Monday, September 28, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1781, American and French forces marched from Williamsburg to Yorktown and began the siege that led British Gen. Charles Cornwallis to surrender three weeks later, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolution.

Pumpkins take center stage in today’s edition, and they’ve had quite a season. Virginia growers battled drought, downpours, and rot, Sinkland Farms kicked off seven weekends of fall fun, and one bold Midlothian squirrel decided carving could wait until after lunch. Pour the cider, and let’s roll into today’s news!

Some of the smartest financial decisions you'll make as you near retirement are on things that save you money, time, or trouble down the road. The catch is that the window to buy them can close before you realize it was open. Why do so few retirees claim Social Security at the right time? What $150 scan can catch a silent problem before it lands you in the hospital? In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we count down 10 purchases that are worth every penny, starting with the easy wins and ending with the ones you can't undo if you wait. (Tune in here)

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Pumpkins Roll Out of Virginia Fields

Virginia’s pumpkin harvest is underway after a challenging season that began with drought-delayed planting before July downpours brought disease and rot to already stressed fields.

“Definitely the word to be used this year is ‘challenging,’” said Nathan Osborne, a Grayson County farmer and president of the Virginia Pumpkin Growers Association. The dry start had growers weighing whether to plant, and delayed plantings pushed some harvests later than usual.

In Tazewell County, Andy Neel lost a good many pumpkins to rot across his 5 acres, though he still has carving, white, multicolored, and heirloom varieties. Irrigation helped Sinkland Farms near Christiansburg keep its festival on schedule.

High gas and diesel prices also made transporting the crop more expensive, but Osborne said many growers are absorbing the added cost rather than passing it along to shoppers. Buyers should still find plenty: Hanover Vegetable Farm grows 32 acres of pumpkins and opened its patch Sunday.

Thousands Run Lynchburg’s 10 Miler

Nearly 4,000 runners from six countries and 16 states filled city streets Saturday for Lynchburg’s 52nd annual Virginia 10 Miler.

The course followed Langhorne Road to Rivermont Avenue, passed through Riverside Park, and turned back toward the finish as spectators lined the route with signs. Thomas Bell, running his third 10 Miler, said he logged plenty of miles ahead of the event.

Sosten Kipchirchir of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, finished first in 48 minutes, 13 seconds. The Lynchburg Road Runners Club was founded in 1973 to organize the first Virginia 10 Miler the following year.

The Virginia Ten Miler Color Guard, formed after 9/11, marked its 25th year on the course. Kaiden Martin said he entered with no training and finished in 1 hour, 42 minutes, despite having only one lung.

Two Rural Churches Join Landmarks Register

Goldmine Baptist Church in Louisa County and Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Albemarle County are now on the state’s Landmarks Register, Virginia’s official list of historically significant places.

Church historians say Mount Carmel’s congregation was founded in 1879 by people formerly enslaved at nearby Brown family plantations in Brown’s Cove. The current building was constructed in 1908 and served for decades as the social hub of the surrounding rural Black community.

Goldmine, built around 1852, is known for its distinctive architecture. It features a stepped gable, a curved brick cornice, original moldings, and hand-hewn Doric columns inside.

Both were among seven places statewide approved by the Board of Historic Resources on Sept. 17, alongside Lynchburg’s White Rock Elementary School and Bath County’s Hot Springs Historic District. The listings are honorary and place no restrictions on owners while allowing them to pursue historic rehabilitation tax credits.

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➤ Hampton Roads: More than 17,000 Dominion Energy customers lost power early Sunday as nor’easter winds knocked tree limbs into power lines and carried salt spray inland. Outages had fallen to about 7,000 by 8:30 a.m., primarily in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the Peninsula. (Track Outages)

➤ Cumberland County: A 2-year-old who disappeared while playing hide-and-seek with her siblings Thursday evening was found safe Friday afternoon in woods about two-tenths of a mile from her home. Helicopters, dogs, and community volunteers joined the overnight search. (See Search)

➤ Henrico County: Rodney Travis Jr., 27, received a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to abusing dozens of adopted cats and collecting nearly $400,000 through fraudulent cancer fundraisers. State Sen. Bill Stanley renewed his push for a statewide animal cruelty registry. (See Sentence)

➤ Richmond: Identical twin brothers who carried water home from a neighborhood park as children now co-direct the emergency department at Chippenham Hospital. Travan and Travis Jasper wear different-colored scrubs so staff and patients can tell them apart. (Meet Twins)

➤ Statewide: Virginia’s average gas price reached $4.23 a gallon, up about 4 cents in a week and $1.29 from a year ago. West Texas Intermediate crude closed near $92 a barrel Friday after climbing above $100 earlier this month. (See Prices)

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➤ The Washington Commanders stunned the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks yesterday with a 33-31 win — marking Seattle's first loss since November of last year. (More)

➤ The Washington Nationals finished their 2026 season with a 77-85 record, their best in any season since their 2019 World Series victory. (More)

➤ The Washington Mystics began their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Dream last night. It was the Mystics' first postseason game since 2023. (See Score)

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➤ Some things are worth paying more for as you get older, because waiting on them can cost you far more later. (Tune in here)

In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we count down 10 things actually worth spending more money on as you near retirement. We get into the Social Security decision most retirees get wrong, the box of memories in your basement that may be running out of time, and the purchases that buy you something more important than money. Plus, the number-one item on the list becomes irreversible if you wait too long. (Watch Now)

In case you missed it, last week on Flyover Focus, we broke down what drives your cost of living, so tune in here.

➤ The longtime leader of Ukrop's Super Markets died Friday in Richmond at 89. Jim Ukrop joined the family grocery in 1960, took over as CEO in 1974, and later moved into banking, investing, and philanthropy. (See Timeline)

➤ A new Costco is coming to Newport News in November, one of 33 warehouses the chain plans to open in fiscal 2027. CEO Ron Vachris said the company will also add stores in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. (Read Announcement)

➤ A two-acre greenspace is headed for downtown Boones Mill, where the town landed a $157,300 Preservation Trust Fund grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. It will be called Carter Park. (See Plans)

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➤ Sinkland Farms’ pumpkin festival returned for its 35th year, offering seven weekends of pumpkin picking, hayrides, a corn maze, live music, farm animals, and other fall attractions through Nov. 1. (See Festival)

➤ A ticketless groundhog was “apprehended” outside Scott Stadium before Saturday night’s UVA game. University police jokingly accused it of trespassing, evading officers, possessing grass, and violating the clear-bag policy before releasing it without charges. (See Suspect)

➤ A hungry squirrel chewed a large hole in a Midlothian woman’s Halloween pumpkin before she could carve it. Michelle Lynam caught the culprit on camera, losing her jack-o’-lantern plans but gaining a memorable fall story. (Watch Visitor)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.

➤ Ukraine airdropped kamikaze ground robots behind Russian lines and says they took out 3,000 troops. The general in charge calls it a world first. (Hear Details)

➤ A sweet tooth in the first two years of life may follow you into adulthood in a way researchers didn't expect. (Listen Now)

➤ Alina Habba, President Trump's former lawyer, married a 29-year-old Turkish billionaire at the Waldorf Astoria. (Hear More)