Virginia
Virginia enters NCAA Tournament with eyes on return to March Madness success
PHILADELPHIA, PA (WTKR)- Virginia fans were on top of the world in April of 2019. Their Cavaliers were on top of college basketball, hoisting their first national championship at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Wahoos’ NCAA Tournament showing since then has been anything but stellar. Since that 2019 triumph, UVA is 0-3 in the Big Dance with first round losses to Ohio (2021), Furman (2023) and a First Four drubbing at the hands of Colorado State (2024).
Ryan Odom has Cavalier Nation thinking Virginia is on the brink of reversing course. Winners of 13 of their last 15 games, the Cavs enter the 2026 tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, 29-5 after a tight ACC championship game loss to Duke and take on Wright State Friday afternoon in hopes of tipping off a deep run into the bracket.
UVA is averaging 80.6 points per game, the highest point output the program has seen in more than two decades and different that the methodical defense-first style played by the Cavaliers under Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers average more than 28 three-point attempts per game and make around 10.
The orange and blue can crash the glass, entering the NCAA Tournament No. 18 nationally with 40.21 rebounds per game.
Odom’s squad is still performing at the defensive end, holding opponents to 68.4 points per outing. The Cavaliers lead the country in blocks with 6.5 per game, paced by Ugonna Onyenso, who tallies nearly three swats per contest by himself. He had nine blocks this past Saturday alone, setting an ACC title game record, part of 21 total blocks during the tournament, which also signified a new high-water mark. The Cavs also hold teams to 39.53 percent from the floor, good enough for 13th in the country.
Thijs De Ridder paces Virginia with 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, pacing three Cavaliers averaging in double figures. Malik Thomas chips in 12.4 points per game, while Sam Lewis adds 10.8 points per contest. Chance Mallory, Jacari White and Onyenso give Odom plenty of depth off the bench.
The head coach himself has taken four teams to the Big Dance and is 1-3 in the event. Odom put his stamp on March Madness, when his UMBC Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed to top a No. 1 seed in 2018, topping the Virginia program he currently leads. The lead Wahoo has also guided Utah State and VCU to the field of 68.
UVA will take on a Wright State squad that enters 23-11 on the year and has won five in a row and 18 of its last 22. The Raiders claimed the Horizon League crown to punch their ticket to the tournament.
With a win Friday afternoon, Virginia would advance to Sunday’s second round against either Tennessee or Miami (OH).
WTKR News 3 sports director Marc Davis is in Philadelphia following the Cavaliers and will have coverage both on-air and online throughout the tournament.
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Virginia
VADOC — Virginia Department of Corrections Announces Nationwide Search for Agency’s Next Deputy Director for Institutions
Agency News
Virginia Department of Corrections Announces Nationwide Search for Agency’s Next Deputy Director for Institutions
March 18, 2026
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) Director Joseph W. Walters today announced that the agency has launched a nationwide search for an accomplished and principled executive leader to serve as the agency’s next Deputy Director for Institutions.
The Deputy Director for Institutions position offers a rare opportunity to help shape the future of corrections within one of the nation’s most respected correctional systems. The VADOC is responsible for the custody and care of incarcerated individuals across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The VADOC Deputy Director for Institutions serves as a member of the Director’s senior leadership team and reports to the Chief Deputy Director. The successful candidate will provide executive leadership for 38 correctional facilities and thousands of correctional professionals. This role is responsible for ensuring safe, secure, and professionally operated institutions while advancing modern correctional practices that strengthen public safety, accountability, and positive rehabilitative outcomes.
The VADOC is entering a new era focused on professionalism, ethical leadership, operational excellence, and support for the employees who carry out the Department’s public safety mission every day. The successful candidate will be a strategic and disciplined leader capable of guiding complex institutional operations while strengthening a culture of integrity, accountability, and professionalism throughout the organization.
This is an opportunity for an experienced correctional executive to impact public safety, organizational culture, and the future of correctional leadership in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Joining the Virginia Department of Corrections more than 10 years ago is one of the best professional decisions of my career, and I encourage anyone interested in this exciting position to take the same step and consider joining our agency,” said Director Walters. “Virginia has a strong tradition as a forward-thinking leader in corrections that truly makes this a special opportunity. With its natural beauty, history, culture, and approximately 9 million incredible people, Virginia provides a wonderful setting for meaningful public service.”
