Stegosaurus

NORFOLK, Va. — Thousands of people took to public transportation for the Norfolk Tides' home opener on the weekend of March 28.

Limited parking due to ongoing construction on the future Norfolk casino meant people walked, rode the ferry, or took the light rail. According to the Norfolk Tides, 22,000 attended the opening weekend games. Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) leaders say many of them used public transportation to get to and from the game.

"From our perspective, that first weekend went well as people get used to the new way of things," HRT communications manager Thomas Becher told 13News Now.

With significant parking changes due to ongoing construction at the future Norfolk casino site, the City of Norfolk, Hampton Roads Transit, and the Norfolk Tides teamed up to offer free parking and transportation all season long. More information on free and paid parking options is available here.

According to HRT's count, nearly 7,418 people took the Tide light rail on opening night. 2,360 arrived at or left Harbor Park Station; that’s compared to 5,169 riders on the same day last year.

Not to mention, there's the free ferry to and from Portsmouth.

Becher said, "The ferry was full. I think a lot of people took advantage of the free ferry, so that helped a lot."

441 people passed through the Harbor Park landing on opening night, according to HRT’s count. With the Tides back at home this weekend, Becher once again reminds fans to be patient and to plan ahead.

"Definitely look at all the options; there are so many options this year," he said. "I think it definitely took a week or so for people to get used to it, but we’re going to be there before the game, after the game, all season long."

For Sunday's Bark in the Park game, fans should be advised that dogs are allowed on the ferry, but not on the light rail, unless assisting someone with a disability.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23702847

Video Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/s/a2Aw0psfXd

Related news article: https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/portsmouth/i-c-norcom-track-athlete-accused-of-injuring-opponent-during-state-title-race

Video Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/s/a2Aw0psfXd

Related news article: https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/portsmouth/i-c-norcom-track-athlete-accused-of-injuring-opponent-during-state-title-race

Norfolk

Wisconsin hops supplier claims Armed Forces Brewing Company owes him almost $3K Armed Forces Brewing Company faces more allegations of unpaid debts as they shut down their Norfolk location. They have not answered several requests for comment.

Author: Brianna Fallon Published: 11:52 PM EDT March 10, 2025 Updated: 11:52 PM EDT March 10, 2025

NORFOLK, Va. — Another person is coming forward claiming Armed Forces Brewing Company owes them money.

The CEO announced last week that they're closing the Norfolk location because profits were affected by a "local woke mob."

But according to online SEC records, the company was operating in the red before even arriving to Norfolk.

On Friday, 13News Now spoke with a local vendor who said he was missing several payments for promos he made for the brewery.

But a supplier for a business based in Wisconsin has also come forward, saying that he's missing payments from the brewing company after shipping more than 200 pounds of hops for their beer.

Matt Miles produces hops on his family's farm in Wisconsin. A veteran himself, when he heard about Armed Forces Brewing Company's support for the military, he wanted to become a supplier.

"It was a pretty good gig," Miles said, "until this year."

Last Friday, Alan Beal, CEO of the brewing company, abruptly announced in a statement that they will be permanently closed in Norfolk.

Now, months after delivering almost 200 pounds of hops to the brewery, Miles said he's still waiting for his check.

"I've been calling them daily," Miles said, "I've been emailing, texting."

According to SEC filing, the company's operating expenses in Norfolk were over $1.6 million between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2024. However, during that same period, the business brought in less than $700,000 in revenue.

"I gave him the option to pay me or send the hops back if they can't afford to pay me," Miles said. "I've been ghosted ever since then."

13News Now contacted Armed Forces Brewing Company about these latest claims but haven't heard back. An invoice Miles sent to the brewery and shared with 13News Now says he is owed almost $3,000 for his January shipment.

In the statement announcing the brewery's closure and planned relocation, Beal said the business is leaving Norfolk after being "severely affected" by individuals who "spread outright lies about our company." He said this created a "toxic environment."

Stephanie Byrd, a Ghent resident who lives not far from the brewing company, said the recent claims surrounding the brewery are unfortunate, but that she believes the business started on the wrong foot in the community.

"And I think calling everyone a 'local woke mob' didn't do anything to help that fact at all," she said.

Regardless of how locals, vendors, or suppliers might feel about the business, Miles says he just wants to be paid what he is owed.

Owners of the commuter rail system Virginia Railway Express on Thursday signed off on a five-year, $155 million agreement to purchase the Manassas Line, allowing the system to enhance service reliability and provide control over stations and schedules between Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia.

The Manassas Line originates at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and goes to Broad Run in Prince William County.

