The polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.

The primary election in the commonwealth is typically held in June, but state lawmakers voted to delay it while the push for redistricting played out.

While Virginia鈥檚 Supreme Court struck down the redistricting plan, the primary remained in early August. Some experts said low turnout is expected because of the timing, when families are on vacation or planning for the new school year.

鈥淎t least in most of the competitive districts, we at least have a decent sense of who we think the nominees are going to be,鈥� said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato鈥檚 Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia鈥檚 Center for Politics.

黑料不打烊’s Luke Lukert reported that turnout was low at a polling place in Prince William County Tuesday morning.

Before primary day, Justice Department announced plans to send observers to polling stations in Prince William and Fairfax counties.

“Both election offices say this is pretty normal. They have neutral observers from different organizations, including the Justice Department and the NAACP,” Lukert said.

Races to watch

In the D.C. region, several Republicans will face off in a primary with the hope of facing incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman in November.

That race, in Virginia鈥檚 7th District, could be close because it鈥檚 鈥渁lways been a competitive seat and so that means it鈥檚 going to be one that many people are going to be looking at and paying a lot of attention to,鈥� Virginia Tech Political Science Professor Karen Hult said.

Vindman, Hult said, has also been a longtime target of Republicans and President Donald Trump. Vindman’s district includes Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg.

In other primary races in Northern Virginia, several Democrats are looking to unseat longtime Rep. Don Beyer in District 8 and multiple Republicans are facing off for the chance to face Rep. Suhas Subramanyam in District 10.

Beyer, a six-term congressman, represents residents who live in Fairfax and Arlington counties as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.

Subramanyam is serving his first term representing District 10, which includes Fauquier and Loudoun counties, parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties as well as the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

What other races will be competitive?

Analysts are largely expecting the most competitive primary and general elections in Virginia鈥檚 1st and 2nd congressional districts.

In the 1st District, seven Democrats are battling to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman. Shannon Taylor, Henrico鈥檚 commonwealth鈥檚 attorney, is largely considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary.

Speaking about the district, Coleman said, 鈥淭rump still carried it, but it profiles like a lot of the seats that Democrats flipped in the 2018 midterms, in Trump鈥檚 first midterm.鈥�

Similarly, in the 2nd District, four Democrats are competing for the chance to face Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.

That race, according to Hult, 鈥渓ooks like it could well be competitive again鈥� because it鈥檚 鈥渙ne that has flipped back and forth in terms of which party controls it.鈥�

Bob Holsworth, a Richmond-based political analyst, said few of the races are expected to be very competitive because, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the Republicans nationally are going to be putting money into Virginia challengers to the Democrats.鈥�

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato鈥檚 Crystal Ball, told 黑料不打烊 that he’s curious to see how activated the Republican base is for the November midterms.

“(The) national problems for Republicans is that Democrats seem way more enthusiastic to vote, and that could have a bearing on what the results are,” Kondik said.

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Last week, Amazon submitted a site plan application seeking approval for four data center buildings at George Washington University鈥檚 Virginia Science and Technology campus in Ashburn.

Supervisor Juli Briskman, whose district includes the project site, said in a lengthy social media statement that the plan calls for 800,000 square feet of data center space.

The application, called 鈥淏ridgefield Tech Center,鈥� aims to use what Brinkman described as 鈥渙utdated zoning policies鈥� to complete the project through a process that wouldn鈥檛 require review by the Loudoun County Planning Commission, public hearings or from the Board of Supervisors.

The proposal comes about five months after Amazon Data Services bought the GW campus for $427 million. Amazon said it plans to honor the university’s ability to continue operating in Ashburn for up to five years, and construction wouldn鈥檛 start until the campus is fully vacated.

Still, the prospect of more data centers in an area known as 鈥淒ata Center Alley鈥� has frustrated some residents.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy,鈥� Loudoun resident Miriam Musau said. 鈥淭hey are invading and making this area like a concrete jungle.鈥�

Resident Ann Williams said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know when you can say we have enough. We just have enough.鈥�

The George Washington University campus is within the Route 28 tax district, where data centers have been allowed by right. Briskman said that means a 1972 zoning ordinance applies instead of current rules.

A county zoning administrator opinion issued in 2000 also classified the data centers as office use under the older zoning ordinance, potentially allowing them to move forward by right in areas where office uses are allowed.

Loudoun鈥檚 updated zoning ordinance doesn鈥檛 allow data centers by right on land designated for office, research or development uses. They have to go through an exception process that includes public hearings and a Board of Supervisors vote.

鈥淲hen GW received this land as part of a donation, it was envisioned to be research and development and higher education types of uses,鈥� Briskman told 黑料不打烊. 鈥淭his proposal is not only inappropriate if you think about the original intent of that property, but it’s also inappropriate because it’s too close to homes, it’s too close to our beloved Bles Park, it’s too close to the Potomac River.鈥�

In the lengthy social media statement, Briskman said she鈥檚 plans to fight the proposed data centers 鈥渆very step of the way.鈥�

Amazon, meanwhile, told 黑料不打烊 in a statement that it has been one of Loudoun鈥檚 largest taxpayers, paying more than $2.1 billion in property taxes and fees between 2016 and 2025.

