Local News (249)
By Leonard E. Colvin
Chief Reporter
New Journal and Guide
Bernard Griffin, 75, who served 12 years on Portsmouth City Council and was well known as one of the strongest ambassadors and promoters of his hometown, died in a Norfolk hospital May 9th from complications associated with a long-term illness.
SUFFOLK
Community Capacity Builders, LLC, a local minority and woman-owned SWAM, was selected to help launch a national diabetes prevention program in the state of Virginia. Community Capacity Builders, LLC will work alongside other organizations, civic groups, businesses and faith-based organizations to help curtail, or prevent the on-set of diabetes by focusing on lifestyle changes in those citizens who are pre-diabetic.
By Randy Singleton
Community Affairs Correspondent
New Journal and Guide
RICHMOND
Actor Delroy Lindo, famous for his many character roles in Spike Lee’s movies, delivered the 2013 commencement address to 328 graduates at Virginia Union University in Richmond on Saturday (May 11). Lindo was caped and awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities by VUU president Dr. Claude Perkins and Board of Trustees chairman Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson because of his positive contributions of the portrayal of African American life on film.
NORFOLK
Olympic gold medalist Francena McCorory will speak at the fifth annual Hampton Roads Conference for Girls and Young Women at Old Dominion University on Saturday, May 18.
By Randy Singleton
Community Affairs Correspondent
New Journal and Guide
VIRGINIA BEACH
More than 700 people attended a town hall meeting on Wednesday (May 1) organized by Virginia Beach City Councilman Bill DeSteph to hear residents’ concerns and complaints about the violence and disorderly conduct on the oceanfront caused by young people attending the College Beach Weekend (April 27-28).
The event, organized by unnamed marketing firms, targeted students at local colleges such as NSU, HU, ODU, Virginia State, VCU, and Virginia Union. The size of the crowd visiting the oceanfront grew, according to city officials, to between 30,000 to 40,000 people, fueled largely to social media. It is commonly believed the violence was caused by locals attracted to such events, not by visiting college students.
By Leonard E. Colvin
Chief Reporter
New Journal and Guide
Organizers of a new festival this summer at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront say they are not worried about any negative impact on the success of their event because of a recent weekend of mayhem involving college-age students along the Oceanfront.
Bruce Williams owns a marketing firm in Virginia Beach and is one of the key organizers of the Africana Virginia Beach Featuring FunkFest, slated for August 23-25 at a festival park along 25th Street on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
By Leonard E. Colvin
Chief Reporter
New Journal and Guide
Leaders of a grassroots effort to halt the implementation of tunnel tolls for travel between Portsmouth and Norfolk scored a major victory last week.
However, even as they were celebrating their victory, the private company charged with imposing the tolls was continuing its operations.
It announced that it would close a lane in the Midtown Tunnel over last weekend to install traffic sensors. Further, the company began dredging to clear the way for the construction of a new tunnel.
Less than a year after leaders launched their effort to stop a plan imposing tolls to build a new tunnel and maintain the existing one, a Portsmouth Circuit Court Judge declared it unconstitutional.
By Leonard E. Colvin
Chief Reporter
New Journal and Guide
In the next six months, between 175 to 200 inmates currently serving time at the Norfolk City Jail will be released after serving six or more months for various offenses. Seventy-five percent of them do not have any form of state-issued identification.
On Monday (May 6), the Norfolk City Jail launched a program to help these men and women secure a state issued I.D. – a tool they will need to overcome the biggest barriers toward staying out of jail and becoming productive.
May 15, 2013 · 6:30 pm - 8 pm
Virginia Beach
Participate in Virginia Beach's plan to preserve the urban forest. Learn what is in the works to improve the environmental, economic and social benefits of the city through the proper planting, maintenance and preservation of trees.
The city wants to 
hear your ideas on the future use of the Wythe School property at 200 Claremont Avenue, which includes tennis courts, a playground and two baseball fields. The school was built in 1909 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.