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NORTHAMPTON COUNTY — Oyster grower Alex Lambert had one day’s notice that an algal bloom was heading toward his 4,000-basket farm. It could be years before scientists know why.

A local grower messaged Lambert on Sept. 17, telling him discolored water was spotted in nearby creeks with suspicion it could be harmful to sea life like his oysters.

Lambert tried not to panic. He’d learned from other farmers that larger oysters tend to survive the type of bloom. But the next morning, on Lambert’s birthday, an intense smell ruminated from the Lambert Shellfish farm. The water was still, thick and brown, and dead fish floated along the shore.

The crew spent the day in defense, maneuvering baskets onto their dock, and moving about 500,000 smaller oysters by the shore. The smaller ones were closed up, a sign of good health, but Lambert knew they would have to check on the oysters the following day.

The next day, the small oysters were “popping,” or fully gaping open like a pistachio, Lambert said. Around 250,0000 1-2 inch oysters, which he thought would fare fine, were all dead. The next day, all of the larger oysters were popping as well.

“It became clear that we were going to lose just about everything,” Lambert said. “It was day by day, seeing the next size up die.”

In the past few weeks, Lambert has been going over his estimates for basket and oyster loss. Besides a 10% salvaged basket, the farm faced a 100% mortality, estimated at $400,000 worth of oysters.

Lambert heard from nearby growers up Hungars Creek that their farms survived. His oyster farm had never faced such widespread loss before.

“Without it moving, and it being so thick and highly concentrated, it was a lethal dose of poison,” Lambert said. “I’m curious what the folks in charge determined to be the source of this, or if it was all weather related.”

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Toys R Us is making a comeback with the opening of more than 100 new storefronts across the country, including one slated to open next month at Williamsburg Premium Outlets.

Toys R Us initially shuttered its stores in 2017 after filing for bankruptcy. Since the brand was acquired by WHP Global in 2021, the company has been slowly regrowing its presence with both standalone and in-mall locations, as well as pop-ups through collaborations with Macy’s department stores, Navy Exchange shops and national airports.

While Toys R Us currently has 40 stores, the company announced plans last month to expand that number to 120 through a partnership with Go! Retail Group. Some stores will be pop-up locations timed for the upcoming holiday season, while others will be open year-round. A full list of new store locations has not been disclosed, but Williamsburg Premium Outlets recently announced that one of the stores would be coming its way.

The new Williamsburg location, which will be a permanent storefront, will open Nov. 1 at the outlets near The Children’s Place and The North Face. The store is expected to carry toys, games and collectibles, including brands such as LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon and KPop Demon Hunters.

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The widespread power outages across Hampton Roads over the weekend caused by salt buildup on electrical infrastructure caught many in the region by surprise — including the National Weather Service — but it is a fairly common problem for utility providers.

There were about 45,000 outages as a direct result of salt buildup over the course of the storm, according to Dominion Energy, with a peak of about 20,000 at one time Saturday and about 8,000 on Sunday. As of 2 p.m. Monday, there were about 700 outages remaining.

The salt buildup and subsequent electrical issues were caused by a unique set of circumstances. The nor’easter lingered for several days, blowing salt into the air consistently which allowed it to reach farther inland, and there was a long period without steady rain to wash it away, according to Dominion Energy and the weather service.

“We had just enough moisture in the air that it activated the salt,” Dominion spokesperson Cherise Newsome said. “For our community we recognize that this is frustrating because (the power is) on again-off again, at the same time for utility companies in coastal regions we deal with this a lot.”

Newsome explained the salt buildup this weekend was only a “film” that utility workers can see up close but is not visible from the ground, though it’s possible to hear a crackling or buzzing noise from the ground. When the misting rain mixed with the salt, it became a conductor of electricity and instead of flowing through the power lines, the electricity was attracted to other parts of the utility poles that aren’t meant to handle electrical current.

Adding to the abnormal nature of the outages was that salt-related outages were reported farther inland in Portsmouth and Chesapeake. Newsome explained this was due to the nor’easter also blowing salt from the Elizabeth River.

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Barraud Park is finally reopening.