The concept site plan, the company said, is the first formal step 鈥渋n a lengthy review process.鈥�

鈥淲e look forward to working with Loudoun County and community stakeholders as the review process unfolds,鈥� the Amazon statement said.

Geri Timon, a Loudoun resident, said she opposes the data center development because, 鈥淲e moved here for the rolling hills, and we鈥檙e getting more and more technologically connected. We need to see more green.鈥�

Rick Brazelton, though, said he appreciates the revenue data centers bring to the county, but 鈥淚 do think if they鈥檙e tearing down a college to put one up, that鈥檚 kind of excessive.鈥�

Last month, Briskman spearheaded a plan for Loudoun County staff to provide more information on the feasibility of a data center moratorium by September.

While data centers provide a steady revenue stream, Briskman said the county can likely stop allowing new data centers and still 鈥渞ealize a good amount of revenue鈥� for several years.

鈥淯nfortunately, Loudouners don’t want data centers anymore, and they don’t want more data centers even if they are bringing in a good amount of revenue,鈥� Briskman said. 鈥淟oudouners have been asking us for a really, really long time to please curtail or stop the unchecked growth of data centers in our county.鈥�

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Singh is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

He had never been interested in monitoring school board developments, assuming a lot of them are tied to budgets or transportation issues. But, when the board voted to change the cellphone policy, Singh was surprised.

He didn’t find out about the change until one of his friends told him at school.

It was that feeling that prompted Singh and two of his friends to launch Civic Cycle, an online tool that imports school board agendas from BoardDocs and uses artificial intelligence to produce summaries.

“I felt in the dark about FCPS and other school board decisions,” Singh said.

“So I said, ‘I don’t like this, and hopefully I can change it.’ And that’s what led me to make the app.”

It’s a free, web-based app that Singh said detects when a new school board meeting gets published. It then, using Claude AI, summarizes the meetings and posts the summary online.

The group reviews the summaries the tech produces “because we know that some people don’t trust AI fully, so every single meeting is human reviewed,” Singh said.

As of June, Singh said the site is able to produce summaries for Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington and Prince William counties. However, it could be scaled to do the same for any school boards that use the BoardDocs agenda platform, he said.

“I really just hope that people can be more informed about what’s going on in their local counties, and through this heightened sense of information and knowing what’s going on. Hopefully, if they find something that they don’t like or they do like, that they can go out and speak up about it, and hopefully make a change that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to if they didn’t know what was going on,” Singh said.

The tech tool also features the option for users to sign up for an account, which would enable them to receive email alerts if there’s a specific topic they’re following, “so they don’t have to reopen the website constantly.”

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Virginia鈥檚 primary is traditionally held on the third Tuesday in June, but this year鈥檚 August election comes after state lawmakers voted to delay the primary while redistricting played out.

Voters narrowly approved the plan to redraw the commonwealth鈥檚 congressional maps, but Virginia鈥檚 Supreme Court ultimately weighed in and overturned the plan.

Now, voters will be asked to participate at a time typically associated with vacations and back-to-school preparation.

鈥淚t is the absolute worst time to hold a primary,鈥� said Bob Holsworth, a Richmond-based political analyst. 鈥淧eople are finishing up their vacations. Parents are waiting for the school year. Very few people are talking about politics at the end of July, the beginning of August.鈥�

In last fall鈥檚 gubernatorial election, 3,450,202 people cast a ballot. And in April鈥檚 rare special election for the redistricting referendum, 3,103,669 voters participated, according to data from the Virginia Department of Elections.

J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato鈥檚 Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia鈥檚 Center for Politics, told 黑料不打烊 the fact that not every district has a primary could also impact turnout.

鈥淯sually, Virginians are in the habit of having these primaries in June. Early August is a bit something new for us,鈥� Coleman said.

However, despite the date change, Coleman said turnout could 鈥渟till be on par with what we would normally see.鈥�

Democrats could be motivated to vote by affordability concerns or resistance to President Donald Trump, Coleman said, while Republicans could be encouraged to support the White House through the congressional primary races.

Karen Hult, a political science professor at Virginia Tech, told 黑料不打烊 that turnout will likely be less than a general election, particularly a general election with a presidential race at the top of the ballot.

However, Virginia鈥檚 senate race, gas and grocery prices and the war in Iran could motivate more people to vote, Hult said.

鈥淭he fact that there is a primary, I think, it still on people鈥檚, 鈥極h, I didn鈥檛 know that was still happening鈥� list,鈥� Hult said.

Typically, in early August, Hult said, many families are thinking about the start of the next school year or are returning from vacations.

The chance to shape the direction of a political party before the 2028 election cycle could also be a motivating factor, Hult said.

However, Holsworth said the lack of very competitive races could also influence turnout.

