Hampton Roads

NORFOLK, Va. — A controversial local brewery announced it is planning to relocate.

Armed Forces Brewing Company (AFBC) opened in Norfolk in 2024.

In a statement, the brewery told us it is closing its Norfolk location and "we had chosen Norfolk because of the large military and veteran community ... unfortunately our ability to profitably operate in Norfolk was severely impacted by a local woke mob."

The location used to house O'Connor Brewing before it closed in 2023. AFBC announced it would take over the space and have it be home to their headquarters and inaugural brewing facility.

However, multiple local civic leagues came out against the brewery's request for a conditional use permit due to AFBC shareholder and veteran Robert O’Neill sharing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric online, including calling members of the LGBTQ community "pedophiles."

Despite the opposition, Norfolk City Council ultimately approved the permits, allowing AFBC to operate.

In its statement announcing its relocation, AFBC CEO Alan Beal said the business was "severely affected" from "a few individuals" who "spread outright lies about our company, our employees, and our shareholders before we even opened our doors."

Beal said it created a "toxic environment" and that they would relocate to a "more pro-small business social and economic climate."

Beal also said, "In our situation, these actions have been so egregious that we plan to file criminal complaints in Virginia against some of the perpetrators and intend to assist with prosecuting them."

There is no word yet on where the brewery is considering relocating.

HAMPTON ROADS STANDS WITH IMMIGRANTS: Join us on March 23rd for a community event in Norfolk where we will talk about how we can all support and defend our immigrant neighbors.

The event will be at the restaurant Luna Maya. It is free and open to allies and immigrants alike, with English and Spanish presentations.

We will discuss knowing your rights with ICE, (for both immigrants and allies) how businesses and community members can protect immigrants, RISC’s rapid response network, and other critical information.

This event is hosted by the Refugee & Immigrant Solidarity Coalition, the Latinx Law Students Association and the Immigration Law & Service Society at William & Mary, the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, and the Chamber for Hispanic Progress.

We plan to provide refreshments, and Know Your Rights materials will be available for attendees to take home!

"It broke my heart," retired Army Staff Sergeant Alexzandria Hunt said. "It made me feel like nothing, like I didn't matter, like I was just a number." Author: Hannah Eason Amado Published: 11:25 AM EST March 5, 2025 Updated: 12:15 PM EST March 5, 2025

HAMPTON, Va. — When a storm blanketed Hampton Roads with a foot of snow last month, retired Army Staff Sergeant Alexzandria "Alex" Hunt says she stayed a little later during her shift at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

She ensured hospice patients had extra diapers, oxygen tanks were squared away and departments were properly stocked with batteries. She says she volunteered to work extra hours simply because they were short staffed.

But on Feb. 25, she was notified that she was terminated from her position based on her work performance.

"I broke down right then and there," said Hunt, who was a supply technician. "I was blindsided."

Hunt was fired as part of the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce. So far, the Department of Veterans Affairs has cut approximately 2,400 employees. The VA stated that the layoffs primarily affected probationary employees with less than two years of service and could include “DEI-related positions.”

Congressman Bobby Scott brought Hunt as his special guest to President Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night.

Hunt said she gives 100% toward her career, particularly regarding the military and caring for others. Her supervisor told her that she was doing an amazing job, and other staff members said the same thing, she said.

"It broke my heart," Hunt said. "It made me feel like nothing, like I didn't matter, like I was just a number."

Hunt says she was passionate about her work, and her "staff sergeant" nature made her passionate about taking care of soldiers and equipment.

She said one of the hardest parts was explaining to her patients that she wouldn't be returning, especially those who aren't able to see family very often.

"You get to a first name basis and then they feel comfortable opening up to you. By firing us, you take that away from them as well," Hunt said.

RELATED: Defense Department layoffs would significantly impact Virginia veterans, Rep. Kiggans says

Hunt said the relationships she built with older veterans can be difficult to earn. But once that trust was built, it became much easier to communicate with them.

"We all still work together as a team to give them the best, utmost care because they deserve that," Hunt said. "We brighten their days, and then to have that just taken away."

"How do you think the vets feel as well? They're heartbroken just as we are."

Hunt said other individuals at the Hampton VA were fired, including one colleague who recently became inventory manager, a career switch that allowed him to spend more time with his family.

Newport News school board has adopted Governor Youngkin's Model Policies, policy that forces teachers to out students to their parents and school administration if they request their teachers to use pronouns or names other than those assigned at birth. We must fight these policies to protect trans youth.

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/trans-rights-petition?clear_id=true

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The tank housing the historic USS Monitor's gun turret was drained for the first time in years while undergoing conservation efforts at The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, and will be on display for the public to see next month.

