Latest news with #VirginiaBeach
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
VBCPS board votes to adopt changes to 2025 & 2030 strategic frameworks
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Some of the changes that will be made in Virginia Beach City Public Schools in the wake of a recent decision to suspend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the school division are coming to light. Virginia Beach board votes to keep suspension of DEI in place The Virginia Beach School Board, by a 6-5 vote, adopted changes Tuesday to the strategic framework for Compass to 2025 and Compass to 2030. 'The decisions we make here, the trickled down effects to our staff, is important,' said District 5 School Board member Melinda Rogers. And though many are still calling for the board to keep DEI in place inside Virginia Beach public schools, the board is standing firm in its decision to move forward with the suspension. VB NAACP hosts public town hall with VB school board members, superintendent The adopted changes will remove words like equity from the framework and replace the word diverse with the phrase, 'a wide range.' Many community members and students are not happy about the decision. There is also lots of uncertainty among board members. 'I'm just concerned that we aren't as concerned about the job that we were voted in to do to govern the school board and to protect our students,' said at-large board member Sharon Felton. 'We're doing everything in such a rush. What is the rush all about?' More information on other changes that could possibly happen will come later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
VB Oceanfront businesses hopeful for busy summer season
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Oceanfront businesses are hopeful for a busy summer season on the horizon as its unofficial start came with the sunset of the Memorial Day weekend. 'It's like Virginia Beach's comeback summer,' said Heidi Stephenson of Ocean Eddie's. 'It's a lot of people down here. We have a lot of events that are going on. It's really going to bring the community together.' Expectations are high for the summer season at the Oceanfront. 'The boardwalk area is so beautiful,' said visitor Ryan Brady. 'It's a cloudy day out here today, but still [it's] so awesome to see so many people.' Even with large crowds, people have packed their patience. 'Everyone has been so understanding and patient, especially with the crowds at every single restaurant being absolutely jam-packed, said Ocean Eddie's employee Madeline Wallace. 'Everyone has been so understanding and nice. It's VB. That's all I can say. It's VB.' From the restaurants to the fishing pier, businesses were busy with the influx of tourists and visitors this Memorial Day weekend. Even with the large crowds, many still took time to remember what this holiday is all about: honoring the men and women in uniform. 'Just showing them love because I feel like they don't get enough love in the world today, so we just try to give them the love that we can — and that's our effort, our time and love,' said Ocean Eddie's employee Juh-Daar Sawyer. Visitor Zach Nipper said he is 'very thankful for what they have done and what the friends and families of them have done in the past too.' It was a safe weekend too. Officials hope that continues. 'At 6 p.m. we go from, on a regular day, from 41 stands down to 15,' said Tom Gill, chief of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service. 'Always move your family in front of that lifeguard stand that is staffed and ready to go and when the lifeguard's not here, [it's] probably not a good time to go in the water.' Fun times are predicted to roll all summer long. 'Just come out and enjoy a great summer down here at Virginia Beach,' Gill said. Said visitor Jake Arnold: 'Hopefully they can continue doing that during the summer months.'Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A different type of honor on this Memorial Day
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Not far from the world's most extensive naval base, symbols of gratitude were offered in memory of those lost while serving this country. Don McAlister, 81, who served in the Vietnam War, comes from a long line of McAlisters who served the United States of America. 'I grew up military, so I've had relatives who died in the war and everything,' said the former Navy corpsman. 'To me, this is a day, not a celebration, but today's a day of, I guess, wishing and hoping that they were here. But they are here. They're here with us somewhere. Somewhere, they're with us.' Del. Michael Feggans is proud of the years he serviced with the United States Air Force. 'As someone who served for 20 years, I know exactly how many veterans feel,' Feggans said. 'No matter if you serve for four years or 40 years, today really is about remembering everyone's service, remembering those that have passed away. No matter if you died in a foreign country, if you passed away in a training accident or like many of our veterans, that died , that die from the battlefield of the mind.' He's also proud of a new law that rights a wrong on how the state has treated the families of service members who committed suicide. 'Those individuals did not receive the state benefits as others, so I fought for that,' Feggans said. 'That was a bipartisan bill that Gov. Youngkin signed, and starting this summer, those families will now receive the same real property tax benefits that others have received over the past years.' For those who served and others, help is available 24 hours a day. Just call the suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Mount Trashmore Summer Carnival to close due to ‘staffing shortages'
VIRGINIA BEACH — The Mount Trashmore Summer Carnival is closing Sunday evening, a city spokesperson wrote in an emailed message to news outlets on Sunday. The closure, after just three days, was made 'because of staffing shortages, including a lack of public safety officers and deputies,' said city spokesperson Ali Weatherton. The carnival began Friday and was due to run almost daily through June 17. Last year, two people were shot at Mount Trashmore Park during the festival, including a 15-year-old girl who died. An 18-year-old man was also injured. The decision to close the carnival 'was made with safety as the top priority, in order to protect the well-being of all attendees, staff and vendors,' Weatherton said in the short statement. What we know so far about the Mount Trashmore shooting
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lynnhaven River Now targeting derelict vessels for removal
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Efforts have been ongoing for years to clean up our region's waterways by removing abandoned and derelict vessels. 10 on Your Side has reported extensively on efforts by Mike Provost's Vessel Disposal and Reuse Foundation, and Lynnhaven River Now has joined the effort and is using federal funds to carry out the same type of cleanup. With $2.9 million of federal funding, Lynnhaven River Now has targeted 35 vessels, including the 'Carrie Anne.' They include some of the 11 vessels that are along the shores of Navy property in Willoughby Bay. 'They're vessels that the owner didn't have the means to maintain and found themselves in a situation where they had no other option and walked away,' said Lynnhaven River Now restoration manager Vince Bowhers. 'It is a hazard to navigation because people coming in and out of this boat ramp have to go around it now,' Bowhers said. 'It's not lit at night. It is a danger.' Bowhers points out the airbags will help get the starboard or right side of the vessel out of the water. 'They want to get the starboard side up, so that then, they have the complete hull above water, and then they can start pumping water out of that bathtub full of water. … Once they get the rest of the water out, they will check the hull integrity, and I'm glad it floated quickly because that indicates it is not taking on water. … 'I'm happy to see how well it went, and happy to see that it will be properly disposed of instead of sitting out here for years.' Some of those abandoned vessels are like some we saw at the nearby Willoughby Marina that could be auctioned off. Bowhers wants to use some of the leftover federal funds to stop those sales before they happen. 'So, before somebody buys a vessel for $200, thinking they're going to be able to fix it up. let's get it when it shouldn't be sold,' Bowhers said. 'It shouldn't be transferred to someone who can't handle it and will likely abandon it.' Kelly Pearson came out pleased with the 'Carrie Anne' floating away. 'A junky boat sitting there, 'Oh my God, why would someone do this?' We've had multiple boats here a long time sitting in the water polluting the water,' Pearson said. The 'Carrie Anne' is the third boat to be scrapped so far. There are 32 left to go. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
