General Daily Insight for September 18, 2024

A few hurdles are ahead on our way to the end of the day. Confusion obscures the starting line as the Moon conjoins mystical Neptune in Pisces. On top of that, the planets will throw more mental roadblocks in front of us when Mercury opposes stoic Saturn at 4:50 am EDT. Satisfying conclusions could seem out of reach, especially once Luna stumbles into Aries and squares Mars in sensitive Cancer. We can push through if we don’t let our emotions overwhelm us.

#757Teamz Top 15

#6 First Colonial 2, #14 Kellam 0

Claire Hitchings scored the first goal with an assist from Rylee Brooks-Booth who then scored the second goal. Freshman goalkeeper Addie Savoie recorded one save and her first career shutout.

#7 Cox 9, Landstown 0

Erma Bailey and Mac Derr each scored two goals. Bella Glenn, Mikaela Quinn, and Campbell Wright achieved their first career goals during the game. Rose Holland and Atalee Booth scored as well.

#9 Princess Anne 8, Bayside 2

Sydney Raguini scored five goals for the Cavaliers. Avery Eaves and Claire Holmes scored one and two goals, respectively. Bayside’s two goals were netted by Natalee Fortin and Chole Imanil.

Beach District

Salem 4, Kempsville 1

Tamia Lawton scored a hat trick, and Mariah Jones added the other goal for the SunDevils.

Boys soccer

Private schools

Hampton Roads Academy 3, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 0

Zachary Busch scored two penalty kicks and assisted Luke Sablan’s goal.

Boys volleyball

#757Teamz Top 15

#2 Kellam d. Tallwood, 3-0

(27-25, 25-18, 25-20)

Captains Bennett Barco and Joel Eanes led the Knights with eight kills each. Nathan Pyka aided the team with 12 digs.

#6 Kecoughtan d. #9 Denbigh

(25-22, 25-16, 25-12)

Gabe Rumburg recorded 12 kills, 10 digs, and six aces. Jayden Dinh added 11 kills, eight digs, four aces, and two blocks.

Beach District

Cox d. Ocean Lakes, 3-2

Zach Hamilton had 22 kills and six digs, Thomas Moore had 10 kills, and Tony Cugini added six kills. Zane helped with 38 assists.

Green Run d. Salem, 3-0

(25-15, 25-15, 25-23)

Braven Jackson led the Stallions with eight kills and a 0.411 hitting percentage. Max Wasserzug and Torin Kernan combined for 12 service aces.

Girls volleyball

#757Teamz Top 15

#1 Grafton d. Tabb, 3-0

(25-18, 25-23, 25-14)

Kenzie Smith recorded 14 kills and two blocks, and Alana Washington added 11 kills. Olivia De La Cruz and Kaylie Klemm combined for 32 assists, and Ally Burke contributed 17 digs.

#12 Ocean Lakes d. #3 Cox, 3-2

Santina Martcheva had 22 kills while Carmela Mendoza contributed 42 assists. Kayla Bennett recorded 36 digs.

#4 Norfolk Academy d. Isle of Wight Academy, 3-0

Peyton McGee led the Bulldogs with nine kills. Charleston Hart had seven kills and five aces while Audrey Lipps added six more. Michaela Betancourt tallied 19 assists.

#7 Greenbrier Christian Academy d. Atlantic Shores, 3-0

Allie Dahlman led the Gators with assists and serves while Logan Turchetta and Katelyn Balka had numerous kills. Vivi Tucker and Jordan Freeman led defense.

#9 First Colonial d. Princess Anne, 3-0

(25-20, 25-14, 25-9)

The Patriots served 18 aces led by Elisa Chamness with seven. Grace Davies-Hackenberg, Gabby Taylor, and Alayna Cole combined for 20 kills.

#13 Kellam d. Tallwood, 3-1

(21-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-22)

Audrey Neil led the offense with 15 kills. Riley Erwin, Leilah Beasley, and Mia Schmidt added 14, 12, and nine kills, respectively. Mia Schmidt had 21 digs, Emmie Irving contributed 24 assists, and Sydney Stone had 17 digs. Riley Irwin and Leilah Beasley both recorded double-doubles.

#14 Bruton d. York, 3-0

(25-14, 25-19, 26-24)

Bruton was led by Cassie Hall with seven kills and seven digs. Annalise Wood added six kills, eight assists, and eight digs. Mina and Jolie Faw chipped in with five kills and two blocks each.

