Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Have you ever heard of a “snow stripe?” It’s terminology I became acutely familiar with on Wednesday night when a projected trace to a single inch amount of forecasted snow with little-to-no accumulation turned into three inches within two hours and immediately stuck to everything.

There’s a little more in the forecast for our area tonight. Then maybe, just maybe, we can hang our snow boots up to dry just a little before the next one. But don’t put away your hiking boots just yet—we’ve rounded up some of the coolest (both figuratively and literally) waterfalls to visit before the warm weather sneaks up on us. Enjoy the adventure and remember, I’m so glad you’re here.

Dark Hollow Falls is near Luray. (Virginia Tourism Corporation)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: When cold snaps settle over Virginia, some of the commonwealth’s most beautiful waterfalls take on a new, often short-lived, form. As the rushing water stiffens into icicles, breathtaking frozen waterfalls emerge. 

Our top picks: 

• The Scott’s Run Waterfall can be found in the 400-acre Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, not far from McLean. It forms near where Scotts Run empties into the Potomac River. Look for the nearby ruins of Burling Cabin to confirm you’re in the right place.

• If you’re looking to see as many frozen waterfalls as possible in one hike, then Whiteoak Canyon is for you. An astonishing six falls can be found along the moderate-to-difficult Whiteoak Canyon Trail near Madison in Shenandoah National Park. As a bonus, smaller waterfalls are also sprinkled throughout the trail on Whiteoak Run.

• Dark Hollow Falls is a collection of cataracts not far from the Big Meadows Area of the Shenandoah National Park near Luray. You’ll want to follow the Dark Hollow Falls Trail to see Hogcamp Branch as it makes its way down to the Rose River. Each fall empties into deep plunge pools. The total distance is 70 feet.

Ready to explore? Boy, do we ever have an adventure for you.

I love, love, love it when teachers message me. I’ve found that they’re some of the nicest folks who articulate their opinions so crisply. That’s what happened earlier this week when Dogwood reader Pat W. emailed me about contacting elected officials.

If you missed it, I recently asked US Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) what actually happens when someone contacts his office—and I wrote about his response. Then, I included contact info for his office and for US Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).

“Lately, letters I’ve written have been easy to write because the organization contacting me provides links where I put in my ZIP code and they provide my contacts,” Pat wrote. “The links you provided are excellent, not to forget our representatives and statewide politicians, as well.“

That’s a really valid point, and I’d love to share some of the links our reader provided:

• Democracy.io: https://www.democracy.io
• USAGov: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
• FiscalNote: https://fiscalnote.com/find-your-legislator
• League of Women Voters: https://www.lwv.org/take-action/find-your-elected-officials

As always, if there’s a tip you’d like to share, my inbox is open to you at amie@couriernewsroom.com. 

This Oct. 24, 2016, file photo shows dollar bills in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

By Michael O’Connor

The Virginia House of Delegates recently passed legislation to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2028. 

A similar bill is working its way through the Virginia Senate, where it’s also expected to pass. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger supports the effort, making it likely she will enact the legislation once it reaches her desk. 

State Del. Jeion Ward (D-Hampton) is carrying the bill in the House. Her bill would set the minimum hourly wage at $13.75 in 2027 and raise it to $15 an hour in 2028.

The state’s current minimum wage rose to $12.77 in January in keeping with state law that ties it to the annual rate of inflation.

• Immigrants play an outsized role in homebuilding and remodeling across the commonwealth, a role that will be affected by the Trump administration’s push to reach “net zero” migration into the United States, according to a new report. (Read more)

• A group of Buddhist monks on a Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, DC, is nearing the end of a 2,300-mile journey. While the original plan had the group traveling through Manassas, a recent change on the overview map shows that the monks will instead walk through or near Woodbridge, Fort Belvoir, and Arlington. (Read more)

• Health policy changes in Washington will ripple through the country, resulting in millions of Americans losing their Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage and becoming uninsured. But there are still ways to find care. (Read more)

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