Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Virginia Beach Local Pulse: Chilly Days, Mental Health Support, and Community Cleanup
Published 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Good morning, this is Virginia Beach Local Pulse for Thursday, December eleventh, and we are glad you are with us.
We start with what is shaping our day. Our weather stays chilly but a touch milder than earlier in the week, with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s along the Oceanfront and Town Center. According to News 3’s First Warning Forecast, skies stay mostly clear, so we can expect dry roads on Shore Drive, General Booth, and around Lynnhaven Parkway, but we will want a jacket if we are out at the boardwalk later today. A cold night follows, then a gradual warmup heading into the weekend.
At City Hall, council and staff continue to focus on budget planning and infrastructure, including ongoing work around the resort area and stormwater upgrades in neighborhoods off Independence Boulevard and Holland Road. These decisions affect how quickly our streets drain after heavy rain and what kind of support we see for parks, libraries, and public safety in our daily lives.
For our schools, Virginia Beach City Public Schools just announced a new mental health support initiative. According to a release from the division, middle and high school students, about thirty five thousand of them across twenty seven schools, now have access to on demand teletherapy and 24 seven crisis support through a partnership with Uwill. This means our teens at places like Cox, Salem, and Green Run can connect with licensed counselors at no cost to families, even during evenings and school breaks.
On the job front, regional postings show steady demand in health care, hospitality, and defense related work, with hundreds of openings across the city, especially near the Oceanfront, Town Center, and around the Naval Air Station. Hourly service jobs are generally starting in the mid teens, while specialized roles in tech and ship support are often listing salaries in the seventy to ninety thousand dollar range. In real estate, local agents report that the median home price around Virginia Beach is holding near the mid four hundreds, with condos at the Oceanfront and single family homes in Kempsville and Red Mill moving fastest when they are priced right and well maintained.
Looking ahead, we have a full slate of community events. Holiday lights are drawing families to the boardwalk, with cars lining up along Atlantic Avenue after dark. Local venues at Town Center are hosting live music sets through the weekend, with smaller bands playing at restaurants along Virginia Beach Boulevard and Market Street. Recreation centers on Rosemont Road and Birdneck Road are promoting winter camps and sports sign ups, giving our kids and grandkids a chance to stay active.
A quick sports note close to home. High school winter seasons are underway, and several Virginia Beach basketball teams have opened with strong wins this week, while local wrestling and swimming squads are starting to post early qualifying times for regional meets.
On public safety, police report a relatively routine past 24 hours, with no major citywide emergencies. Officers respond to a handful of vehicle break ins in neighborhoods off Lynnhaven Parkway and Princess Anne Road, and they remind us to lock our cars, remove valuables from view, and leave porch lights on at night. Investigations continue into earlier cases, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Crime Line. We stay mindful but grateful that overall, it has been a calm stretch.
For a feel good story this morning, volunteers gathered near Mount Trashmore and along Shore Drive to collect trash from trails and park areas, filling bags with debris before it could reach our waterways. Families, students, and retirees worked side by side, reminding us that small acts really do keep our city beautiful.
Thank you for tuning in and spending part of your morning with us. Remember to subscribe so you never miss our daily ch
We start with what is shaping our day. Our weather stays chilly but a touch milder than earlier in the week, with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s along the Oceanfront and Town Center. According to News 3’s First Warning Forecast, skies stay mostly clear, so we can expect dry roads on Shore Drive, General Booth, and around Lynnhaven Parkway, but we will want a jacket if we are out at the boardwalk later today. A cold night follows, then a gradual warmup heading into the weekend.
At City Hall, council and staff continue to focus on budget planning and infrastructure, including ongoing work around the resort area and stormwater upgrades in neighborhoods off Independence Boulevard and Holland Road. These decisions affect how quickly our streets drain after heavy rain and what kind of support we see for parks, libraries, and public safety in our daily lives.
For our schools, Virginia Beach City Public Schools just announced a new mental health support initiative. According to a release from the division, middle and high school students, about thirty five thousand of them across twenty seven schools, now have access to on demand teletherapy and 24 seven crisis support through a partnership with Uwill. This means our teens at places like Cox, Salem, and Green Run can connect with licensed counselors at no cost to families, even during evenings and school breaks.
On the job front, regional postings show steady demand in health care, hospitality, and defense related work, with hundreds of openings across the city, especially near the Oceanfront, Town Center, and around the Naval Air Station. Hourly service jobs are generally starting in the mid teens, while specialized roles in tech and ship support are often listing salaries in the seventy to ninety thousand dollar range. In real estate, local agents report that the median home price around Virginia Beach is holding near the mid four hundreds, with condos at the Oceanfront and single family homes in Kempsville and Red Mill moving fastest when they are priced right and well maintained.
Looking ahead, we have a full slate of community events. Holiday lights are drawing families to the boardwalk, with cars lining up along Atlantic Avenue after dark. Local venues at Town Center are hosting live music sets through the weekend, with smaller bands playing at restaurants along Virginia Beach Boulevard and Market Street. Recreation centers on Rosemont Road and Birdneck Road are promoting winter camps and sports sign ups, giving our kids and grandkids a chance to stay active.
A quick sports note close to home. High school winter seasons are underway, and several Virginia Beach basketball teams have opened with strong wins this week, while local wrestling and swimming squads are starting to post early qualifying times for regional meets.
On public safety, police report a relatively routine past 24 hours, with no major citywide emergencies. Officers respond to a handful of vehicle break ins in neighborhoods off Lynnhaven Parkway and Princess Anne Road, and they remind us to lock our cars, remove valuables from view, and leave porch lights on at night. Investigations continue into earlier cases, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Crime Line. We stay mindful but grateful that overall, it has been a calm stretch.
For a feel good story this morning, volunteers gathered near Mount Trashmore and along Shore Drive to collect trash from trails and park areas, filling bags with debris before it could reach our waterways. Families, students, and retirees worked side by side, reminding us that small acts really do keep our city beautiful.
Thank you for tuning in and spending part of your morning with us. Remember to subscribe so you never miss our daily ch