The historic park, which has been closed for years for a $4.5 million renovation project, will reopen Sept. 26.

The reopening event, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with city officials and opportunities for recreation and entertainment afterward.

The project, which is funded by the 2021 pandemic stimulus package, was announced in spring 2022 and has kept the park closed since October 2023.

In 2024, Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander pushed to reopen parts of the park after delays and resident complaints, but the park has remained closed.

The improvements include newly constructed sports courts, enhanced green spaces, shelters and other updated amenities, according to the announcement.

A woman who was sexually assaulted by a Portsmouth police officer as he threatened to issue her traffic violations is suing the former officer, the city of Portsmouth and its former police chief in federal court.

Beyond damage claims for sexual assault and battery, the lawsuit alleges Police Chief Tanya Chapman and the city are legally responsible for the decision to hire Cleshaun Cox in 2018, despite concerns raised about his background.

Around 11:30 p.m. on May 27, 2019, Cox and a senior Portsmouth police officer responded to a 911 noise complaint at the parking lot of a Portsmouth apartment complex where they approached a parked car with a 17-year-old girl in the driver’s seat and her 18-year-old friend seated as a passenger.

Cox and the second officer asked the 17-year-old for her driver’s license before ordering her to drive home, according to a stipulation of facts filed in federal court.

The girl noticed that Cox, alone in a Portsmouth police cruiser, was following her. When she stopped for gas, Cox activated his vehicle’s emergency lights, parked behind her and threatened to ticket her for several minor traffic offenses.

He followed the girl as she drove home. Once they arrived, Cox told the girl she violated his orders and instructed her to drive her friend home.

After dropping her friend off, Cox, the lawsuit says, told the teenager she needed to follow him to a nearby parking lot where he again threatened to issue her several minor traffic violations. He then offered her a “deal” to engage in sexual intercourse with him in exchange for refraining from issuing her the tickets.

When she refused, Cox ordered her into his police cruiser. Cox drove her to an isolated industrial area where he assaulted her.

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Spectrum is now an active communications provider in all of Hampton Roads.

Spectrum’s parent company, Connecticut-based Charter Communications, completed its acquisition of Georgia-based Cox Communications on Aug. 20 for $34.5 billion.

What that means is that the region’s Cox customers can now have Spectrum as their provider for internet, mobile and television.

But no immediate changes are required and customers can maintain what they have unless they choose to switch, said Scott Pryzwansky, Spectrum’s senior director of communications.

“I think the biggest thing to understand is that there will be no forced changes, but there will be more choices,” Doug Davis, Spectrum’s regional vice president of operations, said.

Customers can keep their current Cox service, equipment, plan and pricing, he said.

If customers choose to switch, they can select from a variety of options including internet and mobile bundles that range from $80 to $120 a month, internet and TV bundles that range from $120 to $160 a month or internet, TV and mobile bundles that range from $180 to $220 a month, according to the website.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity from a savings perspective if you look at your combined bills on mobile versus internet versus video,” Davis said. “We have a lot to offer when it comes to that and we’re always committed to finding new ways to bundle those to make it even better.”

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After two years of negotiations, Newport News has officially inked a $400 million contract with the U.S. Navy to construct a massive military housing project in the city’s downtown.

The three-way agreement is between the Department of the Navy, Newport News and developer Hunt Military Communities to finance the construction of a nearly 1-million-square-foot complex that will include 750 apartment units, 10,000 square feet of retail space, and a more than 1,000 vehicle parking garage for sailors. HomePort Hampton Roads 2 will offer housing for up to 1,500 sailors and replace the existing Huntington Hall housing and recreation sites near Warwick Boulevard in downtown Newport News.

The Navy announced the agreement Wednesday. The deal’s term sheet, signed on July 1, outlines a five-year plan for Hunt to build or renovate more than 8,000 beds across Hampton Roads, including in Newport News, leveraging a total $1.7 billion investment from the Navy.

In addition to the Navy’s funding, Newport News committed $10 million toward the project and state lawmakers approved a $40 million treasury loan in 2024. Most recently, the General Assembly approved the state budget in June that continued access to the loan, and added language that any General Assembly member may request the city not have to repay any remaining balance of the loan upon the project’s completion.

