THE FRIDAY ADVANCE: READS, FREDLINES, and STATE of the STATE
July 31, 2026. All About the Day.
ADVANCE READS
Ranjit Singh, Jeff Eastland, Phil Huber, Ben Raterman
Oh, Crap! Spewing Sewage and Why Wetlands Matter
By Ranjit Singh and Jeff Eastland, ADVANCE CONTRIBUTORS
Potomac Creek wetlands in Stafford County, see from space/Google Earth
It’s high summer now, and we thought it would be a good idea to list the known leaks of untreated sewage—both great and small—that have afflicted the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers since the start of 2026.
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Six Lessons From Spanberger’s First Six Months
By Phil Huber, ADVANCE COLUMNIST
Abigail Spanberger entered the governor’s office with an extraordinary opportunity. She had won by 15 points, Democrats controlled both chambers of the General Assembly, and voters had embraced her promise of practical leadership, effective governance and a focus on affordability. Six months later, several polls show Virginians closely divided over her performance. The latest Virginia Commonwealth University survey places her approval at 44% and disapproval at 47%, a difference within its 4.55-point margin of error.
That does not mean Spanberger has failed. She has signed important legislation affecting health care, housing, energy, education, wages, child care and worker protections. But the contrast between her election victory and current standing offers lessons for Spanberger, the General Assembly—and voters.
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‘Odysseus and the Suiters’: An A+++ Report
By Ben Raterman, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
In ninth grade, everybody in my English class had to write an essay on The Odyssey, but the night before it was due, I was still stuck working on mine. When my dad got home and saw me sitting at the dining room table in front of my mother’s old Smith-Corona, the first thing he did was comment on the change in furniture arrangement, something my mother did periodically to mix things up as suited her whimsy. Next he petted our dog, Jack, who lay on his stomach, head on his outstretched paws. Jack gave the old man a one-eyed grin.
Finally, my dad looked at me and said, “Homework?” I nodded, glancing at my school-issued Adventures in Literature paperback, opened to The Odyssey.
FREDLINES
Eve Evans, ADVANCE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Potomac Local News
Stafford County Sheriff’s Office Fires Deputy, Directs Questions to FBI
By Uriah Kiser, 07/31/2026
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday that former sergeant Justin Forman has been terminated, citing personal conduct rather than professional or on-duty issues, and referred further questions to the FBI’s Richmond Division, which declined to comment. Forman, 37, was booked into an Alexandria detention center Thursday afternoon, though the charging agency and specifics of the case remain unclear. Read the whole article to find out what records show about Forman’s tenure with the department and what’s still unknown about the case.
The Free Lance Star
Fredericksburg’s Shakira Austin scores 1,500th point in WNBA
By Alex Murphy, 07/31/2026
Fredericksburg native Shakira Austin hit a career milestone Tuesday night, becoming just the 17th player in Washington Mystics history to reach 1,500 points, part of a breakout season that’s seen her post career highs across the board. The performance helped push Washington to 15-12 as the team fights to hold its playoff spot. Read the whole article to see how far up the franchise’s all-time scoring list Austin could climb by season’s end.
Staff reports, 07/30/2026
Stratford Hall held its sixth annual First Africans Day on July 25, a free event honoring the enslaved Africans and African Americans who lived and worked on the property. The program included an opening ceremony at the African American Cemetery, a keynote from the Museum of the American Revolution’s Adrienne Whaley on Virginians who pursued freedom through Revolutionary War service, and demonstrations covering Colonial foodways, tobacco cultivation and textile production. The day closed with a ceremony at Stratford Beach, where attendees floated a flower-adorned raft bearing the names of enslaved people into the Potomac River. Read the whole article to learn more about the Payne family’s legacy at Stratford Hall and the origins of the river ceremony tradition.
Accused buttocks grabber cleared of two charges by jury
By Keith Epps, 07/30/2026
A Fredericksburg jury on Thursday convicted Hien The Dinh, 23, of assault and battery in connection with one of three walking-trail incidents in which women were grabbed from behind, while clearing him of sexual battery charges in the other two. Prosecutors pointed to cellphone records, surveillance footage and license plate data placing Dinh in the city during all three March incidents, but the defense argued that evidence only proved his presence, not his guilt. Dinh, who has prior sexual assault convictions in Henrico, has been jailed since March 31 and faces sentencing Aug. 26.
