Newport News Now

Last year was another memorable time of growth, optimism, and perseverance in Newport News. While our primary focus continued to be mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we accomplished a great deal as a community. As we begin the first week of 2022, let’s look back and celebrate all that we achieved together in 2021.

The Peninsula Health District partnered with the City of Newport News, Newport News Public Schools, York County, York County Public Schools, Christopher Newport University (CNU), and Riverside Hospital System to open a mass vaccination clinic at CNU in January. Essential personnel were the first ones to get vaccinated, and the clinic later opened up to the public for vaccines according to phases. In the spring, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management took over the running of the clinic and it was moved to the former Sherwood Shopping Center. Anyone currently needing any of the vaccines or boosters can get them at the clinic, which is located at 13785 Warwick Boulevard. Appointments are recommended through vaccinate.virginia.gov, but walk-ins are also accepted.

Newport News Public Library (NNPL) enhanced its popular curbside pickup program that began in 2020. You can now text the branch once you’ve arrived to let them know you’re there to pick up holds. Utilizing the curbside pickup program is easy! Learn all of the details of this popular option for checking out items on the NNPL website.

Thanks to microchipping, the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter was able to reunite a dog and its owner after the dog had been missing for three years. Watch, or re-watch, the heartwarming video accompanying this article. And if you’re looking for a new furry friend, stop by the shelter at 5843 Jefferson Avenue or visit www.peninsulaanimalshelter.com to see all of their adoptable animals.

The city launched the Neighborhood Leadership Institute to help residents become influential leaders and agents of change in their neighborhood and in the broader community. While this institute was borne out of the efforts to redevelop portions of the Southeast Community though the city’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative and develop leaders from this neighborhood, the Neighborhood Leadership Institute is designed for all residents to empower and encourage them to become advocates for change and progress in Newport News. The next cohort starts in February. Learn more at www.newportnewschoice.com/nli.   Newport News Public Schools returned to in-person instruction on February 22. The Return to Learn Plan included a phased approach to resuming in-person instruction along with a hybrid schedule and some students remaining 100% virtual learners as selected by their families.  The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office held its first High Mileage Week last February. Residents with cars and motorcycles with 150,000 miles or more that were model years 2007 or newer could apply for a high mileage reduction on their assessment. Stay tuned to Newport News Now for details on this year’s High Mileage Week.

Newport News Public Library created the “We Stand for Justice” wall exhibit that paid tribute to the unsung heroes of Newport News who devoted their lives to fighting racial oppression through organized and peaceful resistance. These 36 men and women, spanning from the Antebellum Era to present, were integral to achieving racial justice in Newport News. Newport News Waterworks began the much-anticipated smart meter installation project in March. Over a two and a half year period, crews will upgrade more than 130,000 existing meters in Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, York County, and part of James City County to smart meters, which can communicate electronically, ending the need for someone to show up each month to read your meter and allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint. For more information on the smart meter project, including FAQs, a video, and interactive map of the schedule/progress, visit the Waterworks website.

Fans of comics got some good news in 2021. The Newport News Public Library added digital comics to its online collection. Thousands of different titles are available now – everything from DC and Marvel to manga and graphic novels.

The Newport News One City Marathon took place virtually in 2021 and offered the ability to earn more medals with a new Multi-Race Challenge. The marathon returns t­o in-person in 2022 and the weekend is bigger and better than ever! Marathon Weekend takes place March 4-6 with some changes and enhancements including race events both Saturday and Sunday, multi-race challenges, and two days of One City Celebrations! Register for the 2022 race at www.onecitymarathon.com. The 2021 General Assembly took action to move all local elections from May to November. In Newport News, this includes elections for Mayor, City Council, and School Board. These local elections will take place during the November general election beginning this year. The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office launched an online system for Newport News business owners to file and pay their business licenses and business-related taxes, making it easier to conduct business with the city. Business owners can access this online payment system at tax.nnva.gov. For information on important fee/tax filing dates and other resources, visit the Commissioner of the Revenue’s website.