Races in Virginia鈥檚 first and second congressional districts are widely expected to be the most competitive during the primary cycle and general election in November.

In the first district, seven Democrats are lining up for the chance to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman. Shannon Taylor, Henrico鈥檚 Commonwealth鈥檚 attorney, is considered the front-runner.

And in the second district, four Democrats, including former Rep. Elaine Luria, are competing to unseat Rep. Jen Kiggans.

With the exception of those races, Holsworth, the political analyst, told 黑料不打烊 he鈥檚 鈥渘ot sure any of those races are going to have a lot of money, a lot of television advertising.鈥�

鈥淏y and large, the national purpose of the Republican Party will be spending their money defending the seats they have far more than trying to support long shot challengers in districts that are heavily Democratic,鈥� Holsworth said.

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The parking garage and buildings are located at 7980 and 7990 Quantum Drive, and Serverfarm, the developer, aims to transform the site into a 鈥渃ompletely modernized, architecturally refined, state-of-the-art office/data center,鈥� according to Jill Parks, an attorney for the applicant.

Because Fairfax County adopted stricter standards for data centers in 2024, the developer is requesting modifications to county ordinances so the project can be built at the Quantum Drive site.

Fairfax County requires data center buildings to be at least a mile from Metro station entrances, but Serverfarm’s proposed project site is 0.9 miles from the Tysons Corner Metro entrance.

The developer is also requesting an increase in gross floor area to allow the two buildings to go from 80,256 square feet to 95,014 square feet for one building, and from 202,500 square feet to 221,214 square feet for the other one.

A separate requirement calls for a 200-foot buffer for data center buildings near residential areas. The existing conditions at the site don鈥檛 meet that requirement.

鈥淭his is really precedent-setting in terms of what the decision is going to be,鈥� said Renee Grebe, Northern Virginia conservation advocate for the group Nature Forward. 鈥淚f this gets passed, then I think it demonstrates that our zoning ordinance amendment is not as strong as it was touted to be by our board of supervisors.鈥�

Fairfax County has a comprehensive plan for the area surrounding the proposed data center, Grebe said. It envisions the section of Tysons where the data center would be as an 鈥渁ctive 24-hour environment where people go to restaurants or stores after work.”

Instead, she said, “residents will be getting 24 hours of noise pollution and 28 diesel generators next to residences and a nearby sports field.”

Parks, the attorney, wrote that it鈥檚 not 鈥渕echanically feasible鈥� to fully enclose the data center鈥檚 equipment, but it will be contained within a generator yard in the back of the property.

The county’s development plan also calls for new pedestrian facilities, including a sidewalk along Kidwell Drive and a trail, both offering access to the athletic field. A new playground is also proposed.

The proposal encompasses a combined 316,000 square feet.

A planning commission public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Supervisor Dalia Palchik told 黑料不打烊 that a community meeting is also being scheduled, but a date hasn鈥檛 been finalized.

The project will help the Serverfarm 鈥渕eet the ever-growing demand for capacity,鈥� Parks wrote in the exceptions application.

Source

Thoraia Hussein鈥檚 kids attended Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, until last year, when they started taking classes at Centreville High.

They immediately noticed a difference, she said.

Oakton High was modernized and expanded in a renovation completed 2022.

But at Centreville High School, Hussein said indoor sports facilities, particularly the gym, aren鈥檛 in good condition. Neither are the music or art rooms or classrooms in general, she said.

One night during a grad event there was an issue with the electricity.

鈥淢y boys, both of them, they didn鈥檛 want to come to school,鈥� Hussein said. 鈥淭hey saw the difference being in a different school that was renovated.鈥�

And as Fairfax County prepares to open its first new high school in decades this fall, some families and students in the Northern Virginia suburb said the condition of Centreville High School doesn鈥檛 seem to be a priority.

鈥淚t is great that the new Skyview High School will open next month,鈥� a rising junior at Centreville told the school board at a recent meeting, 鈥渂ut the Centreville community feels that you have neglected us.鈥�

In 2021, Fairfax County voters approved funding for a project that would include renovating and adding capacity to Centreville High School. Renderings on reveal the scope, including updated classrooms and a renovated library.

But with Skyview High School in Herndon welcoming its first ninth and 10th graders in a few weeks, it鈥檚 unclear whether the extra room at Centreville is still necessary.

During a meeting in June, the school board tasked Superintendent Michelle Reid with examining renovation and potential capacity needs and update elected officials by Aug. 28.

Asked about family concerns, the district told 黑料不打烊 in a statement that it has invested more than $260,000 in capital improvements at Centreville, including upgrades to flooring, athletic facilities and accessibility.

鈥淐entreville High School is an important part of the Fairfax County Public Schools community, and we remain committed to providing each and every student with a safe, modern, and welcoming learning environment,鈥� the statement said.

The proposed renovation was submitted for building permit review in January 2025. However, the statement said the site plan is contingent on what鈥檚 called a Floor Area Ratio requirement. A resolution to the zoning issue may require discussion with the Fairfax County Park Authority and possibly the Board of Supervisors, local news site .

