The Virginia Defense Force’s 3rd Brigade will activate another battalion to serve in Charlottesville, as well as the Staunton, Lexington and Clifton Forge areas. According to today’s Staunton News Leader, the increase could mean as many as 150 new state troops that would be available during times of emergency. Designated the 13th Battalion, the new unit will become operational next month and reach full strength within the year. Many of the new troops will merely be transferred from other units, but significant efforts will be made to recruit local troops to fill out the ranks of the all-volunteer force. Want to join? Just make sure you’re between the ages of 16 and 65 and a legal resident of Virginia. Then you can serve Uncle Sam whenever he so desires.
Related stories
Albemarle supervisors to update guidelines for use of housing funds, with $7M slated for next fiscal year
When Albemarle’s fiscal year begins on July 1, there will be $7 million set aside by the Board of Supervisors to help keep the cost of housing down—at least for some places. “The Affordable Housing Investment Fund was created in 2019 with the intention to fund projects that created or preserved affordable housing in several […]
Virginia monitoring cases amid surge in measles infections
The Virginia Department of Health launched a statewide measles dashboard on May 21, prompted by a spike in cases. At press time, Virginia has recorded 40 measles cases in 2026—up from the five cases documented in 2025. Among the known infections, 17 are connected to an ongoing outbreak in Buckingham County, which the VDH confirmed […]
Smaller West Main building still draws ire from public housing advocate
The tension between Charlottesville’s permissive new zoning code and public housing advocates continued to be on display when the Board of Architectural Review took a preliminary look at a revised proposal for another student housing building on West Main Street during its May 19 meeting. “Ultimately something’s going to get built here,” said BAR Chairman […]
