Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Movies in the Park will feature a movie per month on Friday nights throughout the summer. (City of Salem)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: Movie tickets cost a lot these days, especially when buying for the whole family. Luckily, you can save your hard-earned money and enjoy the cool evening air by catching a free outdoor screening at a local park.

Our top picks:

• Movies Under the Moon is a family-friendly movie series held at various City of Fairfax parks throughout the summer on the second Friday of the month from June through September from 8-10 p.m.

• Virginia Beach holds Beach Blanket Cinema, a free summer outdoor film screening series, on Thursdays along the beach on 29th Street. The screenings run from 8:30-10:30 p.m.

• This is the third summer the Salem Parks and Recreation Department has held Movies in the Park at Kiwanis Park. The free series will show family-friendly movies on select Friday nights. Gates open at 7 p.m., with the screenings starting at dusk.

Want more movies? There are opportunities to see great shows throughout Virginia. 

Marijuana products are displayed at Housing Works Cannabis Co., Thursday, April 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

By Michael O’Connor

Gov. Abigail Spanberger, State Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg), and State Del. Paul Krizek recently announced they had reached a compromise on creating a retail cannabis market in Virginia. 

Their plan calls for establishing Virginia’s market as part of the state budget, which is still being negotiated. Retail sales would begin on July 1, 2027. The state’s Cannabis Control Authority would be allowed to issue up to 350 retail licenses and would begin accepting applications for those licenses on February 1, 2027. 

The state would initially set a 6% tax rate on cannabis products that would rise to 8% in July 2029. Local governments would be allowed to set an additional tax from 1% to 3.5% on cannabis products.

A source familiar with the compromise language told Dogwood that labor peace agreements are still included in the compromise. Under these agreements, marijuana establishment license holders would be required to refrain from union-busting in exchange for the union agreeing not to strike, picket, or boycott the cannabis businesses. 

“Killers Never Sleep” is the sixth and final novel in the Buck Trammel series. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

By Amie Knowles

Y’all, I did it! I finally finished the six-book series that began with “North of Laramie” by J.A. Johnstone. For the past year, I’ve followed protagonist Buck Trammel from the bustle of Wichita to the wilds of Wyoming. 

This series really sparked a love of reading I’ve honestly lacked since getting half way through “Eclipse” (that’s book #3 in the Twilight series) when I was in high school. The fast horseback rides through the open country, the drama of love lost and gained, and the rocky friendships maintained kept me on the edge of my seat.

While I’m sad that the series is over, I’m happy it came to a joyous conclusion. Spoiler alert: the hero lives, which is what I was anxious about the whole time. Next, I’m cracking open a spin-off, “The Frontier Overland Company,” and I sure do hope our good friend Buck makes a cameo appearance. 

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