This project requires roughly $450 million in total investment — making it the largest one-time investment in the city’s history, according to Mayor Phillip Jones. He has spent years advocating for a federal investment into local Navy housing, and said in a statement Wednesday the project wouldn’t be possible without that commitment.

“Our city has a proud history of supporting the military, and this agreement builds on that tradition by bringing modern housing, new retail opportunities and a significant economic investment to our downtown,” Jones said. “This agreement reflects the power of partnership and our shared commitment to building a stronger future for Newport News.”

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VIRGINIA BEACH — Tuesday evening’s School Board meeting started with a message from the board’s attorney.

Kamala Lannetti asked the members to refrain from making so many comprehensive Freedom of Information Act requests. The requests for public records were proving to be costly for the school district’s staff who are tasked with retrieving and producing those logs. Materials that can be obtained through FOIA requests range from the individual emails of public officials to the presentations created by district administration.

“Most of the FOIA requests are against other board members,” said Chair Kathleen Brown. “We’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars of staff time. It has caused some problems.”

When applicable, Lannetti said, members of the board should ask things to the superintendent. Vice Chair Carolyn Weems, who has sat on the board for over two decades, said asking the superintendent and the administrative staff for information had been the usual protocol.

“It allows people not to take advantage of the system when fellow board members constantly FOIA other board members for just political fodder,” she said.

Board member Melinda Rogers said she was concerned such a directive could effectively bottleneck information. In many cases, she said, FOIA was a tool school leaders could turn to instead of an intrusive investigation.

“There’s so many moving parts,” Rogers said. “At times, we’re requesting information because staff are concerned about something and they don’t necessarily want the reasons revealed immediately.”

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CHESAPEAKE — Fire crews responded to a fire in the city’s Bowers Hill area early Wednesday afternoon.

Chesapeake Fire Department units arrived just before 12:30 p.m. following multiple calls reporting smoke and flames at a large construction facility near the 4000 block of South Military Highway, according to authorities. When crews arrived, they found a large mulch pile on fire with employees trying to extinguish it. Multiple hose lines were set up, according to a release.

Crews are working to contain the fires to protect nearby residences and properties, the fire department said.

No injuries have been reported. South Military Highway is closed temporarily near the site of the fire.

VIRGINIA BEACH — Teddy Riley, who produced major hits for Michael Jackson and a host of other music legends, is returning to Virginia Beach and plans to open a nonprofit performing arts academy.

“This plan here was a dream of mine,” said Riley, 59, in a phone interview from Texas, where he currently lives, on Friday. “To have my own academy, giving back to the kids, elevating their skills and showing them the way that I’ve made it today creating my own sound, my own movement.”

The self-taught producer pioneered new jack swing — a sound that melded together funk, gospel, jazz and rap. Riley produced Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” and “Now that we Found Love” by Heavy D and the Boyz.

Fans and friends along with what he described as a calling from God to “bless others,” helped persuade him to come back to Virginia Beach and provide a learning ground for young people with an interest in the music industry, he said.

Riley is building a team of instructors who will be experts in a variety of music genres. The academy will also offer training in the business side of music and video production, coding and finance. Students could range from elementary school age to 17, though details are still being worked out.

“I started out very young,” he said.

Some students will have the opportunity to work on projects for artists, Riley said.

He is moving to Virginia Beach this year and wants to open the academy next fall. The location is to be determined but he’s actively looking at several potential buildings that could house classrooms, studio space and more, he said.

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VIRGINIA BEACH — A new family-friendly festival is coming to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront this weekend. Virginia Beach Super Girl Surf Festival will be held Saturday through Monday from the First Street Jetty to Ninth Street.

It’s free to attend.

Super Girl will feature 2,000 women athletes participating in a wide range of sports on the beach including soccer, volleyball, flag football, skateboarding and surfing. It’s a World Surf League qualifying series, and some of the world’s best surfers will be competing.

Concerts will also be held throughout the weekend, along with fitness and wellness classes.

