Axios Richmond

March 30, 2026
Another week, another Monday.
⛅ Today's weather: Partly sunny, with a high of 73 and a low of 58.
🎧 Sounds like: "I'm Like A Bird" by Nelly Furtado.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Richmond member Alan Cooper!
Today's newsletter is 904 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 🚨 Speed camera glitch
One of Chesterfield's speed enforcement cameras sent out speeding warnings to drivers who weren't speeding, Chesterfield police said last week.
Why it matters: Police say they'll notify affected drivers, but acknowledge errors like this can create confusion.
State of play: The recent Chesterfield issue stemmed from a vendor programming error, which set the speed limit for a camera near Woolridge Elementary at 25 mph instead of 35, police told WWBT.
- Chesterfield police did not respond to a request for the number of warnings issued before it became aware of the issue last Monday, March 23.
- Chesterfield will also restart a 30-day warning period for the Woolridge Road camera beginning on April 6, once students are back from spring break.
Zoom in: AI-driven, automatic dispensing traffic enforcement cameras like Chesterfield's are cropping up all over the region.
- Richmond, which was the first in the metro to add the speed cameras, now has 26 running near 13 schools, plus red light enforcement cameras at two intersections, with more on the way.
- Chesterfield's cameras cover 18 county schools.
- The city and the county have AI-powered cameras on school buses, programmed to catch drivers who fail to stop.
Yes, but: Some of these AI-powered programs have a history of issuing erroneous or incorrect tickets.
- In Virginia, Fairfax and Altavista police departments had to refund school zone speed camera tickets in recent years due to a program error or insufficient warning signs.
- And Winchester court dismissed more than two dozen citations there in 2024 due to errors.
What we're watching: How the billing works shakes out now that most Richmond-area toll roads switch to all-electronic tolling.
- The first batch of notices should be in the mail, says RMTA.
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2. 🎰 Betting on redistricting
People are betting that Virginia's redistricting referendum will pass, and the odds have only grown more confident in recent days.
Why it matters: That optimism runs counter to growing anxiety among Democrats due to strong early voting turnout in Republican-leaning districts.
The big picture: Prediction markets on three major platforms — PredictIt, Polymarket and Kalshi — gave the referendum an 80% to 85% chance of passing as of last night.
- On PredictIt, odds have jumped nearly 10 points in in the past week.
The intrigue: Markets have swung with the referendum's turbulent legal fight.
- Odds dropped in February when a lower court blocked the vote, then rebounded each time the Virginia Supreme Court allowed it to proceed.
By the numbers: As of yesterday, bettors have wagered over $420,000 across Kalshi and Polymarket. PredictIt's volume is unclear.
- Meanwhile, Republican-leaning localities continue to vote at higher rates, per the Virginia Public Access Project.
- In Mathews County, 20% of its registered voters have cast ballots.
- In Democratic strongholds like Richmond and Norfolk, only about 5% have — though that's up from the 2.5% in Richmond last week.
Reality check: Prediction markets reflect where the money is flowing at a point in time, not probable outcomes.
What we're watching: Whether those odds shift before Election Day on April 21.
3. 🌊 The Current: "No Kings" groups clash
👀 Two rival groups held competing anti-Trump "No Kings" protests in downtown Richmond this weekend, each blaming the other for a split over planning, inclusivity and approach. (The Richmonder)
😔 UVA's women's basketball team lost to TCU on Saturday, eliminating the last remaining Virginia team from March Madness, Sabrina reports.
🐣 Easter on Parade will take place this year, once again because Sage Wealth Advisors said it will cover the bulk of the $40,000 cost to throw the Monument Avenue event on Easter Sunday. (Times-Dispatch)
😋 Mamma mia. EAT Restaurant Partners is set to open Civita Italia Ristorante & Bar in Short Pump's GreenGate development with an outdoor patio and bar in June. (BizSense)
🍷 Barboursville Vineyards, Virginia's second-largest winery, will be sold to an undisclosed group of private investors within the next month. (Times-Dispatch)
4. 🦅 Eagles spared in demolition
The former Best Products headquarters in Henrico will soon be demolished for the county's planned arena-anchored development, dubbed Best Products Reimagined.
Why it matters: The iconic Art Deco eagle statues that once flanked the building off I-95 and East Parham Road will be preserved.
State of play: Henrico approved a contract with S.B. Cox Inc. this month to demo everything on the site — except for the massive limestone eagles.
- Designed by sculptor Rene Paul Chambellan, the birds were created for an Art Deco-style airline terminal in New York, where they perched until the building was demolished in 1978.
- That's when Sydney and Frances Lewis, Best Products founders and longtime Richmond art patrons, saved the birds and brought them to home to Richmond.
- The striking works have remained here for nearly 50 years, and will likely stay, either as part of the new development or be preserved elsewhere, per the county.
What's next: A demolition timeline will be shared soon, per the county, with work set to start this year.
- A developer for the project hasn't been announced yet.
🥳 Karri is delighted Axios Richmond editor Alexa is back from parental leave.
😔 Sabrina is devastated after learning that the viral story about seven dogs escaping with their corgi leader from the dog meat trade is ... fake.
Thanks to Alexa Mencia Orozco for editing today's edition.
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