New School Progress, Property Protection Tool, Juneteenth Celebrations & More!

Trivia Question❓

Believe it or not, there’s a real military “UFO” in Newport News. Where can you find it?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

This Week's Sponsor

Craft 2 You, LLC

Meet SherriAnn Harris, Army Veteran and founder of Craft 2 You LLC. What started as a creative space for children with different abilities has grown into a welcoming community for all ages.

Through sewing and hands-on crafts, participants build confidence, strengthen skills, and connect with others in a supportive environment. SherriAnn blends her mental health background, military discipline, and love of crafting as a proud “Therapeutic Craft Professional.”

Now offering sewing classes and Cricut workshops for youth and adults.

🏗️ New Huntington Middle School Is More Than Halfway Done

The new Huntington Middle School is 55% complete and still on track to open for the 2026-2027 school year. The school near 28th Street will serve up to 600 students. Crews are now working on brick, roofing, electrical and plumbing systems. The school is part of a bigger plan for the area, with a new library, community center and recreation space also in the works. Good things are starting to take shape in that part of the city. Read More...

🔒 Free Tool Alerts You If Someone Messes With Your Property

Deed fraud happens when someone files fake papers to make it look like they own your home or land. The Newport News Circuit Court Clerk’s Office is sharing a free tool called VA Deed Alert. Once you sign up, you’ll get an email when a document is filed in the city land records under your name or property ID. It will not stop fraud, but it can help you catch trouble early. Free, quick and worth a few minutes. Read More...

🎓 Local Students Take On Port-Themed Engineering Challenge

Second- and third-graders from every Newport News elementary school came to Newsome Park Elementary on June 4, ready to build. Their challenge was to design, build and code a small crane system to move cargo containers, just like workers do at the port. The twist? Nobody knew the challenge until it started. Dutrow Elementary took first place, B.C. Charles came in second and Carver finished third. A big day for tiny engineers with real Newport News roots. Read More...

🏛️ City Kicks Off Juneteenth Week With Flag Raising at City Hall — June 15

The City of Newport News is inviting everyone to the Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall on Monday, June 15 at 10 a.m. The event is free, open to the public and marks the official start of the city's Juneteenth celebrations. This year's theme is "Still We Rise: Voices of Freedom," honoring the courage of people who fought for freedom and recognizing that the work toward equality is still going. A meaningful way to start the week.

🎉 Juneteenth Freedom Festival — Saturday, June 20, 5 to 10 p.m.

Victory Landing Park, 50 26th Street. Free parking, free entry, free activities. Day 26, Fly Guy DC, Tobias Cortez and a full DJ lineup all night. Twenty years strong and still one of the best nights of the summer. Learn More...

🪡 Make an Ankara Fan Just in Time for Juneteenth

Juneteenth is right around the corner and here is a fun way to get ready for it. Join a hands-on workshop on June 17 to make a beautiful Ankara fan you can carry to the Newport News Juneteenth Freedom Festival. Spots are $25 and you must register by June 16. Learn More...

Here’s what’s happening this weekend 👇

Friday, June 12

⚓ USS Monitor Legacy Program: Lincoln’s Admirals The Mariners’ Museum and Park | 12:00–1:00 PM.

🍎 Free Cooking Classes for Caregivers Virginia Cooperative Extension-Newport News | 2:30 PM. Registration required.

🎸 The Jason Cale Band Chef Life Brewery & Distillery | 7:00–10:00 PM.

🎨 Brushstrokes & Beats | 7:00 PM.

🎸 Vinyl Headlights Hoss’s Deli | 8:00 PM–12:00 AM.

🏊 Moonlight Swim Glendale Pool & Recreation Association | 9:00–11:00 PM.

🎸 Guilty FIXX Craft 60 Taphouse & Grill | 9:00 PM.

Saturday, June 13

🎣 Father & Son Fishing Trip Hope Church At Lee Hall | 8:00 AM–1:00 PM.

