Friday, September 11, 2026

On this day in 2001, the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the Pentagon, killing everyone on board and 125 people on the ground. It was one of four flights that al-Qaeda terrorists seized and crashed that day.

As our nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11 today, The Virginia Flyover family remembers the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the families forever changed. Their courage and sacrifice continue to inspire us.

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Virginia Commemorates 9/11’s 25th Anniversary

Communities across Virginia are marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks today with ceremonies honoring victims, survivors, and first responders.

In Southwest and Central Virginia, Lynchburg is holding multiple observances, including a remembrance ceremony at Monument Terrace, while the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford will host a wreath-laying and moment of silence.

Richmond's commemorative program at City Hall includes a ceremonial stair climb and blood drive, and the Virginia War Memorial is hosting a patriotic concert with a reading of victims’ names.

Northern Virginia observances include Alexandria’s 25th annual remembrance ceremony and an honor walk at Fort Belvoir’s Army museum.

In Hampton Roads, Chesapeake will hold its annual ceremony at the city’s 9/11 memorial, alongside a Norfolk stair climb and a Portsmouth service project.

Farm Conservation Funding Tops $300 Million

Virginia has committed a record $304 million to a program that pays farmers to keep fertilizer, manure, and sediment out of the Chesapeake Bay and local streams.

The Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program, known as VACS, drew nearly 2,600 farmers in fiscal 2026 and paid for roughly 53,000 conservation projects. This year's allocation runs $81 million above last year, marking the fifth straight record.

A new legislative review found the program largely works: 62 of its 64 funded practices are scientifically shown to reduce pollution.

But the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission also flagged money that is appropriated and never spent, uneven verification, and no ranked list of the most cost-effective practices. Farmers can claim up to $300,000 across more than 60 approved practices.

ACC Sets Virginia, VT Basketball Schedules

The ACC released its 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule Wednesday, giving Virginia 18 conference games, nine of them at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Cavaliers get home-and-home series with Duke and Virginia Tech, and open ACC play Dec. 29 at Clemson. They will not face Wake Forest in the regular season.

Virginia Tech opens at home against Louisville on Dec. 30 and, notably, misses Duke for the first time since joining the ACC in 2004.

The two rivals meet twice: Virginia Tech visits Charlottesville on Jan. 30, and Virginia travels to Blacksburg on Feb. 23. Tipoff times and TV assignments come later. The top 15 teams reach the March ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

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➤ Statewide: AARP Virginia canceled its Oct. 7 People's Debate in the U.S. Senate race after Democrat Sen. Mark Warner cited a busy Senate calendar and could not commit. Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa, a retired Army major general, had accepted. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Sesame is now Virginia’s ninth major food allergen, and as of Thursday, restaurants, food trucks, and other vendors must disclose it on their menus. (More)

➤ Prince William County: Gov. Abigail Spanberger toured an apprenticeship center and Osbourn Park High School on Wednesday but left without answering a reporter’s question about the Sept. 4 killing of a 16-year-old Patriot High School student in Old Town Manassas. (More)

➤ Henrico County: U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Jennifer McClellan, both Democrats, argued at a health care roundtable that voters could push Congress to revisit H.R. 1, citing estimates that 300,000 Virginians could lose Medicaid and 125,000 have already lost SNAP benefits. (More)

➤ Chesapeake Bay: Underwater grasses in the bay rose 7% to 89,385 acres in 2025, the highest level since 2018 and nearing the 90,000-acre interim restoration goal, according to Virginia Institute of Marine Science researchers. (More)

➤ Southwest VA: Virginia Tech will host a Music + Technology Festival Sept. 14-19, showcasing animatronics and AI, while Roanoke College has teamed up with Google to offer free AI training and career certificates. (More)

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➤ The Richmond Spiders (2-0), ranked No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll, visit ACC foe NC State (0-1) tonight in Raleigh, a heavy underdog against a Wolfpack team still stinging from its loss to Virginia. (More and See Poll)

➤ No. 25 Virginia returns from an early off week to host Norfolk State tonight in the programs’ first meeting, two weeks after the Cavaliers opened with a 34-8 rout of NC State. (Preview)

➤ Virginia Tech (1-0) hosts Old Dominion (1-0) on Saturday at noon in Lane Stadium, looking to avenge last year’s 45-26 home loss to the Monarchs that helped trigger a coaching change. (More)

➤ Ferrum College wrapped up the school’s first women’s flag football season, joining a fast-growing college sport, in the program's inaugural run. (More)

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➤ AeroVironment, the Arlington-based defense drone maker, posted record first-quarter revenue of $480.5 million, up 6%, and a record $1.5 billion funded backlog, though it still recorded a $5.1 million net loss for the quarter, which ended Aug. 1. (More)

➤ Publix signed a lease for a 50,000-square-foot store at the Shoppes at Old Hundred near Brandermill in Chesterfield County, with construction expected to start in 2027 and the center completed in 2028. (More)

➤ The owners of Richmond’s minor-league baseball team, the Flying Squirrels, sued the city and its Economic Development Authority over delays to the Diamond District, saying the 64-acre construction site surrounding the ballpark hurts the fan experience. (More)

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➤ Christopher Newport University graduate Alexandrea Procida hand-sewed 296 backpacks, each bearing the name of a mass school shooting victim, and arranged them into an American flag so the victims won’t be forgotten. (See Photo)

➤ The Cold War Museum in Warrenton invites visitors to dig into spy-era artifacts and hidden Cold War history from the decades-long standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union. (Watch Report)

➤ The Washington Capitals unveiled a specialty jersey co-designed by U.S. military veterans to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, with signed jerseys and pucks auctioned to benefit Our Military Kids. (More)

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