The move will give the rail system ownership of Seminary Yard in Alexandria, allowing the system to enhance the existing freight rail yard and construct a midday storage facility. The ownership rights will also give VRE the Broad Run Corridor from Alexandria to Broad Run, the permanent easement to five station platforms and the permanent commuter rail operating easement along the Manassas Line.

On Thursday night, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock River Transportation Commission, co-partners of VRE, officially voted at separate meetings to authorize the VRE chief executive officer to execute a funding agreement with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA).

The agreement is part of VRE’s System Plan 2050 designed to help officials address the public’s changing travel patterns, including those of commuting office workers, which have shifted over the past decade. The plan is also focused on maximizing daily riders and expanding daily service offering non-peak and weekend service.

“This is a long-term investment towards the future,” said NVTC Vice Chair Sarah Bagley at the meeting. She also serves as chair of the VRE Operations Board.

The decision by the governing bodies comes after VPRA and Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to purchase the Manassas Line last summer. In its Manassas Line Funding Agreement with VPRA, VRE committed to a multi-year funding schedule in exchange for four railroad property interests along the Manassas Line.

The groups said the properties are “critical” to VRE’s current and future commuter rail operations.

The agreement does not identify the specific source or sources of funds for each scheduled payment. However, the deal does provide a general framework for the funding commitment.

Under the agreement, VRE is committing to contributing $155 million to VRPA in six approximately equal payments. The final payment is expected to be on July 10, 2029.

The NVTC board discussed that while the agreement appears to be an added cost, investing in acquiring the railroad properties will create savings by cutting back on the rising costs of storing rail cars and leasing the Manassas Line.

VRE Chief Financial Officer Mark Schofield said on Thursday having its storage yard could also allow the system to enable other operators to store their railcars.

“The property acquisition piece of this was not something that we had maybe contemplated a couple of years ago, but we are making a very positive trade in terms of the cost of the midday storage yard,” Schofield said on Thursday.

Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw added, “We can’t just pick up the railcars and move them to some other track. We’re captured (and) that’s always a challenging negotiation.”

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health was notified of a confirmed case of measles at Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday.

The confirmed case involved an individual returning from an international trip. Health officials are coordinating efforts to identify those who might have been exposed.

According to the VDH, the exposure happened in Terminal A on the transportation to the main terminal and in the baggage claim area between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Measles is described by the VDH as a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, people experience a fever greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms typically start seven to 14 days after being exposed.

The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start when a rash begins to appear on the face and spread to the rest of the body.

According to the VDH, people with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.

Additionally, the VDH provided recommendations for those who were at the above location at the specified date and time:

If you have not received a vaccine containing measles you may be at risk for developing measles
Anyone exposed or considered to be at risk should contact their health provider
Watch your symptoms until March 26 and if you develop symptoms immediately isolate yourself at home
Contact your health provider right away and call the office prior to going to the office or emergency room to notify them that you have been exposed to measles
Anyone with an immunocompromised condition should should consult with their healthcare provider if they have any questions or develop any symptoms
If you have received two doses of a vaccine containing measles or were born before 1957 you are protected and do not need to take action
If you have received only one dose of a vaccine containing measles you are likely to be protected and your risk from exposure is low
To achieve full immunity contact your healthcare provider about getting a second dose of the vaccine

If you have any questions about potential exposure, contact your healthcare provider or call VDH at (804) 363-2704.

NORFOLK, Va. — A controversial local brewery announced it is planning to relocate.

Armed Forces Brewing Company (AFBC) opened in Norfolk in 2024.

In a statement, the brewery told us it is closing its Norfolk location and "we had chosen Norfolk because of the large military and veteran community ... unfortunately our ability to profitably operate in Norfolk was severely impacted by a local woke mob."

The location used to house O'Connor Brewing before it closed in 2023. AFBC announced it would take over the space and have it be home to their headquarters and inaugural brewing facility.

However, multiple local civic leagues came out against the brewery's request for a conditional use permit due to AFBC shareholder and veteran Robert O’Neill sharing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric online, including calling members of the LGBTQ community "pedophiles."

Despite the opposition, Norfolk City Council ultimately approved the permits, allowing AFBC to operate.

In its statement announcing its relocation, AFBC CEO Alan Beal said the business was "severely affected" from "a few individuals" who "spread outright lies about our company, our employees, and our shareholders before we even opened our doors."

Beal said it created a "toxic environment" and that they would relocate to a "more pro-small business social and economic climate."

Beal also said, "In our situation, these actions have been so egregious that we plan to file criminal complaints in Virginia against some of the perpetrators and intend to assist with prosecuting them."

There is no word yet on where the brewery is considering relocating.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23529662

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23529644

A naturalized Hispanic man says he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were looking for another person on a deportation order, and now the man is questioning his vote for President Donald Trump.

Jensy Machado said he is a U.S. citizen and provided News4 documentation of his legal status.

