Category: Media Coverage

OUTLET: WAVY

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) – Many people in Hampton Roads adopted new ways of life during the pandemic, including grocery delivery. One local company has become pretty popular for their fresh produce delivery.

They call themselves “veggie fairies,” because they collect the fresh locally grown produce your family picks out and then drop it right on your doorstep.

Kerry Schiffer has been a veggie fairy for about a year, and early on Thursday mornings she meets near Pembroke Mall to pick up her orders. (more…)

OUTLET: The Peninsula Chronicle

HAMPTON—A box truck rolls into Riverdale Shopping Center off of West Mercury Boulevard precisely at 7:00 am after making an earlier delivery to Williamsburg. Cars and pickup trucks start to pull in shortly after, brimming with cardboard boxes emblazoned with the phrase “DIRT TO DOORSTEP” on them. People wearing distinctive Seasonal Roots t-shirts methodically unpack the boxes and stack them neatly by the truck.

“We reuse the boxes to be eco-friendly,” said Tami Farinholt, Area Manager for Seasonal Roots in the Hampton/Newport News Area. “If a box is stained with strawberry juice or something, we still collect them and bring them back so they can be recycled by the company.”

Once the trunks and pickup beds are unloaded, the fun begins. The driver of the truck pulls a large insulated box on a handcart out to the truck’s hydraulic platform and expertly positions it in the parking lot, then goes back up to get a pallet full of shrink-wrapped boxes packed with individual orders. (more…)

OUTLET: WAVY

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Do you have questions about vaccination or testing protocols when heading back to work?

ARCpoint labs in Virginia Beach will host a free webinar Thursday, April 15 at noon to cover questions and concerns.

Organizers say the webinar is a great resource for local business owners, executives, and employees heading back to the office. (more…)

OUTLET: WAVY

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – WAVY-TV 10 and the Hampton Roads Show are teaming up with Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads for this year’s “Women Build Week.”

It’s a chance for women to gain skills on a build site and learn the construction trade.

Virginia Beach resident Donica Miller is one of the recipients.

Managing a job, school work and raising two teenagers can be hard, but Miller made it her mission to do all of that while working hard so that have a roof over their heads. (more…)

OUTLET: WAVY

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – How can a brand new house, where a family just moved in, already be full of wonderful memories? The answer is easy! It’s a “Habitat For Humanity” house, and the people who now call it home poured love into the foundation, walls, wiring and windows.

Tamesha Clemons talked to HRS about what it’s been like to become the owner of the house, and the new life she’s been building with the help of Habitat For Humanity.

View video here.

OUTLET: The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE — A South Norfolk manufacturer of huge railroad repair machines plans to significantly expand its operations and add 98 new jobs to the region.

Plasser American, which operates its 150,000-square-foot headquarters in the Chesapeake neighborhood, announced the $52.6 million expansion project at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday. The company will build an 82,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and a 45,000-square-foot, three-story office building near the company’s current location off Atlantic Avenue. (more…)

OUTLET: WAVY

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY)- A company with roots in the Chesapeake community for more than 50 years broke ground on an expansion project that will add dozens of jobs in the community.

On Wednesday, Plasser American held a groundbreaking at its site off Atlantic Avenue in the South Norfolk community.

“We’ve been planning for this day for two years. Now we can see it’s finally coming true,” said Plasser American President and CEO Thomas Blechinger.

The Austrian company expanded to the United States in 1960 and opened a facility in 1970 in Chesapeake, only seven years after the independent city was created. (more…)

OUTLET: WAVY

People impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic received a free hot meal Tuesday at a Norfolk restaurant.

The Azalea Inn and Time Out Sports bar distributed 650 meals from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. outside at the Roosevelt Gardens Shopping Center (2344 East Little Creek Road).

It was 150 more meals than they originally planned for.

Each box included a turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes and green beans. The meals were one per person on a first-come, first-served basis. For safety reasons, motorists and passengers were asked to stay in their cars.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before and for people to come out and do this and help families in need, especially like myself, it’s a blessing and it really takes some of the pressure off,” Norfolk resident Sabrina Whorton told 10 On Your Side.

The “Thanks and Giving” event was made possible by Virginia Wins Together, a community initiative made up of operators and locations that host Queen of Virginia Skill & Entertainment (QVS) games.