🚋 The Shipyard Experience: A Trolley and Walking Tour Virginia War Museum | 9:45 AM.

🌈 Hilton Pride Hilton Village Main Street & Styx & Stones | 4:00–9:00 PM.

💃 Line Dancing & BBQ Buffet Warwick Moose Lodge and Family Center 1711 | 7:00 PM.

🎸 Karl Werne Hilton Tavern Brewing Company | 7:00–10:00 PM.

🎸 Local Strays Chef’s Market Food Hall | 7:00–10:00 PM.

⚽ Lionsbridge FC vs. Northern Virginia FC TowneBank Stadium | 7:00 PM.

🎸 21 North Hoss’s Deli | 8:00 PM.

🎸 Halfway Decent VA Craft 60 Taphouse & Grill | 9:00 PM.

Sunday, June 14

🚗 Boost & Brunch The Iron Asylum | 8:30–11:00 AM.

🧭 Friendly Hours The Mariners’ Museum and Park | 9:00–11:00 AM.

🃏 TCG Clash Burger Theory Newport News | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM.

🧘 Taproom Yoga Coastal Fermentory Uptown | 12:00 PM.

🍯 Hive to Table: A Honey Harvesting Experience The J | 1:00–2:00 PM.

🌿 Plant Bingo Night at Anderson’s Anderson’s | 5:00–7:00 PM. Check-in at 4:00 PM.

🌟 Business Spotlight:

McGrath Educational Services

For a lot of Newport News residents, one test stands between them and a military career or a college degree.

Jim McGrath has made it his mission to help them clear it.

At McGrath Educational Services, he’s guided more than 100 students to their GED and helped military hopefuls turn low ASVAB scores into qualifying ones.

One student went from a 29 to a 52 in just 11 sessions.

📍 701 Town Center Dr STE 102

📞 (757) 813-3809

No cookie-cutter plans. Just results.

🔦 Know a Newport News business we should feature?

We’re looking for local restaurants, shops, service providers, nonprofits, and community groups to spotlight in upcoming editions of The Newport Newser.

Own a business? Know a good one? Send it our way.

We love finding the people and places that make Newport News feel like Newport News.

ARTS & CULTURE

🎬 Free Tuesday Movies Return To Downing-Gross

Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center is showing free movies every Tuesday at 2 p.m. from June 16 through August 18. Movies play inside the Ella Fitzgerald Theater, 2410 Wickham Avenue. The summer lineup includes A Minecraft Movie, Dog Man, Moana 2, Inside Out 2 and more. Free, cool and family-friendly, just right for a summer afternoon.

ENVIRONMENT

🌸 Huntington Park’s New Botanical Garden Is Now Open

Huntington Park’s old Rose Garden is now the Huntington Botanical Garden, with native plants, pollinator-friendly flowers, a gazebo, a sensory garden, and an event space. It is a fresh new chapter for one of Newport News’ longtime park spots. Read More...

🥋 Newport News Teen Heads To World Karate Championships For His Mom

Lucas Ramey started karate at five and next month he is taking that fight to Romania. The Newport News 13-year-old trains at Axsom Martial Arts, lives with autism and lost his mother this past January. His dojo family closed so they could be at her memorial. Now he is heading to the AAU Karate World Championships to defend his title and honor her memory. Newport News has a champion in this kid. Read More...

Meet Millie! 🐾

Millie is a 3-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier/Labrador Retriever mix looking for her forever home. She may be a little shy at first, but once she feels safe, she is sweet, affectionate, and loves being close to her people.

Millie is housebroken, spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccines, and doing great in a foster home with a male Golden Retriever.

Could Millie be the missing piece of your family?

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

The U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis. It’s home to the Avrocar, a 1950s experimental “flying saucer.

😊Thanks!

Thanks for reading Newport Newser today! Know someone always asking ‘what’s going on this weekend?’ Send this to them.