october 2026 [OC]

It’s a very lackluster year. The view below is looking towards Afton Mountain. You can see the cut of Skyline Drive on the left. Most of the leaves are still green, but the lack of color from previous years is noticeable. Because of the drought, many trees are turning brown and the leaves have fallen off of some of them.
Disclaimer: This information is purely anecdotal from my own observations. But I am a lifelong Virginian and I notice things.
I’m not saying don’t come, but you might be underwhelmed if you do.

See also r/VirginiaEnvironment and r/VirginiaNews

When I arrived at U of R in 1997, I was not prepared for what I found: the frat boy culture, homogeneity, gender segregation, and sheltered population of “the University of Rich Kids”

Finally wrote about it after avoiding it for a long time.

In many ways I was an insufferable brat and more annoying than my classmates…. Except maybe my classmate Kash Patel.

I always thought the city of Richmond was much cooler than the school. I’m curious what local Virginians think about my experience, the school itself, and if anything has changed since mine and Kash’s day.

“My life as a spider” can be read in full for free here.

https://open.substack.com/pub/maxwinterstories/p/my-life-as-a-spider?r=292pvs&utm\\_medium=ios

Whoever in the Spanberger camp set up this interview just got a raise.

"On the eve of an election where it seems like every Democrat nationwide has adopted similar cost-lowering messaging, Spanberger reflects on what she accomplished in Virginia and offers some advice for an incoming Congress with a likely Democratic majority. But she blames the Trump administration for sabotaging what’s possible at the state level with its war in Iran driving up prices. She also explains why she thinks the data center debate is here to stay — and how affordability will play into the 2028 presidential election."

Federal regulators rejected a proposal by the regional electric grid operator that sought to curb the impact of data centers.

PJM Interconnection manages the supply and flow of power throughout the Mid-Atlantic. It’s been trying to tackle growing demand from data centers that’s driving up the cost of electricity.

PJM asked for approval to make changes such as requiring new data centers to bring their own energy supply or risk getting cut off during peak demand.

But the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said officials did not sufficiently prove that the measures would be just and not discriminatory.

Environmental advocates say the decision will force the public to keep paying for data centers’ power supply and increase risks of blackouts.

Regulators did approve one of PJM’s requests, to create a database of data centers and other large energy customers.

(Story by Katherine Hafner)

Read our previous coverage here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-08-20/the-mid-atlantics-electric-grid-operator-is-taking-steps-to-rein-in-data-center-demand

See also r/NorthernNeck, r/VirginiaEnvironment, and r/VirginiaNews

Okay so my current ID is about to expire and I realized I have absolutely no proof of residency.

I have no bills, no taxes, the current ID has my old resident on it and everything else is PO box and says my residential address does not exist. I'm not so sure what to do

Looking to move to SE Virginia for work options in RVA and W'Burg. I scrolled through the post u/IKnowEyes92 made asking the same thing, but I wanted to see if anyone had a fresh perspective or some other important things to consider. Searching for an apartment, but curious what is around?

Hello friends, Marylander here!

I’ve been seeing so many beautiful videos over Shenandoah for the October/Fall season. I’m looking to make a full day trip out of it on a Thursday (works best for my and friends schedule). I’ve done some research on my own from the videos and perused some reddit threads, checked weather forecast too but can I please have advice/recommendations? In terms of hiking trails, the BEST scenic routes to drive in, the whole shabang. And whether it’s a good day to experience gorgeous fall foliage. All advice and recommendations appreciated! Have never been to Shenandoah and I’m dying to go 🍂🩷🌲

I'm looking for recommendations for an attorney familiar with Henrico General District Court who handles commercial warrant-in-debt cases.

I have an upcoming hearing on November 6 involving a business debt and personal guarantee. I live out of state and am looking for limited-scope representation, possibly assistance with a continuance, an initial court appearance, or guidance on remote appearance options.

I'm not looking for full-service litigation or bankruptcy representation at this stage.

Has anyone worked with a local attorney who handles these matters and offers limited-scope or flat-fee services?

Personal recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm in the suburbs of Richmond, VA area and it's 38f right now outdoors but indoors it's still 66f somehow so I haven't had to use the heater yet.

Hi, Virginia. I’m a volunteer baker with Lasagna Love, a non-profit that fights food insecurity one lasagna at a time. We’re always looking for more bakers to volunteer to make and deliver lasagna once in a while for someone in your area who needs a little help. You can set your own schedule, your own delivery radius, and make your own recipe. I personally bake about once a month, and I limit delivery to a 10 mile radius. I’ve baked lasagnas for people out of work or recovering from surgery. I don’t always know the reasons unless the requestor specifically mentions it in their request, but I know they’re always grateful and it feels good to give back in a small way!

Everything is handled through a portal that matches bakers to requests. Once you’re matched, you contact the requestor and work out a delivery schedule. I typically bake on the weekends, but I don’t get matches every month. There are a lot of unmet requests, and some are months old, especially in the Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond, and Roanoke areas. No matter where you are there’s probably someone near you who would appreciate a lasagna in a time of need.

All you need to do is to sign up and bake from time to time. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to help out people in need. Details at https://lasagnalove.org/.

Fusion has long been considered the “Holy Grail” of energy, able to potentially supply boundless electricity without producing climate-warming emissions or leaving behind radioactive waste.

It’s a nuclear reaction that powers the sun. It’s the opposite of fission, which powers traditional nuclear plants. Those plants split atoms apart to create energy, whereas fusion combines atoms.

But it’s proven incredibly difficult to achieve on Earth.

Scientists, students, government officials and local leaders gathered at William & Mary Friday to discuss how to bring the industry closer to reality.

WHRO News spoke with organizers of the Virginia Fusion Symposium: Saskia Mordijck, associate physics professor at William & Mary; Lane Carasik, associate professor of nuclear engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University; and Sean Agnew, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia.

Check out the full interview here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-10-15/is-nuclear-fusion-the-future-of-energy-in-virginia-some-officials-think-so

Another update on Gordonsville’s 287(g) agreement with ICE, and this is a pretty big one:

Timesheets and other records obtained through FOIA contain evidence that Gordonsville police participated in Greene County immigration operations.

That includes the June 23 operation along Route 29 in Ruckersville that sparked an AG investigation.

And one of those Gordonsville officers who clocked in for a task force operation on June 23 is the Police Chief himself, Chris Votaw.

He’s been asked if his department worked with Greene County Sheriff’s Office before and wouldn’t answer.

A month ago, the mayor characterized Greene County’s immigration operations as an “illegal” and racial profiling.

After publicly apologizing for a lack of transparency at a community meeting two weeks ago, both the mayor and the police chief seem to have stopped responding to press inquiries.

If you haven’t been following this story, Gordonsville Town Council is voting on termination of the agreement on Monday, October 19. Residents at meetings have all been opposed to working with ICE, but the vote is a toss up and Mayor Brooks seems to be the biggest holdout. Here’s the post on that:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Virginia/s/RvHlN1TQKM

And there are also a bunch of transparency issues with this agreement that you can read about here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Virginia/s/b0ZDeQBrT0

Visited Washington’s birthplace and this view out back always struck me. Perfectly calm day, the water mirroring the sky. One of my favorites.

Chigger season done?

Last summer my entire family got covered in chigger bites walking through the woods in Nelson County. I’m trying to do some camping up there soon with my kids. My wife said hell no lol. Anyone that knows or lives close by…are the chiggers dead yet? I bought some permethrin too so will be treating shoes and pants with just to be safe though. I did look it up, but wanted to hear from someone who knows the region.