THE FXBG ADVANCE SUNDAY, JULY 19 READS
Cheer for the Team Where You Are. My Lost Decades. HOA Hell.
‘Cheer for the Team Where You Are’
By Claire Marshall Watkins, ADVANCE CONTRIBUTER
My dad is the guy who stops to chat with everyone in the supermarket. Mostly it’s with people he knows—which is still almost everyone in Fredericksburg—but even with people he doesn’t. They have the same brand of chips in their baskets? That’s a perfectly good reason to strike up a conversation for him.
At community events, I used to tug at his shirt sleeves as a tired kid. Was another conversation really necessary after the four he’d had since telling us kids we were going home? The answer was always yes. I used to resent it. I was either embarrassed or tired or just being a kid. But now I get it, and I miss it.
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My Lost Decades
By Lynda Allen, ADVANCE CONTRIBUTOR
It began with weight gain in my early 40s, though neither my diet nor my exercise routine had changed. I went to my doctor, who ruled out “medical” causes, and told me with a laugh, “Welcome to your 40s.” I thought that was an unacceptable response to my situation, but it’s what a medical authority told me, so it must be true, right? There was apparently nothing I could do about the changes my body was experiencing. But people I knew were noticing—a few even spreading rumors that I might be pregnant. So, not only was I struggling with the changes, but I was also being judged for them. That’s how warped our view of body image is. A few extra pounds and the murmuring and judgement begin, including my own self-judgement, which I admit was quite loud.
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HOA HELL: Notice of Violations
By Drew Gallagher, ADVANCE COLUMNIST
To: Homeowner of Lot 8675309
From: Hummingbird Property Management
Dear Homeowner of Lot 8675309:
We recently conducted our spring inspection of the homes in ___________ (enter name of subdivision) and have determined that your property is in violation of the HOA regulations listed below. Failure to correct these violations prior to __________ (enter date of pool opening because this is the only thing homeowners care about) could result in revocation of all rights to common grounds and amenities including, but not limited to, the POOL, the clubhouse, the charcoal grill located at the pavilion which newly-elected HOA Board member Bill thinks will work if you build a charcoal pyramid instead of spreading the briquets evenly at a depth of 1-2 inches even if that is what the faded instructions on the lid read.
Violations are as follows:
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State of the State
VaNews/VIRGINIA PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT
Va. ABC loses its leader as focus shifts to law enforcement
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is losing its leader, as Gov. Abigail Spanberger looks to put her stamp on an independent authority that delivers hundreds of millions in profit and tax revenue from the state liquor monopoly to the general fund budget, while also overseeing expanding responsibilities for law enforcement that eventually could include marijuana, as well as alcohol and liquid nicotine products. Chief Executive Officer Dale Farino informed ABC employees and alcohol industry representatives this week that his last day at the authority is Friday, after Spanberger declined to reappoint him to the job.
Six months in, Spanberger defends her record as economic concerns persist
By MARKUS SCHMIDT, Virginia Mercury
Abigail Spanberger took the oath of office on the steps of Virginia’s state Capitol six months ago Friday, becoming the state’s first woman elected governor after winning by the largest margin for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in more than six decades. She entered office promising to lower costs through her Affordable Virginia agenda. But a new poll suggests many Virginians remain unconvinced, with inflation, housing costs and an unpredictable economic forecast still topping voters’ concerns. Spanberger addressed those concerns Thursday during an interview with reporters in the cabinet room at the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond’s Capitol Square, defending her administration’s record to date while acknowledging that the impact of many of her biggest initiatives will take time to manifest.
Virginia AG Jones asks to delay all state cases on assault weapons ban until SCOTUS ruling
By ANNA BRYSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)
Attorney General Jay Jones has asked judges to pause all four state lawsuits challenging Virginia’s new assault weapons ban until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on two similar cases from other states. The Attorney General’s Office said pausing the four pending lawsuits will prevent conflicting outcomes and “support the equal and fair application of the law.” The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear challenges this fall to assault weapons bans in Connecticut and Illinois, with a decision likely by next summer.
Race for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District tests the politics of Republicans’ Medicaid cuts
By ZARA NORMAN, NOTUS
Democrats think they can flip a President Donald Trump-supporting congressional district blue. Their message: The incumbent, Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman, voted to cut Medicaid. Wittman, a 10-term Republican, told party leadership last summer that he wouldn’t support the “One Big Beautiful Bill” because of its sweeping cuts to Medicaid, a program one in eight of his constituents rely on for coverage. But ultimately, he did. Local Democratic Party committees are using Wittman’s vote to stir up their base. The official campaign arm for House Democrats says his district, the suburban and rural communities surrounding Richmond and the state’s eastern shore, “represents one of our best pick-up opportunities.”
‘Enough is enough’: Virginia’s ‘immovable’ power broker says data centers aren’t unstoppable
By ADAM ATON, Politico
President Donald Trump and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger have at least one thing in common: a problem named Sen. L. Louise Lucas. Lucas, the 82-year-old president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, spearheaded Democrats’ effort this year to gerrymander four congressional seats held by Republicans, a more aggressive plan than some of her colleagues wanted – and one that, after the FBI raided her office, she blames for attracting Trump’s retribution. She also led a push to strip data centers of state tax incentives – butting heads with Spanberger (D), whom Lucas christened a “data center diva,” and bringing the commonwealth to the brink of its first-ever government shutdown.
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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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