You know what I didn’t have on my bingo card for the first December weekend in Virginia? Not just one, but two Southside snowfalls. We’ve done just about everything but go sledding, and my little boy’s busy getting his coat on as we speak.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a very, very important childhood to attend—enjoy your daily news and remember, I’m so glad you’re here.
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US Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia’s 10th congressional district takes questions at a town hall in Ashburn on December 4, 2025. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)
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By Michael O’Connor
Here’s what you need to know: Elected officials and residents in Loudoun County are becoming increasingly vocal about their opposition to data centers, expressing concerns about their potential health impacts.
The top facts:
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The elected officials were in agreement that while data centers have provided some benefits to Loudoun, it was time to stop their development in a county already home to about 200 data centers.
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The town hall came amid growing national backlash to data centers, especially in Virginia and Loudoun County, home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world.
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Americans living in communities located near data centers have reported a rise in contaminated water supply. Data centers also require a lot of water and energy to operate, and those costs can be passed on to nearby residents, raising utility bills.
Want to learn more? We’re delving into the issue at the link below.
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The Dogwood is here to give Virginians straightforward, easy-to-understand reporting about what’s happening across the state. As our year-end drive continues through Dec. 16, reader support shapes what we’re able to cover in the year ahead.
Your contribution keeps this work free for everyone who turns to us.
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The Virginia Capitol is seen March 4, 2010, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
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By Michael O’Connor
Eviction filings in January reached their highest level since January 2020 in Virginia, and filings were up by about 1% this year between January and October, compared with the same timeframe in 2024, according to a presentation given to the Virginia Housing Commission recently in Richmond.
The number of executed evictions is rising at an even higher rate. There were 22,990 executed evictions in Virginia from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, a 3.7% increase from the twelve months prior.
“While statewide eviction filings have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, 2025 filings are on track to get closer to reaching those filing numbers,” Jesseca Hoff, a policy and research analyst with the Housing Commission, said in the presentation to lawmakers.
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The Diana monkey is an endangered species. (Metro Richmond Zoo)
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No, we aren’t monkeying around—the Metro Richmond Zoo was recently honored at the 2025 annual conference of the Zoological Association of America (ZAA) for its work with endangered Diana monkeys.
The local zoo’s program resulted in 39 Diana monkey births over the past 28 years.
In addition to the highlight, the zoo also highlighted its work with Poppy the pygmy hippo and achieving 20 years of continuous ZAA accreditation.
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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles with reporting by Michael O’Connor. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 7-year-old who loves monster trucks. This edition was edited by Paula Solis.
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