In March, Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) and the Newport News Police Department launched a new school bus safety program, outfitting all NNPS buses with stop-arm cameras in partnership with BusPatrol. This program aims to reduce the number of drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus, sending notices of violation in the mail to those who do not stop as required. Entirely violator funded, this safety technology has been installed at zero cost to the school district, city, or taxpayers.  The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office now offers the option to pre-apply for a marriage license online. Applicants will still need to appear in person to complete the process, and selecting the date and time for the in-person appointment is part of the online application process.   Cox Communications generously donated four desktop computers to the Four Oaks Day Services Center. Individuals are able to use these new computers to research and apply for jobs and update their resume. Staff at the center also work with individuals to teach computer skills and offer support. Four Oaks provides a variety of wraparound services, including workforce development assistance, to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness gain self-sufficiency.  The Center is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is located at 7401 Warwick Boulevard.

The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter received a $30,000 grant from Petco Love to support the lifesaving work the shelter does for animals in the Hampton Roads area. The funds are being used to continue offering educational opportunities and programs that allow the shelter to further its goal of utilizing new and innovative lifesaving efforts and bring awareness of the challenges that exist relating to lost, stray, and community animals. The Hilton Area Neighborhood Plan, which was adopted in 1998, is now in the process of being updated. With community engagement an integral part of the process, a Citizens Advisory Committee, community meetings, surveys, focus groups, and more have taken place or been established already, with more to come in 2022. The 1997 Lee Hall Area Plan is also being updated, and an implementation plan for the Denbigh-Warwick Area is also underway. Details on all of these plans, updates and activities are available on the Planning Department’s website. In May, the Treasurer’s Office teamed up with the Virginia Department of Treasury and held the first Unclaimed Property event for Newport News residents. The call-in event helped citizens determine if they had missing money being held by the state. Almost 1,000 citizens called in and 592 callers found a total of $144,922.22. You don’t have to wait until the next call-in event to see if you have unclaimed property, just go online at any time to www.vamoneysearch.org to search for free.

Every month we highlight a different business in Newport News through our Business Now profile. Last year we introduced you to The Evergreen Workshop; Canvas Coffee House; Eagles Nest Learning Center; Michael Surveying & Mapping; BGR8 Fitness; Tomorrow’s Image; Juicing LIFE Bar & Cafe; Absolute Performance Cycles; Paperbacks Ink; Virginia Villains Clothing Company; and C.C. Carter Funeral Home. Look for more features of local businesses every month in Newport News Now.  The city and the Downtown Newport News Merchants and Neighbors Association, Inc. partnered to commemorate history during a weeklong celebration of Juneteenth. With giveaways, concerts, a flag raising ceremony, family game night, shows, festival, and more, the week offered something for everyone. This year’s celebration takes place June 12-19. Look for details in a future edition of Newport News Now.

indieDwell, an industry leader in the steel modular housing manufacturing sector, announced an investment of over $2 million to establish its first East Coast manufacturing facility in Newport News. The new facility and related administrative offices will occupy a portion of 520 21st Street and will create 220 jobs when fully operational.

In partnership with the Lee Hall Train Station Foundation, the city completed renovations to the historic Lee Hall Depot last spring. The restored 1881 train depot serves as a museum for the community and showcases period rooms outfitted to 1900. The depot, located at 9 Elmhurst Street, is open on Saturdays for tours, and more details are available at www.newportnewshistory.org.

The city’s Seafood Industrial Park was once again recognized by the Virginia Port Authority for its contribution and importance to Virginia’s commercial fishing and heavy marine industries. Newport News was awarded a grant of $563,129 from the Aid to Local Ports Grant Program for improvements to this city-owned facility. The funding is being used to refurbish and improve the West Bulkhead Terminal moorings and provide an improved offloading facility for locally harvested seafood. The Rotary Club of Warwick at City Center donated $1,000 to the Four Oaks Day Services Center to build a beauty salon. The Center has a barber shop staffed by volunteers, but did not have a beauty shop for female clients. Four Oaks partnered with Newport News YouthBuild to complete the project by renovating a room at the Center for the beauty shop, and the Heart of Giving provided equipment and supplies to set up the salon. Those interested in volunteering in the Salon or supporting Four Oaks can call 757-975-5200.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held in June for The Offices @ Two Five & J, a coworking space in the Southeast Community. The Offices @ Two Five & J serves as a business hub to encourage professional and entrepreneurial growth and success, networking, and idea sharing, while providing support services to small business owners and entrepreneurs at all stages of business development. Private and shared offices, dedicated desks, hot desks, and virtual offices are available to for-profit businesses in Newport News as well as Newport News residents actively establishing a business.