Bay Rivers District

Jamestown d. Lafayette, 3-0

(25-12, 25-7, 25-13)

Jamestown’s victory leads to a 6-4 overall record for the season.

Smithfield d. Warhill, 3-1

(25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21)

Isabella Dow totaled 19 assists, seven aces, and 10 digs. Chloe Schall contributed nine kills, five aces, and seven digs. Freshmen Baylee Carriker and Lexie Hanna contributed a total of five aces.

Beach District

Salem d. Green Run, 3-0

(25-15, 25-10, 25-20)

The SunDevils were led by Brianna Douglas with five aces and five kills as well as Margaret Adolphe with six kills and 23 digs.

Peninsula District

Kecoughtan d. Denbigh, 3-0

(26-24, 25-19, 25-19)

Abby Pincus recorded two aces, four kills and one dig. Deziah Harper added one ace and six kills. Michelle Walker contributed one ace, seven assists, and one dig.

Southeastern District

Great Bridge d. Bayside, 3-0

(25-15, 25-23, 25-23)

Marcy Stambaugh had 12 kills, Katerina Vardeman added nine kills with seven digs, and Hailey Hossfeld totaled 12 digs.

Private schools

Catholic d. Oscar Smith, 3-2

(25-16, 22-25, 19-25, 25-15, 20-18)

Sophomore outside hitter Lacee Jackson was the kill leader with 10 kills, and senior libero Lee Schmieder led defense for the Crusaders with 17 digs and one ace. Miley Hoffman and Brooklyn Beverly combined for seven aces.

The proposed Long Ridge Solar Farm, owned by brothers Christopher G. Weatherly and Glenn Scott Weatherly, will take up 41 acres of a 122-acre parcel along Long Ridge Road between Beaver Dam Road and Carolina Road. It will allow for cheaper energy for about 1,000 homes through the Virginia Shared Solar program, according to Cara Romaine, a senior developer with ESA Solar Energy who spoke in favor of the project.

Half of the energy produced by the project will support low-to-moderate income residents by providing 10% savings on their monthly power bills, Romain said. The site’s power lines will be connected to the grid underground via an existing power pole owned by Dominion Energy, which means it will not require the construction of a new substation.

This solar facility is expected to be able to operate for at least 35 years, according to the site’s decommissioning plan. The city has now approved 10 utility solar energy projects since 2019 covering a total of 2,020 acres, according to planning documents.

Speaking to council prior to the vote, Glenn Weatherly said his family has been on this farm since 1964 and he’s worked on it full-time since 1986. He said using some of their land for solar panels will provide him some “security.”

“I still want to farm … I’m pushing 60 years old this December, I’m looking for the easy life for a change,” Weatherly said.

The project was approved on a 7-2 vote, with council members Debbie Ritter and Jeff Bunn voting against. Ritter, who said she lives near a solar farm, called them “intrusive” and took issue with calling them “farms,” saying they’re more accurately described as industrial.

Ritter particularly highlighted the disruptions to travel during the construction period of the solar farms. She lamented the loss of agricultural land, listing things like transfer stations and proposed lithium battery storage facilities popping up across the area as signs of a negative trend.

“It all sounds great if you live in an urban area of the city or even a suburban area where (the solar project) isn’t where you live,” Ritter said. “This is an agricultural area … If the council wants to go ahead (with the project) that’s terrific, we’ll continue to give up valuable farmland.”

Two neighbors of the Weatherly’s farm spoke in favor of the project. Dana Todd, whose property is on Middle Ridge across the street from the Weatherly’s, said the addition of solar panels is a “good way to use the land and still make sure it stays farmable.”

“Supporting the Long Ridge solar project isn’t just about solar power, it’s about keeping our farmland safe and finding new ways for local farmers to make a living,” Todd said.

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday test-fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern seas, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, adding to its military demonstrations as tensions with Washington and neighbors escalate.

The launches come days after North Korea offered a rare view into a secretive facility built to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs as leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of his nuclear weapons program.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles from north of its capital, Pyongyang, and said they traveled about 400 kilometers (244 miles) while flying toward the northeast.

The joint chiefs said it was closely communicating with the United States and Japan while analyzing the launches but didn’t immediately provide further flight details.

Japan’s defense ministry said it detected at least two launches but didn’t immediately say what types of missiles they were and how far they flew.

