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Good morning, Newport News! You’re reading The Newport Newser, your friendly local guide to what’s happening, changing, and worth knowing around Newport News. Every issue brings you local stories, upcoming events, business spotlights, and community gems that make our city feel like home.

In today’s newsletter:

🦞 Seafood Market Nears Finish Line

🏢 Opportunity Center Opens On 30th Street

⚓ HII Lands $418M Navy Contract

Here’s what’s up.

What was the very first hull built by Newport News Shipbuilding?

Reed’s Lawn Care, LLC is a family-owned business serving Newport News with more than fresh-cut lawns. The team handles mowing, mulching, flower bed installation, leaf cleanups and more, but their real calling card is how they treat people.

They talk with customers before each job so everyone is clear from the start, and they offer discounts for military, police and EMS. When one client recently went through a family loss, Reed’s stepped in and provided lawn care at no charge. As they put it, “At the end of the day, we’re all human beings. Kindness can go such a long way.” For reliable lawn care with a personal touch, Reed’s is a local name worth knowing.

🦞 Newport News Seafood Market Is Moving Closer To The Finish Line

Photo Via: (Peter Casey/The Virginian-Pilot)

Big things are coming to the Newport News Seafood Industrial Park. A new seafood market and food hall is planned, with construction expected to wrap up by late fall 2026. The project includes fresh seafood sales, small business stalls, a commercial kitchen, outdoor seating and waterfront space. New docks and dredging work are also planned to add room for watermen and commercial fishing boats. The state and federal funding pieces are helping the city fix aging harbor infrastructure and bring more life to this part of the waterfront. This one has been years in the making, and the finish line is finally starting to feel real. Read More...

🏢 Newport News Opportunity Center Opens On 30th Street

Photo Via: City of Newport News

The newly renamed Newport News Opportunity Center at 550 30th Street gave residents a first look this week. The center, formerly known as Brooks Crossing Innovation and Opportunity Center, now brings workforce help, housing services, community safety and sustainability programs under one roof. If you missed the open house, the resources are still there. Stop by Suite 102 or connect with the city to learn what help is available. It is a useful front door for residents who need support but do not want to chase it all over town. Read More...

🦋 NNPS Students' Art Now on Display at New Huntington Park Botanical Garden

HII, America’s largest military shipbuilder and a Newport News institution, just picked up a $418 million Navy contract. The five-year deal covers repairs and maintenance for shipboard elevators on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious ships. HII has handled this type of elevator work for more than 40 years, so this is familiar ground with a very large price tag. Around here, a Navy contract does not just move ships, it moves paychecks, lunch crowds and half the local economy. Read More...

Here’s what’s happening this weekend 👇

New Historic Marker Honors Marcus Garvey

🏥 Free Sports Physicals And School Vaccines

Vaccines are available at no cost with the right consent forms. The Fire Department’s CAREs Team will also be there to connect students and families with mental health resources and community support.

📍 Ella Fitzgerald Middle School, 432 Industrial Park Dr., June 30 and July 14

📍 Warwick High School, 51 Copeland Lane, July 7

A parent must be present, and forms must be completed before the exam.

Uncharted Adaptive Fitness is helping people with disabilities and complex medical needs find a safer, more supportive path to fitness in Newport News. Founded by longtime Peninsula physical therapist Sarah Tucker, the program offers one-on-one and small group adaptive training for people with Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, post-stroke needs, amputations, developmental disabilities, and more.

Sessions take place at CrossFit Liquid and Guerrilla Athletics, with workouts adapted to each person’s abilities, comfort level, and goals. For many local athletes, it is a place to build strength, confidence, and community after physical therapy ends.

EDUCATION

🎓 BayPort Awards $100,000 In Scholarships

BayPort Credit Union’s Foundation awarded $100,000 in scholarships to 35 students heading to college, trade school and vocational programs. Newport News students from Warwick and Woodside are among this year’s recipients. Next year, the program grows to $150,000 a year. Not bad for a credit union that started with 12 shipyard workers right here in Newport News. Read More...

HISTORY & HERITAGE

⚓ Dorothy, The Tugboat That Started It All, Turns 50

Newport News Shipbuilding’s first hull was not an aircraft carrier or submarine. It was Dorothy, a small tugboat built in 1890 and delivered in 1891. After a long restoration, she was moved near Building 520 and rechristened on June 19, 1976. Fifty years later, Dorothy still stands as a reminder of where Newport News began. Read More...

👶🏾 Newport News Mom’s Baby Names Land In The National Spotlight

A Newport News mom’s baby-name story just made TODAY’s “Baby Name of the Week.” Xaviera Greene-Davis gave her six children state-inspired names: Nevada, Montana, Indiana, Arizona, Missouri and Dakota. She said the names were meant to keep them connected and remind them that life could stretch beyond their circumstances. Today, all six have graduated from high school and moved into college, careers, or both. Around here, that is more than a name story, it is a family story with a whole lot of heart. Read More...

Meet Holly! 🐾

Holly is a sweet 1-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier in foster care and ready for her forever home. She’s spayed, housebroken, playful, and loves other dogs, maybe a little too much in the cutest way.

Holly would do best with a family ready to give her love, structure, and maybe a dog buddy to play with. She’s also likely to do well with children.

Could Holly be the newest member of your family? Contact Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter to learn more about this happy-go-lucky girl.

TA small tugboat named Dorothy, built in 1890 and delivered in 1891.

😊Thanks!

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