鈥淎s a result, architectural and engineering design activities have been placed on hold pending resolution of the FAR issue,鈥� the statement said.

Meanwhile, Hussein, the PTSA president, said the Centreville campus 鈥渇eels like a jail,鈥� emphasizing issues with air conditioning and classroom conditions.

She and other parents plan to continue drawing attention to the issue in the coming weeks.

鈥淚鈥檝e been in many, many other schools in Fairfax County,鈥� Hussein said. 鈥淭his school鈥檚 condition is the worst.”

Source

Virginians are preparing to head to the polls next week for the Commonwealth鈥檚 primary election, and some of the outcomes in Northern Virginia districts could ultimately impact the balance of power in the U.S. House.

The primary is scheduled for Aug. 4, later in the summer than usual because the possibility of redistricting prompted the election to be delayed. But Virginia鈥檚 Supreme Court struck down the proposed redistricting plan that passed a referendum this spring, meaning the state鈥檚 congressional districts remain unchanged.

One of the most competitive races, experts said, is expected in Virginia鈥檚 7th Congressional District. It includes parts of Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, among others.

Three Republicans, Philip Harding, Douglas Ollivant and Rick Smithers, are competing for the chance to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman.

鈥淰indman has been a longtime target of both Republicans generally and the current president in particular,鈥� Virginia Tech political science professor Karen Hult said.

鈥淏ut more than that, this has always been a competitive seat, and so that means it鈥檚 going to be one that many people are going to be looking at and paying a lot of attention to.鈥�

Bob Holsworth, a Richmond-based political analyst, said in addition to the 7th District, a competitive primary may emerge in the 10th District.

There, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam is finishing his first term and running for reelection. Three Republicans, Dave Beckwith, Julie Perry and Anthony Suttles, will face off for the chance to face Subramanyam in November.

鈥淔irst-term incumbents are always at somewhat of a risk for being challenged,鈥� Hult said.

鈥淓specially in an area where there鈥檚 a lot of uncertainty, a lot of demographic movement and concerns about the economy, cost of living, things like that. Any of those things can come into play as well.鈥�

Virginia鈥檚 10th District covers parts of Loudoun, Prince William and Fairfax counties and Manassas City and Manassas Park City, among others.

In the nearby 8th District, which includes Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria and Falls Church, several Democrats are running against longtime Rep. Don Beyer. Beyer is currently in his sixth term representing the area in Congress.

Lorena Bruner, Michael Duffin, Adam Dunigan and Mohamed 鈥淢o鈥� Seifeldein will all be on the Democratic primary ballot with Beyer.

Challengers to Democratic incumbents in heavily Democrat areas typically fare better if 鈥渢hey can kind of consolidate behind one person,鈥� said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato鈥檚 Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

鈥淭he field right now against Don Beyer seems fairly split. He鈥檚 raised something like five times the amount of all his opponents combined.鈥�

Coleman said it may be interesting to monitor the protest vote against Beyer, but 鈥淚鈥檇 still be shocked if he actually lost.鈥�

Meanwhile, Hult said some Democrats seem to think 鈥減erhaps Mr. Beyer has been in office for a little bit too long, and it鈥檚 time for a change in generation. That would be somewhat of a surprise in the broader D.C. area, because that is clearly a Democratic district.鈥�

Analysts are expecting Virginia鈥檚 first and second districts to be the most competitive races this fall.

Seven Democrats are competing for the chance to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District. Shannon Taylor, the Henrico County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney, has emerged as the front-runner in the Democratic primary.

In the 2nd District, meanwhile, former Rep. Elaine Luria and several other Democrats are competing for the chance to square off against Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.

Because this year鈥檚 primary is later in the summer than usual, experts are expecting lower turnout.

Broadly, Holsworth said Republicans will either be supporting candidates who are fully aligned with President Donald Trump 鈥渙r do they think the party needs to take another direction? On the Democratic side, the basic arguments tend to be between what I would call the center-left Democrats and the more progressive Democrats, who want to see the establishment be greater fighters than they are right now.鈥�

(EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE July 31, 2026 3 p.m. 鈥� This article has been updated to correct Mohamed 鈥淢o鈥� Seifeldein鈥榮 name.)

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During last fall’s federal government shutdown, Tim Laughlin was furloughed and searched for ways to occupy his time.

A group called DMV Dads hosted weekly meetups on Friday mornings at a Panera Bread in Alexandria, Virginia. But when the shutdown ended, Laughlin was unable to attend the sessions, which he said helped him “maintain my sanity and come through it all in one piece.”

Searching for the same type of companionship, Laughlin was inspired to start his own weekly meetup. He started with email invitations, and the first dinner included nine people. Now, it’s grown into a Facebook community and the weekly Tuesday night dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings in Manassas draws about two dozen dads. It’s been executed for about 40 straight weeks, even through the holidays.

Prince William Times reported that Laughlin created the group Prince William Dads in October 2025.