Also in June, the City of Newport News and the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority broke ground on the first phase of construction for the city’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI). The mixed-use development will feature apartments, townhomes and retail space and is a critical element in the revitalization of the city’s Southeast Community. The completed facility will include 75 apartments (one, two, and three bedroom) and six townhomes. Approximately 46% of the units will be reserved for individuals and families who were displaced by the demolition of the CNI targeted assisted apartments, which were subsidized by HUD. The remaining apartments will be rented at market rate. This development is part of Phase I of the city’s Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan.  Nonprofit organization Hampton Roads Urban Agriculture teamed up with Zion Baptist Church and other groups to create an urban garden on 20th Street in Newport News. The Urban Farm is a learning environment for visitors, volunteers, and community members of all ages. Guests gain hands on educational experiences while helping grow a variety of produce, 80% of which is given away.  We were again unable to host a large fireworks celebration for 4th of July in 2021. Instead we held a weeklong resident appreciation event where we gave out free outdoor recreation and patriotic-themed activity bags and yard signs; had food trucks out at some of our parks for visitors; offered free admission to our museums; and provided free activities at our parks. We hope to resume having in-person fireworks this year!

While the census took place in 2020, the city received the final report on the census data in 2021. The census shows that the Newport News population grew to 186,247, which is a 4% increase. Learn more about the 2020 Census results on the Census website.

The Newport News Police Department partnered with RapidSOS to help first responders be better prepared to help you in an emergency. Citizens can now voluntarily register and provide critical health related information that gets relayed to 911 dispatchers when you call for assistance. RapidSOS is a web-based tool that enables 911 dispatchers to access location and supplemental medical data, such as a significant medical or mental health condition, a communicable disease, allergies or any necessary or special medical equipment needs. Citizens create a profile on www.emergencyprofile.org that is associated with their cell phone number so that when they call 911, their information appears on a dispatcher’s screen. The information helps first responders with the critical data they need to better care for people in an emergency when they arrive on the scene. Last summer, the city launched the Community Assistance Response (CARE) program, an innovative program to provide initial crisis intervention services to those experiencing mental or behavioral health issues. When a call for service indicates a need for crisis intervention or other mental health supports, the Emergency Communications Center can dispatch the CARE team, which consists of a Newport News Fire Department paramedic and a qualified mental health provider from the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board. A partnership between the Newport News Fire Department, the Newport News Police Department and the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, the program works to help keep people with mental illness out of jail and get them on the path to support and recovery.

Energy is circulating in and around the newly established Yard District in the downtown area. With the name paying homage to the shipyard as well as invoking a backyard feel, the Yard District is emerging as the place for restaurants, entertainment, libations and events in the city’s downtown area. Look for additional eateries, events and more in 2022! Newport News launched an intensive research and branding initiative focused on discovering and defining the assets and qualities that make the city unique in the marketplace. Through this community-wide effort, the city will create a unified and authentic message and communications strategy that is relevant to the city’s current environment while also highlighting the city’s distinct attributes. To get involved and track the project’s progress, visit www.ShareNNVA.com. The public is also invited to visit Newport News Television’s YouTube page to view a video highlighting the project.

An official passport acceptance facility opened in Main Street Library in September. The center is authorized by the U.S. Department of State to accept and verify the documents needed to process passport applications. It is the first passport center in Newport News that is not located in a U.S. Post Office and the only site offering evening hours. Citizens who want to use the Main Street Library Passport Center must schedule an appointment by calling 757-591-4858. The hours of operation are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Newport News Public Schools launched its Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) last fall for high school students. The VLA goes beyond remote pandemic learning and is for 9th – 12th grade students who thrive in a virtual learning environment. High school courses in the VLA are a blend of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (independent) instruction led by NNPS teachers, and included English, math, science, history, electives and honors and Advanced Placement courses.   The State Corporation Commission in 2020 announced a new overlay area code (948) for the Hampton Roads region that will start being issued to new phone lines later this year. In preparation for the region having two area codes, the SCC recommended last fall that Hampton Roads residents start dialing phone numbers using all 10 digits. Once new phone lines are issued with the new area code, 10 digits dialing will be required. Current 757 phone numbers will not change and will remain 757 numbers. For more information, please visit the SCC’s website. Our community was left reeling after shootings at local high schools and other incidents in the city. Gun violence is a national issue, not just locally, and Newport News is addressing the problem head-on. In recent years, the city has invested $9 million in youth and gang violence prevention initiatives. Additionally, the city received two grants last year from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. The first is a $25,000 Youth and Gang Violence Community Assessment grant to conduct a comprehensive Gun Violence Community assessment based on the Cure Violence Model. This assessment will provide City Council and administration with important data that will help us develop successful gun violence intervention and prevention programs. The second one is a $500,000 grant, $125,000 of which will be distributed to qualified community-based organizations that present solutions to reduce gun violence by keeping youth and young adults from entering or reentering the cycle of violence. We are working with the Center for Crime, Equity, and Justice Research and Policy at Christopher Newport University to compile the community assessment and develop the Gun Violence Intervention Grant Program initiative.

