Virginia

What Virginia governor saw at Reagan National Airport after deadly midair collision

Published

1 year ago

January 30, 2025

What Virginia governor saw at Reagan National Airport after deadly midair collision

RICHMOND, Va. — It was a somber day at the State Capitol in Richmond Thursday as lawmakers continued with their work in the 2025 General Assembly session, while reacting to the deadly midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Northern Virginia the previous night.

“Just prayers to the families. This is a tough, tough day for Virginia and the nation,” said Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William).

“It’s an awful tragedy. We don’t really have a lot of information yet, but my thoughts are with the families of the people who perished last night,” added Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), who represents the district that surrounds Reagan National Airport. “You see so many aircraft very low approaching the airport and it’s normally a very safe operation, but it’s a very busy one.”

WATCH: NTSB holds news conference after deadly plane collision in DC: ‘We will find out what happened’

‘We will find out what happened:’ NTSB holds news conference after deadly plane collision in DC

Del. Adele McClure (D-Arlington) is the airport’s representative in the House of Delegates and gave a speech during Thursday’s floor session when she asked that the body adjourn this day in honor of the people who lost their lives.

“Mr. Speaker, it was really hard to find the words today, following that devastating incident that took place over my district last night,” McClure said. “This morning, we were dismayed to learn that there were believed to be no survivors and the family and loved ones of those we lost weigh heavy on our hearts this morning, Mr. Speaker.”

A moment of silence was also held during the morning meeting of the Aviation and Aerospace Caucus.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and those individuals that are have been found and not made it,” said caucus co-chair Sen. Bill DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach). “This tragedy is something that the investigations will determine what happened a little later. I know the NTSB, FAA, everybody and their brother is involved. NASA has offered their safety team to assist the first responders who have already been there, working all night long in the water on the scene.”

Along with offering condolences to the families and victims, lawmakers were also praising the various first responder agencies that quickly arrived on scene from Virginia, D.C., and Maryland.

This included firefighters from Prince William County where McPike has served as a volunteer. He said while the first responders would be facing physical challenges in the immediate aftermath, they will face mental ones for much longer.

“When you deal with such a traumatic incident like that, what those first responders have to deal with and see working as hard as they can to find any survivors and working through, unfortunately, the reclamation of bodies is just tremendously impactful,” he said. “Something that they’re never going to forget.”

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who was back in Richmond in the afternoon, offered a prayer for all those involved during an event to raise awareness about sex trafficking.

WATCH: Virginia governor leads prayer after passenger jet and Army chopper collision

‘Horrifically tragic:’ Virginia governor leads prayer after passenger jet and Army chopper collision

Youngkin visited Reagan Airport Thursday morning and said the state is offering every support it can to the NTSB, the agency leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.

“The airport was eerily empty, and the eerily emptiness of the airport, I think, represented the profound statement of what had happened,” Youngkin said. “And over in the runway, you could see people working, not only on the ground of the runway but also in the water. And you could also see the exhausted first responders who had been up all night searching.”

The primary focus right now is on recovering those who died and supporting their families who have come to the area, Youngkin added.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

Published

2 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.

That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.

“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”

The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.

But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.

“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”

On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.

It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.

“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.

The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.

Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.

Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.

Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.

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Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions

Published

14 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.

The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.

In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.

SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues

John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.

Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.

“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.

Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.

City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.

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Five charged after Virginia Beach Police conduct human trafficking operation

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Five charged after Virginia Beach Police conduct human trafficking operation

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.

The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.

Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.

As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.

*Larry Pittman. Courtesy: the Virginia Beach Police Department.*

The operation led to the following people being charged:

Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.

Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

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