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WHRO Public Media

@whropublicmedia.bsky.social

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WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6h

Tonight's candidate forum was a success!! 🙌🏽

Catch us again on Oct. 15 for our Williamsburg-area candidate forum featuring candidates for the 69th and 71st House of Delegates districts. ✅

More info here: tinyurl.com/79em37e2

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 9h

LIVE: WHRO and media partner Williamsburg Watch are holding a candidate forum for James City County candidates tonight at 6 p.m. at the Williamsburg Regional Library.

You can watch the event live here: tinyurl.com/2rb8dduh

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 13h

Pageant contestants in dazzling ballgowns and glittery makeup parade around the stage, showing off their sunny smiles, beautiful voices and favorite ways to eat human flesh.

"The Great Filipino American ASWANG Pageant" debuts these glamorous monsters at Old Dominion University on Thursday.

'Great Filipino American ASWANG Pageant' combines folklore, fiends and fun

The production, which debuts on Thursday, Oct. 9, uses the Filipino mythical being, the aswang, to explore real issues of identity and assimilation.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 15h

Virginia’s Department of Energy has launched Energy Connect, an online platform designed to help residents and businesses find incentives for clean energy and efficiency upgrades.

Virginia energy department launches tool to help customers cut electric bills

The goal is to help Virginians access energy incentives, some of which expire soon after cuts by the Trump administration.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 18h

Local economists say the region’s growth continues to trail cities like Jacksonville and Raleigh.

They cite a housing shortage, inflation and new federal policies on trade and immigration as key factors slowing progress.

The Hampton Roads economy has grown since the pandemic, but recent federal changes likely will slow things down, ODU report says

The 2025 State of the Region report discusses how the region’s dependence on the federal government is a strength and weakness.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 1d

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he is creating a new barracks task force that will review and approve a plan for housing junior enlisted troops, typically called unaccompanied housing.

The Secretary of Defense announces new barracks initiative during Oceana ceremony

Pete Hegseth presided over an enlistment ceremony for 60 new recruits at the Virginia Beach base.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 1d

Fort Monroe is launching a “once-in-a-century” planning effort to guide the future of the historic national monument in Hampton while honoring its complex past.

Four renowned landscape architecture firms are finalists to lead the year-long project, which will include significant public input.

Leading landscape architecture firms compete to envision ‘a new Fort Monroe’

Four firms, with portfolios including the Berlin Holocaust Memorial and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will discuss their design philosophies at upcoming talk.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 1d

The tax credits that help more than 300,000 Virginians afford health insurance will expire at the end of this year, unless Congress renews them.

Without these subsidies, premiums could more than double, forcing many in Virginia to drop coverage or change jobs to find employer insurance.

Thousands of Virginians could lose health coverage as ACA tax credits near expiration

The Affordable Care Act subsidies expanded under the American Rescue Plan made coverage more affordable during the pandemic. They’re set to expire at the end of 2025.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 2d

A new booklet that helps people discover Black history in Hampton Roads is available at welcome and visitors centers.

“A Trail of Trials and Triumphs: Unveiling Black History in Hampton Roads” suggests tours of historical sites and organizes the stops in the best order for the day.

A new book encourages visiting where Black history was made in Hampton Roads

“A Trail of Trials and Triumphs: Unveiling Black History in Hampton Roads” showcases sites across the region.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 2d

Sharon Creekmore Mosley and Dion Mosley earned the farmer of the year award from the Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program.

‘The plants are like the kids’: Virginia Beach family farm recognized for expansion, business

Sharon Creekmore Mosley and Dion Mosley earned the farmer of the year award from the Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 2d

The federal government shutdown is raising concerns about food insecurity in Hampton Roads, where roughly 10% of residents are connected to the federal government.

Military families are especially vulnerable, with a quarter experiencing food insecurity, according to federal data.

Food insecurity is already at record levels in Hampton Roads. The shutdown could make it worse.

Military families already are more likely to need food aid than civilians. Local foodbanks and pantries expect a surge of demand.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 2d

President Donald Trump addressed more than 10,000 sailors at Naval Station Norfolk during an event marking the Navy’s 250th anniversary.

He told the sailors that they will eventually be paid, despite the government shutdown.

Read more here: tinyurl.com/ms9wh69k

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 5d

AUDIO: Officials on the Outer Banks are starting to clean up the mess from eight homes that collapsed during strong waves this week.

All of the stilted houses were unoccupied and within sight of each other in Buxton.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 5d

When a Williamsburg couple couldn’t find the kind of primary care they believed in, they built it themselves.

They now run a direct care clinic where the doctor–patient relationship is built on trust.

In a system built on speed, this couple is slowing medicine down

Amid Medicaid cuts and staffing shortages, more physicians are shifting to direct primary care, a model that bypasses insurance to give patients more time with their doctors.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 5d

The White House confirmed that an event honoring the 250th Anniversary of the Navy is scheduled to go ahead Sunday.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan are expected. Sources including the Washington Post say President Donald Trump is also scheduled to attend.

Top Trump administration officials are expected in Norfolk Sunday

The event honoring the 250 anniversary of the Navy is happening at Naval Station Norfolk, despite the government shutdown.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 5d

Hampton Roads’ rising housing costs are squeezing more residents and stalling the region’s economy. To address the shortage, Virginia launched a $75 million workforce housing program, with Suffolk among the first recipients.

Former Suffolk peanut plant-turned-apartment will expand options for middle-income residents

The second phase of work at Peanut Crossing will create 90 units of income-restricted housing

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 5d

Researchers at William & Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology found ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay are declining in saltier areas like Hampton Roads, while populations in fresher waters are faring better.

Massive new study says ospreys are thriving in some parts of the Chesapeake Bay – but not enough

Saltier regions of the bay, such as Hampton Roads, are expected to see the biggest osprey declines.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6d

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6d

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6d

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6d

President Donald Trump’s recent move to raise H-1B petition fees to $100,000 has sparked confusion and panic.

We've analyzed data from visa approvals to gauge exactly who in Virginia would feel the brunt of the new fees.

Read our full coverage here: tinyurl.com/jnr6sz5u

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6d

Virginia has released its updated Wildlife Action Plan, which lists 1,921 vulnerable species — more than double the 2015 count. It now also includes plants, marine animals and many more invertebrates.

Read more here: tinyurl.com/5anaa695

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 6d

Starting this week, the new Naval Support Activity Portsmouth will run the staff and support facilities attached to Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

The Navy creates a new command at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to speed up maintenance

Naval Support Activity Portsmouth is part of an ongoing effort to tackle backlogs.

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 7d

The Neptune Festival's boardwalk weekend may be over, but the artistry lives on.

The International Sand Sculpting Championship is still open at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront now through Sunday.

WHRO News Digital Producer Alexis Mitchell has the details!

WHRO Public Media @whropublicmedia.bsky.social · 7d

Roughly 40% of Hampton Roads’ economy is tied to the federal government, meaning a prolonged shutdown could cause hundreds of millions of dollars in local losses.

Hampton Roads braces for impacts from the government shutdown

The region’s large military and federal presence mean the local economy will take a hit.