2+ week, 1+ day ago (707+ words) A previous editor of The Virginia Gazette who honed the skills of numerous journalists during his career died earlier this month. Graham "Rusty" Carter Jr. died Nov. 6 from complications from an illness. He was 63. Carter, a native of Portsmouth and an Old Dominion University graduate, spent 28 years at The Gazette before his departure in 2015. He got his start covering high school football games for The Virginian-Pilot before becoming sports editor for the Suffolk News Herald, then moved to The Gazette to become its sports editor in 1987. He rose from sports editor to assistant editor before being named editor by then-publisher William O'Donovan in 2004. "Rusty was an icon at the Gazette, a serene force in the chaos of newsroom pressures," O'Donovan said earlier this week. "He learned from his sports writing that accuracy lies in the details. He broke important stories…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (25+ words) Amani Hansberry and Neoklis Avdalas led a dominant scoring effort for the Hokies" starters, who poured in a combined 63 points. More in College Sports...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (143+ words) Longtime incumbent Rob Bloxom, Jr., 62, is poised to win the House District 100 race. Bloxom, a Republican, faced a challenge from Liz Richardson, 34, a Democrat. He has served in the House of ... Longtime incumbent Rob Bloxom, Jr., 62, is poised to win the House District 100 race. Bloxom, a Republican, faced a challenge from Liz Richardson, 34, a Democrat. He has served in the House of Delegates since 2014. The district encompasses portions of Virginia Beach as well as Accomack County and Northampton County on the Eastern Shore. While an official call has not been made, voting results on Tuesday night showed Bloxom receiving about 53% of the district's votes as of 11:30 p.m. His term will be for two years. Bloxom, a business owner, said his top priority is to make Virginia's government effective and efficient....

1+ week, 12+ hour ago (265+ words) NEW KENT " New Kent County celebrated an increase in tourism spending to more than $240 million in 2024 during a record-breaking year for tourism in the Richmond area. Richmond Region Tourism President and CEO Katherine O'Donnell said about 18.3 million people visited the Richmond area in 2024, a 2.2% increase over 2023. New Kent benefited from the visitor boom, she told the county's Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12. "In New Kent County, you had a great year in 2024," O'Donnell said. Visitor spending rose by 4.9% to $240.4 million last year. Tourism generated $11.4 million in local taxes and supported 2,407 jobs, equating to $78.7 million in wages. Richmond Region Tourism experimented in new markets such as Bermuda after non-stop flights were launched between Richmond and the island in February. Mobile billboards were wrapped around Uber and Lyft cars in Washington D.C. to highlight Richmond and the surrounding areas as a destination. O'Donnell…...

12+ hour, 51+ min ago (713+ words) In 1920, prohibition was enacted. The 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was ratified. The country was still on the gold standard. And the First World War had ended just two years earlier. Sliced bread wasn't commercially sold until 1928. On Dec. 1 of 1920 " a month after Warren G. Harding was elected president of the United States " Elizabeth Barrett was born. "How old are you turning?" one of her eight children playfully asked recently. "Oh, I don't know," Barrett, who to close friends and family goes by "Betty," said with a chuckle. Barrett served as a flight instructor in World War II. She and her late husband, also a veteran of that war as well as Korea and was in the reserves in Vietnam, built a number of homes and later managed a racquetball club in Virginia Beach. Much later in life, she…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (264+ words) Firearm injuries'are down 12% and homicides'have decreased by nearly 9% in Virginia over the past five'years, but suicides using firearms are on the rise, according to data the Virginia Department of Health presented Wednesday. Members of the Virginia State Crime Commission gathered in Richmond to hear from department officials and Virginia State Police on data related to gun violence. Firearm injuries that were recorded in emergency departments in the state decreased 12% from 2020 to 2024, said Lauren Yerkes, senior epidemiologist for injury and violence with the Department of Health. Injuries peaked in 2021, when 2,818 firearm-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms. In these five years, the cost of these injuries and hospitalizations'to patients in Virginia was $737 million, or about $148 million per year. For suicides, Virginia Beach ranked second in the state for the number of people who died using a firearm, with an average of…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (40+ words) Among Tech's visitors Saturday were Denbigh High quarterback Kevin Parker, Tabb offensive lineman Tyler Maddock, both class of 2027, and at least a handful of 2026 players who had previously committed to Franklin at Penn State. More in Sports Columnists...

6+ day, 22+ hour ago (584+ words) James Madison's women beat Virginia Tech 65-56 Sunday in Harrisonburg, finishing on a 12-1 run after trailing 55-53 with 3:36 remaining. Before 3,320 fans inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center, the Dukes (4-3) held the Hokies (5-1) to one field goal on their final seven attempts. JMU outrebounded Virginia Tech 47-27. JMU's Peyton McDaniel finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Graduate student Ashanti Barnes, from Lake Taylor High, tied her career high with 16 rebounds and registered 14 points. Zakiya Stephenson, from Princess Anne High, had seven points and two steals. Virginia Tech's Carleigh Wenzel led all players with 20 points. Howard 64, William & Mary 53: The Tribe (1-4) lost to the Bison (6-1) in Washington, though W&M's Cassidy Geddes posted her first college double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Monet Dance had 12 points. W&M outrebounded Howard 40-32 but was hurt by 22 turnovers. Howard's Zennia Thomas had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Richmond 69, Navy 56: Maggie Doogan posted…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (157+ words) Starting as early as Dec. 1, a portion of the Virginia Capital Trail will be closed for construction. The Virginia Department of Transportation is scheduled to implement a multiweek closure to replace the deck and substructure of the bridge between mile markers 3 and 4 along the Jamestown leg of the 52-mile trail, according to a release. Crews are scheduled to close the trail along John Tyler Highway from just east of Governor's Landing Road to Heritage Landing Road for two to three weeks, according to VDOT. The work is weather dependent and could change. As part of the bridge deck replacement, crews will install new composite decking boards with added texture to improve friction for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, the release states. The Capital Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian shared-use trail that connects Jamestown to downtown Richmond. A planned…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (275+ words) Stephen Edwards, the CEO of the Port of Virginia, will leave his post at the end of the year for a job in the private sector. Edwards" tenure began in January 2021." He is credited with overseeing significant growth at the port during an uncertain period for the industry. Since 2020, the POV has seen a 25% growth in containers " more than any other U.S. port " has seen a 53% increase in operating revenues and has reduced lost workdays to safety issues by 43%, according to the port"s data. Among his accomplishments are renegotiating the lease for the Virginia International Gateway container terminal and making the port 100% reliant on clean energy sources in 2024, eight years ahead of the original target. John W. "Bill" Kirk III, chairman of the Virginia Port Authority"s Board of Commissioners, said Edwards positioned Virginia for "continued success." "We cannot overstate the…...