Monday, February 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1959, four seventh-graders became the first black students in Arlington County to attend an integrated neighborhood school rather than be bused to a segregated school, marking the beginning of the end of Virginia's "Massive Resistance" policy.

We asked readers about issues that concern them most at the moment. Responses included political unrest, the cost of living, and—especially—proposed tax increases.

"Promises of affordability have turned into a flood of proposed bills of tax increases for simple things," one wrote. "Raising taxes on hard-working Virginians is not what was voted for," another wrote.

"How do these taxes support the 'affordability' agenda touted by Gov. Spanberger, and what is driving the need for all these taxes?" a retired couple wondered. As we report in Around Virginia, Sen. Majority Leader Scott Surovell recently attempted to answer that question.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Weekend Snowstorm Impact

A powerful snowstorm mostly stayed off the East Coast over the weekend, bringing snow and powerful winds to Southern Virginia. During the height of the storm, areas in Hampton Roads recorded between a quarter to a half inch of snow per hour.

Crews in Roanoke worked around the clock to keep roads clear. "We haven't had a good event like this since 2018," the city's transportation division manager said.

While Southside Virginia shoveled out from measurable snowfall, the storm was not as widespread as forecast.

After temperatures dropped into the single digits on Sunday morning, a slight warming trend is expected in most of the Commonwealth this week.

ICE Proposals Draw Opposition

Jim Pattison Developments, the Canadian company that owns a warehouse in Ashland, announced that it will not sell the building to the federal government.

The Department of Homeland Security considered buying the 550,000-square-foot building and using it as a detention facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last week, the Hanover County Board of Supervisors drafted a statement to the federal government opposing the proposal and stating that such a use wouldn't fit with the area's commercial buildings. Hundreds of residents rallied to oppose the conversion.

ICE is also reportedly considering turning the Augusta Correctional Center in Craigsville into a detention center. "The Augusta County Board of Supervisors has made it clear that they do not support an ICE facility at this location," County Administrator Tim Fitzgerald said.

Banfield Jury Deliberates

A jury of seven women and five men resumes deliberations today in the double murder trial of Brendan Banfield. The prosecution and the defense completed closing arguments on Friday.

Prosecutors said Banfield lured a stranger to his family's Herndon home to frame him for the murder of his wife, Christine, and that he and the family's au pair then killed them both.

Banfield testified in his own defense, telling jurors it would have been "absolutely crazy" for him to create "any sort of a plan" with the au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães. He admitted he was having an affair with her at the time his wife was murdered.

Peres Magalhães testified against Banfield as part of a plea deal and will be sentenced to manslaughter.

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➤ Richmond: Discussing proposed tax increases, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell warned that the Commonwealth may spend its entire budget surplus to make up for federal cuts to Medicaid. "We're going to need to spend $3.2 billion more on Medicaid over the next two years" simply to maintain benefits, the Democrat said. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Republican Party of Virginia will meet this coming Saturday to select a new party chair. Three men are vying to replace state Sen. Mark Peake, who resigned at the end of 2025. (More)

➤ Rockbridge County: Melissa Lee Mathura, a 43-year-old from Georgia, was charged with felony eluding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence after she led authorities on a high-speed chase on I-81 in Augusta and Rockbridge Counties. (More)

➤ Loudon County authorities charged 18-year-old Trent Lasher with setting off an improvised explosive device in Leesburg last October. Nobody was hurt in the incident. (Details)

➤ Alexandria: Federal agents announced that they detained Edwin Antonio Hernandez Hernandez of El Salvador in December. He is alleged to be an MS-13 gang member who participated in five murders in his home country. He first entered the U.S. in 2015. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: An independent investigation concluded that Hayfield Secondary School and Fairfax High School both violated the Virginia High School League's football eligibility rules during the 2024 season. (Details)

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➤ Virginia Tech women's basketball moved to 8-3 in the ACC with a 76-64 home victory over UVA in a Commonwealth Clash game. (More)

➤ Liberty women's basketball bested Missouri State 60-52 in a Conference USA game in Lynchburg. (Details)

➤ The Washington Capitals host the Islanders tonight, coming off a 4-3 win against the Hurricanes over the weekend. (Preview)

➤ John McSweeney, head varsity boys basketball coach at Liberty High School in Bedford County, died on Thursday. He led the Minutemen for three years. (Details)

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➤ The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved an economic development agreement aimed at attracting a national retailer to a site off of I-81. (Details)

➤ The roof of an Advance Auto Parts store in Albemarle County collapsed under the weight of heavy snow last week. (More)

➤ RTX Corporation, an Arlington-based defense contractor, earned a $1.03 billion contract to produce high-tech sensors for the Army. (Details)

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➤ A group of about two dozen Buddhist monks who are walking 2,300 miles from Texas to Washington, D.C., to promote peace, passed through Virginia over the weekend. (Details)

➤ The Nelson County Sheriff's Office helped bring in an unusual suspect this weekend: a kangaroo that was blocking traffic. (More)

➤ Virginia State Parks invites all Commonwealth residents to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, which begins Feb. 13. (Details)

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