Fredericksburg Free Press
Childress steps down from the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors
Staff reports, 07/31/2026
Chancellor District Supervisor Gerald Childress is resigning from the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, effective Aug. 6, according to a release from the county.
Childress, a Spotsylvania native, began his four-year term on the board of supervisors in January 2024 after defeating Mike Martin with 60% of the vote in the November 2023 election. Childress cited personal and health reasons for his resignation.
The board will consider the date of a special election to fill the vacancy and whether to make an interim appointment. The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Secondary skillset: King George native Smith took mentorship lessons to NFL
By Taft Coghill Jr., 07/30/2026
Dallas Cowboys secondary coach Ryan Smith, a King George County native raised by a single mother in the Marines, is entering his first season with the franchise after a coaching path that began as a William & Mary walk-on and wound through Penn State, Elon, James Madison, Virginia Tech, Northwestern and the Arizona Cardinals. Smith credits mentor Xavier Richardson, founder of Partners for Academic Excellence, with shaping both his coaching philosophy and his approach to building relationships with players, including newly drafted safety Caleb Downs. He’s one of several Fredericksburg-area natives heading into NFL training camp, alongside players like Aiden Fisher, Elijah Sarratt and Joey Slye, and executives such as Jeff Scott of the Atlanta Falcons. Read the whole article to learn how Smith’s early struggles in King George shaped his mentorship style and what role each area athlete is stepping into this season.
STATE OF THE STATE
VaNews/VIRGINIA PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT
Spanberger has restored voting rights to more than 66,000 Virginians
By DEAN MIRSHAHI, VPM
Since taking office in January, Gov. Abigail Spanberger has restored the voting rights of more than 66,000 Virginians who lost them due to felony convictions, her office announced Friday. “The right to vote is foundational to who we are as Americans,” Spanberger said in a statement accompanying the announcement. Virginia is one of three states that automatically strip someone’s right to vote after they’re convicted of a felony. The governor has sole authority to give someone these rights back, either through the restoration process once they’ve completed their felony sentence or via a pardon. ... According to annual reports the secretary of the commonwealth is required to share, Youngkin restored the voting rights of fewer than 10,000 Virginians during his entire tenure.
After DEQ Groundwater Report, Perry, Stuart Call for Special Session
By STAFF REPORT, Loudoun Now
In response to a report on the state of groundwater east of I-95 released this month, Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) and Sen. Richard Stuart (R-25) are asking Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session of the General Assembly to address concerns raised in the report. ... “The report, the most comprehensive study ever conducted of our coastal aquifer, makes clear that Virginia’s groundwater is under serious and immediate strain,” Perry and Stuart wrote in a July 30 letter to Spanberger.
Appalachian Power sees ‘explosive’ growth from data centers, other big customers
By MATT BUSSE, Cardinal News
Appalachian Power is seeing “explosive and unprecedented” interest from data centers and other big customers. The electric utility recently told state regulators that it’s in talks with 36 potential large-load customers in Virginia whose combined power demand would total about 25,000 megawatts. “Like many other public utilities, APCo is experiencing explosive and unprecedented growth driven by large-load customers — primarily data centers, including hyperscalers,” Brian Abraham, president and chief operating officer of Appalachian Power, told regulators.
Newport News Shipbuilding lands part of $76.6 billion contract for submarine construction
By SANDRA J. PENNECKE, Inside Business
The Navy on Wednesday announced a “historic investment” of $76.6 billion in contracts for building 14 submarines partly benefiting Newport News Shipbuilding. The contracts to the Newport News shipyard and Groton, Connecticut-based General Dynamics Electric Boat include the construction of five additional Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, nine additional Virginia-class submarines and other backing for shipyard infrastructure, according to HII, parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding.
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Articles from newspapers throughout the Commonwealth and Washington D.C. Firewalls will block you from reading some, but you’ll at least have some idea about what’s going on from the headlines and summaries. CLICK HERE.
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