Earlier in the morning, students had been moved to rooms with windows, and telephone and internet access were affected, according to a text sent to parents at about 9:30 a.m. Parents received a follow-up message from the school at 10:30 a.m. about the outages and the subsequent dismissal at 11 a.m.

An electrical worker at the scene told a Daily Press reporter that a “squirrel in the line” triggered the electrical issues. Power to the building has been restored, but the dismissal will continue.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Peter Dujardin, peter.dujardin@dailypress.com

According to a timeline of the studio’s 2025 films, the film will come to theaters on May 9. The musical will be directed by Michel Gondry and produced by Williams. Gondry won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2005 as a writer for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” which he also directed.

“Atlantis” is written by Martin Hynes, one of the writers of “Toy Story 4,” and Steven Levenson, who co-wrote “tick, tick… BOOM!” and “Dear Evan Hansen.”

Multiple music industry headliners have signed onto the project, according to IMDB. The site lists R&B superstar Mary J. Blige, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Portsmouth native Missy Elliott and rapper André 3000 as castr members.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, winner of the 2024 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “The Holdovers,” will star along with actor Kelvin Harrison Jr., who will play the lead role.

“Atlantis” has begun filming in the resort city. In June, the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier was taken over by a crew shooting a scene. The movie is set in 1977, prompting classic cars and vintage-clad extras to settle at the Oceanfront.

The musical will join another upcoming movie under the Virginia Beach native’s repertoire.

“Piece by Piece,” the story of Williams’ development as an artist using animated Lego pieces, is scheduled for theatrical release in October. The animated film will also feature Timbaland, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Police responded to the store in the 100 block, near the intersection of Mercury Boulevard and LaSalle Avenue, following a report of a burglary at about 6:34 a.m. The subsequent police presence caused traffic delays into the early afternoon.

Hampton police said in a post on X at 4:12 p.m. that a suspect had been taken into custody with no injuries. A later update stated that the suspect was a 34-year-old man but did not name him.

The man allegedly forced his way into the building, took “various items” and tried to leave but stayed inside to avoid police, according to a news release. The law enforcement response included Hampton’s SWAT team along with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI.

Just after 8:15 a.m., officials closed the east and westbound lanes of West Mercury Boulevard between North Kings Street and LaSalle Avenue. At about 2 p.m., police said the eastbound lanes of West Mercury Boulevard had been reopened.

Hampton City Schools told parents the situation was going to cause “delays for both student drop-offs and school pickups division-wide.”

“We appreciate your patience as we work to transport students home safely,” the Friday morning release said. “Parents and guardians of students with bus stops near the barricade will receive further updates if we are unable to transport those students home.”

In a post referencing “inaccurate information being posted on social media,” police said there have been no injuries or shots fired.

Swimming and wading is now permissible at the following Virginia Beach areas:

• Sandbridge Beach from Perch Lane to Bass Street

• Croatan Beach Park to Aqua Lane

• the Oceanfront from 8th Street to 22nd Street

• Kendall Street to Rockbridge Road

• Mortons Road to the end of Ocean View Avenue

Swimming and wading is now permissible at the following Norfolk areas:

• 5th Bay

• North Community Beach

• Ocean View Park

• 10th View

• 13th View

Yesterday, officials announced that enterococci levels were too high. The Virginia Department of Health measures public waters regularly for enterococci bacteria during the warmer months. Enterococci bacteria are a group of organisms used to measure fecal contamination in recreational waters. While they do not cause illness, the health department reports their presence is “closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms.”

People swimming or playing in waters with higher bacteria levels have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, bacteria can be introduced to waters in a variety of ways, including wastewater treatment plants, leaking septic systems, stormwater runoff, sewage discharged or dumped from recreational boats, domestic animal and wildlife waste, improper land application of manure or sewage, and runoff from pastures.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Maine State Police said Wednesday that someone called 911 on Sept. 2 regarding a dead woman in a car on Goodwins Mills Road in Dayton, Maine.

The description of the woman in the vehicle matched that of 23-year-old Autumn Cleveland, of Newport News, who had been reported missing on Aug. 31.

The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South has begun an investigation, and state police said there is “no danger to the public” at this time. At this time, officials say Cleveland’s cause of death is under investigation.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Swimming and wading is now prohibited in the following Norfolk areas:

• 5th Bay
• North Community Beach
• Ocean View Park
• 10th View and 13th View.

In Virginia Beach, swimming and wading are prohibited in the following areas:

• Sandbridge Beach from Perch Lane to Bass Street
• Croatan Beach Park to Aqua Lane
• At the Oceanfront from 8th Street to 22nd Street
• From Kendall Street to Rockbridge Road
• From Mortons Road to the end of Ocean View Avenue.

Signs will be posted in the affected areas.

The Virginia Department of Health measures public waters regularly for enterococci bacteria during the warmer months. Enterococci bacteria are a group of organisms used to measure fecal contamination in recreational waters. While they do not cause illness, the health department reports that their presence is “closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms.”

People swimming or playing in waters with higher bacteria levels have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Police said officers responded to the 3000 block of Roebling Lane on Sunday afternoon for a death investigation. Emergency services found Scott Seitz, 66, dead at the scene. A spokesperson for the department said a preliminary investigation was conducted, and as a result, 25-year-old Seth Seitz — Scott Seitz’s son — has been charged with second-degree murder.

