Workforce & business climate: Virginia’s Talent Accelerator Program was ranked No. 1 nationally for workforce training in Area Development’s 2026 “Top States for Doing Business,” with the program credited for more than 22,000 announced jobs since 2019. Transportation & construction: VDOT set an I-81 South lane closure near Staunton Tuesday night into Wednesday morning for concrete work tied to the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program, with widening milestones stretching into 2032. Energy & public costs: A nonpartisan think tank says federal policy shifts since Trump returned to office could raise household energy bills in Virginia by about $9,000 through 2040, driven by canceled clean projects and higher demand. Data centers & local impact: Virginia’s executive order bars large data-center projects (25+ MW peak demand) from receiving state assistance via expedited permitting, as scrutiny grows over power, water, noise, emissions, and community effects. Agriculture & land: USDA reports Virginia farmland values rose to an average $6,300 per acre in 2026, up 3.3%, with cropland and pasture also climbing. Safety & utilities: Virginia fire officials urged safe lithium-ion charging practices, and Dominion reported a Newport News shipyard outage tied to salt buildup on electrical equipment. Community & culture: The Executive Mansion marked October Virginia Pumpkin Month with pumpkins from Wytheville’s Richdale Farm, highlighting ongoing pressure from higher fuel costs on growers.