Governor Ralph Northam was in town in September for a groundbreaking ceremony at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport for Aery Aviation, a full-service provider to the commercial and government aerospace industries. Aery is investing $15.3 million to expand its global headquarters in Newport News, constructing a new, 60,000-square-foot hangar facility with access to the airport runway and an engineering technology center to expand capabilities in maintenance and modification services for its clients. The project will create 211 new jobs.

The city and Newport News Shipbuilding unveiled a historical marker recognizing the former Hilton Village Trolley Roundabout in October, at the intersection of James River Drive and Villa Road. Newport News streets used to be bustling with activity from streetcars, and during World War I, electric streetcar service was extended to the newly built community of Hilton Village in the countryside of Warwick County. Street railway service was discontinued on the peninsula in 1946, and by 1950 all tracks had been removed. The asphalt loop, now used by automobiles, is a reminder of former times.

The Newport News Department of Human Services launched “On the Safe Side,” a campaign to educate parents, family members, caregivers, and the community about safe sleeping practices. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the cause for one out of three sudden unexpected infant deaths in the United States. Recent research also shows that unsafe bedding, such as soft or loose blankets in a baby’s sleep area, remains a leading cause of infant death. City Council and the Newport News School Board were given a presentation on the Master Plan for the Southeast Community Resource Area, to include a new Huntington Middle School. The plan for this seven-block area (between Orcutt and Wickham avenues and 28th and 36th streets) was developed with community input through stakeholder interviews, open houses, and a community survey, and also includes a community building that preserves the façade and cultural history of Huntington High, and contains a library, gym, community programming, pool, and waterpark; courts; amphitheater; and community garden. The vision for the area is that it will be a 21st century one-stop shop that supports all residents, educates the mind, body and spirit, and creates a distinctive community gathering place.

The Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center on the campus of Christopher Newport University opened to the public. Available for viewing through May 15, 2022, is Night Light, an exhilarating display of artwork that explores nature through the lens of technology and the innovative use of light. In addition to the Night Light exhibition, guests can enjoy other exciting work on display in the Torggler’s other public galleries. There is no admission charge; tickets are not needed to experience Night Light and other exhibits at the Torggler.

November is National Gratitude Month, and last year the City of Newport News launched an Attitude of Gratitude campaign to encourage residents to embrace the power of appreciation and give thanks. The campaign incorporated a variety of contests and activities to help residents join together to show appreciation for the people, businesses, organizations, and things that make our lives brighter, including daily inspirations on social media, weekly giveaways, free yard signs, a proclamation, videos, contests, posters, and more.

Each Newport News Fire Department (NNFD) medic unit and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) vehicle is now stocked with a “sensory bag” that contains items for patients to use to help reduce stress or assist in communicating with first responders. NNFD first responders often work with individuals experiencing extreme stress and emergencies often include loud noises and a chaotic environment, which can make communication with a patient difficult. These bags can provide a tool to assist in calming the patient’s fears and anxieties. The bags also contain a communication board with pictographs and an alphabet. Patients are offered a variety of objects, such as noise cancelling headphones or a stress ball when dealing with a sensory issue.

Fortunately, we were able to hold in-person holiday events in 2021! The Ferguson NlightN Holiday Event Series lasted from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day and and provided lights, music and seasonal fun throughout the city. We hope you were able to enjoy Celebration in Lights at Newport News Park, Lights at the Fountain at City Center, and the art and technology focused ARTech Lights at Brooks Crossing. Or perhaps you participated in the NlightN Holiday Tour by adding your outdoor light display to our interactive map so others can come by and enjoy your lights. We’re already looking forward to next year!