“It is hard to make friends once you become a parent,” Laughlin, a father of three, said. “There’s so many other things pulling at your time and your energy and your attention that the one thing you kind of tend to lose focus on is building friendships. For many of us, it’s just something we’ve unintentionally neglected for a long time.”

For Laughlin, the feeling was amplified when two of his closest friends moved away during the pandemic. He quickly realized that the only outlet he had for meeting new people came through his kids’ social circles.

“I needed regular interaction that wasn’t about the kids,” Laughlin said. “I needed that time to sort of recharge my battery, so that when I do go back home at the end of the night, I’m ready to go, ready to rip and roar the next day with my kids and my wife.”

The dinners start at 5:30 p.m. and are hosted at the same long rectangular table near the bar. Sometimes, they last until close to 9 p.m. Conversations usually cover work, kids, spouses, the stock market or fantasy football. The group, Laughlin said, isn’t political, religious or focused on professional networking.

The group popped up on Kelvin Hamilton’s Facebook page, and though he considers himself an introvert, he decided to attend because he lives nearby. Now, he’s been a part of the meetups for about eight months.

“I took this opportunity to try to meet some folks and get out of the house, get out of my comfort zone and break out of the whole introvert thing,” Hamilton said. “I’m glad I did because it turned out to be a good brotherhood. A lot of guys here that I wish I’d have known a long time ago, but I feel like we’ve known each other for years.”

The events include both new dads and granddads and Laughlin doesn’t check if any attendees actually have kids or live in Prince William County.

In some cases, the bonds have become so strong that there have been other events too. There are planned Nationals or Wizards games, camping trips and pool parties. In one case, there was a painting and ice cream party at a frozen yogurt shop. Some of those events include spouses and kids.

“Mental health is so important and this is providing a great opportunity for just men to let their hair down, so to speak, to just hang out without having any type of motive or directive,” Gary Shivers said. “Just coming, hanging out for a few minutes and that’s it.”

Recently, Laughlin’s family had an emergency. With no family in the area, he panicked about where the kids could stay while he and his wife went to the hospital. Laughlin called one of the group dads and asked if the kids could be dropped off. He was told yes without any hesitation.

Then, when they got home from the hospital, the group put together a “meal train,” so they had home-cooked meals to enjoy for a week.

“When I started it, I was just hoping for a Tuesday night hangout once a week to find some people to connect with once a week,” Laughlin said. “It’s turned into way, way more than that. And I think it’s turned into way more than that for a lot of these guys, too.”

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A group of Arlington, Virginia, students has launched a website aimed at removing barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The idea came from the trio鈥檚 desire to enter the Build with Gemini XPRIZE contest, a Google competition that challenges participants to build a functioning AI-powered business.

After interviewing small business owners in their Northern Virginia neighborhood, Leo Fall, Chase Rosen and Carter Eckle identified obstacles to starting a business. They found that obtaining an LLC and tax identification number, along with completing large amounts of paperwork can take so long that it discourages some would-be entrepreneurs.

“So we came up with starting our own business launcher for those who are interested in starting a business, but don’t really know the process of how to or are a little scared of that first step,” said Rosen, a rising junior at the University of Virginia.

Called , the website uses an AI model that requires minimal information from aspiring entrepreneurs. Users enter the name they want for their business and describe some of their ideas.

Then, within three days, the site provides an LLC, identification number, a professional website and Stripe account ready to accept payments.

“A lot of business owners maybe drop their business idea because they think it’s too hard to start,” said Fall, a rising junior at Virginia Tech University. “The goal for us, we wanted to make it an easy option where they could just sign up, get selling right away.”

The site charges a one-time $350 fee, which includes the $100 Virginia state filing fee, Rosen said. Unlike comparable services, LaunchBridge doesn鈥檛 require a subscription service.

Because there鈥檚 sensitive information involved, Fall said they review the parts of the process that involve artificial intelligence.

“We used a lot of encoding and all this information doesn’t go anywhere but on your computer, in our system and then it deletes itself after we apply for it,” Fall said. “It’s all very safe. It’s safer than it would be with a human.”

Eckle, a rising senior at H-B Woodlawn high school, said the biggest challenge was “figuring out which pieces we wanted to offer because there鈥檚 a lot different things in starting a business.”

Some of their peers have tested the site, including one who wants to start a business booking bands to perform for college parties.

“A lot of them didn’t know what it actually took to start a business in Virginia and they said this made it super easy and simple,” Rosen said.

The platform is designed primarily for entrepreneurs starting businesses in Virginia, However, Rosen said Maryland and D.C. residents can use it too, because it provides a registered agent.

“It just kind of gives them that head start of like, ‘OK, I have all my resources needed and now I can actually start promoting my product,'” he said.

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It was a surprising observation, Rai said, given research suggests 鈥渕any of the habits, such as having patience and gratitude, actually start at” the elementary school level. So Rai, Austin Chen and Ayush Ranjan worked to address that by creating a book.

Called 鈥淭he Seed That Grows,鈥� the book emphasizes the importance and value of saving, among other things. The trio wrote the storyline and created the images, and the book has now been distributed across Fairfax County elementary schools and to various countries abroad.

