FREDLINES
Claire Marshall Watkins, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Fredericksburg Free Press
High quality: Officials, activists talk Virginia’s retail cannabis market
By Jonathan Hunley 11/13/2026
When retail marijuana sales begin in Virginia on July 1, consumers can rest assured that products legally sold have been tested for safety, the acting head and chief administrative officer of the state Cannabis Control Authority said Thursday night.
“If the product is on the shelf of a licensed retailer, they have been tested to make sure that they don’t have microbials, fecal matter” or other contaminants, said Jamie Patten, who has served in several Virginia agencies before coming to the CCA.
She made the comments after an informational meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn Fredericksburg called “Cannabis Community Conversations: How to Prepare for Virginia’s Retail Market.”
Loud and clear: Caroline selects new audio-visual vendor after conflict of interest inquiry
By Taft Coghill Jr. 11/13/2026
When the Caroline County Board of Supervisors approved its consent agenda on Thursday night, it included a change in vendors hired to record meetings and broadcast them to YouTube.
The shift to JSPHCO from State of Escape, LLC came after Caroline Commonwealth’s Attorney Benjamin Heidt issued an advisory opinion on a potential conflict of interest with the latter.
Caroline Treasurer Priscilla Voit owns State of Escape, which has broadcast Caroline meetings since 2018. County voters, however, elected Voit treasurer in a special election in February. Voit requested an opinion from Heidt and he sent her a letter dated Sept. 14 explaining his view.
Five Virginia members of Congress demand state regulators deny Dominion-NextEra merger
By Shannon Heckt, Virginia Mercury
Five sitting members of Congress representing most of Northern and Eastern Virginia wrote to the State Corporation Commission that, concerning the proposed $67 billion Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy merger, “we do not believe the merger is in the public interest.”
Democratic U.S. Reps. Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam, Eugene Vindman, and James Walkinshaw penned the letter as part of public testimony in the case on Thursday.
Chief among their concerns are Virginia’s prolific data center industry and the energy infrastructure still needed to support it. The representatives said they fear NextEra’s model of business would raise utility bills through the pass down costs of building these projects.
The Free Lance-Star
Man accused of driving more than 160 mph in fatal crash (paywalled)
By Keith Epps 11/13/2026
Malik Thomas was driving at speeds of more than 160 mph when he caused the fatal accident in Stafford County last week that resulted in the death of a mother and her 3-year-old child, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Thomas, 25, is charged with two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated in connection with a crash on Interstate 95 that claimed the lives of Danna R. Palacios and her young daughter, Ruby. The child’s father, Duban Rivas Escobar, was critically injured in the crash and was still in a hospital Thursday.
Thomas was in Stafford General District Court on Thursday, along with multiple members of both his and the victims’ families. He sought release from jail on bond, but Judge Mayo Wilson denied the request after hearing arguments.
Courtland football wins first home playoff game in 11 years (paywalled)
By Alex Murphy 11/13/2026
Friday night was a moment that Courtland High School had been looking forward to for 11 years.
The stands were packed to see the No. 4 seed Cougars take to the field in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Region 4B quarterfinals against No. 5 seed Mechanicsville, welcoming the Mustangs to the Cougars’ Den.
Colder temperatures didn’t keep the Courtland community away from supporting, and they were treated to a show as the Cougars pitched a shutout, winning 35-0 to advance to the regional semifinals next week.
Potomac Local News
Police Blotter: Spotsylvania man charged after woman shot on Patriot Highway
By PLN News 11/13/2026
On November 12, 2026, at 5:19 p.m., deputies with the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting in the 10500 block of Patriot Highway. When deputies arrived, they found a 43-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen and provided first aid. The suspect remained at the scene, and deputies took the suspect into custody without further incident.
Spotsylvania Fire Rescue transported the victim to a local hospital, where she is recovering. The suspect also fatally shot the victim’s dog during the incident.
The Spotsylvania Criminal Investigation Division responded to the scene. The preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting followed an altercation involving the suspect and several other people near a motel.
Former city councilor’s soccer team nets $75,000 from the city
By PLN News 11/13/2026
The Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority approved principle terms for a $75,000 sports tourism sponsorship of Fred City Soccer Club at its regular meeting on Nov. 9. The deal is not yet a signed agreement. It sets the outline for public support of the club’s first seasons in United Soccer League competition.
Under the principle terms, the authority would put $40,000 toward the club in the first year. That money is described as reimbursement for league entrance fees. Years two and three would each carry $17,500, subject to appropriation. The full three-year total is $75,000. Clawback provisions are included if the club does not meet the conditions of the sponsorship.
By PLN News 11/13/2026
Stafford County Public Schools, the Stafford Education Foundation, Amazon, and the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank opened two automated community food kiosks Thursday at North Stafford High School and Shirley C. Heim Middle School. The units operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are funded by a $200,000 Amazon investment that is part of a larger $560,000 partnership announced in May. That partnership also includes $360,000 over three years for teaching grants.
Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank President and CEO Dan Maher cited a recent statewide study that found 42 percent of Virginia residents reported food insecurity in the past year, including 40 percent in the region and 44 percent among families with children. The kiosks build on an existing unit at Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center that opened in 2023.
Parents press Fredericksburg school board on disability accommodations and nepotism policy loopholes
By PLN News 11/13/2026
Parents told the Fredericksburg City School Board on Monday that the division must do more to identify and support students who need medical or mental health accommodations, and that a proposed family-employment policy still leaves too many exceptions.
Sue Sargent of Ward 3 thanked the board for removing a statement from the 2027 legislative agenda that would have kept the division out of compliance with state Standards of Quality rules on special-education class sizes, ratios, and licensure. She then asked the board to pull a consent-agenda item on proposed revisions to Policy GCCB, which governs employment of family members.
