Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1620, the Virginia Company published A Declaration of the State of the Colony and Affairs in Virginia. The pamphlet boasted that of 1,261 people who had gone to Virginia, 650 had settled on some form of company lands.

An accused murderer will not face trial until 2026. The Virginia Flyover's Top Stories has the latest on the delay in Prince William County. In Around Virginia, we have details about an extension of the Virginia Capital Trail.

Protect your identity and personal information while you are online with today's sponsor, Incogni.

Don't feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Toll Increase Rejected

After a ruling by the Supreme Court of Virginia, drivers on the Dulles Greenway, the 14-mile private toll road between Leesburg and Dulles Airport, will not face a steep price hike.

The private company Toll Roads Investors Partnership (TRIP) II operates the road and sought a fare increase from $5.80 to $8.10 during peak hours for most vehicles. When the State Corporation Commission denied the request, the company sued.

The court set aside the suit and held that the rate increase would not be reasonable and would not benefit drivers.

TRIP II will be allowed to reapply for toll increases each year, the court added.

Feds Detained Visa-Holding Cruise Workers

Protesters gathered in Norfolk when the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship docked over the weekend to object to the detention by Customs and Border Protection officers of more than a dozen visa-holding ship workers.

Federal agents who boarded the vessel and detained crew members in April alleged that Filipino crew members possessed child pornography.

An immigration activist denied the accusation. "There were no formal charges at all. Only accusations with no evidence," Aquilina Soriano Versoza said. She is the executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California.

She called on the cruise line to support its workers. "Carnival always cooperates with law enforcement investigations," the company said.

Manassas Park Murder Trial Delayed

A judge delayed the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt, which had been scheduled to begin in September, until October of 2026 at the earliest.

Bhatt was charged with first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body after his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, disappeared last July. He will remain in custody until trial.

The long delay didn't sit well with Mamta Kafle Bhatt's family. "We feel quite defeated that the Commonwealth agreed so readily to this amount of a delay," spokesperson Holly Wirth said.

The couple were married for about three years and have a young daughter.

Flying together with our sponsor

Your personal info is everywhere. Here’s how to erase it.

Your personal data is scattered across hundreds of websites right now.

Home addresses, phone numbers, emails, even your family members’ details—all sitting online for anyone who knows where to look.

And it doesn’t stop with data brokers. It’s on public records sites, obscure forums, and random people search engines you’ve never heard of.

The internet never forgets. But you don’t have to leave your personal info out there.

With Incogni, you can remove your private data from hundreds of sites and keep it from showing up again. Take back control today with:

Automated removals from data brokers
Custom removal requests for any site
Continuous protection as new sites pop up

Get 55% off Incogni’s Unlimited Plan and try it risk-free for 30 days with coupon FLYOVER.

➤ Pittsylvania County: T.D. Sergeant Rigney, an off-duty Danville Sheriff's deputy, detained a suspect who had broken into a home and was allegedly assaulting the resident. Pittsylvania County deputies responded and made an arrest. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Virginia was the only state with an increase in the unemployment rate in June. It’s the sixth straight month unemployment has increased, reaching 3.5%. (More)

➤ Blacksburg: Virginia Tech’s helmet lab introduced a new rating system to help consumers select the highest-performing football and bicycle helmets. (More)

➤ Prince William County: Supervisor Bob Weir passed away this weekend after a bout with colon cancer. (More)

➤ Stafford County: A woman was arrested after she phoned police and said she thought she’d shot and killed her former boyfriend. The victim’s body was found at his home. (Details)

➤ Williamsburg: The Virginia Capital Trail, which parallels the James River from Richmond to Williamsburg, will add a 7.5-mile extension into Colonial Williamsburg. The new stretch is expected to cost between $25-$33 million. (Details)

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend! ✈️

➤ Virginia submitted a proposal to become the Washington Commanders' new home as financial and political complications continue to plague plans for a new stadium in D.C. (Details)

➤ UVA will have the easiest football schedule in the country next year, according to ESPN's computer model. (More)

➤ Two volleyball players from Hampton University were on Team HBCU in an international tournament in Botswana. The team went undefeated and won the competition. (More)

Yesterday's Results: MLB | Soccer | Tour de France

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Experience fast, targeted pain relief with GloKore red light therapy wraps. These flexible, wearable wraps use proven red and infrared light technology to help reduce inflammation, ease joint and muscle pain, and support recovery. Safe, drug-free, and now available at a special price—feel the difference for yourself today!

➤ The Virginia Beach and Norfolk metro region was ranked the worst market for graduates in the nation this year by ADP Research. The company measured regions based on wages, affordability, and hiring practices. (Details)

➤ The average price of a gallon of gas was $2.94 yesterday, according to the tracking site GasBuddy. That's down 4.6 cents from last week and 46.9 cents from last year. (More)

➤ The Virginia Economic Development Partnership's Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program graduated 13 companies last week and enrolled 13 more into the two-year program. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Step into relief with Grounded Magnetic Insoles—designed to support circulation, reduce foot pain, and improve overall comfort. These innovative insoles use magnetic therapy and acupressure to help ease fatigue, boost energy, and promote better posture. Perfect for daily wear and backed by science. Feel the difference with every step!

Flying together with our sponsor

Delete your personal data

Scams start with your personal data being sold. Data brokers are profiting from your home address, SSN, phone number, and other personal information that doesn’t belong to them. Incogni scrubs your personal info from the web. It takes three minutes to set up, tackles 270+ data brokers and people-search sites, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. Protect your data, your time, and your sanity. Get Incogni today and never look back.

Use code FLYOVER today for a 55% discount on annual plans this week.

➤ Virginia State Police boosted recruiting numbers over the last year, with applications up 56% and almost 100 new officers joining the force in the most recent graduating class. (Details)

➤ The Virginia SUN Bucks program is providing $120 to help families with young children buy groceries this summer. (More)

➤ Virginia’s peach season lasts until September, but some say the best time to bite into one is right now. (Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Ancient Himalayan Dental Ritual Rebuilds Teeth 3X Faster. This 60-second secret is spreading fast. Backed by Harvard, it rebuilds enamel overnight, destroys plaque, and stops bad breath instantly. Over 187,000 people have tried it—before it’s gone, you need to see this. Watch it now (before it’s removed).