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🎧 Sounds like: "Bouncing Around the Room" by Phish, who are playing their first of two back-to-back, sold-out Richmond shows tonight at Allianz.

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Today’s newsletter is 1,082 words — a 4-minute read.

Virginians are deciding whether to overhaul felony voting rights as the state corrects hundreds of voter registrations wrongly denied or canceled over felony records — including dozens in the Richmond area.

Why it matters: It's unclear how many eligible voters couldn't cast ballots in Virginia's August primary because of the errors, or whether any encountered problems during early voting.

The big picture: The issue is surfacing as voters decide Question 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would automatically restore voting rights to people with felony convictions after leaving prison.

• A felony conviction strips Virginians' voting rights unless the governor restores them.

Yes, but: In January, a federal judge ruled an 1870 federal law bars Virginia from doing this for most felony convictions.

• State officials initially thought that meant almost 300 crimes could still cost someone their voting rights.
• The judge rejected that approach in August. Now only murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter disqualify people who aren't incarcerated, per the state.

What went wrong: Under that broader interpretation, Virginia wrongly denied or canceled up to 998 voter registrations, reports VPM.

• At least 57 were in the Richmond region: 37 in Richmond, 15 in Henrico and five in Hanover.

Zoom in: In Hanover, all five were rejected applications, county registrar Dave Nichols told Axios.

• None have re-registered since the state notified them, per Nichols.
• Henrico registrar Mark Coakley said his office couldn't determine how many involved existing voters or whether any tried to vote, but anyone flagged could've cast a provisional ballot while officials investigated.
• Chesterfield couldn't either, telling Axios it lacks access to the state's full breakdown of cases.

Richmond's registrar and Virginia's elections department didn't respond to Axios' request for comment.

Meanwhile: A now-fixed error in Chesterfield last month canceled a resident's registration after she was wrongly flagged as having a felony conviction, reported WWBT.

What we're watching: The state's annual voter roll maintenance report detailing its felony-related removals was due Oct. 1 but remained unpublished as of yesterday.

Keep reading for more removal errors

The heat may be gone, but Henrico schools' HVAC problem isn't, as weeks of mechanical failures exposed a much larger maintenance problem across the division.

Why it matters: HVAC problems — and the money needed to fix them — have plagued Richmond-area school districts this year.

State of play: Henrico experienced widespread HVAC issues in the first weeks of school, with temperatures reaching 85 degrees in some classrooms, WWBT reported.

• Up to 18 schools were dealing with AC outages on a given day, per WTVR, and two schools had to send students home due to the heat.
• In response to the issues, the district is making a "fundamental shift" to more proactive care, Superintendent Amy Cashwell said.
• Adding HVAC technicians and upping its preventive service schedule are among the ways the district is responding.

Zoom out: In a late-September message, Cashwell said the problem goes far beyond this fall's breakdowns: HCPS faces a $92 million deferred mechanical-maintenance backlog alone.

• It's not just Henrico. Chesterfield estimates $850 million in maintenance needs over the next decade, per The Richmonder.
• While Richmond faces $680 million in repair and maintenance needs, per WRIC.

What we're watching: Whether Henrico's new preventive-maintenance push can get ahead of the next test: winter heating season.

Full story

🎉 Richmond has made "extraordinary" progress fixing issues at its water treatment plant since January 2025, completing 219 of 233 required improvements, state health officials said. (The Richmonder)

👀 Virginia regulators ordered NextEra to turn over an internal report examining allegations that company money was secretly used to influence Florida elections in 2021 as part of the Dominion merger review. ( Times-Dispatch)

🏠 Richmond selected local developer Historic Housing to build an eight-story, 190-unit mixed-income apartment on a city-owned Shockoe parking lot. (BizSense)

🚔 Richmond police have received 95 warnings and citations for speeding through school zones since 2024, though some could be voided if officers were responding to emergencies. (Times-Dispatch)

✈️ Southwest Airlines is adding nonstop service between Richmond and Dallas in June. (X)

The RVA Street Art Festival is going to be the subject of a summer 2027 exhibition at the Valentine.

Why it matters: Organizers want Richmonders to be a part of it.

Driving the news: Organizers are looking for locals' high-quality photos and videos of the murals, the works in progress and/or crowds during past festivals to feature in the exhibition.

• The exhibit will explore the festival's impact on Richmond and the role of street art in "the city's visual identity," per the Valentine.
• Images can be submitted online.

Flashback: In 2012, Richmonder Jon Baliles and artist Ed Trask launched the first RVA Street Art Festival at the former Haxall Power Plant building.

• They did it again at the old GRTC bus barns (where PBR is now), at the Southern States silo complex in Manchester, at the Diamond and back again at the Canal Walk.

What's next: Submissions are open through Oct. 16.

Full story

Stink bugs are descending on Virginia.

Why it matters: The invasive, famously smelly houseguests are popping up more than usual this fall, Virginia Tech entomologist Tom Kuhar tells Axios — much to some Richmond-area complaints.

What's happening: Kuhar, who has studied the invasive brown marmorated stink bug for decades, spotted higher-than-usual populations on crops this summer.

• That's led to slightly more adult bugs this fall.

Plus: Virginia's drought may have reduced the fungi and other microbes that kill them, helping more survive.

What to do: Seal cracks, repair screens and check weather stripping.

• Already inside? Vacuum them up or knock them into soapy water.
• Just don't squish them.

Tell a friend

🤤 Karri had a fabulous time last night at Folk Feast — the Folk Festival kick-off, fundraising dinner party.

💭 Sabrina just found out Karri didn't know what a stink bug was.

Thanks to Mike Szvetitz for editing today's edition.