Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1899, the Great Blizzard began in Hampton Roads. It was one of the strongest winter storms in Tidewater history. Norfolk received 13.5 inches of snow before it was over, and cities throughout the region reported temperatures in the single digits.

We asked to hear some of your romantic stories ahead of Valentine's Day on Saturday. "We were married by the Justice of the Peace in Powhatan Court House in 1988," one couple wrote.

Camera phones did not yet exist. However, "the librarian—in a tiny old brick building on the green at the time—said she would take our picture IF we signed up for our library cards."

Hit reply to let us know if you have big plans for the romantic weekend.

An Olympic moment was overshadowed when a Norwegian biathlon bronze winner publicly admitted to an affair during an emotional on-air interview at the Milan Games. Host Ayla Brown shares the full story on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here.

Today's sponsor, Frontieras, is racing toward a potential trillion-dollar energy opportunity, giving investors just one day left to get in at $7.38 a share before the window closes.

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.

Drought Warnings Issued

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) expanded its drought warning to cover 39 counties and 16 cities. Only 12 counties and seven cities are not under a drought watch or advisory this week.

The DEQ first issued a drought watch advisory on Jan. 13.

Last month's winter precipitation will help ease the shortfall, but it wasn't enough to make up for dry conditions in recent months. Most of the Commonwealth's reservoir levels remain normal, however.

The Drought Monitoring Task Force's next meeting is set for next Tuesday.

VMI Reform Bill Advances

The House of Delegates passed a bill establishing a task force to evaluate the quality of education provided by the Virginia Military Institute. The recently amended bill no longer requires the task force to recommend whether VMI should lose state funding.

Lt. Gen. David Furness, who took over as the school's superintendent last year, said he welcomes scrutiny and expects that "an impartial task force will agree VMI is a Virginia treasure that produces citizen soldiers ready to serve in the military and civilian leadership."

A separate House proposal, which has not moved out of the Higher Education subcommittee, would eliminate VMI's board of visitors and place the school under the administration of Virginia State University.

The Pentagon warned last week that it is monitoring the situation and "reserves the right to take extraordinary measures to protect the integrity of VMI."

Grads Pledge $20 Million to Virginia Tech

Two Virginia Tech alumni, Jim and Augustine Smith, donated $20 million to the university's Carilion School of Medicine. The money will endow in-state scholarships to the medical school.

Both donors grew up in Roanoke and graduated from Tech in the 1970s: Augustine in '71 and Jim in '74. They established a Charitable Foundation Scholarship at the university in 2017.

The Smiths said that they hope the donation makes it easier for new doctors to remain in Virginia. "If we can reduce that debt load and take more in-state students, we're able to get more doctors to actually stay in Roanoke," Jim Smith said.

The Carilion School of Medicine has an enrollment of about 200 students.

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One Day Left: Invest in America's Trillion-Dollar Energy Comeback at $7.38/Share

Under a White House that favors energy production on our home soil, Frontieras North America could unlock up to $2.1 trillion in energy potential. They can convert coal into high-value products like hydrogen and diesel without burning it.

But that's not even the best part. They're doing it in what was once the heart of American industry: Appalachia. Their new land purchase in Mason County, West Virginia, has earned praise from West Virginia Gov. Morrisey for its potential to transform the region into an energy powerhouse.

Here's why you shouldn't miss this last chance to invest at $7.38/share:

"FASF" ticker reserved on the NASDAQ
$850M flagship facility now being built
$10 million raised from investors so far

Reaching just 2% of the global coal market could mean a trillion-dollar valuation for Frontieras.

As a perfect storm of breakthroughs set up the company for potential valuation impact, you have just one more day to invest at the current price. Lock in the $7.38 share price before the window closes tomorrow, Feb. 12, 2026.

➤ Richmond: The state Senate passed a package of five gun-related bills, days after the House passed similar proposals. Both chambers would need to approve identical language before the bills could go to the governor. (Details)

➤ Washington, D.C.: Both of Virginia's U.S. senators and six members of Congress signed a letter asking Vice President JD Vance to speak to Azerbaijan's leaders about the detention of Virginia resident Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, who's been in custody there since July of 2023. (More)

➤ Statewide: A new law allows pregnant women to sign up for health coverage through Virginia's insurance marketplace at any time of the year, not just during open enrollment. (Details)

➤ Richmond: King Salim Khalfani, the executive director of the Virginia NAACP Conference from 1998 until 2014, died this week. "Richmond lost a titan today," said JJ Minor, the president of the Richmond Branch of the NAACP. (More)

➤ Rockingham County: A driver was arrested after hitting other vehicles and flipping over while trying to evade state troopers on I-81 near Harrisonburg. The incident caused long delays on the highway on Monday. (More)

➤ Chesapeake: Marcus Vick, former Virginia Tech quarterback, was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and battery after an incident late last year. (Details)

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➤ Washington and Lee women's basketball, undefeated and ranked No. 5 in DIII, hosts Randolph College tonight. (Stats)

➤ Virginia Tech men's basketball hosts No. 20 Clemson in Blacksburg tonight. (Preview)

➤ The Washington Wizards reportedly expect newly-acquired big man Anthony Davis to take the court later this season despite speculation he might sit out until next year. (More)

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➤ MacArthur Center, a Norfolk shopping mall, will close at the end of June. The building is slated for demolition, and the site will be redeveloped. (Details)

➤ Five new grocery stores, including a Trader Joe's and a Grocery Outlet, opened in Northern Virginia. (More)

➤ Halifax County approved a special use permit to convert some agricultural land to industrial use to allow Hitachi Energy to expand. The growth is expected to create 825 jobs. (Details)

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The Next $435B Energy Empire Is Being Minted

In today's dollars, John D. Rockefeller would be worth $435 billion. But "oil money" is old news, and what's next might surprise investors in 2026: a $2.1 trillion opportunity in "clean" coal.

Now is the "Rockefeller" moment for Frontieras as they reform coal into hydrogen, diesel, and other valuable commodities (just like Rockefeller did with oil). With a White House that favors domestic energy, the NASDAQ ticker FASF reserved, and land officially purchased for their flagship coal reformation plant, Frontieras is positioned for potential valuation impact.

You have until 11:59 p.m. PT tomorrow to invest in Frontieras at $7.38/share,*

This is a paid advertisement for Frontieras's Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.frontieras.com/

Reservation of the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that we will be listed on the NASDAQ. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.

Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC

➤ The Virginia Department of Health said more than 12,000 people visited emergency rooms after falling during the recent winter ice storm. "People are coming in with everything from fractures to muscle sprains," one doctor reported. (Details)

➤ Students at Virginia Middle School in Bristol are learning about plants, and at the same time helping NASA learn how to potentially grow crops on the moon. (More)

➤ A Fauquier County man was arrested after an altercation caused significant damage at a local vape shop. Damarco Anderson, 33, faces felony robbery and destruction of property charges. (Details)

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