Super Girl began in 2007 to empower women and girls in sports and other lifestyle activities. It’s held annually in Oceanside, California, and Jacksonville, Florida. Organizers were looking to add another stop and chose Virginia Beach, in part, because of the available footprint.

“The canvas that we have to work with here is amazing,” said Rick Bratman, CEO of ASA Entertainment, which produces the festival, other action sports events, TV shows and online content.

The city is providing ASA with $750,000 from the Tourism Advertising Program fund and has signed a four-year contract with Super Girl.

Labor Day weekend is an important bookend for Virginia Beach’s tourist season, and the city needed an event to bolster the end of summer, said Erin Goldmeier, spokesperson for the city’s Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon left a void in 2021 when it left Virginia Beach after 20 years. City officials cited dwindling registration numbers as a factor in sunsetting the race. The American Music Festival, also held during Labor Day weekend, ended five years ago.

Now, Super Girl is promising to save the day. Bratman expects tens of thousands of people will turn out, based on past attendance in other cities.

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Jupiter Smyre’s got a new morning routine.

Ever since her parents signed her up to receive a free book every month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the 2-year-old has been checking the mail regularly looking for her new book. The Smyres signed up as soon as the program became available in Portsmouth in April, and it’s quickly become a treasured part of their family routine.

“She’s not quite old enough to understand that things are coming (in the future),” said Monique Smyre, Jupiter’s mother. “But she’s started to check the mail herself every day because she now knows that sometimes there’s something in the mail for her, and she knows that it’s a book.”

Smyre, 27, said she prefers Jupiter to read books rather than have screen time because it allows her to slow down and ask more questions rather than having things “flash by.”

“She actually is sucked in and focused, and she’ll make you go back to a page if she wanted to ask a question about something,” she said.

While Portsmouth recently gained its first partnership with the Imagination Library, Chesapeake’s only partnership ended in May after sending 139,257 books to more than 9,000 children, according to the Chesapeake Library Foundation’s website. Around 3,400 children were enrolled when it shut down.

“The program was much more popular than what we anticipated and the cost associated with it became unsustainable for (the library foundation),” said Jes Chatham, library director for the city of Chesapeake, adding that the costs were $5,000 to $6,000 per month when their partnership became inactive.

The Imagination Library works by partnering with local 501c3 nonprofits that raise money to fund monthly deliveries of age-appropriate books to children under 5 years old, regardless of household income.

The program, which has been shown to greatly increase learning outcomes in participating children, expanded dramatically across Virginia in recent years, growing from a presence in only 23 cities and counties in November 2020, according to data provided by QuickStart Children of Virginia, to operating in all but 13 localities as of Tuesday.

Among those localities without a local Imagination Library partner are Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and now Chesapeake. Combined, the three cities are the largest population center in the state without a local partner, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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The Battleship Wisconsin will be inaccessible to the public for three days next week as it undergoes repairs.

The historic ship will be moved about 5 feet away from the downtown Norfolk pier it’s been docked at for the last 25 years to allow crews to replace its marine fender, according to Nauticus, the maritime center which operates the venerable 82-year-old battleship as a museum. The repairs will be completed from Sept. 8-11.

As part of the project, crews will remove the pedestrian bridge leading to the ship and release the massive chains that secure it to the pier.

Nauticus is encouraging the public to use this period as a unique opportunity to see the downtown staple in a new light.

“This is a rare opportunity to see the Battleship Wisconsin in a way we haven’t experienced since she arrived at Nauticus more than 25 years ago,” said Stephen Kirkland, Executive Director of Nauticus. “Moving a ship of this size — even just a few feet — is an impressive undertaking, and this important maintenance work will help us continue to safely care for the Wisconsin and preserve the experience for generations to come.”

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A Virginia Beach judge found the city’s School Board in contempt for its failure to comply with a months-old order to nullify the disciplinary actions taken against three Kellam High School students in 2025.

“I apologize if it seems that the Court is somewhat taken aback by that, but I am,” Circuit Court Judge Stephen Mahan told attorneys for Virginia Beach School Board according to a transcript of the hearing. “I am astonished.”

