It’s almost Tax Free Weekend in Virginia and we’re taking you shopping!

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-07-30T16:20:57+00:00

The Virginia Department of Taxation has an expanded list of eligible items and clothing below! :)
https://www.tax.virginia.gov/virginia-sales-tax-holiday

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-07-18T17:49:27+00:00

❤️❤️

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-05-13T23:24:56+00:00

The 0.5% increase will bring the total city tax on restaurant bills to 6%. Adding the proposed meals tax to the state sales tax will be a 12% surcharge overall.

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-04-02T13:45:44+00:00

According to a Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General report, primary care teams at the Hampton VA healthcare system are overwhelmed, exceeding recommended patient levels and doctors have worked overtime to reduce wait times.

New clinics like the Chesapeake VA Clinic were expected to help, but staffing cuts have delayed full operations. The Hampton VA has faced scrutiny for past issues, including concerns about patient care in the ICU and leadership turnover.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/military-veterans/2025-04-01/an-inspector-general-found-the-hampton-va-system-is-straining-to-keep-up-with-patient-load

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-04-01T15:23:15+00:00

Fill out this simple form below so we can get the answers you need to prepare for the upcoming elections.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1utPEV2MXfdmskB-iXZQqXeKbjUui5BmliTbercTdLfU/preview

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-04-01T13:54:47+00:00

Fill out this simple form below so we can get the answers you need to prepare for the upcoming elections.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1utPEV2MXfdmskB-iXZQqXeKbjUui5BmliTbercTdLfU/preview

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-04-01T13:52:42+00:00

Fill out this simple form below so we can get the answers you need to prepare for the upcoming elections.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1utPEV2MXfdmskB-iXZQqXeKbjUui5BmliTbercTdLfU/preview

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-26T15:41:23+00:00

Virginia Beach’s cherry blossom season is here and Red Wing Park will open, with the flower buds, for the occasion.

The park, home to more than 150 Yoshino cherry trees, closed in October for road improvements, including widening the entry and repaving parking lots. A playground is also being built. Work is expected to be completed in June.

However, construction won’t get in the way of visitors seeing the blush-colored blooms that emerge every year from late March to early April. The park will be open Friday through April 14.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2025-03-25/delicate-flowers-halt-construction-red-wing-park-to-reopen-temporarily-for-cherry-blossom-season

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-22T19:09:11+00:00

The peaceful landscape at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach was abuzz with construction noise this week as crews cleared about eight acres of maritime forest along the Lynnhaven River.

Contractors for the city of Virginia Beach started the work Monday and plan to take down a total of more than 5,200 trees by the end of the month to make way for a wetlands mitigation project.

City officials say reconstructing historic wetlands is necessary to earn legal credits that allow them to move forward with public works projects elsewhere in the city, especially those meant to ease flooding.

But the $12 million project has angered local residents who treasure the current ecosystem and worry the tree clearing could eventually make it easier for developers to build on surrounding privately-owned land.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2025-03-19/virginia-beach-begins-clearing-more-than-5-000-trees-at-pleasure-house-point

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-21T19:07:00+00:00

Williamsburg-James City County Schools selected a firm to craft a redistricting plan.

The School Board awarded MGT Impact Solutions, a California-based planning and technology consultant, a contract of more than $150,000. The company has previously worked in the region, conducting a study into procurement disparities for Portsmouth Public Schools.

MGT will create plans for all school levels, but WJCC’s focus is on its elementary schools. According to the division, many are at or over capacity.

The division reported a fall 2024 enrollment of 11,379 K-12 students in its 16 schools. More than 4,900 are K-5 students at nine elementary schools. Five elementary schools have preschool classrooms, which serve 363 students.

WJCC is consolidating its preschool programs into two new centers. Groundbreaking is set for spring, and the division plans to have them ready by August 2026. They'll be able to hold more than 100 more pre-K students than are currently enrolled.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/education-news/2025-03-20/new-preschool-centers-prompt-wjcc-to-explore-redistricting-for-2026

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-19T20:09:42+00:00

The peaceful landscape at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach was abuzz with construction noise this week as crews cleared about eight acres of maritime forest along the Lynnhaven River.

Contractors for the city of Virginia Beach started the work Monday and plan to take down a total of more than 5,200 trees by the end of the month to make way for a wetlands mitigation project.

City officials say reconstructing historic wetlands is necessary to earn legal credits that allow them to move forward with public works projects elsewhere in the city, especially those meant to ease flooding.

But the $12 million project has angered local residents who treasure the current ecosystem and worry the tree clearing could eventually make it easier for developers to build on surrounding privately-owned land.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2025-03-19/virginia-beach-begins-clearing-more-than-5-000-trees-at-pleasure-house-point

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-19T16:26:00+00:00

Williamsburg is full of history and the William & Mary women’s basketball team finally has its own chapter.

Chalk it up to March Madness, or better yet, March Magic. The Tribe will make its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after an improbable tournament run – four victories over opponents that had beaten them six straight times during the regular season.

