Dominion gas plant, rising healthcare premiums and Lewis Ginter strike

VPM · VPM News · September 5, 2026

Cumberland planning commission advances Dominion gas plant

Why have Virginians’ health insurance premiums increased?

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden employees strike over wage disputes

Luck Stone pulls proposed Hanover quarry expansion

Richmond’s Head Start program began school year at 99% capacity

Curious Commonwealth asked: Why was Colonial Beach known as “Las Vegas on the Potomac”?

Mark Seidenspinner, supervisor of Fanatics Sportsbook at Riverboat on the Potomac, talks about how much was lost when Hurricane Isabel passed through in 2003 as he gives a tour on Friday, September 12, 2025 in Colonial Beach, Virginia. Shaban Athuman/VPM News File No matter how much the scorching temperatures this past week may have suggested otherwise, summer is coming to a close. In an attempt to keep it going just a little bit longer, we’re bringing back a recent Curious Commonwealth favorite.

In 1949, four counties in southern Maryland and the state of Nevada were the only places in the continental US where one could legally play slot machines. But a centuries-old legal loophole allowed Virginians in a small Northern Neck beach town to join the fun without crossing the Potomac River.

Back then, the boardwalk, now ideal for a tranquil stroll, was bustling with gamblers. “They called us, like, a grungier version of Reno, to be honest with you,” says Colonial Beach Mayor Robyn Schick. “I’m not sure it was an endearing term.”

A 1957 issue of the Saturday Evening Post described the town in much grander terms: “Las Vegas on the Potomac.” VPM News Features Editor Whittney Evans decided to find out why .

If you have a question about what makes Virginia unique, you can submit it to the Curious Commonwealth team .

BizSense Beat: RIC upgrades, Pizzeria Delores, Second Baptist, Goodwill

BizSense Beat is a weekly collaboration between VPM News and Richmond BizSense that recaps the region’s top business stories.

This week, host Lyndon German and BizSense reporter Jack Jacobs discuss a planned $253 million upgrade at Richmond International Airport, a new pizzeria in Scott’s Addition, a revamp for Richmond’s historic Second Baptist Church building and Goodwill expanding its presence in Central Virginia.

Listen in and read more here.

This week in VPM News Shorts: Ballot Question 2, Free Bridge

2000 Holiday Drive is seen on August 25, 2026 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Meghin Moore/VPM News What happened this week in VPM News Shorts? On Tuesday, Jahd Khalil looked into the marriage equality amendment Virginians are set to vote on this fall. And Hannah Davis-Reid closed the week with her reporting on Charlottesville racing to open a new shelter in time to clear a homeless encampment.

Don’t forget, you can watch all our Shorts on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok and YouTube .

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