Good Morning, RVA: Your epic weekend begins…now

Let the wild rumpus start!

September 5, 2014; 6:59 AM • by Ross Catrow

Good morning, RVA! It’s 72 °F, and we’ve got more of the same on deck today. Highs will sit and sulk in the low 90s, humidity will soar, and you may sweat through your undershirt on the way to the car. There’s also a small, but persistent, chance of showers for most of the day.

That chance of rain continues throughout the weekend, but by Sunday we should at least have some cooler temperatures to pair with it.

Water cooler

The McDonnell trial is over. The former governor was found guilty on 11 of 14 counts of corruption, his wife Maureen on eight. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 6th, so with any luck, we’re done hearing about it until then (although I’m sure there’s some sort of appeals process).

Fall Line Fest begins today! Make sure you check the schedule, and plan your weekend accordingly. Ticket presales have ended, so if you’re a classic Richmonder and have waited until now to buy your ticket you can do so today (and tomorrow) at 417 W. Broad Street. Feeling overwhelmed? RVA playlist has a good beginner’s guide to get you started.

Remember the giant Carytown sign that People Had Opinions On? The one that would cost $250,000? Turns out the Urban Design Committee also had opinions, sour opinions, see. Yesterday they unanimously voted down the proposal. The Planning Commission will take a look, and if they agree, it’s back to the drawing board.

Ten protestors were arrested on Mechanicsville Turnpike yesterday for obstructing traffic by sitting in the middle of the road. They were part of a larger, national movement to convince fast food chains to raise their wages to $15.00 an hour.

Remember: it’s NASCAR weekend! If you’re trying to cross Laburnum Avenue in the next couple of days, be prepared to hangout in your car listening to podcasts for awhile.

Sports!

Fall sports begin in earnest this weekend, look:

Squirrels axed by Akron, 1-5. Augh! They return home tonight to continue their push into the playoffs at 7:05 PM with the final games of the series on Saturday and Sunday. If ever there was a time to have funn and go nutz, now is that time. Tickets are available online.
Kickers play their final regular-season game this Saturday against the Orlando City SC.
Nats begin a series with the Phillies at 7:05 PM.
Hokies head to Columbus to take on the Fighting Script Ohios at 8:00 PM on ESPN.
Wahoos face the Spiders of Richmond at 3:30 PM on ESPN3. Don’t sleep on those Spiders!
Washington opens up their season on the road against Houston at 1:00 PM on FOX. Everyone hold their breath for ol’ Glass Knee Griffin.

This morning’s longread

Rare Insight Into Hokie Head Coach Frank Beamer

I know we’re not all Hokie fans here, but it’s hard not to root for this guy.

He’s the type of guy would make coffee for the office secretaries first thing in the morning, move his car so an elderly person could have the better parking spot, take a campus visitor to lunch at his favorite restaurant, buy a gift card for a staff member who became engaged a day earlier, drive 80 miles round-trip to spend an hour with a friend dying from cancer, stand up to have his picture taken five times during dinner, while his food grew cold, smiling and laughing each time just as if he had known those strangers for a lifetime and then tip the waitress 50 percent of his bill because he overheard her say she was struggling to pay off her student loans.

For the record, I saw him do all of those things – in one day – February 11, 2013, to be exact.

Photo by: Will Weaver