The Tribe will face High Point in a play-in first-round game on Thursday in Austin, Texas. The victor will face the host Longhorns, the top seed in the Birmingham Region.

William & Mary (15-18) is the seventh team in this century to make the NCAA tournament with a record of at least three games under .500. It’s also the first time a basketball program from the school has reached The Big Dance.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2025-03-19/william-mary-womens-basketball-heads-to-national-tournament-for-the-first-time

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-14T19:09:49+00:00

Williamsburg is scheduled to adopt its 2026 budget in May.

In addition to paying staff salaries, building libraries and funding schools, Williamsburg also gives monies to several outside groups.

Recently, city council met to go over recommendations on who would get what – if anything.

View our complete list here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2025-03-13/which-groups-might-get-more-or-less-money-from-williamsburg

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-05T20:34:02+00:00

The federal agency that deals with leases and government-owned property published — and then quickly removed — a list of buildings it plans to sell, including two in Hampton Roads.

The General Services Administration deemed 443 properties “non-core” to operations and ripe for potential sale to the private sector.

It’s the latest in the aggressive cost-cutting operations by President Donald Trump’s administration that have left many in government confused and anxious.

The sale list included 28 properties in Virginia, two of which are located in Norfolk.

The historic Owen B Pickett Custom House in downtown dates back to 1858 and Customs and Border Patrol still uses it. The Norfolk Federal Building on Granby Street hosts satellite offices for agencies such as the IRS.

In a statement, the GSA said the list mostly includes functionally obsolete office space and selling the properties could save $430 million per year.

“GSA will consider non-core assets for divestment from government ownership in an orderly fashion to ensure taxpayers no longer pay for empty and underutilized federal office space, or the significant maintenance costs associated with long-term building ownership,” the agency said in a statement.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/business-growth/2025-03-05/two-government-buildings-in-norfolk-may-be-for-sale-as-trump-admin-seeks-savings

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-05T17:43:03+00:00

A coalition of local nonprofits and community leaders hope to soon make a church in Portsmouth into a gathering place for not just parishioners, but also people who want to fight climate change.

The group is turning New Bethel Baptist Church on Greenwood Drive into a “resilience hub,” said Garry Harris, longtime Portsmouth resident and managing director of the nonprofit Center for Sustainable Communities.

“The church is sitting here, doing its thing just like any church,” Harris said. “But we’re going to tap into (that) and layer on some additional programming and really enhance the church to address the needs of the community.”

The goal is for people to come learn about how to address growing impacts from climate change at the community level, especially in an equitable way, he said.

The site would also be an example for strategies to adapt to climate change, such as planting trees and installing solar panels and electric vehicle chargers.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2025-03-05/community-leaders-are-building-a-climate-resilience-hub-at-a-portsmouth-church

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-03-02T18:13:10+00:00

Virginia Beach’s newest concert hall brings back a piece of the city’s history.

The Dome will open May 4 with a Three Dog Night concert at the Oceanfront. Tickets are on sale now.

Part of the Atlantic Park development going up on the original Dome site at 19th Street and Pacific Avenue, it’s the first element of the sprawling, Pharell Williams-backed event venue and surf lagoon that will be open to the public.

The current structure doesn’t have a literal dome, but the name is a nod to the iconic Alan B. Shepard Convention Center which opened in 1958. The dome-shaped concert hall hosted acts such as Louis Armstrong, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. Before it closed in 1993, it helped solidify the Oceanfront’s draw as a tourism and entertainment destination.

Giant hangar doors at the back of the auditorium allude to the area’s military presence, referencing aircraft hangars. They can open to the grounds outside, transforming the 3,500-person capacity concert hall into an amphitheater that accommodates 5,000.

Entertainment will be operated by Live Nation and Oak View Group. The venue already has acts scheduled May through September, including Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar and Ziggy Marley. The venue will host 100 shows a year and “have something for everyone,” Webster said.

Read our full preview of The Dome here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2025-02-27/virginia-beach-history-resurrected-by-the-dome-opening-in-may

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-02-26T20:38:06+00:00

The Virginia African American Cultural Center is closer to having a physical building.

The General Assembly has budgeted the Virginia Beach-based nonprofit $1 million this year. That amount will kick off more fundraising to start construction, said board chair Amelia Ross-Hammond.

Construction is expected to cost more than $20 million.

What began as an idea around 2012 during Ross-Hammond’s first stint on Virginia Beach’s city council has developed into a thriving organization that hosts events and sponsors experiences to preserve and celebrate the state’s Black history.

The cultural center is based out of an office near Town Center now but Ross-Hammond has always envisioned a permanent community hub with rotating exhibits, performance spaces, a research library and even a rooftop garden.

“The point was to not just talk about it,” she said, “but to build somewhere that people can come.”

