THE TUESDAY ADVANCE: FREDLINES, READS, and STATE of the STATE
AUGUST 18 2026. All About the Day.
FREDLINES
Eve Evans, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Potomac Local News
Three Hurt After Pepper Ball at Wawa
By Uriah Kiser, 08/17/2026
Three people were hospitalized with minor illnesses Saturday after a pepper ball was discharged inside a Wawa on Warrenton Road in Stafford County around 5 p.m. The pepper ball, a self-defense device that fires a projectile with powdered chemical irritant, was identified during a hazardous materials response. Fire crews from Stafford County, Fredericksburg, and Fauquier County assisted in isolating the area, and the incident remains under investigation.
More Than 100 Vehicles Involved in Blaze
By Uriah Kiser, 08/17/2026
A large fire at Pick-A-Part auto salvage yard at the 9000 block of Patriot Highway in Spotsylvania broke out just after 4 a.m. Monday, involving more than 100 vehicles and spreading rapidly through the junkyard. More than 30 fire and rescue personnel remained on scene throughout the morning conducting extinguishing and overhaul operations, with no injuries reported to civilians or firefighters. The cause of the fire remains unknown and under investigation.
Stan Jones Appointed to Fredericksburg City School Board; Kay Absent from Swearing-In
By Uriah Kiser, 08/17/2026
The Fredericksburg City School Board appointed Dr. Stan Jones to the vacant at-large seat on Monday, with the educator and ACTS CEO sworn in immediately. Jones, who received written support from 15 residents during the appointment process, will serve as interim member through the end of 2026, with voters electing a permanent representative in November to complete the term. Ward 4 representative Malvina Kay, who had publicly opposed the appointment, was not present inside the chambers during the swearing-in ceremony. Jones brings nearly 40 years of experience in Virginia public education and had previously received nearly 22 percent of the vote as a write-in candidate for Kay’s seat last fall.
They said it was impossible… Stafford residents just stalled the Kraken
By Uriah Kiser, 08/18/2026
Dominion Energy has split its proposed North Anna to Bristers high-voltage transmission line into two State Corporation Commission applications, delaying the northern segment covering Stafford County to 2027 while targeting fall 2026 for the southern portion. The Stafford-based citizen group Towering Concerns claims direct contact with Dominion representatives influenced the split and says the delay provides more time to organize opposition to the roughly 70-mile project. Dominion has cited the split as allowing time to review routes and environmental factors, though critics say the line poses risks to schools, homes and property values. No SCC application has been filed yet for either portion.
The Free Lance-Star
Business tax, solar facility, data center on Stafford agenda (paywalled)
By Scott Shenk, 08/18/2026
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors meets Tuesday at 5 p.m. to consider a Business, Professional and Occupational tax that could generate $3.5 to $4 million annually, with a $50 annual license fee and tax based on gross receipts for businesses exceeding $100,000. Amazon is seeking approval to use 217,000 gallons of potable water for both data center facilities at the Potomac Church Tech Center project and offering $10 million for Old Potomac Church Road improvements, though the company says upgrading diesel generators to more environmentally friendly Tier 4 models would cause significant delays. The board will also hold a public hearing on a proposed 3 megawatt solar facility by Terraform on 25.57 acres west of Interstate 95, designed to power approximately 500 homes.
5 things to know about the Penzance data center proposal (paywalled)
08/18/2026
Penzance Development has substantially revised its data center proposal for 1500 Gateway Boulevard, reducing it from four buildings totaling 2 million square feet to two buildings of 1 million square feet with heights lowered to 75 feet and a cooling system using no potable water. The Aug. 25 public hearing before Fredericksburg City Council faces a major obstacle, as four of seven council members have publicly announced opposition, citing concerns about the project’s location outside the designated Technology Overlay District. The developer is offering $18 million for capital improvements, $20 million for schools over 20 years, $1 million for sewer work and an estimated $200 million in city tax revenue during the first decade, with supporters emphasizing construction jobs and shorter commutes. Unless at least one of the four opposing council members changes position, the revised proposal lacks sufficient votes for approval.
Lawrence Toler’s medical records seized in drug probe (paywalled)
08/18/2026
Lawrence Dale Toler II was shot 34 times by Spotsylvania deputies in November 2024 while wanted on Chesterfield robbery charges; he survived with critical injuries including brain damage but was convicted of seven felonies in April 2026. Facing a mandatory minimum of 11 years in prison with sentencing scheduled for June 26, Toler died in Rappahannock Regional Jail on May 26 after becoming unresponsive the previous evening, with suspected illegal drugs later found in his cell. Investigators are now examining whether the drugs contributed to his death, with his family having previously complained about inadequate medical care during his incarceration.
