This week the Virginia Department of Health is urging folks to prioritize water safety as Hampton Roads heads into beach season. When Nathan Simms led Norfolk's Housing Authority it issued two no-bid contracts to a recruitment firm. That same firm landed Simms his next job, leading the housing authority in Charleston, South Carolina. Finally, we sit down WHRO's new education reporter Ashley White to recap the latest education news around the region.

This week Armed Forces Brewing Company shuttered its doors in 2025 after controversial statements from its CEO. Now, the brewery is back and it's suing a string of critics for $50 million. A national report says Virginia faces catastrophic shortages in community mental health. Providers in Norfolk say patients struggle to know where to go during a crisis. Finally, worms are essential to the ecosystem. So, one Norfolk nonprofit is showing folks how the critters are an essential part to a healthy garden.

This week data centers are popping up in communities all around the country. They aren't without controversy. Suffolk wants to put rules in place for any prospective centers. Dr. Valli Meeks became the first leader of a new clinic for people living with HIV and AIDS in the 1980s. Now, a musical about her work called "Dr. Smile" opens Friday in Virginia Beach. Finally, ICE arrests happen in a flash, typically without any warning. WHRO's Toby Cox speaks with one family who are still reeling from the sudden loss of a husband and father.

This week the fired Norfolk Housing Director Nathan Simms has taken over Charleston, South Carolina's housing authority one week after a WHRO investigation revealed he authorized millions of dollars in no-bid contracts. A new report shows Hampton Roads is home to the most well-funded joint military base. It also noted that the region hosts one of the least funded joint bases. Finally, Weekly Edition sits down with americana band The Lone Bellow to discuss their new album ahead of the group's show in Norfolk.

This week blue catfish are an invasive species that are rapidly spreading across the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia is urging folks to break out the fryers and utensils to eat the fish before they can damage marine ecosystems. A WHRO investigation found the fired leader of Norfolk's housing authority authorized millions of dollars in no-bid contracts usually reserved for emergencies. Finally, a parrot rescue in Virginia won't have its license renewed this August. Now, the owners are unsure where the birds will go.

This week thousands of people in Virginia are actively awaiting transplants, but many of them are unaware how donations are sorted and assigned to patients. The fourth director in two years has taken over at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center. This takeover comes amidst a rocky situation that saw the VA eliminate more vacant positions than any other VA in the country. Finally, harbor seals are flocking to Hampton Roads waters, but scientists can't quite figure out why. WHRO's Katherine Hafner dives into the mystery to find out.

On This Week's Weekly Edition: The aircraft carrier USS Bush is en route to the Middle East to join a slew of other vessels in the area, as the US tries to take control of the strait of Hormuz. Plus, Michelle Hankerson addresses the lingering questions about the redistricting amendment ahead of next week's special election. And, community leaders on the peninsula held an inaugural environmental justice symposium this week at Christopher Newport University. these stories and more on this episode of Weekly Edition.

This week astronauts on the Artemis II mission requested to name a moon crater after astronaut Reid Wiseman's wife, Carroll, who was a Virginia Beach native. A new law is supposed to provide more transparency to Virginians about police use of Flock traffic cameras in the state. Finally, senior homelessness is a growing problem in the U.S. Hampton Roads is facing its own issues as a third of the homeless population is 55 and older.

This week Virginia lawmakers are pushing to protect reproductive rights in the state constitution, but access to care could still remain a complicated issue. Federal funding for medical research in Virginia continues to be a big economic driver for the state. That's despite a drop in the total number of projects funded. Finally, WHRO's John Doucette speaks with actor and comedian Nick Offerman ahead of his comedy and craftsman show in Virginia Beach later this month.

This week people from all over the community honored the ROTC instructor killed by a gunman at Old Dominion University on March 12. The ROTC cadets who subdued the gunman were also honored in a private ceremony. The USS Gettysburg made its return to Hampton Roads this week after five months in the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear. Finally, a new government report found military dogs living in substandard, unsanitary conditions. These issues at ten bases directly contributed to the deaths of four dogs.