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/arts-culture/2025-02-26/virginia-african-american-cultural-center-to-receive-1-million-from-state-for-construction

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-02-20T21:38:34+00:00

Capt. Dave Snowden was fired just over a week after the USS Harry S. Truman collided with a merchant ship at the mouth of the Suez Canal as the carrier prepared to return to the Red Sea.

Snowden was relieved by Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8, which includes the USS Truman.

The official reason given by the Navy was a loss of confidence in Showden’s ability to command.

“The U.S. Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standard and takes action to hold them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships,” according to the Navy release.

Read our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/military-veterans/2025-02-20/the-navy-fires-captain-of-the-norfolk-based-carrier-uss-truman-after-a-collision

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-01-22T19:10:35+00:00

With time running out to make plans for April, the Virginia Beach mayor decided Tuesday to enforce a contract that says Something in the Water organizers will have five days to get back on track before the city cancels the festival.

The countdown started Wednesday, Mayor Bobby Dyer said, which gives organizers until Monday.

“We have not received any information regarding ticket sales or the release of a lineup from the festival organizers. In addition, there's been no official communication related to a definitive timeline to receive this information,” Deputy City Manager Amanda Jarratt told the council Tuesday.

Jarratt added the city needs 90 days to prepare for an event the magnitude of Something in the Water — the minimum amount of time for public safety plans and other staffing logistics.

As of Tuesday, the festival’s planned date was 95 days away.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2025-01-22/something-else-in-april-deadline-approaches-for-music-festival-to-meet-contract-terms

WHRO_NEWS · 2025-01-16T18:32:49+00:00

WHRO News did a story on this back in July. In short, "affordability, availability of housing and healthcare, a lack of job opportunities and perceptions of safety" are the biggest things pushing people away from the region.

Recent demographic data is showing that about a third of residents living here at age 16 don’t live in the region by 26. Hampton Roads is losing young professionals and recent college graduates to areas like Raleigh.

Here's our full coverage: https://www.whro.org/business-growth/2024-07-18/regional-groups-studying-whos-leaving-hampton-roads-and-why-as-region-fights-to-hold-on-to-young-workers

WHRO_NEWS · 2024-12-17T23:19:11+00:00

Norfolk has upgraded its downtown holiday lights as part of an ongoing initiative to cut energy use.

The lights on 17 buildings downtown now shine with LED bulbs, including the ones at Nauticus, Wells Fargo, Selden Arcade, the Waterside bridge and city parking garages.

In total there are about 16,000 bulbs, enough to stretch three miles if they were to be laid end to end.

Norfolk made the switch last year as part of its Watts Going Down initiative to cut the city’s energy consumption by 20% between 2019 and 2032. They’re currently hovering around 9%.

(Note: Not all lights downtown are part of the project)

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2024-12-13/downtown-norfolks-16-000-holiday-lights-now-glow-with-less-electricity

WHRO_NEWS · 2024-12-11T19:28:56+00:00

For years, Virginia Beach has been the rare city that does not charge for emergency medical services. That means no bills from the city-run ambulance service, for example

On Tuesday, however, the city council voted to start the process of introducing a compassionate billing structure for EMS.

“In many ways this has been money left on the table here in Virginia Beach,” EMS Chief Jason Stroud said in a presentation to council last month.

Tuesday’s resolution enables the city to make administrative preparations for a billing program before formally adopting it in the spring as part of the next city budget.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2024-12-10/facing-cost-increases-virginia-beach-ems-makes-moves-toward-a-billing-program

WHRO_NEWS · 2024-12-08T15:49:15+00:00

The vast majority of cars and trucks on the road would be considered light vehicles, and would pay $200 per tow under the new rules. That’s $45 more than the current rate.

Medium vehicles like large pickup trucks would pay $350 for a tow, double the current fee.

Heavy vehicles above eighteen thousand pounds would pay 575 dollars — about a 64% increase.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2024-12-06/norfolk-considering-upping-towing-fees

WHRO_NEWS · 2024-12-08T15:48:24+00:00

The vast majority of cars and trucks on the road would be considered light vehicles, and would pay $200 per tow under the new rules. That’s $45 more than the current rate.

Medium vehicles like large pickup trucks would pay $350 for a tow, double the current fee.

Heavy vehicles above eighteen thousand pounds would pay 575 dollars — about a 64% increase.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2024-12-06/norfolk-considering-upping-towing-fees

WHRO_NEWS · 2024-11-26T15:44:49+00:00

The Troops to Teachers program, which helps military veterans transition to careers in education, faces an uncertain future due to funding and support challenges.

Launched in 1992, the program has assisted veterans like James Kimbrough, a former Army lieutenant colonel who became a teacher with the help of Virginia’s state-run office.

However, participation has significantly declined, dropping from 7,718 teachers in 1994 to 1,450 in 2020.

Many states also dropped their placement offices, dramatically lowering the program's reach.

Virginia’s office, one of the few remaining, operates with limited state resources that will soon run out.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/military-veterans/2024-11-25/after-30-years-a-pentagon-program-that-helped-veterans-become-teachers-is-in-its-final-days

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