OUTLET: The Virginian-Pilot

Diamonds Direct has officially opened in the old IHOP location in Town Center.

It is the Charlotte, N.C.-based chain’s eighth location. Before the Virginia Beach location, the closest store was in Richmond.

“We could not be more excited about bringing the Diamonds Direct experience to Hampton Roads,” Virginia Beach general manager Tery Vari said in a release.

The 6,000-square-foot showroom at 4452 Virginia Beach Blvd. has a large selection of mounted and loose diamonds of all sizes, shapes and weights. (more…)

OUTLET: Wavy

This week is National EMS Appreciation Week. It is a time to recognize the dedication of emergency personnel across the country. Virginia Beach is home to the largest volunteer-based EMS in the nation.

We were joined on The Hampton Roads Show by Amanda Chassey from Davis Corner Volunteer Rescue Squad, Erica Waldron from Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad and Tony Pirrone from Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad to discuss this unique and free service to the citizens of Virginia Beach. (more…)

OUTLET: Daily Press

Terry Moore and Sandy have been together for a decade now. They understand each other.

Next weekend, Sandy — an 11-year-old yellow lab mix — will participate in the Care-a-Lot Canine Sporting Extravaganza in Virginia Beach. She is a champion competitor in DockDogs, an aquatic competition in which dogs are judged on their speed in the water as well as the height and the distance of their leaps. She will have a joyful time, but even as she does, Moore will know that she would rather be out in the woods somewhere. (more…)

OUTLET: Wavy

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – High school students celebrated their commitment to higher education at the Ted Constant Center at ODU on Tuesday.

More than 1,200 students took part in National Signing Day put on by Norfolk’s ACCESS College Foundation.

Hundreds of similar events have taken place across the country as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Reach Higher” initiative. (more…)

OUTLET: Suffolk News Herald

A major donation from a Suffolk company will help extend full-time college access services to a Suffolk high school.

The Birdsong Corp. has given $250,000 to the ACCESS College Foundation to bring the foundation’s services to King’s Fork High School on a full-time basis, ACCESS President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Sutton announced during a luncheon for Suffolk donors Wednesday at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.

Each of the Suffolk public high schools currently has an ACCESS advisor who works at the school two or three days a week, splitting time with other schools or other foundation duties. (more…)

OUTLET: The Roanoke Times

The Virginia Dental Association and the Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation have teamed up with Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville to train a new level of dental health providers.

The program is open to students across Virginia and will train them to become community dental health coordinators. Students will receive 12 months of online instruction, travel one weekend a month to Martinsville for clinical training and complete a six-month internship at a safety net clinic. (more…)

OUTLET: The Flagship

VIRGINIA BEACH — Care-A-Lot Pet Supply will host the 9th Annual Pet Lovers’ Extravaganza featuring the popular DockDogs competition from April 29-May 1 outside of their headquarters at 1617 Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach. Admission is free to enjoy three days of high-flying dogs, contests and giveaways plus significant savings at all three Care-A-Lot retail locations.

“From live dock jumping and diving events to pet ice cream eating contests and even a chance to win $10,000, there’s something for everyone,” Care-A-Lot owner Bobby Clarke said. “More than 12,500 people from around the country came to watch the action last year, and this time we expect an even larger crowd.”

One fearless flyer running off the dock will be Lager, a veteran explosives detection canine who served 18 months in Iraq. The German Shorthaired Pointer is a natural in the water, ranking fifth overall in the World Championships in his division during his first year competing. (more…)

OUTLET: WAVY

Along with a tremendous sense of self-confidence needed by anyone in motorsports, Macy Causey is equipped with the skill to succeed on the race track. Her resume proves it, even though she’s not legal to drive yet.

At 15 years old, Causey, only a ninth-grader at York High School, was named the late model Rookie of the Year in Virginia after finishing in the top ten of the standings. “It was like, ‘Wow! Where did that come from?’ I did not see that coming,” said Causey on Tuesday. (more…)

OUTLET: WVEC

Parents listen up: the deadline is approaching for high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms.

The deadline is February 15. If they don’t submit these on time, they won’t receive money and — regardless of income — every student may be eligible for some assistance. (more…)

OUTLET: Virginian-Pilot

It doesn’t matter that a baby born to a same-sex married couple has only one of the women’s DNA, says the Circuit Court judge who decided what he called a “unique” issue Friday:

Both women should be considered equal parents.

Divorce and custody battles have been cropping up since shortly after same-sex marriage became legal, but attorneys for Lauren and Karen Poole say they’ve never heard of another case exactly like this one – at least not in Virginia. (more…)