鈥淔or being able to be financially stable, you have to have those basic skills about not just spending money whenever you get a chance, but actually having that basic discipline in order to save it or wait awhile,鈥� Rai said.

The book, Rai said, uses a metaphor of a seed to discuss saving, investing and delayed gratification. It tells the story of two kids who each get a seed: one who decides to plant it and wait for a tree to grow, and the other who traded the seed for a piece of candy, a short-term goal.

As the story progresses, the contrast between thinking in the near and long terms is revealed, Rai said.

The group raised over $1,000 for the project and 274 books were distributed at 12 nearby Fairfax County schools and five international schools.

Because their adviser has connections at the World Bank, Rai said translated versions of the book made it to India, China, Kazakhstan and Australia.

They also hosted several read-aloud sessions, asking students to participate in surveys before and afterward.

鈥淲e saw a 74% in understanding,鈥� Rai said.

Now, they鈥檙e planning to take the same concepts used in the book and turn them into a financial literacy game, Rai said.

The hope, Rai said, is students will develop 鈥渉abit-based learning in order to instill their success and their discipline and their financial success when they grow up and manage their finances.鈥�

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The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in a townhouse community not far from Dulles Airport. The van鈥檚 driver, a woman, was making a left turn from Highland Mews Court onto Madden Court when the crash happened in the parking lot.

Fairfax County Police Capt. Harold Morris, assistant traffic division commander, said during a news conference Friday that the van made a left turn when 鈥渢he 9-year-old who was operating the electric scooter struck the rear of the minivan on the passenger side.鈥�

The boy, who investigators said wasn鈥檛 wearing a helmet at the time, was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

鈥淭his is a tragic event, and we want to make sure that everyone knows that we are with the family during this time,鈥� Morris said.

In a news release later Friday, police said neither alcohol nor speed were a factor in the crash. They identified the van as a 2012 Honda Odyssey.

The driver remained on the scene at the time of the incident, police said. Morris said there鈥檚 鈥渘o indication at this time that there鈥檚 any unsafe or reckless manner鈥� in which the woman was driving the van. No charges have been filed as of Friday.

While police have received some video footage of the crash, Morris said it鈥檚 unclear how fast the e-scooter was going, what kind it was and who owned it.

The police鈥檚 Victim Services Unit has been on the scene of the crash, and 鈥渙ur chaplain was out there last night to provide services for those to comfort them,鈥� Morris said.

Fairfax County law requires anyone 15 and under to wear a helmet when operating any type of e-bike.

In the Commonwealth, e-bikes are sorted into one of three categories. Class 1 e-bikes are pedal assisted only and have a 20 mph maximum assisted speed.

Class 2 e-bikes have pedal assist and throttle and a 20 mph maximum assisted speed. Class 3 bikes are pedal assist only and have a 28 mph maximum assisted speed.

Anyone with information about Thursday鈥檚 crash can call Fairfax Police鈥檚 Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.

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A group of Northern Virginia residents protested Thursday against a plan to build a transmission line in a 6.5-mile stretch of Prince William County, as Dominion Energy hosted an event explaining why the project is needed.

At Patriot High School in Nokesville, Virginia, Dominion organized an hourslong open house for its proposed Nokesville-Bristow project. The plan calls for a 230-kilovolt transmission line that will connect the existing Nokesville Substation with a planned Bristow Switching Station.

Last week, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors effectively took two routes out of contention, saying it didn鈥檛 plan to offer Dominion easements or use of county property for the routes called 鈥渂lue鈥� and 鈥渓ight blue.鈥�

The proposal led to the latest clash between the Virginia utility and residents and lawmakers.

鈥淓verywhere I go, there are either data centers or more substations and these transmission towers,鈥� Carylee Carrington, a longtime Prince William County resident, said. 鈥淭his is where I want to have my kids grow up. I have a 14 and 11-year-old, and it鈥檚 just been shocking to see how things have changed.鈥�

Transmission line critics held a news conference in the school鈥檚 parking lot. Some sat on tractors. Others held signs that read 鈥淏ury the Lines鈥� and 鈥淪ave Our Rural Land.鈥�

An organization called The Coalition to Protect Prince William County planned the event, which featured state officials such as state Sens. Danica Roem and Jeremy McPike, among others.

Deshundra Jefferson, who chairs the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, told 黑料不打烊 local officials鈥� hands are 鈥渢ied to a certain extent, but that doesn鈥檛 mean we鈥檙e not going to fight against this.鈥�

鈥淒ominion can do better and they need to do better,鈥� Jefferson said. 鈥淲hat they’re looking at is profitability, not the people, not the communities that they’re impacting.鈥�

Dominion Energy said the Nokesville line is necessary to ensure community members have 鈥渄ependable electric service as the Innovation Park area expands,鈥� according to the project鈥檚 website.

At the company’s open house inside the school, residents lined up to read signs with project details and ask questions about the proposal.

