Higher Ed Costs: Virginia colleges and universities are charging more this year, with average 2026-27 tuition and fees for in-state undergrads rising to about $15,356 at four-year schools (plus room and board). Data Center Pressure: Residents in Warren County are pushing back on rapid data center expansion, demanding more transparency on water use, power demand, transmission upgrades, and local decision-making. Grid Reliability: PJM is reviewing how data centers and crypto facilities connect to the grid after a July 22 outage in northern Virginia knocked nearly 4GW offline, with officials saying the facilities should not have disconnected. Local Permitting Fight: Prince William County residents are challenging a Microsoft data center public notice that offers limited details on the project’s scope. Workforce & Industry: Meta and the North America Building Trades Unions signed a partnership to build a skilled-trades pipeline for AI data center construction nationwide. Road Work: VDOT plans a 72-hour single-lane closure on East Little Creek Road in Norfolk starting Aug. 17 for paving and concrete work. STEM Spotlight: A Highland Springs student won the Virginia Council on Women’s STEAM-H essay contest, one of 10 statewide winners. Public Safety Tech: Shenandoah County Sheriff Tim Carter proposed a real-time crime center and AI tools for deputies, but supervisors took no action. Scam Watch: Portsmouth tied for 14th in Virginia for July scam reports, logging nine.