Things are beginning to slow down for James Franklin since being hired at Virginia Tech in November. Sure, you can say that it never really slows down for a college football coach, but since signing his contract in Blacksburg, he has made major strides in recruiting, bringing the Hokies from near the bottom of the FBS to a Top 25 class with the Class of 2026.

Franklin has also been building his first staff at Virginia Tech. In both cases, recruiting and coaching additions, he has gone back to his Penn State roots to pluck both recruits and coaches. Heck, he is even reportedly bringing back former Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry, who was fired in September to open the door for Franklin to come to Tech, as his defensive coordinator.

The transfer portal opens up next month, and there are going to be several needs that Franklin and his staff are going to have to address. There are going to be several portal targets, and one of them announced he was leaving Penn State and made it clear that he was thankful for Franklin for his time in State College. Is it a sign of things to come when he enters the portal?

Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman opens door for reunion with James Franklin

It was reported by Hayes Fawcett of Rivals and On3 that five-star Penn State edge Chaz Coleman was entering the transfer portal. Coleman quoted the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and made it a point to thank Franklin and his staff for believing in him.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal this coming January to pursue other opportunities. I’d like thank James Franklin and his staff for believing in me and teaching me what it means to believe in myself,” Coleman wrote.

Coleman becomes one of the most coveted players when the portal opens, and the Warren, Ohio native will have no shortage of suitors. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher played well as a freshman for the Nittany Lions with eight tackles in five games. Several of the top programs are going to be in on him. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State makes a major push for him.

As far as Virginia Tech goes, does Franklin get in the mix? That remains to be seen, but stranger things have happened. He would be a tremendous get for the Hokies, who need help along the defensive side of the ball along the line. Did he call out Franklin by coincidence, or is there an underlying message there? Most likely the first one, but we’ll see.

Pictured: Wachapreague General Store. Photo credit- James Bell, 2021 Wachapreague General Store. Photo credit- James Bell, 2021

Virginia has added eight new sites to the Virginia Landmarks Register, recognizing places across the Commonwealth for their historic, architectural, and cultural significance, including a historic district on the Eastern Shore.

The Commonwealth’s Board of Historic Resources approved the designations during its quarterly public meeting on December 11 in Richmond. The Virginia Landmarks Register is the state’s official list of properties deemed important to Virginia’s history and heritage.

Among the newly designated sites is the Wachapreague Historic District. Encompassing 96 acres, the district includes the waterfront town of Wachapreague, which developed from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries as a destination for hunting and fishing and as a commercial hub with access to the Wachapreague Channel and the Atlantic Ocean.

The district features a concentration of residential and commercial buildings constructed in vernacular, Folk Victorian, and other architectural styles common to the Eastern Shore during the town’s period of growth. While Wachapreague’s population declined beginning in the 1960s, the town continues to attract visitors from across Virginia and beyond.

Other sites approved for listing include properties in Arlington, Bath, Frederick, Loudoun, and Pittsylvania counties; the city of Petersburg; and the town of Mount Jackson in Shenandoah County. Collectively, the new landmarks highlight a diverse range of resources, from a 20th-century airfield built for early commercial air travelers to a mill dam and mill pond complex that once served as a recreational and social center in Southwest Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources will forward documentation for the newly listed sites to the National Park Service for consideration for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

State and national register listings are honorary and do not place restrictions on private property owners. Instead, the designations are intended to encourage public understanding of Virginia’s historic places and provide property owners with the opportunity to pursue historic rehabilitation tax credits. Any tax credit projects must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — Governor Glenn Youngkin laid out his final budget plan on Wednesday, making his case for where Virginia stands financially and where he said it should go next.

Speaking before the General Assembly, Youngkin said Virginia is strong both financially and economically, arguing his budget keeps that momentum going as his term comes to an end.

Addressing lawmakers, Youngkin presented what he described as a turnaround for the commonwealth. “It’s a story of transformation, a story of promises made and promises kept,” Youngkin said.

The governor credited his administration with record business investment, job growth, and strong revenue. He said Virginia is in a better position now than it was four years ago.

“The pace has been fast, and the progress has been significant,” Youngkin said.

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In his budget proposal, Youngkin calls for cutting taxes, not raising them, urging lawmakers and the next administration to stay the course.

“Revenue growth that is driven by record economic development, record job growth, strong consumer, and giving me great confidence in the future of Virginia,” he said.

Youngkin said his plan funds key priorities, including education, public safety, health care, tax relief, and child care, while keeping Virginia competitive for business.

“The net of it is a budget that is structurally sound. A budget that can take Virginia into the future and keep her soaring,” Youngkin said.

Youngkin is now asking lawmakers to adopt his budget framework as negotiations begin, with debate shifting to the General Assembly and the incoming governor’s administration.

“I think that leaves considerable upside for the next administration, and we’ve used that strong underpinning to provide for everything that the commonwealth needs to do,” Youngkin said.