RICHMOND – Although multiple drone sightings in New Jersey have been gaining national attention, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Saturday addressed drone activity in Virginia following recent media reports concerning sightings in the state.

Youngkin issued the update after numerous sightings of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, were reported in the commonwealth, a press release said. On Friday, WDBJ7 in Roanoke received multiple reports about drone sightings in several areas.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to a significant number of national security and critical infrastructure sites upon which our nation depends each and every day. I remain deeply concerned that Virginia has consistently sought information from federal partners, and to date, the information shared with the Commonwealth has been insufficient,” Youngkin said Saturday in the release. “The Virginia State Police Homeland Security Division and Virginia Department of Emergency Management continue to closely coordinate through our Fusion Center with the greater law enforcement and first responder community regarding drone activity in the Commonwealth. We will continue to engage with numerous federal partners and release further information as it becomes known and available.”  

The public at-large can assist the state by reporting observations to the Virginia Fusion Center at VFC@vfc.vsp.virginia.gov or (877 )4VA-TIPS. Please do not attempt to interfere with UAVs by utilizing personally owned drones or any other airborne craft or attempting to capture the suspected drone/aircraft individually, the press release said.

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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – It’s been nearly a week since the world lost renowed activist and poet Nikki Giovanni, but her memory is still very alive in the hearts of those who knew her.

To the world, Nikki Giovanni was a legend for her written works, words of inspiration and as a recipient of hundreds of awards throughout her career… But those closest to her knew her just as “Nikki.”

“She was just a really cool important Auntie who had really cool things, whose home was a museum, who invited you to go on a cruise to Antarctica,” remembers Lauren Wilkerson, Giovanni’s second cousin. “She was just this larger than life person.”

Wilkerson said Giovanni was there at every family event but her name also popped up in nearly every literature class growing up.

“It happened every semester, for sure . . . No one believed me, especially when you use language like a cousin, people didn’t understand how I had a ‘cousin’ one, that was so much older than us, and two, that was so important,” said Wilkerson.

Saturday, Wilkerson joined others who learned and studied Giovanni’s poetry during a visitation in her honor at McCoy Funeral Home.

“Being here to be with the Tech community, with folks from Blacksburg to get that peek into what her everyday world does feel really special,” said Wilkerson. “[It’s] extra loving to say goodbye to her here in that way.”

And she also got to hear some of the stories from Giovanni’s colleagues who shared the same sentiments about how special she really was.

“Wherever she went, I felt like she was spreading joy,” said Matthew Vollmer, a professor in the English Department at Virginia Tech. “I felt like she was a joyful person and you couldn’t be in her presence for more than 30 seconds without laughing.”

Vollmer and Giovanni worked together for 18 years. He said even in her passing, she will always be celebrated on campus.

“Things won’t ever be the same, but also we want to find ways to honor her legacy and to keep to keep that joy going that she instituted,” he said.

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CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Special Olympics Virginia hosted its fourth annual Polar Plunge at Pocahontas State Park on Saturday afternoon.

Temperatures were in the mid-30s during the plunge, but the northeasterly wind meant that feels-like temps were in the lower 30s. As a result, the water was chilly for the scores of people who took a dip.

Special Olympian Mackenzie Tuck took the plunge to make a difference and support her community.

“I’m a special person that has needs and I’ve had it all my life,” Tuck said. “And I wanted to do some fundraising for people like me. And even if it’s just going into a lake, I raised about $300.”

FULL INTERVIEW: The important reason Special Olympian took Polar Plunge

FULL INTERVIEW: Why Special Olympian took Polar Plunge

Tuck, who is on the Special Olympic basketball team in Chesterfield, said she plans to take the plunge again next year.

“It was my first year of doing it, and I just jumped in… I was like, ‘I can do it,’” Tuck recalled. “Because I had shorts on and no shoes, and I just went in. It just felt like it was getting colder and colder, and then I plunged into the water.”

Officials said the nearly $62,000 raised for the organization will be funneled back into local programming.

WTVR CBS 6 Crime Insider Jon Burkett returned as emcee for the event, which is the first of six polar plunges being held across Virginia to raise money for the organization.

To make a donation or get more information, visit PolarPlunge.com.

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