There won't be any early voting locations downtown or in South Richmond this year.

What's happening: The city electoral board's new Republican majority voted against opening the satellite locations earlier this week, citing budgetary concerns, per general registrar Keith Balmer.

Why it matters: The decision will leave the general registrar's office in an out-of-the-way office park off Laburnum Avenue as the city's only voting location until election day.

• The Laburnum office has faced criticism for being difficult to reach, especially for those without cars, which is what initially prompted the city to open satellite locations.

Details: Balmer told Axios that he had budgeted to open the two satellite locations, one at City Hall and one at Hickory Hill Community Center, but that board members balked at the $100,000 cost of staffing the offices.

• The final vote was 2-1, with the board's one Democrat opposing.

By the numbers: 25% of the 11,208 in-person early votes in last year's midterms were cast at the satellite locations slated to be shuttered this year, per the general registrar's office.

Context: This is the first election being administered by the electoral board's new GOP majority, which was installed under a state law that dictates the current governor's political party hold a majority on all local electoral boards.

Between the lines: The closures are likely to be viewed as especially fraught with a second casino referendum on the ballot this year.

• In the first referendum, the neighborhood surrounding the project overwhelmingly supported it.
• Those residents will now have to travel significantly farther to participate in early voting.

What they're saying: City Council President Mike Jones warned that African American voters would be hit hardest by the decision.

• "This isn't about who's on the ballot and what's on the ballot," Jones said. "It's about how easily accessible voting is."

Richmonders will experience the hottest days of the year so far for the next three days.

Driving the news: Today through Saturday the forecasted temperature will be in the upper 90s with the heat index hitting triple-digits each day, NBC12 reports.

Why it matters: Richmond is under a heat advisory through tonight, according to the National Weather Service, and moves to an excessive heat watch for Friday and Saturday.

• For a heat advisory, the heat index needs to hit 105°F for at least three hours.
• For an excessive heat watch, the heat index reaches 110°F.

Under an advisory, people should limit their time outdoors, and sensitive populations should use caution, according to the NWS.

• For a watch, all outdoor activities should be suspended, and folks who don't have air conditioning should find a cooling shelter.

The city will have two cooling shelters open from 11am-6pm through Saturday: ​​Social Services Marshall Plaza Building downtown on Marshall and the Southside Community Service Center on Hull.

• City libraries are also open for cooling needs every Monday through Saturday from 10am-5pm.

What's happening: The heat wave that has hammered the Southwest for weeks expanded into the Great Plains, Midwest and Northeast on Wednesday, triggering heat alerts for over 161 million people, Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.

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✏️ Chesterfield will break ground next month on a $95 million, three-story middle school near Moseley that will be the biggest in Central Virginia. (BizSense)

• The school is slated to open for the 2025-26 school year.

🦫 Buc-ee’s announced plans to open a second location in Virginia outside of Harrisonburg in 2025. (Virginia Business)

🤾 The Virginia High School League says it will not change its policy allowing transgender students to participate on teams that match their gender identity despite the new state guidance recommending teams match players' biological sex. (Washington Post)

It's a red-hot festival weekend in Richmond, which is fitting since the estimated weekend temperature seems to be around 12,000° Karriheit ™.

💖 First up, HeART & Soul Festival is back, Saturday 4-10pm at City Stadium.

• This year's event celebrates "the ART of Hip Hop" with DJs, live art demonstrations, food trucks, local makers, kids activities and, of course, beer and wine for sale.
• Tickets are $15; kids 12 and under are free.

🥃 Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival is Saturday, 2-6pm at Meadow Event Park's air-conditioned Farm Bureau Center.

• Attendees will find, well, beer (more than 20 craft options), bourbon (two dozen distilleries to choose from) and barbecue served every way and style. Plus, live music, kids activities and tons of other food and drinks.
• Tickets are $39 and include a souvenir glass and unlimited beer and bourbon samples; kids 12 and under are free.

🏎 It's NASCAR summer race weekend at Richmond Raceway.

• The big-deal race, the Cook Out 400, part of the NASCAR Cup Series, is Sunday at 3pm. Tickets start at $35 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under, plus a standing-only option for $25.
• Saturday is the NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series at 7:30pm. Adult tickets are $25, and kids are free.

👀 Check out who’s hiring on our Job Board.

1. Director of Financial Aid at South University.
2. National Security Client Director at Dun & Bradstreet.
3. Dean of Students at Chesterfield County Public Schools.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Use code FIRST50 for $50 off your first job post.

We've spent a lot of time thinking about ways to beat the heat this week.

Here's one idea: Visit the strip mall tucked away behind the Dunkin' on Staples Mill Road and be transported someplace tropical.

What's happening: Most days, there's a vendor who sets up under a tree in the parking lot selling coconuts out of the back of her truck.

• For $10, she'll hack one open with a machete and fill a cup with the water inside.
• Bonus: She tops the drink with the coconut meat, which she scoops out with a special tool.

The bottom line: It's an experience.