Mahan ordered school officials in January to erase the disciplinary decisions against the students for alleged racial harassment in 2025. On Monday, attorneys representing the School Board told him that while the students’ virtual records have been deleted, physical copies of the students’ records remained unaltered.

By July, the disciplinary records remained untouched while attorneys for the school system, Brian Ettari and Melissa York, asked Mahan to delay the enforcement of his ruling – which he did not grant.

The school system’s Director of the Office for Student Leadership, Leann Turnbull, testified on Monday that she deleted the three students’ names in the school’s online database – so if someone were to request one of the students’ disciplinary records, the March 2025 incident would not show up.

But the school system also keeps physical copies of students’ discipline records. Turnbull said she retrieved the three students’ folders from Kellam High School and, without modifying the records to reflect Mahan’s ruling, placed the folders in a locked file cabinet in her office.

Ettari told Mahan he believed the School Board was in compliance with the order because the physical copies could not be accessed by anyone but a school administrator, and were effectively wiped from the students’ public disciplinary records.

“That doesn’t look like compliance to me,” Mahan said.

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A new prototype aircraft showcased its ability to take off and land over very short distances at Newport News/Williamsburg Airport this week, and city leaders said they hope to see the airport at the heart of air travel innovation.

Manassas-based Electra showcased its EL2 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft, which holds two passengers and uses eight propellors to take off and land over a distance as short as 150 feet. The demonstration was the first stop on a multi-airport tour of the technology in partnership with the Virginia Department of Aviation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to Electra Director of Public Strategy Parker Vascik, the shorter takeoffs and landings allow for more access points at airports than just standard runways, which can measure thousands of feet long.

“At Newport News, this is an opportunity to do that demonstration and in the future to show the commercial value of that at larger, more congested airports,” Vascik said.

Vascik added Newport News travelers could also reap some of the benefits, with quicker service to nearby hubs such as Richmond, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., for $60-120 aboard the ultra shorts.

The Peninsula airport, which has struggled to stay financially viable for years, is pivoting away from commercial flights, though. Mayor Phillip Jones announced in July 2025 the city had invested $4 million toward an effort to create an air commerce park there.

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VIRGINIA BEACH — Bobby Dyer, who has served as mayor of Virginia Beach since 2018 and on council since 2004, announced Wednesday he plans to run for a state Senate seat next year.

Dyer will seek the Republican nomination for District 22. His term as mayor ends in 2028, and he has previously said he would step down then.

Dyer, 76, has been frustrated with a number General Assembly issues that have affected Virginia Beach in recent years, prompting him to run for Senate, he said.

He cited proposed legislation Virginia Beach requested this year that would have authorized any Virginia locality to establish a temporary gun-free “pop up zone” with enhanced enforcement authority over things like occupancy, speed limits and curfews.

The bill stalled, and Dyer has said he believes the delay was a form of retribution because he and other Hampton Roads’ mayors had formally opposed legislation that would have taken away local control of municipal workers’ right to collectively bargain over wages, benefits and working conditions. Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed the collective bargaining bill in May.

Among his goals, Dyer wants to “build positive bridges,” he said, and reduce the local burden from state mandates.

“We need a voice in Richmond that has to remind people, let’s have the courtesy to talk to the municipalities,” Dyer said.

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Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center is surveying the Historic Triangle community this fall to better understand residents’ views on health equity and care access.

The survey is being distributed by the hospital’s Community Council, said Loren Smith, vice president of operations for Sentara Williamsburg. The 21-member committee was created to help hospital leaders understand public views on patient experience and health outcomes. It is made up of the hospital’s advisory board, which includes representatives from local nonprofits as well as faith-based and government agencies.

Questions for the survey were submitted by council members, a process led by the Rev. Fred Liggin, the pastor of Williamsburg Christian Church and co-founder of 3e Restoration. He also serves as chairperson for the committee.

It’s important for hospitals to not just care for their neighbors, but to also listen to them — “especially those whose voices have been historically marginalized, so every neighbor is seen and heard,” Liggin said in a news release.

