| Happy first day of summer!
We'll enjoy a slight break from the heat today, but warmer weather and higher humidity will return this weekend.
High temperatures will drop into the mid-80s today, which is about 10 degrees cooler than yesterday and nearly normal for this time of year, according to Meteorologist Myles Henderson of WTKR News 3.
Sunny skies and highs in the low to mid-90s are in store for Saturday and Sunday.
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| Meteorologist Myles Henderson's 5-day heat index forecast. (Photo via Facebook) |
| Scorching weather is on the way next week, with highs climbing to the mid-90s to the triple digits Monday through Thursday. Heat indices will range between 100 and 110.
Now to the news.
-Christin |
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The Swarm Hotline: How local beekeepers are saving our pollinators |
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| Members of the Colonial Beekeepers Association greet visitors at the Go Green Market in Yorktown on April 12, 2025. (Photo via the Colonial Beekeepers Association on Facebook) |
| Each spring, honeybees swarm.
In groups of thousands, they leave their overcrowded hives to start a new colony and often settle in tree trunks.
But they can also alarm homeowners by settling temporarily in attics, grills, tree limbs or sheds.
Instead of reaching for pesticides – which are illegal to use against honeybees in Virginia – the Colonial Beekeeper Association (CBA) urges residents to call their 24/7 Swarm Hotline at (757) 828-7707 for assistance.
Within an hour, a trained local beekeeper will arrive safely and relocate the bees to a new hive, without any extermination necessary.
The CBA is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting honeybees and educating the public across the Historic Triangle with free educational programming and training.
All members are beekeepers and come from as far south as Hampton to as far north as Middlesex.
The idea for a public swarm removal service began years ago as part of the CBA's commitment to responsible beekeeping. In 2021, the group streamlined its formerly lengthy process into what is now the Swarm Hotline.
When someone contacts the line, they are connected to an available beekeeper near them who can help immediately.
Most swarm removals are free of charge unless the bees have nested inside structures, which requires a more complex extraction.
Nathan S. Brauner, the president of the CBA, emphasized the importance of Swarm Hotline encounters in building a healthier relationship between people and a stigmatized insect: the bee.
"It really is a good way for us to further our educational mission for Colonial Beekeepers and to minimize negative interactions between people and honeybees," Brauner said. |
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| The Swarm Hotline. (Photo courtesy of the Colonial Beekeepers Association) |
| Despite often being misunderstood, honeybees have played a vital role in American history.
The honeybee is not native to North America and was introduced by the Virginia Company in Jamestown in 1622.
In the 17th century, honeybees were used solely to produce honey as a food and drink sweetener, but the bees quickly became an indispensable pollinator in American agriculture.
"This honeybee is the single most important insect to the founding of America," State Delegate Patrick Hope said in an interview with NPR. "I'm surprised it took us so long to make that connection with the historical aspect.
In 2024, Hope led a bill to designate the European Honeybee as the Virginia State Pollinator, which Governor Glenn Younkin signed into law.
"If we didn't have the honeybee, then it would be very difficult for us to continue growing crops in the same way that we do," Brauner said.
Today, honeybees are responsible for pollinating 80% of the food we eat; however, their populations are declining due to pesticides, habitat loss and disease.
