FREDLINES
Claire Marshall Watkins, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Fredericksburg Free Press
Four hopefuls taking on major-party candidates in 7th Congressional District race
By Jonathan Hunley 10/12/2026
By now, Fredericksburg-area voters may know the two major-party candidates in this year’s race for the congressional district that includes the region, but four other hopefuls are on the ballot, including one who has a local legacy.
That’s Alaha Ahrar, a prominent University of Mary Washington alumna. She’s running in the race as an independent. She’s joined by Libertarian Taner E. Demirci Lopez and two other independents, Joshua E. Ertle and Randall A. Terry.
A revolutionary forge: Hunter’s Iron Works hailed as ‘the birthplace of America’s defense industry’
By Rick Horner 10/12/2026
The Freedom Forge Foundation hosted the Revolution on the Rappahannock: Hunter’s Iron Works and American Independence event on Oct. 10. The nonprofit partnered with Stafford VA250 in bring awareness to the history of Hunter’s Iron Works and the Rappahannock Forge and the foundation’s efforts to preserve the site.
The forge is considered by historians to be the first major industrial weapons manufacturer in the United States. It was instrumental in arming the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Prince William Times
UPDATE: Dominion says ‘all options’ are on the table after supervisors block Vint Hill facility
By Daniel Berti 09/23/2026
Amid intense pushback from area residents, the Prince William County supervisors on Tuesday denied a Dominion Energy proposal for a $300 million upgrade to a switching station on Vint Hill Road needed mostly to power data centers.
Supervisors cited a variety of concerns, including a lack of transparency from Dominion Energy officials about the true intent of the switching station expansion. The board voted unanimously to deny a special use permit for the utility.
ADVANCE READS
Phil Huber, Advance Staff
Peace Requires More Than Cutting a Deal—Or Claiming You Did
Phil Huber, ADVANCE COLUMNIST
The Nobel Peace Prize is not a contest for the most recognizable name. Recent recipients include an imprisoned Iranian rights advocate and a grassroots organization of atomic-bomb survivors. The committee has repeatedly honored people who challenge abuses of power, not merely those who wield it.
This year it chose South African jurist Navi Pillay. Donald Trump called the decision “disgraceful and embarrassing,” an “indelible stain” on Norway, and said the United States, represented by him, should have won.
The better question is what each record contributes to peace.
Data Center Developments This Week
Advance Staff Reports
Upcoming Events
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Tuesday, October 13, 5 p.m., Spotsylvania County Planning Commission, Holbert Building, 9104 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania, VA.
The Board of Supervisors will be approving an eminent domain settlement for land for the water line on Massaponax Church Road.
STATE OF THE STATE
VaNews/VIRGINIA PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT
Virginia’s status in national school choice scholarship program ‘in question’
By ANNA BRYSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)
Virginia was the first state in the nation to opt into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, the first national school choice scholarship program, but there’s a chance Virginia will rescind its decision to participate. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin opted into the program early this year before he left office, but Virginia still needs to complete the full legal process to join. “I think the current status of where we are remains in question,” said Gov. Abigail Spanberger during an event at Glen Lea Elementary School in Henrico on Friday morning.
Spanberger administration ‘looking into’ the possibility it restored dead felons’ voting rights
By TYLER ENGLANDER, WRIC-TV
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) says her administration is “looking into” the possibility that she may have restored the voting rights of people who have passed away. It comes as several people have posted on social media that Spanberger restored the rights of their dead loved ones as part of a process that allows the governor to restore the rights of convicted felons upon their release. Until recently, in Virginia, all convicted felons automatically lost their voting rights and had to have them manually restored by the sitting governor.
By ELIZABETH BEYER, Cardinal News
Virginians will have the opportunity to change the commonwealth’s constitution three times this fall. But what happens if a constitutional amendment passed by voters could be considered at odds with current state statute? Opponents to Ballot Question 1, the proposed constitutional amendment regarding access to reproductive healthcare, have alleged that the amendment would invalidate standing statutes regarding parental consent, third-trimester abortions and healthcare for infants born after an abortion procedure.
Smithfield police shared Flock data with FBI after ODU shooting. That violated state law.
By PETER DUJARDIN, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
The Smithfield Police Department shared Flock data with the FBI in violation of a new Virginia law that bars sharing the information with federal agencies without a court order or subpoena, the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot have found. Smithfield shared Flock Safety data with the FBI — which then turned it over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — as several agencies were investigating a March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University.
As electricity demand soars, Virginia’s power transformer industry is booming
By MATT BUSSE, Cardinal News
Chuck Perrine walked the floor of Hitachi Energy’s South Boston factory one morning this past summer. It wasn’t yet afternoon, but already it had been a busy day. Company executives and employees had joined state and local leaders to ceremonially break ground on a $457 million expansion at the Halifax County location. Perrine ascended a set of steps to a platform where two employees were winding copper around a tall core made of a special type of steel. That core was destined to eventually join others like it inside a large metal case, called a tank, to create a power transformer.
After a felony, Virginia took away his vote. A court win is giving it back.
By JUAN BENN JR., Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
Before the conviction, Son Huynh said he was never one to miss an election. Like most American children, Huynh, a California native, was taught about the right to vote in school. His parents had emigrated from Vietnam, and he spent some of his early years there before moving to Virginia when he was about 13. Voting was a major point of pride for him. “I love this county, and I love to vote,” said Huynh, 29. During a dark period in his early 20s, he struggled with substance abuse and bouts of homelessness, “constantly stealing stuff from people, stealing stuff from stores,” Huynh said. He racked up charges and said he often preferred spending time in jail because he knew he would at least have access to food and a place to sleep. ... What Huynh wasn’t thinking about then, he said, was that a felony conviction in Virginia would strip him of the right to vote.
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