“With so many negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, QVS, our operators and customers want to help folks during these difficult times,” said QVS General Manager Jeanna Bouzek. “We are also thankful that we can partner with a great restaurant, Azalea Inn and Time Out Sports Bar, to support our community in a meaningful way before the holiday.”

This isn’t the first time the Azalea Inn has been at the forefront of giving back. The owner has served those in the community on Thanksgiving Day many times in the past.

“Today is a beautiful day, it’s a special day for us, for the community, for the restaurant, for the employees. It’s a good day,” said Azalea Inn co-owner, Taki Karangelen.

At the event, QVS also announced how much revenue it alone has generated since July for Virginia’s COVID-19 Relief Fund and local governments from a special state tax on skill games.

That levy, $1,200 per gaming terminal, totals millions of dollars statewide.

“In four months, just Queen of Virginia has written a check for $25 million to the state of Virginia. We’re 54% of the skill game industry, so if you add all that up, that means the state of Virginia has gotten about $48 million in the last four months. So, I don’t see any way possible anyone with any type of conscious can vote to take that type of money away from the state.”

OUTLET: WTKR

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – It’s a sunny Saturday morning in the South Norfolk Neighborhood of Chesapeake.

And some workers are hard at work trying to make sure a new home is ready by the holidays. The difference here is these folks are not getting paid to build this house – they are here because they want to be.

They’re building the home for the Habitat for Humanity program, and their lead volunteer is retired Navy vet Dennis Plank.

“Dennis is amazing. He’s been here for over 10 years; he’s the backbone of our volunteers.” (more…)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – It’s a big year for Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach. The rehabilitation and senior living facility is celebrating 40 years in our community, the end of a major renovation, and no outbreaks during this coronavirus pandemic.

Beth Sholom Village takes the health of its residents and patients very seriously. So, when COVID-19 hit and workers learned seniors were high risk, the facility made some big policy changes.

“When somebody comes into our building for the very first time no matter whether they are coming from home, from the hospital, another facility, they go on what we created as an isolation unit,” explained Marcia Brodie, Marketing Director for Beth Sholom.

She said she feels like coming to work every day is one of the safest places she can be. “Every single staff member, I think we maybe have 320, is tested every single week. Tuesdays are our testing day.”

Marcia went on to say, “We’ve not allowed visitors in since March. So, a lot of people have not seen their loved one face-to-face.”

The only exception to that rule, Marcia said, is when a patient is nearing end of life.

Beth Sholom staff members also got very creative to make sure their residents could stay in touch with family.

“We did a lot of window visits. So, a family member is on the outside, the resident is on the inside. We have a staff member typically who facilitates with a cell phone. We’re not allowed to open the window, but they talk through the phone or an iPad.”

About a month and a half ago, the Beth Sholom team added a new plan to keep families connected. “We had a team build a plexiglass booth that we put outside and the person is put into the booth, they’re wheeled in, and it’s 3-sided, and a family member can drive up and we put a speaker in the family member’s car and a speaker in the booth and you have a visit. It’s not ideal, but a lot of families have taken advantage of it because they can lay eyes on somebody which is really important.”

Because of the precautions, Marcia said there have been no outbreaks, just a few isolated cases. “I think we’re going on a month and a half, two months, that we have not had anything.”

Marcia said they make sure residents have plenty to do, from socially distanced games, to art, and now that renovations throughout the facility are complete, those at Beth Sholom really have something to smile about.

“All rooms were updated. All hallways were updated. Our dining room was redone. Beautiful colors, really open and airy. All of our common areas were redone, so it’s really very welcoming.”

Marcia said residents’ rooms got a big upgrade.

“Every room now has its own shower along with the bathroom. I love our bathrooms. They are beautiful. They look almost spa-like with beautiful tile. We have showers where you can wheel in a shower chair. Huge difference there.”

There are unique additions everywhere you turn.

Marcia said in one area there is a huge glass birdcage, “There are always about 10 finches in there, so, people love to go and sit and watch that.”

The completion of the renovation was perfect timing for residents and patients who had to remain socially distant during the pandemic. Beth Sholom is starting to allow face-to-face visits, but masks must be worn, there must be at least six feet of social distancing, and visitors must test negative for coronavirus before visiting.

To take a virtual tour of Beth Sholom Village, click here.