At 12:51 p.m. on Friday, January 19, 2024, the Virginia State Police received notification of a private aircraft’s emergency landing in Loudoun County. The incident involved a single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan touching down in the westbound lanes of Route 606/Loudoun County Parkway near Arcola Mills Drive.

According to Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller, remarkably, the pilot, identified as 27-year-old Ahmed Awais from Florida, skillfully executed the emergency landing without any collisions with vehicles. The only reported damage was to the guardrail on the right side of the Parkway.

Fortunately, neither the pilot, co-pilot, nor any of the five passengers on board, comprising four adults and a 15-year-old male, sustained injuries in the incident. Promptly, both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified, and an ongoing investigation is underway to determine the cause of the emergency landing.

As the Virginia Presidential Primary on March 5 approaches, residents in the state can cast their votes early today, Friday, January 19, 2024. Virginia will hold a dual presidential primary this year, with the Democratic Party and the Republican Party hosting primaries on the same day.

In a dual primary system, voters can choose between voting in the Democratic Party Primary or the Republican Party Primary. While all qualified voters are eligible to participate in either primary, they cannot vote in both.

It’s important to note that choosing a party’s primary does not equate to party registration, as Virginia does not have party registration requirements.

The Republican primary ballot will feature six candidates, including Chris Christie. However, he dropped out, Ryan L. Binkley, Vivek Ramaswamy (he dropped out, too), Donald J. Trump, Ron D. DeSantis, and Nikki R. Haley. On the Democratic side, three candidates will appear: Marianne Williamson, Incumbent Joseph R. Biden Jr, and Dean Benson Phillips.

Early voting, the in-person option, is available until March 2. Registered voters can visit the general registrar’s office in their respective jurisdictions, present their ID, and cast their ballot.

Stafford County Registrar Anna Hash said that while in-person voting rules remain unchanged mainly, she noted a change in the law regarding absentee ballot returns. Witness signatures are no longer required, but voters must now provide their birth year and the last four digits of their Social Security Number on the envelope.

The objective is to ensure a smooth and accessible election, with preparations aligning with standard practices, adds Hash.

In Manassas, Voter Registrar Susan Reed highlighted extensive training for Election Officials, testing on voting machines and electronic poll books, and readiness. She also encouraged registered Virginia to become Election Officials.

In Prince William County, they’ve been training those poll workers for early voting and election day. Elections office spokeswoman Thalia Simpson said rigorous testing and training are standard for every election in Prince William County. She added that voting equipment undergoes thorough functionality and accuracy tests, and every election officer completes a two-hour training class to stay updated on laws, policies, and processes.

The location of the general registrar’s office for all jurisdictions can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections website here. Additionally, a list of acceptable forms of identification can be accessed here.

“One of the bills to watch for Virginia’s 2024 legislative session — legislation that would have repealed the 2021 law tying the commonwealth’s vehicle emissions standards to California’s — died in a Senate committee this week,” reports Morgan Sweeney at The Center Square. “Senate Republicans attempted to persuade the committee not only of the infeasibility of California’s electric vehicle laws for Virginia due to EVs’ higher price tags, mechanical flaws and lack of demand, but of the injustice of allowing California’s policies to dictate Virginia’s.”

“A Virginia Senate committee narrowly defeated legislation Wednesday that would expand the circumstances in which a drug dealer could be charged with felony homicide in connection with a user’s death,” reports WTOP-FM. “The bill, a priority of Gov. Glenn Youngkin and fellow Republicans, was pitched as a deterrent to criminals that would save lives amid the rising tide of overdoses deaths, particularly those attributable to fentanyl. But the Democrats on the committee who voted it down voiced skepticism that stiffer penalties, rather than an approach focused on substance abuse treatment, would effectively address the root causes of the issue.”

"The Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee recommends legislation to boost teacher pay, following the committee's first meeting of the 2024 legislative session," reports Morgan Sweeney at The Center Square. "SB 104, sponsored by longtime senator and committee member Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, would deeply impact teachers’ livelihoods in the commonwealth and require an ongoing commitment from the state. It seeks to raise Virginia teachers' salaries to at or above the national average."

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The Center Square: “Former President Donald Trump is far and away the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but new polling digs into why the former president dominates when it comes to the working class.”

“The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll of 2,573 likely voters, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, shows Trump’s support is highest among Republican voters making less than $50,000 and those without a college degree.”

“Police in Falls Church have arrested a man suspected of fatally stabbing a dog last night,” reports ARLnow.com.

“As data centers continue to proliferate across Virginia, the General Assembly this winter is poised to take up a host of bills intended to address their impacts, including increased electricity costs and environmental pressures,” reports Charlie Paullin at The Virginia Mercury. “Virginia is home to the greatest concentration of data centers in the world. While the centers can be found around the state, most are in Northern Virginia, which has more than 300. Eastern Loudoun County, where the facilities cover roughly 573 acres, is known as Data Center Alley, and Prince William is increasingly becoming a hot spot after local officials recently approved a campus of 27 centers that would sit on 270 acres.”

“Delegates Joshua Cole, D-Stafford, and Candi King, D-Dumfries have introduced two bills related to tolls in Virginia. Cole’s bill, House Bill 135, was introduced on Jan. 1. It would allow disabled veterans with disabled veteran plates to use HOT lanes on Interstate 95 regardless of how many people are riding in their vehicles,” reports Ryan Nadeau at WRIC-TV.