Data centers are frequently mentioned as a reason for the need for the extra lines and Dominion spokeswoman Aisha Khan said they鈥檙e 鈥渁 big factor in driving that demand.鈥�

鈥淏ut so is electrification. So is the growing population. So are your hospitals, your schools, your fire stations,鈥� she said.

Demonstrators called for the line to be buried underground. Khan said that option has been studied but isn鈥檛 feasible. Other buried utilities are in the way, she said, and bedrock is a barrier.

鈥淭rying to get through that bedrock,鈥� Khan said. 鈥淚t’s going to take so long, so many months to try to drill through that. And on top of that, it’s going to be costly.鈥�

Dominion must submit a preferred line route to the State Corporation Commission for consideration before the project can move forward.

Khan did not have a cost estimate for the project or an estimated time frame for identifying a preferred route.

Walker Trenum, who has lived in Nokesville for 23 years, said many people are worried 鈥渁bout the whole data centers constantly pushing in, taking over Ashburn and they鈥檙e eventually going to work their way down here.鈥�

鈥淭he important thing is trying to drag that out as long as possible to keep the fight alive until people can see the real harms behind it.鈥�

Kat, another Nokesville resident, said the line is going to 鈥渃ut apart people鈥檚 private properties and it鈥檚 going to destroy the beauty of our lifestyle.鈥�

Khan said Thursday鈥檚 event was the second open house for the project, and comments can also be .

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The bus driver facing charges in the deadly Stafford County crash was granted bond Wednesday, but a second court has to weigh in before he can be released.

Jing Sheng Dong faces five involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the May 29 crash along Interstate 95 in Stafford County, near mile marker 146.

During the hourlong bond hearing in Stafford County Circuit Court, Judge Charles Clark granted Dong $25,000 secure bond on three of the five charges.

Clark also ordered that Dong not consume any alcohol or drugs unless a doctor prescribes it, and to surrender his U.S. and Chinese passports, personal driver鈥檚 license and commercial driver鈥檚 license.

Clark ordered Dong, who lives on Staten Island, not to leave Virginia and to remain in the commonwealth under house arrest, with the exception of court appearances, lawyers’ meetings and doctor鈥檚 visits. He鈥檚 not allowed to have any contact with crash victims or their families.

Dong, who was in a wheelchair and had an interpreter present for the hearing, nodded in agreement.

In issuing his ruling, Clark said he weighed whether Dong is a danger to himself or others and whether he is a flight risk. Ultimately, he said, 鈥渢he danger and risk can be mitigated.鈥�

Dong won’t be released until another bond hearing in General District Court, where prosecutors filed two of the five involuntary manslaughter counts. They did so to avoid having a trial begin within five months, which is the circuit court requirement.

Thomas Walsh, Dong鈥檚 attorney, said a bond hearing in District Court could be scheduled as early as this week. If all parties agree to the same bond terms, Walsh said, a formal hearing may not be needed.

Dong鈥檚 trial is scheduled for Oct. 6, but Walsh said that may change based on the bond rulings.

In court Wednesday, Stafford Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Eric Olsen argued Dong should be held without bond. He said Dong’s Chinese passport made him a flight risk.

Olsen also said that because Dong had a commercial driver鈥檚 license and was driving a bus, he had heightened responsibility under the law.

On May 29, Dong was driving a charter bus with more than two dozen passengers from New York to North Carolina. At around 2:30 a.m., Dong was passing through Stafford on southbound Interstate 95 when his bus struck a line of cars that was slowing for a construction zone near Marine Base Quantico.

Dong approached a 鈥渟ea of red lights,鈥� Olsen said in court, and didn鈥檛 show any evidence of slowing down.

Prosecutors entered photos of the chain-reaction crash aftermath into evidence under seal. They also played three videos in court 鈥� one from an express lane pole camera that showed the cars slowing and subsequent crash, another video from the inside of a truck and footage from a sheriff deputy’s drone that flew over the crash scene at daybreak.

A witness who was part of the crash, Olsen said, will describe Dong鈥檚 鈥渄riving behavior鈥� in the moments before it happened.

Olsen also described Dong鈥檚 previous traffic violations, including one in Annapolis for driving a bus 72 mph in a 50 mph zone.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a danger behind the wheel, and nothing can stop him from getting behind the wheel,鈥� Olsen told the judge.

But Walsh said Dong wasn鈥檛 on his phone, under the influence of alcohol or drugs or sleeping at the time of the crash. Walsh previously argued that Dong was driving under the speed limit.

A medical report, Walsh said, revealed Dong had to be cut out of the bus and transported to the hospital. He now has 鈥渟taples down his stomach,鈥� among other injuries, Walsh said.

鈥淭here’s videos from inside the bus where he’s driving, not asleep, not on a phone, no drugs,鈥� Walsh told reporters after the hearing. 鈥淚t’s just a horrible accident.鈥�

Dong has shown remorse for the crash, Walsh said.

