He said the grid serves Richmond, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley.

During a Culpeper Board of Supervisors meeting last month, Kathleen Rodgers Kirk said the 鈥渂est parts of Virginia were never meant to be sold. Not now, not ever.鈥�

At the same session, Jim Hurlock called the project a 鈥渃alculated takeover.鈥�

The project includes the proposed Yeat substation in Culpeper, which local elected officials have publicly opposed.

Despite the pushback, Carper said there鈥檚 no alternative: 鈥淭he Plan B does not exist.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 discussions that we鈥檒l need to have with relevant parties to determine what happens if we get to a point where local zoning approval isn鈥檛 granted,鈥� Carper said.

For Rick Kilcoyne, who lives north of Lake Anna, one concern is what he said would be the project’s impact 鈥渙n our view shed here.鈥� He also raised concerns about health effects and property values, saying real estate agents have told him homes with views of power lines can lose value.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get power everywhere, but there鈥檚 just no local value here,鈥� Kilcoyne said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just no local value. It鈥檚 just a straight take, which is, 鈥榳e鈥檙e going to run these power lines across here.鈥� The rates aren鈥檛 going down.鈥�

While the project would run through rural Virginia, Carper said it will help power-hungry data centers in Northern Virginia.

鈥淭his is, by its very nature, impactful,鈥� Carper said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no getting around it. We understand that and we appreciate that. We can鈥檛 eliminate the impacts, but we can do our very best to minimize impacts.鈥�

Speaking as a Dominion spokesman, Carper said customers will help cover the cost of the project. On the company鈥檚 bill statements, it includes a transmission section. That portion is expected to go up $1 or $2, Carper said.

鈥淚f one part of the grid is sick, the whole grid is sick,鈥� Carper said.

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Fairfax County, Virginia, leaders this week approved a plan to round cash transaction totals up or down to the nearest nickel, a step that comes in response to the lack of new penny coins being produced.

As part of the shift, anyone who pays a tax bill or fee in person with cash will have the transaction totals rounded.

The change comes after the U.S. Mint stopped making new pennies last November. During the last Virginia General Assembly session, lawmakers gave local jurisdictions the authority to pass a temporary ordinance to adjust bills and account balances for taxes and other services.

鈥淭he lack of new coins, coupled with the underutilization and circulation of existing coins, has already led to shortages that are impacting the ability of businesses and governments to obtain pennies for cash transactions,鈥� said Christopher Hartl, chief of the Banking and Investments Division for Fairfax County鈥檚 finance department.

It鈥檚 unclear exactly how many people pay county balances with cash, but according to county documents, there have been recent instances in which pennies haven鈥檛 been available at certain locations. As a result, residents have intentionally been given the incorrect change.

Under the plan, if the total transaction amount ends with a one, two, six or seven as the last digit for the number of cents, the price will be rounded down to the closest number of cents divisible by five.

If the amount ends with a three, four, eight or nine as the last digit for the number of cents, the total will be rounded up to the nearest number of cents divisible by five.

The impact of the change on total amounts is expected to be 鈥渋mmaterial,鈥� according to county documents, because the adjustments wouldn鈥檛 be more than 2 cents higher or lower.

Hartl told the Board of Supervisors this week that the change will give county departments 鈥渢he ability to address this rising issue.鈥�

Anyone paying with a check or credit card isn鈥檛 expected to be impacted.

No members of the public spoke during a hearing on the proposed change Tuesday afternoon.

Fairfax鈥檚 legislation is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2027.

Lawmakers in Richmond are expected to be briefed by the Department of Taxation on a long-term solution before the 2027 General Assembly session.

In Fairfax County, cash is accepted at community centers and for taxes, fees and sales of goods and services.

In a social media video explaining the change, Supervisor Walter Alcorn said the county鈥檚 鈥渒ind of not making change anymore because there are no more pennies being produced in this country.鈥�

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According to the court docket, Jimenez was stopped May 5 for driving 104 mph in a 70 mph zone.

It鈥檚 unclear where Jimenez was driving at the time.

Local news site first reported details of the incident.

海角精品黑料 has contacted Jimenez鈥檚 office for comment.

Based on court records, Jimenez was also charged with not having registration information.

Jimenez, who is being represented by McLean-based attorney Makan Shirafkan, is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning.

Under Virginia law, drivers are considered guilty of reckless driving if they鈥檙e going 20 mph or more over the speed limit or faster than 85 mph, regardless of the posted speed limit. Reckless driving is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor.

If convicted, a Class 1 misdemeanor comes with a $2,500 fine and/or up to a year in jail.

Jimenez represents the county鈥檚 Mason District and represents Fairfax on the Virginia Association of Counties and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.

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Brownouts happen when a utility intentionally lowers the voltage on distribution power lines going into a home or business. When the voltage is reduced, lights appear to be a brownish color, though the impact is sometimes so minimal it goes unnoticed.

Heat waves and the increasing presence of data centers have “pushed demand to record levels,” said Ben Hobbs, Schad professor of environmental management at Johns Hopkins University.

“The last five years have been a big change,” Hobbs said. “We’ve seen, of course, an increasing frequency of heat waves. We’ve seen the data centers and crypto, which also consumes a lot of power.”

As the D.C. region sweltered under 100-degree temperatures earlier in July, regional grid operator 鈥� an estimated 168,158 megawatts between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on July 2, according to preliminary data. PJM edged out a previous peak record set Aug. 2, 2006.

However, there haven’t been any weather-related events on the PJM system that have led to brownouts, a spokesman told 海角精品黑料 in an email.

Similarly, a Dominion Energy spokesman told 海角精品黑料 that while it hasn’t been confirmed yet, “I suspect that we set multiple all-time peak load records” during the heat wave over the July Fourth weekend. A similar record was set during the extreme cold weather in late January; in a 24-hour period this winter, load demand increased 25%, the spokesman said.

Brownouts are generally deemed a last resort, Hobbs said, because if voltage drops too much, the quality of service deteriorates. It could mean a less bright light bulb, a toaster oven that’s less hot or a small rise in the household temperature, even if the air conditioning unit is operating at full capacity.

Some residents have signed up for energy saving programs, which help prevent brownouts. Pepco, for one, offers customers who enroll bill credits in exchange for the ability to adjust the air conditioning unit or heat pump during peak times.

Similar programs exist for factories and manufacturing facilities, Virginia Tech electrical engineering professor Saifur Rahman said. In exchange for the ability to temporarily shut down power, they get a lower rate.

“If you have significant shortages of capacity, the first thing a utility does is, their customers that it’s contracted with to interrupt them during shortage periods, in exchange for which they get a lower price, those get interrupted first,” Hobbs said.

While data centers require significant power, the arrangements are preplanned, Rahman said. So, when a company agrees to give a data center power, it has to arrange for extra power to be brought in through transmission lines or local generation.

During this month’s heat wave, the U.S. Department of Energy gave PJM the authority to direct utilities to move data centers to backup generation. However, the company didn’t need to take that step, it said.

PJM didn’t direct utilities to temporarily cut power in targeted areas, and doesn’t anticipate needing to do it as 100-degree temperatures return this week, a spokesman said.

When power is lost because of a storm, Hobbs said, the result is a blackout. But brownouts generally refer to “an imbalance of overall supply and demand because of heat increasing demand and at the same time decreasing supply.”

“It’s not like we’re going to be living with brownouts every day for a year or anything like that,” Hobbs said. “It’s going to be short in duration, but of course, at precisely the time that you really need the power for you, the air conditioning.”

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