It’s officially baseball season in the commonwealth. My 8-year-old son, Colton, is on a new team this year, and so far things are going well. Well, pretty well. He was a little concerned about the next level up in his league—machine pitch, aptly named because a machine pitches instead of a coach—so he requested to stay in intermediate for one more year.

His team’s been practicing for a couple of weeks now. But at one of the most recent practices, his coach made a couple of wonky pitches (still way better than I could’ve done). He casually rotated his shoulder and said, “I ain’t consistent today; I’ll bring my pitching machine next time.”

The look Colton looked. I wish I had my camera out to capture that skeptical expression. It was one of those that would’ve probably won us some money on “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Much to his relief, games have now started up and there’s still no pitching machine in sight. If you’re also into some good old-fashioned baseball action, we’ve got info on where to find local games in today’s lead story. I’m so glad you’re here, batter, batter.

By Michael O’Connor

Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Monday signed into law legislation to get rid of tax exemptions for Confederate groups. 

The bill was carried in the Virginia House of Delegates by state Del. Alex Askew (D-Virginia Beach). 

Askew has fought along with other Democrats to get rid of the tax exemptions for groups like United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) for years, but former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin twice vetoed their efforts. 

By Amie Knowles

I’ve waited all week to write this one. And while I normally wouldn’t necessarily promote a chain restaurant here (no shade, just folks already tend to know about those), this is a necessary exception. Last weekend, my husband took our son and me to Red Lobster for the first time ever—and we ordered the forbidden fruit, crab legs. 

I’m sorry, mother, for what you just read. But it’s true. See, I was raised practicing the Levitical laws when it came to food. And, no, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, just like I think it’s fine to enjoy a BLT, choose a vegan lifestyle, or create your own culinary mix. You do you. 

But nowadays, I’m trying what I’d like to try. I guess I finally unlocked my rebellious stage at 32. And with that, I can officially tell you that crab legs are amazing—especially if you add a little salt and pepper. They also make for fun little claws while fine dining, as pictured above. 

Next stop, Chesapeake?

By Aila Boyd

We’re wrapping up our coverage with NBA players with Virginia ties today with none other than Dorian Finney-Smith. Born in Portsmouth in 1993, Finney-Smith played for the Florida Gators before joining the NBA during the 2016-17 season with the Dallas Mavericks. 

With nine seasons under his belt, he’s played in 591 games. Although the forward isn’t currently playing, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-2025 season. His average points per game score was 8.7.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Aila Boyd and Michael O’Connor. It was edited by Paula Solis.

Dogwood is free for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.