The Virginia Coalition for Open Government (VCOG) has named the winners of its 2026 Freedom of Information and open-government awards: Eric Bonds, a sociology professor at the University of Mary Washington, and the City of Newport News have been selected as this year’s government honorees. The winners will be honored at VCOG’s annual conference on April 23 in Norfolk.
Concerned about the growing number of data center proposals in the Fredericksburg region, Bonds organized a student project to submit FOIA requests to local governments to determine how frequently non-disclosure agreements were being used. The results were striking: 31 of 35 localities had signed such agreements, raising concerns about how much information about data center projects was being withheld from the public until plans were fully formed.
As Bonds pursued additional records related to water and electricity usage, some localities denied his requests under FOIA exemptions. Rather than abandon the effort, Bonds filed petitions in general district court against two counties challenging those denials. Both localities ultimately agreed to release the requested records before a hearing was held…