| Kash Wilson threw the phone down in frustration when his mother ended the video call that early December Day. The 17-month-old boy didnât realize it was her standing in the doorway. Kash had only interacted with his mother, Shavyonne Vick, through video calls. The 30-year-old Norfolk woman had spent the previous 19 months in jail on a murder charge, for which she was acquitted after a two-day trial and 25 minutes of jury deliberation. âI was like, âHey little baby Iâm here in person now!â and he bust out crying,â Vick said. His grandmother, who had been one of his primary caregivers, told her, âHe missed you just as much as you missed him.â Vick had been a Hampton Roads Transit bus driver for five years, and her pregnancy was normal for seven months prior to her arrest in May 2021. But once in jail, she didnât have access to ample food and quality water, her doctor or the prenatal pills she had been taking. This was compounded by a dramatic increase in stress. Her son was born that June, four weeks early by emergency C-section â against her plan for a natural birth. Read more in the Sunday Main News section
Pharrell Williamsâ Something in the Water festival will be bigger than the inaugural one in 2019 with two âvery largeâ stages, according to the organizers. And even though the lineup of performers has not yet been announced, and tickets are still available, Virginia Beach is preparing for a huge, sold-out event at the Oceanfront April 28-30. âSomething in the Water is hands down the largest special event thatâll come to Virginia Beach,â said Ken McDonald, president of the Virginia Beach-based event management company IMGoing. McDonald is the liaison between the city and the festival organizers, and he along with several city representatives shared details about the event at the Resort Advisory Commission meeting Thursday. The artists will be announced in the next couple of weeks, McDonald said at the meeting. Read more in the Sunday Main News section When a bomb threat forces the evacuation of courthouse, the disruptions arenât just to the docket. It can throw a wrench in major life plans, as well. Cynthia Morrison, circuit court clerk in Portsmouth, said all daily happenings at the courthouse are put on pause once a threat has been made against the courthouse, including the work in her office. That means even marriages can be postponed if couples plan to obtain a license on days when there are threats. Read more in the Sunday Main News section
The traditional depiction of the Underground Railroad is a series of safe houses fitted with secret chambers that the runaway enslaved moved between on their journeys from Southern to Northern states. In reality, long-distance escapes from slavery were achieved over water more often than on foot. This lesser-known means of escape is explored in the traveling exhibit âSailing To Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad,â on display at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center. Read more in the Sunday Break section
About a decade ago, Mike Albers decided he needed a new challenge after 30 years in the tech industry. As longtime wine lovers, he and his wife, Adrienne, considered winery ownership for the next chapter. Owning a winery and vineyard can be grueling: It includes long days of physical work, late nights of regulatory paperwork and land, farm, cellar equipment and staff that can cost millions. Albers first volunteered at several Northern Virginia wineries. In 2016, he and his wife purchased DelFosse Vineyards and Winery, just south of Charlottesville. Now the Alberses have won the stateâs most prestigious wine award â the annual Virginia Governorâs Cup. The couple, along with winemaker Andrew Bilenkij, accepted the award for their 2021 Screaming Hawk Meritage during the Governorâs Gala in Richmond. Read more in the Sunday Break section
Iâm a sucker for Girl Scout Cookies. Each year, I try dodging the smiling faces stationed outside of grocery stores peddling their confectionary goodness. I canât say no even though I usually have several boxes stashed in my freezer. My intervention method has been to order groceries online so I wonât have to see the girls. So what did the Girl Scouts do this year? Introduced Raspberry Rally, a new cookie sold exclusively online starting Feb. 27 and shipped directly to customers. Read more in the Sunday Break section
The pandemic may have changed Scott and Lauren Janneyâs business plans, but their out-of-the-box concept inspired by the pandemic continues to thrive. In August 2020, the husband-and-wife entrepreneurs created Magazine Jukebox, a digital magazine rack as an alternative to physical magazines in commercial spaces. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Feb. 28 that the company will invest $1 million to expand its Norfolk operations and create 20 more jobs. Read more in the Sunday Work & Money section
Last week, Michael Vick was inducted into National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Scottsdale, Arizona. Never heard of it? Well, neither had Vick. But he was ecstatic when he got a phone call from former NFL quarterback Doug Williams, who was inducted into the clubâs hall of fame in 2020. Read more in the Sunday Sports section
A Class 5 state baseball semifinalist a year ago, Nansemond Riverâs hopes of a return to the state tournament were lifted this past week by the addition of shortstop Darnell Parker Jr., a Washington State University signee and MLB draft prospect. An Isle of Wight County native, Parker, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior, has played the past four seasons for IMG Academy, a nationally renowned athletic training school in Bradenton, Florida. He is ranked by perfectgame.org as the No. 11 player and No. 2 shortstop in Virginia. Read more in the Sunday Sports section Note To Readers: A reminder that Parade magazine is now only found along with your e-edition of either The Virginian-Pilot or Daily Press each Sunday morning. Print copies of Parade magazine ceased after the November 13th issue.
Matthew Rhys
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