Plus: Winsome Earle-Sears announces she’s returning to the campaign trail, more money is heading to Tazewell County for Hurricane Helene relief and the governor includes two Southwest Virginians in her latest round of board appointments.
Politics
Cardinal News covers the political issues facing Southwest and Southside Virginia
Suetterlein, McNamara want special session to extend time Virginia has to review Dominion-NextEra merger
The two Roanoke Valley legislators appealed to Gov. Spanberger to call for a special session. The current deadline doesn’t give Virginia much leverage, they said.
Notes from the Square: General Assembly backs Spanberger’s appeal to SCC regarding data center transmission costs
Plus: Hashmi releases a reading list ahead of autumn Southwest Virginia college tour; Griffith applauds federal money for Helene housing recovery, announces $3 million for Head Start programs.
Judge dismisses challenge to reproductive rights amendment
An attorney with the Liberty Counsel said he will appeal the Campbell County judge’s ruling.
Virginia could have new fees, regulations for hunting, fishing and boating
Virginia wildlife department proposes new fees, regulations to offset rising costs.
Spanberger: $7.3 million to be disbursed to rebuild housing damaged by Helene
The commonwealth received the money in 2025 through a federal Housing and Urban Development Department disaster relief block grant program.
State may have inadvertently created a 1-year gap with no cannabis laws, but language was fixed after concerns arose
Some prosecutors had raised questions about whether the state had accidentally repealed all cannabis laws. A state commission intervened Wednesday to fix what one legislature called a routine error.
Notes from the Square: President Donald Trump’s DOJ sues the commonwealth
Plus: Gov. Abigail Spanberger issues more board appointments, and a new head to lead the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
General Assembly passes Spanberger’s budget amendments, biennial budget is finalized
The House and Senate approved all 14 of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s amendments to the spending bill in a move that brought an end to the nearly half-year-long budget uncertainty.
Notes from the Square: 2 former 6th District competitors swap endorsements
Plus: Attorney General Jay Jones issues a message to the firearm industry and $6.19 million to be disbursed from the EPA to clean up brownfields in Southwest and Southside Virginia.