Machado said he was driving to work Wednesday with two other men when he was stopped by ICE agents on Lomond Drive in Manassas, a short distance from his home. He said he was confused by what was happening, why agents surrounded the pickup truck.

“And they just got out of the car with the guns in their hands and say, turn off the car, give me the keys, open the window, you know,” Machado told Telemundo 44’s Rosbelis Quinoñez, who first reported his story. “Everything was really fast.”

He said the agents said the name of a man they were seeking for a deportation order, someone who had given Machado’s home address. Machado told them that wasn’t his name — he didn’t know anyone by that name — and offered to show them his real ID compliant Virginia driver’s license.

“They didn’t ask me for any ID,” Machado said. “I was telling the officer, if I can give him ID, but he said just keep my hands up, not moving. After that, he told me to get out of the car and put the handcuffs on me. And then he went to me and said how did I get into this country and if I was waiting for a court date or if I have any case. And I told him I was an American citizen, and he looked at his other partner like, you know, smiling, like saying, can you believe this guy? Because he asked the other guy, ‘Do you believe him?’”

Machado said he was uncuffed and immediately released after showing his driver’s license.

The two men with him were taken into custody. He does not know why.

Machado said the experience shook his faith in the immigration enforcement efforts of Trump, for whom he voted.

“Because, like I said, I was a Trump supporter,” he said. “I voted for Trump last election, but, because I thought it was going to be the things, you know, like, … just go against criminals, not every Hispanic looking, like, that they will assume that we are all illegals.”

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23529644

A naturalized Hispanic man says he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were looking for another person on a deportation order, and now the man is questioning his vote for President Donald Trump.

Jensy Machado said he is a U.S. citizen and provided News4 documentation of his legal status.

Machado said he was driving to work Wednesday with two other men when he was stopped by ICE agents on Lomond Drive in Manassas, a short distance from his home. He said he was confused by what was happening, why agents surrounded the pickup truck.

“And they just got out of the car with the guns in their hands and say, turn off the car, give me the keys, open the window, you know,” Machado told Telemundo 44’s Rosbelis Quinoñez, who first reported his story. “Everything was really fast.”

He said the agents said the name of a man they were seeking for a deportation order, someone who had given Machado’s home address. Machado told them that wasn’t his name — he didn’t know anyone by that name — and offered to show them his real ID compliant Virginia driver’s license.

“They didn’t ask me for any ID,” Machado said. “I was telling the officer, if I can give him ID, but he said just keep my hands up, not moving. After that, he told me to get out of the car and put the handcuffs on me. And then he went to me and said how did I get into this country and if I was waiting for a court date or if I have any case. And I told him I was an American citizen, and he looked at his other partner like, you know, smiling, like saying, can you believe this guy? Because he asked the other guy, ‘Do you believe him?’”

Machado said he was uncuffed and immediately released after showing his driver’s license.

The two men with him were taken into custody. He does not know why.

Machado said the experience shook his faith in the immigration enforcement efforts of Trump, for whom he voted.

“Because, like I said, I was a Trump supporter,” he said. “I voted for Trump last election, but, because I thought it was going to be the things, you know, like, … just go against criminals, not every Hispanic looking, like, that they will assume that we are all illegals.”

A naturalized Hispanic man says he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were looking for another person on a deportation order, and now the man is questioning his vote for President Donald Trump.

Jensy Machado said he is a U.S. citizen and provided News4 documentation of his legal status.

Machado said he was driving to work Wednesday with two other men when he was stopped by ICE agents on Lomond Drive in Manassas, a short distance from his home. He said he was confused by what was happening, why agents surrounded the pickup truck.

“And they just got out of the car with the guns in their hands and say, turn off the car, give me the keys, open the window, you know,” Machado told Telemundo 44’s Rosbelis Quinoñez, who first reported his story. “Everything was really fast.”

He said the agents said the name of a man they were seeking for a deportation order, someone who had given Machado’s home address. Machado told them that wasn’t his name — he didn’t know anyone by that name — and offered to show them his real ID compliant Virginia driver’s license.

“They didn’t ask me for any ID,” Machado said. “I was telling the officer, if I can give him ID, but he said just keep my hands up, not moving. After that, he told me to get out of the car and put the handcuffs on me. And then he went to me and said how did I get into this country and if I was waiting for a court date or if I have any case. And I told him I was an American citizen, and he looked at his other partner like, you know, smiling, like saying, can you believe this guy? Because he asked the other guy, ‘Do you believe him?’”

Machado said he was uncuffed and immediately released after showing his driver’s license.

The two men with him were taken into custody. He does not know why.

Machado said the experience shook his faith in the immigration enforcement efforts of Trump, for whom he voted.

