This week’s issue is sponsored by Second Breath LLC, a Newport News training company helping parents, students, healthcare workers, and everyday residents prepare for emergencies. Second Breath offers hands-on training in CPR, AED, First Aid, Basic Life Support, and instructor certification, with courses designed to help participants act with confidence when someone’s life may be at risk.

Classes are held at 733 Thimble Shoals Boulevard, Suite 170, and individual and group training options are available. Whether you need your first certification, a renewal, or workplace training for your team, Second Breath can help you get prepared.

Emergencies do not make appointments. Get the skills that could give someone a second chance at life.

👉🏾 View upcoming classes and register

⚓ Aircraft Carrier Built In Newport News Leaves For Sea Trials

The PCU John F. Kennedy, the nation’s newest aircraft carrier, left Newport News Shipbuilding this week for acceptance sea trials. The tests will check the ship’s systems and equipment at sea before final delivery to the U.S. Navy. The Kennedy was built by Newport News hands, and every weld, cable, and compartment has a local shipbuilder behind it. Fair winds and following seas, Kennedy. You were made here. Read More...

🏀 Friday Night Nets Gets $750,000 To Reach More Newport News Kids

Newport News’ Friday Night Nets program just received $750,000 in federal funding to keep growing. The basketball and mentorship program gives young people a safe, structured place to go on Friday evenings, with support from law enforcement officers, mentors, and community organizations. U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott presented the check at the An Achievable Dream Tennis Center on July 31. Since launching in 2024, student participation has nearly doubled. Now the program can reach even more young people across the city. Prevention may not always make the loudest headlines, but it can make the biggest difference.

📊 Newport News Gets National Attention For Using Data Smarter

Newport News is getting national recognition from the U.S. Census Bureau for how the city uses data to make decisions for residents. The city’s GeoHub platform combines Census data with interactive maps to help departments see what is happening neighborhood by neighborhood. The Fire Department uses that information to better plan for areas with more older adults and residents with disabilities. The city also used Census data to support investment in the Marshall-Ridley neighborhood, helping secure a $30 million federal grant that brought in even more funding. Not bad for a city map doing a lot more than just showing streets.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend 👇

👑1619 Black Footprint Fashion Show/Pageant

Get ready to celebrate culture and heritage at the 1619 Black Footprint Fashion Show/Pageant! This powerful live event honors the legacy of enslaved ancestors through daring fashion, originality, and African-inspired artistry.

Expect an unforgettable evening filled with gorgeous attire, African dancing and drumming, inspiring speakers, and a show you truly won't want to miss. Whether you're a fashion lover or simply looking for a meaningful night out, this is an experience like no other.

❤️ Want To Teach CPR? Second Breath Has A Class For That

Second Breath LLC is opening registration for its next Instructor Training Course on September 19 in Newport News. The class is for people who want to become certified CPR instructors and teach lifesaving skills in the community. Training covers CPR, First Aid, AED use, and mental health first aid. Emergencies do not wait for first responders, and sometimes the person standing nearby is the one who can make the difference. Spots fill fast, so register at secondbreathllc.com before this one closes too.

🏃 Frosty Feat 5K Returns This December

The Frosty Feat 5K is coming to Newport News on Saturday, December 12, at Copeland Field across from Warwick High School. The family-friendly event is sponsored by the Newport News Public Schools Wellness Program and includes a 5K at 9 a.m. and a 1-mile fun run at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $20 for the 5K and $5 for the fun run, with prices increasing after November 11. Packet pickup is Friday, December 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Todd Stadium. Read More...

🎀 Pass The B.A.T.O.N. Helps Rising 6th Grade Girls Get Ready For Middle School

The Newport News Police Department’s Community & Youth Outreach Division is hosting Pass the B.A.T.O.N., a program for girls moving from elementary school to middle school. The weeklong program runs August 10–14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Precinct, 13785 Warwick Boulevard. It is designed to help rising 6th graders build confidence, resilience, and skills for handling new social pressures and expectations. Parents can scan the QR code on the flyer or contact Monique Gordon at 757-975-5109

Habit Burger & Grill opened its newest Hampton Roads location at 12080 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 950 in Newport News on Monday, August 10. The chain’s Double Char was named the number one burger in America by USA Today for the third year in a row.

The burger comes stacked with two flame-grilled beef patties, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo on a toasted bun. To celebrate, Habit is giving away free Double Charburgers to the first 50 guests at each Hampton Roads location on Saturday, August 22.

Newport News now has a nationally ranked burger sitting right on Jefferson Avenue. If you want one of the free Double Chars on August 22, get there early. Free burgers do not wait around.

🤠 Newport News Artist Turns Black Cowboy Roots Into An Exhibition

Christopher Diont’e always felt pulled toward the countryside, horses, and cattle. Then his search for the history of Black cowboys in Virginia led him to his own family name: Callis. His third great-grandfather, Ira Callis, and Ira’s brother Ruffin were enslaved in Louisiana before making their way to Virginia after the Civil War and buying 1,500 acres they named Freeman, Virginia. Diont’e now owns part of that land, and that family story helped shape his exhibition Ancestral Soil: 1865 — The Foundation of Freeman, Virginia, on display at Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center through August 15. Newport News gives this story a powerful stage, but the roots run much deeper.

🐾 Clear The Shelters Returns To PRAS This August

The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is joining the annual Clear the Shelters campaign all month long, with reduced adoption fees, weekly specials, and extra chances to help pets find homes. To kick things off, Hearts at Home Pet Sitting, LLC is sponsoring the first 16 adult dog and cat adoptions, and eligible adopters will receive a free goodie bag. Every adoption opens space for another pet waiting for a second chance. Whether you want a walking buddy, a family pet, or a couch companion, August is a good time to stop by PRAS and meet who is waiting. Follow the shelter for current fees, available pets, hours, and weekly adoption specials. Learn More...

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