The Mariners’ Conservation Team said the turret is normally submerged in 90,000 gallons of an alkaline solution that must be periodically changed; it's a multi-step process that results in the addition of 7,500 pounds of sodium hydroxide to the tank.

The turret tank is currently empty of solution and is being inspected to evaluate the treatment process. The Mariners’ Conservation Team said the draining also allows them the potential to eventually flip the turret that has been upside down since its discovery.

The 115-ton revolving gun turret spent nearly 140 years on the ocean floor after the Civil War ironclad warship sank during a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in 1862. It was the first of its kind to be used in combat, and represented a major technological advancement in naval warfare at the time.

In 1973, the warship’s wreckage was discovered and in 1975 -- under the management of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -- the Monitor was designated as the nation’s first National Marine Sanctuary.

In 1987, The Mariners’ Museum and Park was selected by NOAA to be the principal repository for recovered Monitor-related materials and items. Through the collective expertise of divers, archaeologists, engineers, the US Navy, NOAA, Mariners’ personnel, and countless others, the turret was raised from the Atlantic Ocean in August 2002.

The massive artifact was then transferred via a barge to The Mariners’ via barge.

“Every time we drain the tank, the turret remains as impressive as the first time I saw it! To be able to see its scale and know the impact that it had on world history makes being part of its conservation and preservation both extremely rewarding and humbling,” said Mariners’ Director of Conservation, Will Hoffman when speaking on his involvement in the turret’s conservation.

According to the Mariners’ Conservation Team, the goal of the treatment is to remove corrosion-inducing ocean salts before the artifact can be dried and put on display.

The draining also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Monitor wreckage site’s designation as a National Marine Sanctuary.

Since the turret is typically underwater, the public’s ability to see it is limited.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 8 visitors will have a rare opportunity to get an unobstructed, close-up view of the historical artifact during The Mariners’ annual Battle of Hampton Roads Commemoration Day.

Thrive Hive latte is still being offered through March 31st at The Captain's Den in #NewportNews. Each latte supports THRIVE Peninsula, helping families in need all across the peninsula.

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Two people are dead after being shot in a parking lot on West 49th Street in the area of Broderick Dining Commons on the Old Dominion University campus Wednesday night, Norfolk and ODU police said.

ODU Police said that, at around 9:50 p.m., two people, later identified as 18-year-old Delanio M. Vick and 20-year-old Timothy G. Williams, suffered injuries from a shooting that took place in parking lot 3 in the 1400 block of W. 49th St. ODU and Norfolk police said neither person is a student nor affiliated with the university. The two who were injured were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.

A campus lockdown has been lifted after both ODU and Norfolk police said there was no further threat to the campus community. An ODU Urgent Alert issued earlier in the evening stated there was a suspect at large, ODU Police said. There was no word early Thursday morning on whether a suspect is in custody.

Norfolk Police said the shooting occurred in a parking lot near the Broderick Dining Commons.

“We are deeply saddened by the unnecessary violence that occurred overnight on the campus of Old Dominion University,” Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot said. “Students attend a university to learn, and deserve to feel safe in their environment while doing so. We appreciate the strong partnership we have with the men and women of the Old Dominion University Police Department and all of their assistance both last night at the scene and today as we investigate this double homicide. Chief Sheldon and I will continue to work closely together to ensure that our teams have the resources they need to hold those who are responsible for this violence accountable for their actions.”

Joshua McCauley, director and campus minister for the Wesley Foundation at ODU and a ministry of the United Methodist Church, said he had been at the nearby Wesley Center for an event Wednesday evening and had just left to go home when he got the ODU Urgent Alert about an active shooter on campus and returned to the center.

“One of the rules of the chaplain is to make sure that we’re here to support our students,” McCauley said. “I’m happy to serve as a part of one of the university chaplains and the university chaplain association so I wanted to make sure students had a space to turn to when disasters like this take place.”

McCauley said “it’s disheartening [for it] to be here on our campus. I know there’ll be a lot of pain, and a lot of worry and anxiety amongst students. I’ve already been texting quite a few of them, checking in and making sure they’re OK and making sure they know that Wesley is open for them and a space for them to be.

“We’ve got some work to do here to heal.”

An emergency alert was sent by email, phone and text at 10:01 p.m. advising the campus community to stay indoors. At 11:43 p.m., ODU sent another emergency alert to lift the shelter-in-place.

ODU Police said walk-in counseling services will be available Thursday for students. The Office of Counseling Services can be reached at 757-683-4401, and appointments can be made online.

Newport News-built SS United States passes by birthplace on final voyage to become the world's largest artificial reef

Built in Newport News, the historic, aging SS United States is heading to Florida's Gulf Coast where it will become the world's largest artificial reef. Author: Christopher Collette, Bruce Shipkowski (Associated Press) Published: 12:04 PM EST February 21, 2025 Updated: 11:39 PM EST February 21, 2025

PHILADELPHIA — The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world's largest artificial reef departed from south Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront on Wednesday, marking the opening segment of its final voyage.

