Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Were you able to find a few moments of rest yesterday? I sure hope so. Our offices were closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and it was really wonderful to spend that extra time with my husband and our son.

As for many of us across the commonwealth, it’s back to the grind today—and I’m so glad you’re here to enjoy it. 

From artsy lounges to speakeasies, Virginia establishments know how to make mocktails the right way. (Lightscape/Unsplash)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: A couple of weeks ago, we highlighted three Virginia places to find a great mocktail—and it was so well-received, we’re featuring three more locations today.

Our top picks:

• WHINO is the perfect place to enjoy a mocktail while viewing art, given that it’s an open-concept restaurant and art gallery. Its mocktail offerings extend to the Blood Orange Moon, Lime After Lime, and Smoke Without Fire. The latter features Seedlip spice non-alcoholic spirit, pear nectar, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and a topping of nutmeg smoke bubbles.

• Try one of SER’s four non-alcoholic cocktail options, including the Lunita G&T, Nora Bean, Sabilicious, and The Major Negroni Non Alc, which features Ritual zero proof whiskey, turmeric, orange, cinnamon smoke, and cherry.
• Circa at Clarendon, a neighborhood bistro, doesn’t disappoint on the mocktail front. Zero-proof cocktail options range from the Blossom Lounge to the Pineapple-Jalapeno Faux-Rita to the To Each Their Own to the Ruby Rose. The last consists of ruby red grapefruit-rosemary shrub, passionfruit, pineapple, lemon, and Q Mixers sparkling grapefruit.

Want a drink? We’ve got over a dozen places across the commonwealth for you to explore.

State Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-Virginia Beach) in the General Assembly Building in Richmond on Jan. 14, 2026. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)

By Michael O’Connor

As inequality rises and everyone but the highest earners struggles, two members of the Virginia House of Delegates have bills aimed at leveling the playing field. 

State Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-Virginia Beach) has a bill that would establish a new tax bracket for millionaires. Currently, anyone making more than $17,000 a year is taxed at the same rate of 5.75%. 

Meanwhile, Virginia Del. Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg) is carrying a bill to impose a corporate welfare tax on large employers whose workers get federal benefits like food stamps. 

Patrick & Henry Community College workforce advising and coaching specialist Desmond Prillaman conducts orientation for the current CDL training cohort. (P&HCC)

We love highlighting positive opportunities, and we’ve certainly come across one in Southwest Virginia. Patrick & Henry Community College (P&HCC) in Martinsville recently received an $80,000 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) grant. 

The funds will provide commercial driver’s license (CDL) training tuition for veterans and the spouses or children of veterans.

“This achievement reflects P&HCC’s commitment to advancing safer roads and supporting the mission we share: reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses,” Derek Barrs, FMCSA administrator, said in a media release. “This work strengthens the foundation of roadway safety in communities across the country.”

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