Animal neglect case involving Stafford man moves to court (paywalled)
By Keith Epps, 08/17/2026
A Stafford man, Steven Terrance Platt, 50, faces a Class 6 felony count of torturing or maiming a dog and a Class 1 misdemeanor for animal cruelty, along with 12 additional misdemeanor charges, after a seven-month-old Cane Corso named Cardi died following surgery to remove a couch cushion obstruction from its body. The veterinarian determined the dog was starving, and a subsequent search warrant of Platt’s home revealed six other Cane Corsos living in conditions with overwhelming urine and feces throughout. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to determine permanent removal of the dogs, with criminal charges to be heard Oct. 21, and Platt is currently held without bond at Rappahannock Regional Jail.
Fredericksburg Free Press
At first meeting since ACLU lawsuit, King George School Board stays mum
By Taft Coghill Jr., 08/18/2026
The King George County School Board held its first meeting since the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit challenging the board’s decision to prevent a Gender and Sexualities Alliance club at the county’s middle school. Board members did not address the lawsuit during the meeting, but two residents, including a pastor, spoke in support of the decision to deny the club. The ACLU lawsuit names the superintendent and middle school principal as defendants, claiming they violated students’ First Amendment rights and the federal Equal Access Act by preventing the club while allowing other student organizations to operate.
ADVANCE READS
Jesse Adams, Dewey Turner
Our Eroding Watersheds: A Story of Neglect and Loss
By Jesse Adams, SPECIAL TO THE ADVANCE
In December 2025, I started periodically hiking out to Boykin’s Landing in Crow’s Nest to do quick trash cleanups of all of the stuff that inevitably washes up there. But after getting down to the shoreline area and turning around on one recent trip, I was presented with an unsettling scene: The peninsula that makes up Crow’s Nest Point and Boykin’s Landing has been heavily eroding out over time, and if left unchecked, the hiking trail will eventually fully collapse into Potomac Creek.
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Two Advance Writers Splitting the Night This Thursday
By Dewey Turner, ADVANCE CONTRIBUTOR
Thanks to a hitch in scheduling, two FXBG Advance writers—Editor Steve Watkins and Environmental Columnist Ranjit Singh—will weigh in on critical environmental and development issues in two separate public events, both at the same time, both promoted by The Advance, two miles apart, on Thursday night: Watkins as one of the speakers at the quarterly research-and-ideas gathering Nerd Nite; Singh as moderator for a No-BS forum on data centers.
STATE OF THE STATE
VaNews/VIRGINIA PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT
Alongside Kiggans, U.S. House Speaker says Virginia’s 2nd District ‘will determine the fate of the country’
By CHARLOTTE RENE WOODS, Virginia Mercury
As part of an 18-state tour through more than 30 congressional districts, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said Monday that “Virginia’s 2nd District will determine the fate of the country because this will be a close election.” As Johnson stumped for U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, at the Cavalier Hotel on Monday, he and the incumbent congresswoman framed partisan control of the nation’s legislature during this year’s congressional midterm elections as a battle between “common sense” and “chaos.”
At rally, advocates urge Virginia voters to approve restoration of rights amendment
By DAVE RESS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)
Charlene Newsome still remembers writing the letter. It was the one that said she deserved to have her voting rights restored, years after her release from prison. “There wasn’t that much going on in my life. I was a single mom … I didn’t know what to say,” she said. Was it degrading, having to ask for something most other Virginians have without questioning? “Absolutely,” she said, speaking after a rally to urge Richmonders to vote for a constitutional amendment that strikes language saying people convicted of felonies can’t vote, unless a governor restores their right. Virginia is the only state where it’s completely up to the governor to decide if someone convicted of a felony can vote.
Feds launch investigation of William & Mary, alleging discrimination in scholarships, aid
By JOHN BUZBEE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The federal Department of Justice announced it is investigating William & Mary, alleging that the nation’s second-oldest university has broken civil rights law by giving non-white students preference for some scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Such actions, the DOJ said, may have infringed on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act discriminating against some of its students on the grounds of race.
‘Spirits Palooza’ boosts ABC profits despite falling sales
By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)
With alcohol sales plummeting in Virginia and across the country, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority found a way to literally lift its spirits and boost its profit margin at the end of the state fiscal year in June. “Spirits Palooza” helped ABC offset lower revenues from its dwindling number of retail stores by working with suppliers to offer deep discounts on alcoholic beverages, including dozens of rare and highly regarded whiskies, tequila and other liquors over three days in early June.
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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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