Calling the Swarm Hotline instead of exterminators, planting bee-friendly gardens with native flowers and buying local honey can all support honeybee preservation. |
| Read the full story here. |
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| NEWS TO KNOW |
York County moves to regulate data centers |
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| The interior of a data center. (Photo by Shock via Adobe) |
| The York County Board of Supervisors is making strides to prevent fallout from data centers that may want to call the county home in the future. |
| The board unanimously passed an ordinance on Tuesday that regulates noise generation, energy consumption and water usage for any proposed data centers, even though no such proposals are currently on the horizon. |
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| Under the new policy, a data center developer would be required to submit a letter from the electric utility, as well as the public water purveyor, stating that the county's current infrastructure is sufficient to serve the proposed data center. |
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| During public comments, residents asked the board to be proactive in ensuring that future data centers don't interfere with residents' quality of life. |
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Resident Mark Williams said that while a data center could be beneficial economically for the county, he, too, worries about the noise. |
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"I look forward to a data center here because we need the jobs for construction as well as long term," Williams said. "However, whatever noise abatement that could be established to protect anybody's homes [or businesses], that would be great." |
| Context: Data centers have become a topic of contention during General Assembly meetings over the past few years as their construction has skyrocketed in the Commonwealth. |
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Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, containing a quarter of all data centers in the Americas, according to a report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Significant growth is expected to push further south and has already been seen along the I-95 corridor to Central Virginia. |
| The controversy: Data centers provide a significant boost to Virginia's economy, supplying 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income and $9.1 billion in GDP to the Commonwealth annually. Localities also benefit from substantial tax revenues from the industry through the taxes they are required to pay. |
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In Prince William County, battles surrounding data centers have become central to local politics. The county's top elected official, Board Chair Ann Wheeler, was unexpectedly ousted during the primary election on Tuesday because of her support for a large data center project. |
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Residents of the county have complained that the centers are "noisy, ugly and consume massive amounts of electricity that require the addition of high-voltage transmission lines," according to the Associated Press. |
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| What's next: While York County's supervisors refrained from adding additional noise or light restrictions to the new ordinance, they agreed they may revisit the issue later. |
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"We're ahead of the game, if you will, because we have started on this," Null said. "I just want to get us moving. We need to keep moving on it." |
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WJCC Schools to issue employee bonuses |
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| The Williamsburg-James City County School Board central office. (Photo by Christin Nielsen/The Triangle) |
| The Williamsburg-James City County school division will soon issue bonuses to returning employees. |
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| The funds will be issued to instructional and support staff who signed a contract to return to their jobs with the school system for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. Those eligible will receive the bonuses at the end of the month. |
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| "One of our priorities for the school division was to enhance compensation for our staff as we look to remain competitive across the region," Superintendent Daniel Keever said in a video message last month. "We have been able to address some of our compensation challenges." |
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| A MESSAGE FROM WILLIAMSBURG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH |
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| Join Us for Wonderfully Made Dance Camp for IDD |
| Children of all abilities are invited to enjoy a week of creative dance, crafts, and learning about how we are all wonderfully made!
This camp is designed for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), but it is also suitable for all forms of disability or differences. Siblings are welcome, too! The recommended age range is 6 to 18.
Register for this free camp by June 22!
Click here to register. |
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| CRIME REWIND |
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A man wanted by JCCPD on firearms, narcotics and assault charges was arrested in York County. (WAVY)
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A 35-year-old York County man as sentenced to life in prison after firing 100 shots at a police car. (WTKR)
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| IN THE HEADLINES |
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Virginia primary election: Jay Jones wins Democratic nomination for attorney general, Ghazala Hashmi declares victory in Lt. Gov. race (The Triangle) -
Thistle, a beloved Scottish Highland cow at Busch Gardens, has died. (WAVY) -
Jamestown High's boys and Poquoson High's girls won state soccer championships. (The Daily Press) -
Colonial Williamsburg has submitted preliminary plans for a new Lafayette arrival center. (Williamsburg Independent) -
A local woman opened a grocery market in Newport News to help address food insecurity. (WTKR) -
A Chincoteague foal born with a rare birth defect is getting a second chance of life after being rescued and matched with a surrogate mother. (13News Now) -
USS Gerald R. Ford Strike Group set to deploy amid Iran-Israel conflict (13News Now) -
Virginia's 2025 primary elections saw record turnout. (ABC 8 News) -
The summer solstice has arrived. Here's what to know about the longest day of the year (Associated Press) -
Virginia advocates and officials are pushing for worker protections from heat. (Virginia Mercury) -
Americans are urged to leave Israel as the conflict with Iran intensifies. (Scripps News) |
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| LOWEST GAS PRICES TODAY |
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| All prices shown are per Gas Buddy. To check the latest prices based on zip code, click here. |
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| This newsletter was written by Christin Nielsen and Clare Gifford. Thanks for reading! |
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📧 Want to reach out? Email christin@thetriangle.news or reply to this email. |
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