If you have not heard of Frank & Spoon yet, consider this your introduction. The local Newport News restaurant is building a following for signature chili dogs, handmade beef dumplings, and fresh homemade soups. It is simple comfort food made with care, and that is exactly the point.

Owner Sharan Hada studied Hospitality Management and spent years working in restaurants before opening a place of his own. His goal was to create a spot that felt welcoming, relaxed, and rooted in the neighborhood.

Walk in and you can feel the difference. Regulars talk about the friendly service, the easy atmosphere, and the kind of hospitality that makes you want to come back.

Frank & Spoon is one of those places you try once and end up telling somebody else about.

🦺 Newport News Shipbuilding Paused Work For Safety Stand-Down

Thousands of Newport News shipbuilders stepped away from their regular work Wednesday for a shipyard-wide safety stand-down. The company said the pause gave workers time to review safety standards and workplace requirements after several serious incidents earlier this year. In February, the shipyard was cited after thousands of gallons of jet fuel entered the James River, and in April, 10 workers were evacuated from a submarine with symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure. The safety push comes as the Navy continues pressing shipbuilders to speed up submarine and aircraft carrier production. With thousands of local families tied to the shipyard, what happens inside those gates matters across Newport News. Read More...

💳 Scammers Are Targeting EBT Benefits This Summer

EBT fraud is still a problem across Virginia, and Newport News families should stay alert. New chip-enabled EBT cards are expected to roll out starting in September 2026, but until then, a few simple habits can help protect your benefits.

Lock your card in the ConnectEBT app when you are not shopping. Change your PIN often and avoid easy numbers like birthdays. Never share your card number or PIN by phone, text, or email.

Also, take a quick look at the card reader before you swipe. If something looks loose or strange, use another register.

Your benefits are there for your family. Make sure scammers do not get to them first.

⛵ CNU Sailing Is Back After Alumni Stepped Up

Christopher Newport University is bringing back its co-ed and women’s varsity sailing teams this fall after alumni and supporters rallied to save the program. The teams had been cut over cost and participation concerns, but the decision was reversed after the sailing community helped build a sustainable funding plan. An interim head coach is expected this season, and recruiting is already underway. CNU also plans to complete a full gender equity review of its athletics programs by 2027. Good to see the sails going back up. Read More...

Here’s what’s happening this weekend 👇

🐾 Empty The Shelters Adoption Event — July 5 To July 26

Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter, 5843 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News. Adoption fees for dogs and cats will be reduced to $70 or less during this summer adoption event. Pets go home spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. If your home has room for a new best friend, this is a good time to meet one. Read more...

🕊️ 19th Annual Peace Rally Is This Saturday

Bring the family out for a peaceful day in the park this weekend. The 19th Annual Peace Rally will feature free food and drinks for children, games, prizes, face painting, balloon art, music, live performances, vendors, motivational speakers, and a bike giveaway. It is a family-friendly event focused on peace, community, and giving kids a fun day outside.

🪡 Beginner Sewing Workshop Deadline Is Coming Up

The All Abilities Beginner Sewing Workshop is coming to Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, July 18 and Saturday, July 25. Participants will learn sewing machine basics, including threading the machine, winding a bobbin, using common stitches, and assembling a PDF pattern. The class runs from 12 noon to 3 p.m. each day, and the cost is $65 for both sessions. Registration deadline is coming up soon, so don’t wait too long.

Vinny’s Vinyl is giving Newport News a place to slow down, flip through records, and talk music again. Opened in 2024 by Newport News native Vinny, the retro-style shop on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard is packed with used records, new releases, and plenty of hidden gems.

For Vinny, the shop is about more than selling albums. It is about bringing back the neighborhood record store experience, where people can discover music, share memories, and find common ground.

Whether you are a longtime collector or buying your first record, Vinny’s Vinyl feels like a local spot worth knowing.

DEVELOPMENT

🏗️ $450 Million Is Coming to Downtown Newport News 

Hunt Military Communities just got City Council's backing to pour about $450 million into a major housing and mixed-use development on Huntington Avenue downtown. That is not a typo. Nearly half a billion dollars is heading into the heart of Newport News. Details on exactly what gets built are still coming, but this is the kind of investment that changes a neighborhood. Downtown is about to look very different.

COMMUNITY 

👷 City Workers Just Got a Major Win

Newport News City Council approved collective bargaining for city employees, giving workers a path to negotiate together over pay, benefits, contract language, and working conditions. The change is a major shift for city employees, but it will not take effect until 2028 while the city works through the details. For school employees, the Newport News School Board would still have to opt in. For thousands of people who work for Newport News, this is a new way to make sure their voices are heard.

PUBLIC SAFETY 

🚨 NNPD Gets $50,000 to Tackle Hate Crimes

The Newport News Police Department landed a $50,000 state grant to step up its work on hate crime prevention and investigation. The money covers training, community outreach and investigative resources. Hate crimes are rising across the country and Newport News is making sure officers have the tools to respond.

🏆 Newport News, Our Girl Won Love Island USA

Trinity Tatum from Newport News just won Love Island USA Season 8 on Peacock, and the 757 has every reason to cheer. The 22-year-old model left her hardware store job, walked into the villa with confidence and won America’s vote alongside her partner, Bryce. The couple said “I love you” on their final date and walked away with the $100,000 grand prize. Trinity came in as a fan favorite and never really looked back. From the hardware store to a reality TV winner, Newport News is claiming this one with pride. Read More...

🎨 Newport News Teen Wins $25,000 National Scholarship

A Newport News teen just turned his creativity into a major win. David, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula, earned the $25,000 grand prize in the nationwide Cox Mobile Phone Case Design Contest. His winning artwork was selected by a panel of judges that included national youth leaders and actor Mario Lopez. Cox also awarded his local Boys & Girls Club a $25,000 technology grant to support connectivity and digital learning. That means David’s big moment will help open doors for even more young people across Hampton Roads. Read More...

🐾 Two PRAS Dogs Are Ready For Their People

Long Legs and Lani are both waiting for homes at Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter. Long Legs is a fetch-loving stray who is playful, active, and great with the ball. Lani is a former adoptee back at the shelter through no fault of her own, and she is full of zoomies, treats, and personality.

Both are at PRAS, 5843 Jefferson Avenue. Go meet them before someone else does.

😊Thanks!

Thanks for making it to the end!