application process on Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo via the city of Suffolk)Suffolk launches new grants for child care providersSuffolk is launching an $8,500 grant program to help at least 10 home-based child care businesses start or expand by covering permit fees.
The funding is intended to ease a child care shortage in Suffolk, where licensed providers meet only 77% of demand. This gap leaves more than 1,400 children in the city lacking access to care.READ MORE
More headlinesMother shot dead by ICE in Minneapolis graduated from Old Dominion University Read more-Virginia MOCA says bye to its current home with a two-day celebration Read more-Democrats pitch more battery storage to support Virginia’s power grid Read more-RFK Jr.’s new food pyramid puts meat, cheese and vegetables at the top Read more
The Bold Mariner Brewing Company announced on social media in November plans to sell its Ocean View property. (Photo via The Bold Mariner Brewing Company)The brewery boom of the 2010s is slowing down. Three Norfolk breweries announced closures in 2025.Brewery closures are rising nationally. In Hampton Roads, several local taprooms are shutting their doors or downsizing.
Industry leaders say the shift reflects pandemic fallout, rising costs, changing drinking habits and increased competition from non-beer options.
While some owners are leaving the industry, others are adapting, arguing the craft beer scene is evolving amid oversaturation.READ MORE Local journalism is made possible only because of generous WHRO donorsDONATE NOW State and local health officials cut the ribbon at the opening of Chesapeake Regional’s new inpatient behavioral health unit. (Photo by Yiqing Wang)New inpatient behavioral health unit expands mental health care in ChesapeakeChesapeake Regional Healthcare opened a new 20-bed inpatient behavioral health unit to expand access to mental health care across South Hampton Roads.
The unit includes private rooms and multiple therapy and activity spaces. Once fully staffed, the facility will have five psychiatrists and three nurse practitioners.READ MORE
Thank you for being a part of the WHRO journalism community! If you benefited from this email, forward it to a friend. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here to be one of the first people to get the most important local news every weekday. Copyright 2026 WHRO Public Media | 5200 Hampton Bou