Virginia Code and the division’s current GCCB policy generally bar the school board from employing, and the superintendent from recommending, a father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, or in-law of the superintendent or any board member. Exceptions exist for people already under contract or working as substitutes or aides before the relationship began, and for cases in which the related board member or superintendent certifies they had no involvement in the hiring decision.
The Weekly Ringer
ADVANCE READS
Jeff Eastland, Mark Olaide, Shannon Heckt
Yet Another Battle for Potomac Creek
Jeff Eastland, ADVANCE CONTIBUTOR
We have another local data center controversy: A 99-acre data center campus is proposed to be built in the Falmouth district of Stafford, where it would threaten Potomac Creek.
The matter came before the County Board of Supervisors on July 7. The applicant is Metts LC of McClean, Virginia. Metts LC is requesting that the relevant property be rezoned from A-1 (Agricultural) to M-2 (Heavy Industrial). They want to construct three data center buildings and an electrical substation there.
Despite there being no dense housing nearby, I argue this application is deeply flawed for several reasons.
Trump Official Who Wants Data Centers on Public Lands Has Tens of Millions Invested in AI Industry
Mark Olaide, ProPublica
The Trump administration has likened the need to build out the nation’s artificial intelligence infrastructure to the Manhattan Project, the World War II effort that produced the world’s first atomic bomb.
The White House’s point person on the effort, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, has spoken of the “AI arms race” with China as an existential issue for the nation. “AI is manufacturing intelligence, and, if we don’t manufacture more intelligence than our adversaries, it affects every job, every company and every industry,” he said during his Senate confirmation hearing in January 2025.
But advancing the administration’s AI objectives also could benefit Burgum’s own finances.
In Hanover County, environmental groups rally for statewide data center moratorium
Shannon Heckt, VIRGINIA MERCURY
A united front of environmental groups representing all corners of the commonwealth on Wednesday in Hanover urged the state government to implement a statewide pause on all new data center permit approvals and connections to the grid until stricter regulations for water use, energy infrastructure, and siting are enacted.
Representatives from over a dozen organizations stood outside the Hanover Humane Society where a few hundred feet away, through a thin smattering of trees, a hyperscale data center was being built. The facility was permitted by-right, meaning there were no public hearings or votes before supervisors gave it the green light.
“Here in Ashland, Big Tech swoops in, pulls the wool over our eyes and breaks ground before we’re able to fight back,” Blair St. Ledger Olson with the Virginia League of Conservation Voters said.
STATE OF THE STATE
VaNews/VIRGINIA PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT
Five Virginia members of Congress urge SCC to reject merger of Dominion, NextEra Energy
By BRANDON JARVIS, Virginia Scope
Five Democratic members of Virginia’s congressional delegation are urging state regulators to reject Dominion Energy’s proposed $67 billion merger with NextEra Energy, arguing the deal lacks sufficient protections for consumers and could lead to higher electricity bills over the long term. U.S. Reps. Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam, Eugene Vindman and James Walkinshaw sent a letter to the State Corporation Commission opposing the proposed acquisition, arguing that it fails to meet Virginia’s legal requirements for utility transactions because it does not adequately protect customers from potential harm.
Virginia schools report $8.6M in meal debt as free-breakfast proposal returns
By ANNA BRYSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)
Virginia public school divisions reported more than $8.6 million in school meal debt as of June 30, according to the state’s first comprehensive accounting of unpaid charges for breakfasts and lunches served to students. The newly documented debt total is poised to revive a debate over whether Virginia should provide school meals for free to every public school student.
By MEGHAN MANGRUM, Cardinal News
Calls to update Virginia’s K-12 school funding formula have become more urgent in recent weeks since lawmakers approved a plan to evaluate and replace the formula, which could mean significant changes for how the state spends more than $10 billion a year. Superintendents in Southwest and Southside Virginia say they’re hopeful that a revamped formula could provide additional funding, particularly to small, rural school divisions and those that serve larger numbers of high-needs students.
Bobby Scott is fighting to lead education Democrats
By MACKENZIE WILKES, Politico
Bobby Scott isn’t a showman. Democrats have to decide if they need one. The longtime Democratic representative, who is eager to retake the chairmanship of the House education committee next year, was back in his district at the sort of function he has done for years. Visiting a high school, he posed for photos with organizers helping families fill out the revamped federal student financial aid form, shared quips and got stopped by a security guard who wanted to snap a selfie. But Scott, who hasn’t dealt with a serious challenger from either party since he was elected more than 30 years ago, is being forced to prove himself 200 miles north, in Washington.
By PETER DUJARDIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Incoming Portsmouth City Council member Lisa Lucas-Burke struck a combative but confident tone Thursday after being arraigned on charges of taking part in a long-running conspiracy to illegally sell marijuana. Lucas-Burke — charged with her mother and five others — pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her and asked for a jury trial. “We’re good people,” Lucas-Burke said outside the Newport News federal courthouse following the 30-minute hearing. “We’re not who they make us out to be at all … My mom does a lot of good for people, and they don’t like that.”
How a Northern Virginia youth group home is trying to get it right
By JUAN BENN JR., Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
At the only co-ed group home for at-risk youth in Alexandria, Virginia, it’s hard to find a bare wall. On Sheltercare’s entryway walls, butterflies soar across a lavender sky. Oreo Jorge, the shelter’s black-and-white pet bunny and mascot, rests in the grass next to tulips, sunflowers and white orchids. Around the corner, children stamped their handprints in a hallway leading to the living room, where teenage girls have small group sessions, kids sometimes gather for dinner, and a wall has been cleanly divided into bright geometric shapes. “A kid was having a bad day and was like, ‘I need to do something tangible,’” Director Annie Reiney said. So, she offered him tape to make the lines and paint to fill in the empty space.
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