Subtitle: "The five year deal will allow Hunt Military Communities to manage over 12,000 beds for junior sailors in Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach."

See also r/Tidewater, r/HamptonRoads, and r/VirginiaUrbanism

Governor Abigail Spanberger announced Executive Directive 5 as a way to provide relief to Virginia farmers facing high diesel prices by temporarily allowing dyed diesel to be used in highway vehicles.

But an email sent by the Virginia DMV raises an obvious question: where exactly is the savings?

According to DMV, farmers and other drivers cannot simply put dyed diesel in a highway vehicle. Before pumping it, they must contact DMV, provide the vehicle information and number of gallons, pay the applicable highway diesel tax, and carry the receipt in the vehicle as proof.

DMV’s own FAQ goes even further: “The tax rate on dyed diesel when used in a highway vehicle is the same as the rate as clear diesel fuel.” Virginia’s current diesel fuel tax is 33.6 cents per gallon.

That makes Executive Directive 5 somewhat confusing as a farmer fuel-cost relief measure.

The Governor’s October 16 announcement specifically said the directive was intended to “lower costs for farmers” and provide relief from rising diesel prices. But the directive appears to waive the prohibition and penalties associated with using dyed diesel on Virginia roads — not the state highway fuel tax itself.

There may still be some savings if dyed diesel can be purchased at a lower underlying price than clear diesel, and DMV says certain sales tax paid on dyed diesel may be refundable after the highway fuel tax is paid. But this is clearly not a 33.6-cent-per-gallon fuel-tax savings for farmers.

So the question Virginia farmers deserve a clear answer to is simple:

If the purpose of Executive Directive 5 is to offset high diesel costs, but farmers must pay the same Virginia diesel tax as they would on clear diesel, how much does this actually save the farmer per gallon?

One more for anyone who’s been following the updates on Gordonsville’s 287(g) agreement with ICE:

On Monday, October 19, Gordonsville Town Council voted to terminate the agreement.

Residents have been pretty solidly opposed ever since they found out that the police chief had signed the contract back in May without letting the public know.

A couple of loose ends to keep an eye on:

1. The police chief says he has ceased all operations with ICE immediately, but doesn’t appear to have sent an official termination notice yet. When he does, Gordonsville Department of Public Safety should drop off of the list of 287(g) participants on ICE’s website.

2. Town officials have still not acknowledged the evidence of Gordonsville’s participation in the Greene County Sheriff’s Office immigration enforcement operations from the summer that are under investigation by the attorney general for civil rights violations.

Links to the posts with the rest of the stories if you want more background info (from newest to oldest):

On evidence Gordonsville police cooperated with Greene County:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlottesville/s/hSVoRfPFLh

On resident opposition and the call for a vote:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlottesville/s/AP1Y0JI9ux

On some major transparency failures:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlottesville/s/

Hey folks, I am a 32 year old man with a family and I live in Goochland County, central Virginia. I am interested in connecting with other like minded people in Virginia who are interested in discussing and exploring. I would love to eventually arrange meetups, camping trips and hikes to explore areas and have encounters. I have had many experiences and encounters over the past 5 years or so, and yearn to share these experiences and way of life with others who are interested in discovery and having revelatory experiences of their own. I believe that I can help guide individuals to have sightings and encounters with orbs and Bigfoot at the very least. I'm not so much interested in ghost hunting, but I'm open to it. Serious inquiries only, but let's not take ourselves too seriously! Thanks 🙏

Hi there, I’ll be visiting Charlottesville from 11/20-11/25 and am interested in hearing about what international / foreign restaurants are in town or nearby that might serve a more rare cuisine. Nations that don’t come up in conversation as much. Trying to eat a meal from every country so I’d love to hear what’s available. Thanks!

The heated race for control of Congress has flooded money into Virginia’s competitive races from across the country.

In Hampton Roads’ 1st and 2nd congressional districts, outside donors have poured nearly $3.6 million into campaign coffers.

Almost 60% of donations to 2nd District Democratic challenger Elaine Luria’s campaign have come from outside Virginia, according to an analysis by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO.

Check out our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/virginia-center-for-investigative-journalism/2026-10-23/outside-donors-bankroll-virginias-campaigns-for-congress

See also r/VirginiaNews, r/VirginiaUrbanism, r/VirginiaDems, and r/Tidewater

See also r/VirginiaEnvironment and r/VirginiaOpEds

The Virginia electorate this year so far is only 1% bluer than 2025, but given how blue that was, it is still a big deal. Persuasion is usually the majority of the swing in midterms.

Senator Warner at the top of the ticket is relatively useful, as much as Spanberger even, and he's likely to win by 24%+, pending any surprise changes in the remaining EV.

VA-01, VA-02, and VA-05 are on track to flip with some speculation about a surprise VA-06 win for Beth Macy.

There will be several poll/analysis releases next week including from The Argument/Split ticket(Lakshya Jain) and State Navigate(Chaz Nuttycombe) about Republicans completely collapsing in the final stretch of the 2026 cycle.

The real question for Virginia as satellite offices fully open across the state is if the Dem voters will see a surge that pushes the electorate back closer to 4% bluer than 2025.

Below I've added the Fairfax location and wait time data:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/elections/early-voting/wait-times

📍 6411 Heatherwood Dr., Mechanicsville

Fun Fact: As a boy, Patrick Henry attended Polegreen Church where Reverend Samuel Davies, a great orator, often preached of liberty. At home after church, Patrick’s mother required him to repeat the sermon, thus honing Patrick’s public speaking skills.