The SS United States, a 1,000-foot vessel that shattered the transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, is being towed to Mobile, Alabama, for planned prep work before officials eventually sink it off Florida's Gulf Coast.

The move comes about four months after the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord resolved a years-old rent dispute. Officials initially planned to move the vessel last November, but that was delayed due to concerns from the U.S. Coast Guard that the ship wasn't stable enough to make the trip.

Officials in Okaloosa County on Florida's coastal Panhandle hope it will become a barnacle-encrusted standout among the county's more than 500 artificial reefs and a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars annually in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats, and hotels.

Officials have said the deal to buy the ship could eventually cost more than $10 million. The lengthy process of cleaning, transporting, and sinking the vessel is expected to take at least one-and-a-half years.

The SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops.

Built in the early 1950s at Newport News Shipbuilding, its maiden voyage broke the transatlantic speed record in both directions when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph), The Associated Press reported from aboard the ship. The ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner.

"The ship will forever symbolize our nation's strength, innovation, and resilience," said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the naval architect who designed the vessel. "We wish her 'fair winds and following seas' on her historic journey to her new home."

The SS United States became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced to various private owners who hoped to redevelop it. But they eventually found their plans too expensive or poorly timed, leaving the vessel looming for years on south Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront.

A last-ditch fundraising effort last year to move the ship to a new port city, including possibly Newport News, was unsuccessful.

New outdoor attraction near Virginia Beach Oceanfront will let visitors walk the tree canopy WHRO | By Katherine Hafner Published February 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM EST

Construction crews work to complete the Nautilus Tower at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Katherine Hafner / WHRO News Construction crews work to complete the Nautilus Tower at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. The near-completed Owl Creek Landing is set to include a lookout tower, treehouses and a massive steel slide.

A 38-acre stretch of forest across from the Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium will soon be its own, more laid-back attraction focused on connecting with nature.

Outdoor Ventures plans to open Owl Creek Landing this spring off General Booth Boulevard. CEO Bahman Azarm said it’s been in the works for a decade.

“When we built the Adventure Park in 2014 we were always going to be building Owl Creek Landing but it required the bridge over (the creek) to be built, and it required the South Building of the aquarium to be finished first. So that's why it took 10 years before we could start this.”

The land is owned by the city of Virginia Beach and leased through the Virginia Aquarium, which will also receive a portion of revenue, Azarm said.

Construction crews are days away from finishing the centerpiece of the new attraction: the Nautilus Tower. It’s a 65-foot-tall, 80-foot-wide spiral walkway made of galvanized steel that stretches above the treeline.

“As you're going up, you can see that you really do feel the area and the floor of the forest in a very different way,” Azarm said. “You see the leaves, you see the plantings, but there's some other connection that you feel with the woods when you're up here.” A view from the Nautilus Tower at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Katherine Hafner / WHRO News A view from the Nautilus Tower at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

The Adventure Park requires visitors to use harnesses and have certain physical abilities to participate, Azarm said.

Their goal is to make Owl Creek Landing more accessible, focusing on giving people a unique view of the natural setting “and some of the top of the trees that you wouldn't normally see unless somehow you were in a balloon or something,” he said.

The forest includes several species such as maple, oak and tulip poplar. The company plans to plant some new native trees like persimmons.

The site will include a series of ground-level paths as well as treehouses and suspended walkways between platforms situated in the trees. Treehouses at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Katherine Hafner / WHRO News Treehouses at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

All connect back to the central tower, which Outdoor Ventures says will feature the United States’ longest steel slide.

All of the equipment needed to construct the massive tower had to come over a narrow pedestrian bridge across Owl Creek. That constraint, as well as the site’s environmental sensitivity, led officials to try a new kind of foundation. The tower's unique, Austrian-inspired foundation system at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Katherine Hafner / WHRO News The tower's unique, Austrian-inspired foundation system at Owl Creek Landing in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Outdoor Ventures flew its engineer to Austria to learn about the method. Instead of digging into the ground and pouring a traditional foundation, smaller slabs of concrete sit on top of the ground, reinforced with metal rods that spread out underground like tree roots.

Azarm said they hope to have a soft open in April and hold an official grand opening by Memorial Day weekend.

The grounds will be free to roam. Those who want to enter the tower or treehouse structures will have to buy tickets: $28 for adults and $18 for children.

Hopefully everyone stayed safe during the weather last night!

I'm really hoping that this can be a spot for folks in the Hampton Roads area to connect and discuss local happenings..

I'm a first time moderator... please be patient with me!