Talk of the Town
The Virginia Department of Wildlife says there were 11 boating incidents at Smith Mountain Lake last year, and two deaths were reported. That’s up from nine incidents and no deaths in 2024. The 2025 data make Smith Mountain Lake the number one for incidents among single bodies of water in Virginia for the year. Still, officials say reported incidents are much lower than they used to be, hitting 21 in 2022 and 20 in 2023.
(NEW YORK) — Oil prices surged and stocks tumbled worldwide in early trading on Thursday as Iran escalated shipping attacks in a critical tanker route.
Global crude spiked above $100 a barrel on Thursday before settling slightly below that key benchmark. The rise in oil prices defied a U.S. effort hours earlier to reassure markets with an announcement of the second-largest ever release from the nation’s petroleum reserve.
A selloff hit Wall Street as traders feared economic fallout from a potentially prolonged bout of elevated oil prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 550 points, or 1.1%, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.8%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 0.8%.
Oil markets are suffering a major supply shortage due to the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global oil supply.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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