Are you as ready for the weekend as I am? I feel like things have been go-go-go around here lately. I’m looking forward to breathing in some fresh mountain air this weekend (well, as fresh as it gets with the Canadian smoke impacting our area).
What are your weekend plans? If you haven’t quite thought that far ahead yet, today’s lead story could help with that. I’m so glad you’re here.
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A protester holds a sign featuring former Congressman John Lewis as people rally in Daley Plaza during the “Good Trouble Lives On” national day of action in Chicago, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
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By Ava Edwards
Here’s what you need to know: This weekend, cities throughout Virginia will participate in a national holiday in remembrance of late civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis.
Events to join:
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Friday, July 17: Good Trouble Haymarket: 14710 Washington St. at 6:30 p.m. A sunset vigil and resistance singing event.
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Saturday, July 18: Good Trouble Alexandria: 5005 Duke St. at 1 p.m. A local event featuring educational opportunities on voting rights and activities for kids.
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Sunday, July 19: Good Trouble Franconia: 6601 Telegraph Road at 12 p.m. A Good Trouble-themed festival featuring music, food, games, and giveaways.
Want more ways to get involved? We’re featuring more than a dozen events happening throughout Virginia at the link below.
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Colton Knowles (left) poses with content creator Alex Hodges, who goes by the handle Alex Ketchem. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)
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By Amie Knowles
If there’s a trading card game (TCG) collector in your life, send this newsletter their way—because they’d very likely love to know about a new card shop that opened recently in Danville.
Colton, my 8-year-old son, lives and breathes Pokémon, so we woke up bright and early to be third in line (out of 1,300 people) at the Top Deck Keep Warehouse Launch Party, celebrating the new facility.
Housed in a former tank museum, the card shop offers everything from local tournament play to retail merchandise like Funko Pops, LEGOs, Magic: The Gathering cards, Lorcana cards, and of course, Pokémon cards.
One of the coolest experiences was meeting content creator Alex Ketchem, who flew in from California for the big event. We asked what he thought about Danville. His favorite things? The people were really nice, and there was no traffic.
We’re super excited to welcome the warehouse to the Southside—besides, that gets our little Pokémon trainer one step closer to catching them all.
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In a resounding win, our hamster’s new name—as voted on by Dogwood readers—is Hamuel L. Jackson!
With that breaking news aside, let’s have a moment for three of our favorite reader recommendations:
- “Smithfield” — Frederick M.
- “Hamtaro” — Marissa P.
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“Cinnamon” — Missy F.
Thank you all for weighing in on this important matter. Did we collectively get it right? Email me at amie@couriernewsroom.com to let me know.
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US Rep. Don Beyer speaking at a rally in support of fired federal workers in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2026. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)
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By Michael O’Connor
Arlington County resident John Spykerman was on vacation with his family in Glasgow, Scotland, when he got the email last year that he was being fired from the US State Department.
“It was too early to actually check in, so we took a bus into the downtown area,” Spykerman said in an interview. “While my family was getting ice cream, I checked my phone and there it was.”
Spykerman, a Foreign Service officer with over two decades on the job, had been preparing for the worst after President Donald Trump got elected in 2024. As a candidate, Trump had been critical of foreign aid, and on the day of his inauguration, he moved to pause all foreign aid for 90 days.
But in the lead-up to Spykerman’s firing and as rumors swirled at the State Department over what changes the Trump administration had planned, he said he had been assured he was likely safe.
Then he got the email letting him know he wasn’t.
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🗳 US Sen. Mark Warner’s (D) office recently released a memo debunking several conspiracy theories about American elections. Here’s what the memo had to say. (Read post)
🎓 Private school scholarship donors will soon receive tax credits. Virginia opted into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, which critics argue will drain public schools and reduce accountability in education—not expand freedom. (Watch here)
🤖 Congress has begun shaping federal law and regulations governing the data center industry and its infrastructure. The US representative serving North Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” is playing an active role, sponsoring or co-sponsoring several related bills. (Watch here)
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Would you share this newsletter with a friend?
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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Ava Edwards, Michael O’Connor, Carly Seward Maher, and Jonny Lupsha. It was edited by Paula Solis.
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