Japan’s coast guard said the missiles were believed to have already fallen into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and urged vessels to watch out for falling objects. Japan’s NHK television said the missiles were believed to have landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean joint chiefs condemned the launches as a provocation that “seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” It said in a statement that South Korean and U.S. militaries were closely monitoring North Korean activities while maintaining a combined defense posture “to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation.”

North Korea didn’t immediately confirm the launches. They followed a previous round of ballistic tests last week as Kim vowed to have his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals.

The North said the launches on Sept. 12 involved its “super-large” 600mm multiple rocket launchers, which it describes as capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads. Experts say North Korea’s large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundary between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery.

Since 2022, North Korea has ramped up its weapons testing activities to expand and modernize its arsenal of nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and South Korea. The allies have expanded their combined military exercises and are updating their nuclear deterrence strategies based on U.S. assets to counter the North’s growing threat.

Analysts say Kim’s long-term goal is to force the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

While disclosing the uranium enrichment facility last week, Kim called for stronger efforts to “exponentially” increase its number of nuclear weapons in the face of what he described as U.S. threats. State media published photos that showed Kim talking with military officials and scientists between long lone lines of centrifuges used to produce weapons-grade uranium, but the reports didn’t say where the facility was located or when Kim made the visit.

Analysts say North Korea could conduct a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November with the intent of influencing the outcome and increasing its leverage in future dealings with the new U.S. administration.

___

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Mayor Bobby Dyer described it as “a major snafu” at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “It’s our duty that when we have any event at the Oceanfront that there’s a positive light on it. This was not a positive light.”

He recommended that in order to rebuild trust, the festival organizers should commit to a long-term partnership, possibly for three-to-five years, and that the city must take a more proactive role.

“The city has been left out of the decision loop in terms of what goes on in operations,” said Dyer, who wants a contract with the festival team outlining the city’s expectations.

Festival organizers notified the city Friday afternoon, just hours after tickets went on sale, that the Oct. 12-13 event was canceled and they intend to reschedule it in April. Soon after the city was notified Friday, Pharrell Williams posted on social media that the festival wasn’t ready yet and ticket-buyers would be refunded.

While organizers are eyeing a move back to April, City Manager Patrick Duhaney said the decision to change the festival date hasn’t been solidified by the City Council.

Something in the Water was first held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in 2019. Williams was originally asked to organize an event in late April to provide structured entertainment for college students who had been coming to the resort area each spring.

After inclement weather forced Williams to cancel the festival’s third day in 2023, he decided to move it to October this year in hopes of better conditions.

Duhaney noted money the city set aside for sponsorship — as much as $2 million — has not been spent. He read a letter from the festival team which indicated that issues with the lineup of performers prompted Williams to drop the October date.

“After spending considerable time with members of the music community, we have collectively decided that a festival in April will be far more substantial and impactful for the city of Virginia Beach and allow some of the participants who had committed and endured conflicts beyond Pharrell’s control to participate in April,” the festival organizers wrote.

The festival team promised to have “a concrete plan set within this calendar year.”

Councilmembers Amelia Ross-Hammond and Jennifer Rouse, liaisons to the festival, said Friday’s announcement came as a surprise to both of them.

“We felt blindsided,” said Ross-Hammond.

The two of them held several meetings with city officials and the festival organizers over the weekend.

“We received a lot of reactions, and questions and frustrations and concerns,” said Rouse. “We made sure to share that with the Something in the Water team as well as the city.”

Rouse is pushing the festival organizers to set the April date and lineup sooner than later, she said.

“They want to make an intentional effort to rebuild credibility and trust,” said Rouse.

Councilman Barbara Henley said the postponement is more than just a disappointment to business owners.

“It’s cost a lot of people some serious money,” she said, citing that some hotels are not going to have the income they were counting on.

“We take this as a learning experience,” Henley said. “We have to set benchmarks.”

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

But in a country where mental health services are sparse for those who need them and nearly everyone has ready access to guns, the overheated rhetoric in the public arena is increasingly dangerous — and those who desire to lead must do better.

On Sunday, the U.S. Secret Service thwarted what it termed an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump as he played golf at his country club in West Palm Beach, Florida. That incident follows one in July in which a gunman opened fire on a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, killing one person and injuring others, including the former president, who was struck in the ear.

