Good Morning, RVA: Storms, rains, and hurricanes

Your 4th of July plans should still be fine, but this afternoon looks wet and stormy.

July 3, 2014; 7:04 AM • by Ross Catrow

Good morning, RVA! It’s 79 °F, and, theoretically, it will rain today! The previous sentence has an exclamation point, because I’m tired of watering the plants in my yard. Beginning at 11:00 AM and stretching through tomorrow, there’s a continual and 80% chance of precipitation. There may even be some severe weather, so remain vigilant.

Hurricane Arthur is now officially a hurricane, making it the first of the season. The probable impact on Richmond seems low, as it’s forecast to first hit the Outer Banks directly and then move out to sea.

Water cooler

Due to today’s impending wet weather, RVA Fireworks on the James has been postponed until Saturday, July 5th.

I’m having a hard time confirming this, but the Consumer Electronics Association, of all places, has released a statement saying Virginia’s DMV will reverse the ban on Uber and Lyft. Embracing Uber and Lyft was day two in our new 100 Days to a Better RVA project–who knew getting things done would be so easy!

The Richmond / Petersburg market had the fourth highest ratings for the USA-Belgium game this week. It’s official: RVA’s going steady with soccer, and I’m into it!

Crazy but true headline: Multiple underground explosions close parts of Broad Street. What!? WTVR reports that “an underground power line caught fire causing the explosions” and blowing off half a dozen manhole covers!

The University of Richmond was added to the federal Department of Education’s list of “the higher education institutions under investigation for possible violations of federal law over the handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints.” UR joins William & Mary and UVA on this list.

Sports!

• Squirrels squashed by Harrisburg, 2-6. They finish the series tonight at 7:00 PM, assuming the game isn’t rained out.
• Nats sweep the Rockies 4-3, and currently ride a five-game winning streak.

This morning’s longread

The Rise of the Red Devils

History says you don’t find these players here. Belgium is not Holland or France or Germany. It’s never been a first-rank soccer nation. Until recently, Belgium’s much larger claim to fame has been its quiet, stubborn doubt that it is a nation at all. The 11 million people who comprise its population — a collection of French speakers, Dutch-speaking Flemish, and ethnic Germans — often give the impression that they just happen to live there. (Belgium recently went two years without an elected government, and its largest political party, the Flemish NVA, is committed to the long-term breakup of the country.)

Admittedly this should have been Tuesday’s longread, before we lost to the evil Belgians of Belgium, but, as your sports rooting order should go, we now want the Red Devils to go all the way–to show the USMNT only loses to the best.

Photo by: Marcelo J. Albuquerque

This morning’s Instagram

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July 3, 2014 7:04 AM 0