鈥淲hen I showed him news reports of the accident with the pictures, he broke down crying,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淭he first time we met him, he just started crying. He got emotional.鈥�

The bond condition that requires Dong to stay in Virginia before trial could be challenging, Walsh said, because he doesn鈥檛 live in the state. The judge said a hotel could be a sufficient proof of address.

鈥淚t’s an accident,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淚t’s horrible. Getting a jury is going to be tough, to set aside the emotions of losing a family that just basically disintegrated, and another person. It’s going to be hard for me to get that.鈥�

黑料不打烊’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

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In a letter to Spanberger on Tuesday, state Del. Joseph McNamara and Sen. David Suetterlein wrote that affording the commission “the necessary time for conscientious review is critical.”

“Virginia should not be rushed,” they .

The proposed $67 billion merger would create an energy giant as data centers drive increased demand. If approved, the company would serve about 10 million utility customer accounts in Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, The Associated Press reported.

Under Virginia law, the review process is 60 days from a completed application, though the State Corporation Commission can extend that time frame another 120 days. A deal is approved by default if that time expires, though the governor or elected officials can call for a special session to extend the review period.

Separately, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told 黑料不打烊 the commission “needs an additional six months to look at the merger. I reached out to the SCC and talked to them about it, and they’ve indicated they could use the additional time.”

In a announcing the merger filing last week, Dominion said its customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina would receive $2.25 billion in bill credits over the first two years after the deal closes.

The merger, Dominion said, would also allow the company to have greater purchasing power and help “meet growing power demand affordably while maintaining service quality and reliability.”

Dominion referred 黑料不打烊 to the press release when asked for comment on the call to grant the State Corporation Commission more time to review the deal.

Spanberger, meanwhile, signaled support for the extra time when it was included in the House of Delegates’ budget proposal in June. That amendment would have given the commission up to a year. However, that did not make it into the final budget package.

In a statement Tuesday, a Spanberger spokesman said the governor is reviewing the proposed merger and her administration is “assessing all available avenues to lower costs for Virginians and achieve these shared priorities.”

The merger also requires approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Their reviews “may expose risks, produce concessions, or supply conditions unavailable to the SCC before the Commonwealth’s clock runs out,” McNamara and Suetterlein’s letter said.

Brennan Gilmore, executive director of utility watchdog Clean Virginia, said the current time frame isn’t sufficient to examine the potential impacts on customers. This week, Clean Virginia filed a motion with the commission suggesting the proposed merger can’t move forward because there are many unanswered questions, including how the merger could affect Virginians.

“Virginians, no matter where you are in the state, these decisions will be impacting you,” Gilmore said. “I know people are having a hard time paying their electric bill as it is. If this acquisition goes forward, it looks like bills will be even higher, so now’s the time to let your voice be heard.”

Asked for comment about customers worried about rate increases after a merger, Dominion told 黑料不打烊 in a statement: “Under Virginia law, the State Corporation Commission is the established, independent body with the authority and expertise to evaluate utility mergers. We believe the SCC鈥檚 longstanding, fact-based process is the appropriate venue to ensure a thorough review that protects customers.”

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Loudoun County Public Schools and Supervisors, and Dominion Energy, had asked the commission to hold off on a decision while the parties worked through challenges associated with the proposed “Golden to Mars” transmission line project. The $513 million plan calls for 230 and 500-kilovolt lines that will help power data centers.

Dominion said the plan will help “keep electricity reliable in your community.” It includes 185-foot towers, and the plan has drawn fierce opposition from the community.

But Monday night, the commission said the selected route will move forward, because delaying the project “unreasonably jeopardizes the provision of reliable electric service within the Commonwealth.” The decision paves the way for the project’s opponents to appeal to Virginia’s Supreme Court.

In April, the State Corporation Commission selected a path called Route 4 for the project. It would have put the line near Rock Ridge High and Rosa Lee Carter Elementary schools. That option would have required school board approval, but the board never provided it.

Instead, the agency announced a different path, Route 3A, would proceed. The commission called that option “clearly inferior.” But Loudoun’s school board accepted donated land from the Loudoun Valley Estates homeowner’s association, meaning both routes include school property.

During a special school board meeting last week, community members expressed concerns with the project’s future and urged the school board to push back against the project.

Robert Brown, for one, said Route 3A would “place major transmission infrastructure in a location with serious impacts on nearby homes, students, educators, school operations, neighborhoods and the Broad Run Stream Valley environment.”

Lauren Lillestolen, meanwhile, said the school board should “make the best choice for its schools, not the SCC. If the school board is unable to block all routes surrounding the schools and alternative options do not exist, please look at the information objectively and choose the route that reduces impact to students at school and at home.”

Vicky Hu has been a vocal critic of the project, because she said part of the proposed route would run along her property. During the meeting, Hu told the board, “When we are drowning, abandoned by the county, you have courage standing up for the school and for the community. I just want to say thank you.”

Dominion and the county had been making “meaningful progress” toward an agreement, according to a State Corporation Commission filing. A joint school board and Board of Supervisors meeting to talk more about the project is scheduled for July 29.

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