The survey is seen as an opportunity to listen to and understand lived experiences in the community so that the hospital can be a healing place for everyone, Smith said.

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PORTSMOUTH — City Council members praised response efforts from Hampton Roads Sanitation District on a failed sewer main incident earlier this month that resulted in a spill of more than 3 million gallons of sewage.

A 30-inch sewer main broke around 6 p.m. Aug. 4 on Douglas Avenue near the intersection with Rolfe Terrace. An estimated 3.2 million gallons of wastewater spilled near the Port Norfolk area, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

HRSD’s Shawn Heselton briefed Portsmouth City Council members last week on the “herculean effort” to repair the pipe and begin clean-up efforts within 72 hours of the failure, with the assistance of Portsmouth Public Utilities, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Health and the Elizabeth River Project. Though the official root cause is still being analyzed, Heselton attributed the failure to internal corrosion, system stress and changes in pressure — all exacerbated by a heavy downpour that dropped as much as 6 inches of rain in a few hours, flooding parts of the region.

HRSD discovered a large hole in the top of the 1940s-era concrete pipe. Hours after failure of the pressurized sewer pipe, HRSD began clean-up efforts, which involved round-the-clock pumping and hauling of sewage from 30 trucks. HRSD crews were able to stop the flow of the sewage by early morning Aug. 5. Two sections of concrete sewer pipe needed to be replaced with PVC pipe.

The sewer line was turned back on Aug. 7. HRSD then installed a repair clamp to eliminate a slow leak from another crack that was discovered at the time.

“This is not an easy thing to deal with, and especially when you’re talking about people’s lives being upended and affected,” said Mayor Shannon Glover. “One of the things that sticks out to me in light of what happened is you all were still able to restore the service and make sure that people had what they needed. That’s a critical point.”

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The red light ticket in the mailbox didn’t make any sense to Williamsburg resident Heyward Drummond. In his 72 years, he’s never once been to Virginia Beach.

But a camera in the city notified him otherwise — twice.

The Virginia Beach Police Department’s PhotoSafe Program mailed Drummond two $50 tickets in late July and early August, claiming his truck drove through red lights on Virginia Beach Boulevard. Except the 2008 Ford Explorer in reference was sold, and the license plate was destroyed at a Williamsburg Department of Motor Vehicles 2½ years ago.

All of Drummond’s information on the tickets were correct, including his name and address, as well as the year, make and style of his old truck. But the license plate listed on both is wrong — it’s off by one letter — and the tickets include images of a car similar to a Dodge Charger.

Drummond noted other discrepancies, such as the personalized handicapped and armed forces license plate in the image.

“My plate had four letters, a dash then a number one. The plate that was cited is all one word with a one following those four letters,” Drummond said. “I can’t tell you why it picked my plate.”

Drummond went to the DMV in Gloucester with the first ticket, where he said the agency confirmed the violating plate is not tied to his vehicle record.

After contesting the tickets, Drummond received two notices of dismissals Thursday. The letters state that “no further action is required.”

Still**,** Drummond is concerned the misguided correlation is related to artificial intelligence and automation.

“I spent 40 years in the computer software industry, so I know how these things happen,” he said. “There isn’t a check and balance in the system.”

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CHESAPEAKE — Police say no charges will be filed at this time against a delivery driver who shot and killed a man who blocked his vehicle while making a delivery.

Kenneth Lee Baum Jr., 37, of Chesapeake, died after a shooting Tuesday afternoon in the 1300 block of Teresa Drive, a rural area of the city off Blackwater Road near Fentress.

Based on witness interviews and video evidence, police say a delivery driver was making a delivery on the street when Baum blocked his vehicle and a “verbal altercation” began. The altercation escalated when Baum physically assaulted the driver, police said.

During the altercation, Baum armed himself with an edged weapon and threatened the driver with serious bodily harm. The driver then shot Baum with his handgun. Police did not specify the edged weapon, but it was recovered at the scene.

The driver left the immediate scene and contacted police to report the incident, a news release states. He was not named.

The decision was made after consulting the Chesapeake Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, police said.