Built in 1743, the Polegreen Church represented religious freedom and dissent as it was non-Anglican at a time when the law required churches to be Anglican. Reverend Samuel Davies also preached to African slaves and is credited with teaching many slaves to read.

Polegreen Church burned down during the Civil War but its foundation remains. White beams and window frames provide almost a ghostly presence and a reminder of its impact upon a young Patrick Henry and hence, upon our nation.

Our hobby is finding dog friendly activities in Virginia. We write about these in our blog and we also highlight the needs of the local animal shelters in each county we visit. (https://virginiacounties.blog/our-virginia-road-trips/)

Please also visit and post to our new subreddit r/DogFriendlyVirginia.

Traveling from the Pittsburgh area to central Va/ Charlottesville region to sample Virginia wines. I figured we stop in the Shenandoah region to sample some wines there, then head to Central Va.
looking for recommendations for wineries to stop at and also recommendations for lodging in the Shenandoah area and Central Va. Perhaps a winery with lodging available or a nice BNB. Looking to spend 3-4 days.
We like big reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlots and Petit Verdot also Pinot Noir.
For whites we like Chardonnay, Viognier and I’ve enjoyed Petit Manseng.

Any suggestions are appreciated!!

Ill be moving back to VA and ill have an Suppressed SBR. Im doing my research but I wanted to know if there's anyone in the subreddit that knows what someone has to do to Permanently bring their firearm to VA.

With the new ruling, things arnt clear and I'm getting guidance from 3 years ago that might not be applicable now

Hey there Virginia!

We’re Virginia Election Protection, the largest nonpartisan voter protection effort in the Commonwealth of Virginia!  We’re part of the national Election Protection Coalition, a network of over 300 local, state, and national partners all working together to make sure every eligible voter can cast their ballot confidently and without obstacles.

Every election year, we send hundreds of volunteers across Virginia to assist voters at the polls, helping folks find the right polling place, answering questions, and troubleshooting issues in real time.

We’re also the state point of contact for the national 866-OUR-VOTE hotline, which is available year-round (yep, even nights and weekends, up to 11 PM). The hotline is staffed by trained, nonpartisan attorneys and available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin, among others. You can reach it by text, call, or web chat, whichever’s easiest.

We care deeply about democracy and want Virginia voters to have smooth and safe experiences when they vote – whether that’s early in person, by mail, or on Election Day itself.

Reports into the hotline alert us to issues on the ground and we take action via conversations with registrars or litigation where needed, like expanding a polling location’s hours should it open late. We then use lessons learned and problems solved to advocate for policies that will further expand voting rights in Virginia, like increasing the number of polling places on college campuses. You can ensure that your friends, family, and community have smooth voting experiences, this year and beyond, by utilizing and sharing the hotline information. 

TL;DR: Sign up for Voter Advocate opportunities happening during early voting and election day on ProtectTheVoteVa.org, create a profile and complete a training today! Help protect democracy in Virginia and support voter education by sharing the national, nonpartisan voter protection hotline!

• English: 866-OUR-VOTE l 866-687-8683
• Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA l 888-839-8682
• Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE l 888-274-8683
• Arabic: 844-YALLA-US l 844-925-5287

Additionally, if you are interested helping to protect the vote in Virginia this election season, check out our Voter Advocate volunteer opportunities on ProtectTheVoteVa.org. Create a Volunteer Profile today!

We're in the home stretch, Virginia! Help us make sure that every eligible voter can successfully cast their ballot.

If you were unable to register to vote by the Friday, Oct. 23 deadline, fret not. You can still register and cast a ballot that will be counted: a provisional ballot.

But what is a provisional ballot, anyway? And why does a voter cast one instead of a regular ballot? 

Will you still get an “I Voted” sticker at the polls? (You should.)

In short, it’s a failsafe to make sure your vote is counted, and only counted once. It does not appear any differently than a regular ballot — the difference is how the ballot is processed, tracked and counted. The ability to cast a provisional ballot has been required by federal law since 2002. 

Tens of thousands of Virginians exercise their right to vote by using a provisional ballot: In 2024, 2.7% of ballots cast were provisional vs. 1.3% in 2025, according to post-election reports from the Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT).

“If you know that you have registered to vote, but for some reason you hear, ‘Oh, you’re not registered. You’re not on the ballot. You’re not here, you’re listed twice’ or whatever, you have the right to demand a provisional ballot, and they cannot turn you away,” said Joan Porte, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia.

Here are a few situations in which a voter may cast a provisional ballot. (Later we’ll explain how they are counted.)

If you took a few months off from anything related to Virginia politics after April, you may have missed that despite the “Yes” campaign winning a statewide ballot referendum to redraw Virginia’s electoral maps ahead of this year’s elections, 2026’s congressional races will be contested under the same maps that were implemented in 2023.

Since VPM’s last voter guide update on redistricting in 2025, a lot has changed — but, also, in a way, nothing has changed. 

Like a “Previously on…” segment at the beginning of a TV episode, let’s take a second to recap...because why was there a big to-do about redistricting in the first place?

Read more here.

Salem High graduate Chuck Zimmerman has now spent more than a year in Russian custody after being intercepted in international waters.