The Deputy Director for Institutions position may be eligible for moving and relocation expenses, subject to all Commonwealth accounting and procurement requirements.
The position application deadline is Friday, April 17. To learn more about the position (including organizational scope and key responsibilities) and to apply, please visit the Virginia Department of Corrections section of the official Virginia Jobs website.
Under the plan, Virginians will be able to buy solar kits with a maximum output of 1,200 watts per dwelling, starting in January.
Virginia appears ready to flip the switch to allow residents to use small solar panels that will provide power to their home or apartment and shrink their electric bills.
Legislation allowing small and portable solar panels installed by tenants passed the Virginia General Assembly last week and Gov. Abigail Spanberger is expected to sign it. The only other place in the U.S. that has such a law is Utah.
“Balcony solar, which is also called plug-in solar, allows any Virginian to go to a store, like Ikea or Walmart, and buy a plug-in solar kit and go home and install it in a matter of hours, powering some of their household’s needs with clean electricity and lowering their monthly energy bill,” Virginia Director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Victoria Higgins told WTOP.
If you don’t have a balcony, the kits can be set up in other ways to catch the sun’s rays, such as propping them up in your backyard.
“It’s an opportunity to open up clean energy to so many people who have not had access for a variety of different reasons, whether they are renters, or they just don’t have a suitable roof or they just can’t pay for a full rooftop system,” Higgins said.
Under the plan, Virginians will be able to buy solar kits with a maximum output of 1,200 watts per dwelling starting in January.
State Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat representing part of Fairfax County, sponsored the legislation in his chamber and said in a floor speech that the units pay for themselves in two to five years.
Surovell, who serves on the Commerce and Labor Committee, said at a session on March 5 that the use of the small, portable solar panels “pay for themselves within two to five years.”
He noted some amendments to the bill that require a tenant to give a landlord notice of their plan to install a solar panel within “a certain amount of notice,” as well as forming a work group to look into safety and potential building code changes.
“They’re becoming very popular worldwide. And this will put Virginia at the forefront of allowing people to generate their own power, have some individual freedom and liberty, and free themselves from the grips of having to purchase power from ‘the man,’” Surovell said.
The kits are already popular in Europe.
“There are over 1 million registered units in Germany alone that, in the aggregate, are providing one gigawatt of power, which is the equivalent of a nuclear power plant,” Higgins said. “While it’s a small amount of electricity per household, altogether, it can be a meaningful source of clean electricity.”
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ARLINGTON, Va (7News) — The final festivities for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day are happening all day throughout the DMV. Although many celebrations started over the weekend with the holiday falling on Tuesday, here is a list of ways to still have a shamrockin’ good time for the holiday.
The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, VA has events all day long with live music, Irish dance performances and an Irish whiskey presentation. No reservation or prior registration is required to take in on the fun.
READ MORE | Trump meets with Irish Prime Minister at White House to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
The last day of Lucky at Wunder Garten in NOMA kicks off at 4 p.m. with the Get Luck Happy Hour followed by live Irish music by The Baltic Celtics.
Astro Beer Hall’s Shirlington Village location is featuring a festive, green drink menu. Those 21+ can enjoy the specialty drinks like the Shamrock Shot, green colored beer and a Frozen Cosmic Colada only available through the end of the day.
SEE MORE | The Kristin Butke Irish Dance school take the stage for St. Patrick’s Day
Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Mar. 17, The National Press Club will be serving a St. Patrick’s Day Buffet. The dinner includes a multicourse, Irish-inspired dinner along with specialty drinks and music. Prices vary between $45 for members, and $55 for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made here.
SEE MORE | St. Patrick’s Day sparks a spotlight on Irish cheese with Bowers Fancy Dairy Products
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McCormick’s and Schmick’s at the National Harbor is serving their Leprechaun Line Up menu until the end of the day. Today is the last chance to try specialties like their corned beef sliders and Lucky Lemonade on their St. Patrick’s Day themed menu.
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