Nick McNamara

4 days ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Conversations on the prelude to the American Revolution are often carried by well-known hallmarks in U.S. history: The Battle of Bunker Hill; Lexington and Concord; Paul Revere’s ride. But revolutionary sentiment and organizing took root early in Virginia as well, making the then-colony the location of the first fighting outside of New England in the Battle of Hampton. A Hampton History Museum exhibit, opening Saturday, tells the tale of the Oct.

1 week ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

New solar farm regulations are a “good start” for a Suffolk farmer whose family and neighborhood became a case study for future solar development in the city. “With all the frustration that we’ve experienced and my neighbors have experienced, it’s good to see that anyone going forward may not have to go through this frustration,” Shane Alexander said during the Wednesday, June 18 city council meeting.

1 week ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project will pass a pair of milestones this fall. Mary, a nickname for the 430-foot-long machine boring the two new eastbound tunnels, is on track to make its second breakthrough in September. The machine completed boring the first tunnel last April and took more than five months to get turned around. The Virginia Department of Transportation also plans to route eastbound traffic onto a new section of the bridge.

2 weeks ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Hampton is holding off on banning camping, sleeping and storing personal items on public property for now. City Council on Wednesday postponed a vote until September 24. Mayor Jimmy Gray said that’s to update the proposed ordinance with input from residents, advocates and service providers working with people experiencing homelessness. The pause comes as Hampton is working with nearby localities on regional approaches to combatting homelessness.

2 weeks ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Archaeologists are racing sea level rise to preserve Jamestown’s yet-uncovered history. Their efforts to study the first permanent English settlement on the continent are being bolstered by an $8 million grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The money comes as a respite for the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, which lost $300,000 in federal funding cuts to support for environmental initiatives and flood resilience efforts.