Nick McNamara

2 weeks ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Shannon Wolfe gets emotional talking about her adult son, Ian. Ian, 28, is autistic and his behavior can sometimes become extreme. It’s made finding day support programs in Suffolk difficult. Ian’s been discharged from programs before because of his behavior, sometimes leaving Wolfe and her husband, Bennie, little choice but to leave Ian home while they work. Shannon Wolfe said doing so strained Ian’s mental health.

3 weeks ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Dorothy West, a 1964 graduate of the Virginia State School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton, said the city’s demolition and sale of the campus still feels like an injustice. “After that school was sold, it felt like we were kind of killed, like they killed us,” she said. “Like we weren't worth anything.”Just 10 acres of pine grove and the school’s gateway remain. Hampton crafted ideas for the site with input from alumni and neighbors. The early plans are generating mixed emotions.

1 month ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Justin Burns, a special education teacher at Virginia Beach’s Newtown Elementary, worries that his students won’t get what they need if special education programs are removed from the U.S. Department of Education, especially if federal dollars are cut or delayed. “That type of strain is what's going to lead to the teacher burnout that we've been seeing, the shortage that we all know that's there,” he said.

1 month ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Williamsburg-James City County Schools selected a firm to craft a redistricting plan. The School Board awarded MGT Impact Solutions, a California-based planning and technology consultant, a contract of more than $150,000. The company has previously worked in the region, conducting a study into procurement disparities for Portsmouth Public Schools. MGT will create plans for all school levels, but WJCC’s focus is on its elementary schools. According to the division, many are at or over capacity.

1 month ago | whro.org | Nick McNamara

Hampton city council members met with city staff during a retreat this week to share their preliminary wishlists for the 2026 budget. Council’s input will be considered alongside ideas from residents in Hampton’s upcoming “I Value” budget meetings. City Manager Mary Bunting said the mix of priorities will help shape her budget recommendation in April. Bunting said this year’s budget is shaping up to be one of the tightest she’s had in years.