Virginia
Maryland must not duplicate Virginia’s data center errors | READER COMMENTARY

In 2020, the Maryland General Assembly passed a sales and use tax exemption for qualified data centers that substantially lowered the construction cost to between 55 to 65% of initial expenses (Please note that Gov. Larry Hogan had no involvement in this bill except for signing it).
In a recent commentary, former Maryland Commerce Secretary Michael Gill suggests that we “take a page from Virginia’s playbook and cut out unnecessary red tape while encouraging the growth of promising new industries” (“Let’s make Maryland ‘open for business’ again,” May 17). Unfortunately, what the author calls red tape are the environmental laws and regulations that protect people and the environment.
Virginia has now seen the errors in its approach and is now scrambling to protect its people from the harmful effects of data centers. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about data centers: Greenhouse gas emissions from the power usage, air and noise pollution caused by the use of diesel backup generators that need to be run almost weekly to ensure working order, noise from the server themselves, water consumption, water runoff and installing miles of underground fiber optic cable to mention a few.
In fact, Virginia in 2024 had 17 pieces of legislation introduced to restrict data centers and Loudoun County just passed local restrictions. In Northern Virginia, there are now over 4,000 commercial backup diesel generators, many times the size of a typical household generator.
The numbers are stunning: One data center can use the same amount of energy as 50,000 homes. This demand has real-world consequences: Virginia’s Prince William County saw a 19% rise in greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2018, a time-period that matches the data center expansion in the county.
Data centers are increasingly essential to our modern life and have the potential to bring economic gains to Maryland. However, we must implement essential guardrails that protect our climate and our communities. I hate to say it, but there are no jobs on a dead planet.
— Dave Arndt, Baltimore
The writer is co-chair of the Maryland Legislative Coalition Climate Justice Wing.
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Virginia
Virginia woman arrested in connection with Netflix star's fatal hit and run

A Virginia woman was arraigned in court Saturday in connection with a hit and run in the Hamptons that left New York City-based luxury real estate agent and former Netflix star Sara Burack dead.
Southampton Town Police said in a statement Friday they arrested Amanda Kempton, 32, of Virginia, and that she was charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident in which a fatality occurred.
Burack, who starred in the Netflix series “Million Dollar Beach House,” was killed in the apparent hit and run on Thursday, police said. She was 40.
Police confirmed in a phone call that Kempton pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. Her attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
Burack worked for the luxury real estate firm Nest Seekers International for more than a decade, according to her LinkedIn profile. The company has not responded to a request for comment.
The 40-year-old agent was best known for starring in the reality television series, which ran for a single season in 2020. “Million Dollar Beach House” centered on the lives of several real estate agents, including Burack, who competed for listings of opulent homes in the Hamptons.
Netflix did not return a request for comment on Burack’s death.
Police found Burack unresponsive on Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays early Thursday morning after receiving a 911 call about a woman lying unconscious on the busy road. She was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Virginia
Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for June 20, 2025

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at June 20, 2025, results for each game:
Mega Millions
Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.
26-49-58-61-63, Mega Ball: 09
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 7-7-1, FB: 5
Day: 3-9-8, FB: 8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 3-8-3-1, FB: 0
Day: 4-4-0-8, FB: 2
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 6-5-2-3-8, FB: 8
Day: 3-3-8-4-2, FB: 9
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash4Life
Drawing everyday at 9 p.m.
04-07-19-36-40, Cash Ball: 03
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash Pop
Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.
Coffee Break: 08
After Hours: 02
Prime Time: 04
Rush Hour: 09
Lunch Break: 07
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash 5
Drawing every day at 11 p.m.
12-21-30-33-40
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Virginia
Fresh Faces At Virginia Tech: Clemson Transfer Sherrod Covil Jr Looks To Make His Mark in the Secondary

As we begin to wrap up our “Fresh Faces” series, it is finally time we talk about one of the most high-profile transfers that head coach Brent Pry has wrapped up during his tenure.
Now, why is Virginia Tech in this position? It is simple: The Hokies were matched with massive expectations heading into the 2024/25 season. Some people were expecting the Hokies to be a dark horse for the College Football Playoff, at least a contender for the ACC. Instead, the Hokies fell well below the standards, totaling just six wins and ultimately being faced with a lot of incoming changes.
Even before the Hokies fell to Minnesota in a 24-10 loss to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, before that game, the Tech had announced they were moving on from former defensive coordinator Chris Marve. After that loss, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen departed the Hokies to move to Ohio State, where he will stand in line as the offensive line coach.
It wasn’t all changes for the Hokies staff alone, over 30 players left the squad either to graduation, the NFL Draft or the 30 names through the transfer portal.
While Pry was in the midst of a shuffling staff and team, the Hokies made a major snag, Clemson safety Sherod Covil Jr.
Covil was a reserve safety for the Tigers, and for his career, he totaled 32 tackles and one pass deflection. He is originally from Chesapeake, VA, and was a four-star recruit in the class of 2022. As a prospect, the 247Sports composite ranked him as the No. 205 player in the country, No. 16 safety in the country, and No. 7 player in the state of Virginia. At Pro Football Focus, Covil finished with a 50.8 defensive grade in 124 snaps, including a 74.2 grade in run defense. In 2023, he finished with a 60.3 grade in 120 snaps and in 2022, he finished with a 68.2 grade in 258 snaps.
Covil took the offer before Christmas, and it was reported he committed to the Hokies in mid-December.
Covil won’t necessarily be a shoo-in for the Hokies but his depth of experience will prove vital in a new system by new defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes.
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