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Yahoo
a day ago
- General
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A moment of silence on Saturday will mark 6 years since a mass shooting in Virginia Beach
Saturday at 4:06 p.m., residents across Virginia Beach will gather in silence. The moment marks the time an emergency call reporting a mass shooting inside the city's municipal center was received six years ago. Inside Building 2, a city employee shot and killed 12 people and wounded five others. In the years since, community members and the city have worked to remember the victims and uplift the survivors. At the Mary C. Russo Volunteer Recognition Gazebo, located behind City Hall, the city will host an 'intimate gathering' for those who want to gather in person. The event will begin at 4 p.m. and include a moment of silence and reading of names. The event is free and open to the public, and residents are encouraged to wear blue, the color of remembrance. Residents at home can also hold their own moments of silence. At locations across the city, forget-me-not flowers will be on display. The symbol will be painted at Mount Trashmore Park, and remembrance flags will be placed at 40 locations in Virginia Beach. Blue lights will also shine at Building 30, the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and the Greenwich and Lesner bridges. The city has also created a 'Love For VB' Facebook frame for residents to show public support online. Since the tragedy, the 5/31 Memorial Committee has worked to develop a permanent location to honor the victims and survivors. The site for the permanent memorial is still under construction, which is why this year's events will be held behind City Hall. The memorial park will be built on 1.3 acres of city land at the corner of Princess Anne Road and Nimmo Parkway, across the street from the municipal complex. It will feature timelines representing the 12 people — 11 city workers and one contractor — who died. It will also include a grove of trees that pays homage to the survivors and a large 'hero' tree dedicated to the first responders who responded to the shooting. 'As the entry space of the memorial grounds, the Survivor's Grove greets and invites all visitors into this place of remembrance and healing,' the design plan for the memorial says. Construction on the memorial is still on scheduled to be completed by May 31, 2026. City spokesperson Ali Weatherton said construction costs are $12 million, with the project's full budget coming in at $14 million. Last October, the City Council unanimously approved moving another $4.3 million from the general fund to the 5/31 Memorial project. It was the third allocation for the park. The city previously approved $1.2 million for design and $8.5 million for construction. Weatherton said contractors have completed most of the site's demolition and installation of stormwater drainage piping. Currently, crews are working on the site's fountain, including its framework and pump room. Next, crews will move on to its plumbing. Eliza Noe,
Yahoo
6 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
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Red Wing Park to temporarily reopen for Virginia Beach's Cherry Blossom Festival
VIRGINIA BEACH — Red Wing Park will reopen temporarily later this month for the city's annual Cherry Blossom Festival, even though a park improvement project is still underway. The 97-acre park, which boasts 150 blooming cherry blossom trees from Virginia Beach's international sister city Miyazaki City, Japan, was closed in October as part of a long-term roadway improvement project. The project was slated to be done in early 2025. Weather events and soil issues have delayed the project's end date, said Ali Weatherton, spokesperson for the city of Virginia Beach. During the closure, park facilities — including playgrounds, tennis courts, walking paths, athletic fields and the dog park — have been unavailable to the public. The city is encouraging residents with dogs to visit Marshview Dog Park as an alternative during the work. The Cherry Blossom Festival will begin March 29 and continue through April 5. The park will close again after the festival in mid-April to complete the road improvements and playground construction. In addition to for tours and Asian cultural events, this year's festival will also feature its first vendor market on March 30. The market will have opportunities for festival goers to purchase merchandise and artwork that 'reflect Asian culture and cherry blossoms.' Tours to see the cherry blossom trees at the festival are fully booked, but residents can join a waitlist online. Sign up for the Virginia Beach Today daily newsletter Weatherton said the ongoing improvements to the park include widening the park's entryway and repaving the entire park, including its parking lots and walking paths. According to the city, this would 'enhance traffic flow and safety' at Red Wing Park and make it more accessible. She said the city is spending $1.5 million to complete the renovations and add a new playground to the space, and changes in the project's timeline have not affected its price tag. Eliza Noe,