“Because, like I said, I was a Trump supporter,” he said. “I voted for Trump last election, but, because I thought it was going to be the things, you know, like, … just go against criminals, not every Hispanic looking, like, that they will assume that we are all illegals.”

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23455032

"It broke my heart," retired Army Staff Sergeant Alexzandria Hunt said. "It made me feel like nothing, like I didn't matter, like I was just a number." Author: Hannah Eason Amado Published: 11:25 AM EST March 5, 2025 Updated: 12:15 PM EST March 5, 2025

HAMPTON, Va. — When a storm blanketed Hampton Roads with a foot of snow last month, retired Army Staff Sergeant Alexzandria "Alex" Hunt says she stayed a little later during her shift at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

She ensured hospice patients had extra diapers, oxygen tanks were squared away and departments were properly stocked with batteries. She says she volunteered to work extra hours simply because they were short staffed.

But on Feb. 25, she was notified that she was terminated from her position based on her work performance.

"I broke down right then and there," said Hunt, who was a supply technician. "I was blindsided."

Hunt was fired as part of the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce. So far, the Department of Veterans Affairs has cut approximately 2,400 employees. The VA stated that the layoffs primarily affected probationary employees with less than two years of service and could include “DEI-related positions.”

Congressman Bobby Scott brought Hunt as his special guest to President Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night.

Hunt said she gives 100% toward her career, particularly regarding the military and caring for others. Her supervisor told her that she was doing an amazing job, and other staff members said the same thing, she said.

"It broke my heart," Hunt said. "It made me feel like nothing, like I didn't matter, like I was just a number."

Hunt says she was passionate about her work, and her "staff sergeant" nature made her passionate about taking care of soldiers and equipment.

She said one of the hardest parts was explaining to her patients that she wouldn't be returning, especially those who aren't able to see family very often.

"You get to a first name basis and then they feel comfortable opening up to you. By firing us, you take that away from them as well," Hunt said.

RELATED: Defense Department layoffs would significantly impact Virginia veterans, Rep. Kiggans says

Hunt said the relationships she built with older veterans can be difficult to earn. But once that trust was built, it became much easier to communicate with them.

"We all still work together as a team to give them the best, utmost care because they deserve that," Hunt said. "We brighten their days, and then to have that just taken away."

"How do you think the vets feel as well? They're heartbroken just as we are."

Hunt said other individuals at the Hampton VA were fired, including one colleague who recently became inventory manager, a career switch that allowed him to spend more time with his family.

"It broke my heart," retired Army Staff Sergeant Alexzandria Hunt said. "It made me feel like nothing, like I didn't matter, like I was just a number." Author: Hannah Eason Amado Published: 11:25 AM EST March 5, 2025 Updated: 12:15 PM EST March 5, 2025

HAMPTON, Va. — When a storm blanketed Hampton Roads with a foot of snow last month, retired Army Staff Sergeant Alexzandria "Alex" Hunt says she stayed a little later during her shift at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

She ensured hospice patients had extra diapers, oxygen tanks were squared away and departments were properly stocked with batteries. She says she volunteered to work extra hours simply because they were short staffed.

But on Feb. 25, she was notified that she was terminated from her position based on her work performance.

"I broke down right then and there," said Hunt, who was a supply technician. "I was blindsided."

Hunt was fired as part of the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce. So far, the Department of Veterans Affairs has cut approximately 2,400 employees. The VA stated that the layoffs primarily affected probationary employees with less than two years of service and could include “DEI-related positions.”

Congressman Bobby Scott brought Hunt as his special guest to President Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night.

Hunt said she gives 100% toward her career, particularly regarding the military and caring for others. Her supervisor told her that she was doing an amazing job, and other staff members said the same thing, she said.

"It broke my heart," Hunt said. "It made me feel like nothing, like I didn't matter, like I was just a number."

Hunt says she was passionate about her work, and her "staff sergeant" nature made her passionate about taking care of soldiers and equipment.

She said one of the hardest parts was explaining to her patients that she wouldn't be returning, especially those who aren't able to see family very often.

"You get to a first name basis and then they feel comfortable opening up to you. By firing us, you take that away from them as well," Hunt said.

RELATED: Defense Department layoffs would significantly impact Virginia veterans, Rep. Kiggans says

Hunt said the relationships she built with older veterans can be difficult to earn. But once that trust was built, it became much easier to communicate with them.

"We all still work together as a team to give them the best, utmost care because they deserve that," Hunt said. "We brighten their days, and then to have that just taken away."

"How do you think the vets feel as well? They're heartbroken just as we are."

Hunt said other individuals at the Hampton VA were fired, including one colleague who recently became inventory manager, a career switch that allowed him to spend more time with his family.