At this time, the cause of Scott Seitz’s death is unclear. A department spokesperson told The Virginian-Pilot that the medical examiner is investigating cause of death in the case.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Whitteney Guyton, owner of Synergy Health Systems LLC, billed Medicaid and the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services with falsified patient documents for more than two years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Synergy Health Systems offered respite care and mental health services, which required assessments by licensed professionals to comply with Medicaid regulations. The business included counseling, therapeutic treatment centers, an adult day care center and a pharmacy.

According to prosecutors, Guyton had a social worker on staff from 2016 to July 2017, but that person resigned July 12, 2017. After that, Guyton instructed other staff members to forge the social worker’s signature on assessments. According to authorities, Medicaid received the forged assessments and authorized more than $350,000 from the false documents. The Department of Medical Assistance Services also received documents with forged signatures of a registered nurse.

“In addition to the forgeries, there was missing (and) incomplete documentation regarding comprehensive needs assessments, recipient files, community-based care assessments and plans of care,” federal court documents on the case stated. “An additional $966,665 is attributed to these incomplete claims.”

More than 35 patients had documentation that was forged or falsified. For some, there was no documentation that any assessment had ever been done while they were in the hospital, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Guyton has also been involved in numerous business operations in Hampton Roads. She founded We Buy The Block, a real estate investment firm that invested $1.8 million in Gloucester County.Guyton was also the principal owner of the investment group, 5 Elite Group, co-owner of the area’s first Black-owned brewery, 1865 Brewing in Hampton, and Shew Velocity Sportsplex in Portsmouth.

In 2021, 5 Elite Group announced plans to spend $15 million in Portsmouth to redevelop the former Tidewater Community College visual arts building and an adjacent Dollar General into luxury apartments, a restaurant and a duckpin bowling alley.

In 2022, Guyton was named one of Inside Business’s Women in Business. The brewery closed in October after it was “unable to be financially sustainable,” according to a Facebook post from the business. The address for the Shew Velocity Sportsplex in Portsmouth, 900 Broad Street, is available for lease, and Guyton’s plans for the former TCC and Dollar General site did not come to fruition.

She pleaded guilty to one count of healthcare fraud and six counts of making false statements relating to health-care matters, and will be sentenced in January. Guyton faces up to 10 years in prison.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Sgt. Michelle Anaya, spokesperson for the Virginia State Police, said 22-year-old Trinity Iris Downs, of Hampton, was driving inside the tube at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Anaya said Downs “lost control of the vehicle” and struck the jersey wall.

She was sent to Norfolk Sentara Hospital with life-threatening injuries. No other vehicles were involved, and charges are pending in the case. It is unclear if speed was a factor.

By 8:30 a.m., eastbound lanes were reopened. Westbound lanes were opened shortly after 11 a.m.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

The Macon and Joan Brock EdVenture and Exploration Campus will feature two classrooms, two outdoor amphitheaters and animal trails. Greg Bockheim, the Norfolk zoo’s executive director, said the center will serve as a base camp for professional educators and volunteers. It will offer virtual reality safari adventures and underwater programming. Animal trails will allow smaller zoo residents like red pandas to walk right above guests through a tunnel.

“It should be a one of a kind in this region,” Bockheim said Wednesday.

In addition to the facilities, Bockheim said the zoo will make investments in connectivity and Wi-Fi at the zoo. He said this would allow classrooms and students at home to view the animals, such as through a livestream.

“I remember coming here as a child with my mother and father on Sundays and bringing a picnic (to) Lafayette Park,” Joan Brock, namesake of the new development, said. “It was 53 acres, right here in the middle of Norfolk, and it’s been a beautiful area and been a special place all these years. I just want to thank all the people that made (the announcement) happen.

“It’s been a pleasure for me to be involved in this situation. The zoo — it’s a gem. It’s a real asset to our community, and it’s something that we all need to take care of and be respectful of.”

The Perry Family Rhino Valley, will use about five acres of undeveloped space on zoo property to build a habitat for one-horned rhinos. A boardwalk will connect the habitat to Asia: Trail of the Tiger, where three treehouse classrooms will be built to give guests a better view.

The greater one-horned rhino, or “Indian rhino,” is the largest of the Asian rhino species. Once widespread across the entire northern part of India and Nepal, rhino populations plummeted as they were hunted for sport or killed as agricultural pests. Now, there are about 4,000 left.

In addition to the rhino exhibit, the zoo’s turtle oasis will have a second phase of development. The oasis, which officially added its turtles in May, will be extended within the Edventure and Exploration Campus. Greenhouses and pollinator gardens will be upgraded, as well, and the zoo will improve greenhouse growing centers and install the only public facing compost learning center in Hampton Roads. According to the zoo, 100 pounds of food waste thrown away at the zoo will become 20-30 pounds of compost that will be used on the grounds.

Mayor Kenny Alexander said the project’s energy and environmental efficiency is what he looks forward to most.

“Norfolk is 90% developed,” he said. “So what you see in Norfolk is not only conservation, but it’s preservation as well as new development. There’s a lot of mixed-use in being creative and innovative as we rethink, as we retool and provide the latest iteration of our city. We’re doing it in a smart way, using data — using evidence — to drive our change, (and) to drive our transformation.

“It’s important that we take in consideration all of those factors so that we are sustainable.”

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com