Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

What. A. Week! Since our last Friday newsletter went out, much has changed around here. Thanks to Halifax County Animal Control, we welcomed Elvis Purrsley to our home—but let’s be honest… he’s always going to go by his nickname, “Chonky.” Hims’a big boi. The Great Catsby and Edgar Allan Purr have taken the news of another brother well. In fact, all three are cuddled up on our guest bed as I’m writing this. Dolly Purrton, Bella, and Onyx? Well, the girls couldn’t care less.

More big news: We have a six-year-old! Colton celebrated in massive style with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese, a pay-your-age experience at Build-A-Bear, and a carnival themed birthday party. While I’m much more of an introvert, C is completely opposite. That means he invited everyone—and I mean everyone—to his party. The cashier at Food Lion. Mike from Family Dollar. Paul, our next-door neighbor. And do you know what? Lots of people showed up, adults and kids alike. We colored together, played games, and gorged ourselves on pizza. It was the sweetest, most eclectic group that all came together for a common cause.

That kind of reminds me of what’s going on in our state legislature, just a bit. Sure, we’ve got folks with different stances. One person’s priority might differ from the next’s. But I truly believe we’re all striving for the same thing: A Virginia we can be proud of, despite some differences in opinion. This session, I hope we’re able to come together. I hope we’re able to celebrate the good, and create safe spaces for one another to share and truly listen. FWIW, my inbox is open to you during this time and always—and I’m so glad you’re here.

Amie Knowles

Community Editor, Dogwood

We found the best off-season deals for a quick + fun winter getaway in Virginia

Here’s what you need to know: After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the beginning of the new year is often calm. For that reason, it’s the ideal time to schedule a fun weekend trip. Luckily, Virginia has plenty of affordable off-season destinations that are perfect for your next getaway.

Our top picks:

Virginia Beach—The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club offers a Virginia resident getaway/staycation special that takes 20% off its best rate. It even includes breakfast at Becca Restaurant and Garden. While in Virginia Beach, you can also explore the unique dining and retail scenes.
Cottages at Montfair Resort Farm—Those looking to get away from city life might consider a getaway in the Shenandoah Valley. Through Jan. 31, Montfair Resort Farm is offering 15% off all cottage rates. Based in Crozet, the cottages are less than 30 minutes away from Charlottesville, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Skyline Drive, if you’d like to explore the surrounding area.
Cabins at Virginia State Parks—Virginia State Parks recommends these five cabins for winter destinations: Cabin 2 at Fairy Stone State Park, Cabin 14 at James River State Park, Cabin 25 at Hungry Mother State Park, Cabin 12 at Douthat State Park, and Cabin 6 at Bear Creek Lake State Park. The Hungry Mother State Park and Douthat State Park options are ideal locales for mountain getaways.

Ready to book your trip? We’ve got more info about each of our selected sites below, as well as several more winter getaway ideas.

Read this article

Are you tuning in to the General Assembly? Here are links to the weekday livestreams: Virginia Senate and Virginia House of Delegates. Write to me at amie@couriernewsroom.com or reply to this email if you have any questions about this annual legislative process.

The most impactful event of the first day of session was the election of the Speaker of the House of Delegates.

After Democrats won a 51-49 majority in the chamber last November, lawmakers selected Del. Don Scott, Jr. as the first Black speaker in the House’s 405-year history.

Read this article

~ ICYMI ~

See the second for yourself! We posted the moment Del. Don Scott, Jr. was officially sworn in as the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (WATCH HERE).
“Kala, the Science Girl” went viral on TikTok for digging a tunnel under her home. However, after numerous complaints from worried neighbors and concerned Tiktok members, the town of Herndon shut down construction (WATCH HERE).
It’s winter, and Virginians are facing higher energy costs. Here’s how to save money in 2024 under Biden’s clean energy policies (READ MORE HERE).

Your Commonwealth Connection

Our weekly #ThisIsVirginia post spotlights the people, places, and things that make us a commonwealth.

Kayla Fedison, a Ferrum College and Boone Honors member junior, recently won first place in the health sciences category at the National Collegiate Honors Council’s Annual Conference.

The win was several months in the making. Fedison first applied to present at the conference last spring and later learned she could share her research, “The Effect of Motor Mental Imagery on a Multi-Muscular Sequential Movement,” in November. News of her first-place win came in December.

Ferrum College noted that the student explored two questions in her work:

Does mental imagery result in minor activation in the relevant musculature?
Are the agonist-to-antagonist ratios different in actual and imagined movement?

“In simpler terms, I looked at muscle activity in the leg during real and imagined movements to see if the signals the brain sent to the leg were different,” Fedison further explained in a media release.

📸: Ferrum College

This email is written by Amie Knowles, community editor at Dogwood, lifelong Virginia resident, and mom to a fantastic six-year-old who loves monster trucks.
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