Details are still emerging about the alleged gunman but, as with the shooter in July, his political views appear chaotic and hard to discern. He claims to have voted for Trump in 2016 before shifting allegiances to other Republican presidential candidates this year, and he appears to have been animated by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Reporting suggests he also has a lengthy criminal record for weapons violations, calling into question how he was able to obtain the AK-47 Secret Service officers say they recovered at the scene. However, it is a fact of American life that those determined to access firearms can do so, even when they are a demonstrable threat to themselves and others.

Couple that with mental health services that are difficult for those in crisis to access, and together they form a volatile stew for those with ill intent. Wave after wave of disinformation, from domestic and international sources alike, seeks to divide the American electorate, pitting neighbor against neighbor and causing otherwise reasonable citizens to view others as a threat to their way of life.

Worse, though, are candidates and officials who peddle in disinformation as a pathway toward election. Those who willfully traffic in lies do not have your best interests in mind. They do not care about you or your families. And they are unconcerned by the effects of their poisonous rhetoric.

On this, no side is blameless. Both Republicans and Democrats have the opportunistic among their ranks who convince themselves that doing anything to win is simply how the game is played, consequences be damned.

That is why it’s so important, especially at such a fraught moment for our republic, that those seeking elected office and those who hold sway in the political arena seize this moment to elevate the tenor of our debate — to inspire rather than degrade, and to appeal to the better angels of our nature instead of the lowest common denominator.

Case in point: Only hours after the Secret Services detained the alleged gunman on Sunday, Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance baselessly blamed Democratic rhetoric for inspiring the suspect in Florida. He said this even as his hateful attacks on Haitian immigrants — which he admitted on Sunday were fabricated — inspired bomb threats that paralyzed the town of Springfield, Ohio.

Such lies and baseless speculation are incredibly irresponsible. It’s a lack of judgment that those on the campaign trail should wholly reject rather than emulate, and the sort of talk that could make a perilous situation far worse.

We can be thankful that those who represent Virginia, and many of those who seek elected office this year, have responded thoughtfully to these events, including this week after the incident in Florida. All Americans should be thankful that Trump again avoided serious injury this weekend.

There are deeply troubled individuals in this country who need guidance away from violence and back to the realm of respectful, honest debate. They are smoldering with rage, and those worthy of our trust — and of our vote — will dampen those embers with water rather than dousing them with gasoline.

In particular, changes in regulation and legislation have allowed MA health plans, such as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, more flexibility in designing specially tailored benefits that support a person’s overall health and wellbeing. These supplemental benefits are unique to MA and can help address gaps in traditional Medicare. Supplemental benefits historically included “primarily health related” benefits such as dental, vision and hearing services, and more recently include services that support health-related needs, such as help purchasing nutritious food and transportation to access plan benefits.

According to the National Academy of Medicine, what’s typically considered “medical care” only accounts for 10-20% of contributors to health outcomes. Other factors that have an impact on health include a person’s access to grocery stores, relationships with friends and family, and home and workplace environments. These are known as social drivers of health, and they account for the remaining 80-90%. Recognizing the profound impact of social drivers on a person’s health, it’s important to shift the lens through which we view health care. Addressing these aspects will help us transition toward a more holistic view, one that takes into account our whole health.

Whole health is an approach to health care that recognizes health must be evaluated as a bigger picture, one that includes physical, behavioral and social drivers. We must move beyond the traditional scope of simply addressing physical health and find ways to positively influence behavioral and social drivers of health. This involves a focus on health equity and using data to tailor our efforts to individuals, taking a big picture view of their health needs. Only by understanding this big picture can people start to view their own health as something that is both influenced by the world around them and within their control to shape and change.

Thanks to the expansion of MA supplemental benefits, plan members are now better able to get the help they need to improve their whole health. For example, while medically tailored meals have been offered as a conventional supplemental benefit for a while, some MA plans are now able to offer additional nutrition benefits such as grocery cards, which provide a monthly allowance that give members the ability to purchase produce and other food items at participating grocery stores.

A study published last year found that a vast majority of a MA health plan’s members used at least one supplemental benefit in 2022, with many accessing more than one benefit. In addition, members who used at least one supplemental benefit were more likely to live in areas with fewer resources, such as food deserts and areas with lower socioeconomic status, suggesting that these benefits are helping to address social drivers of health.

Another recent study suggested that use of supplemental benefits is associated with an increased likelihood of having a preventative screening or annual wellness visit and a decreased likelihood of having a hospitalization or emergency room visit for a non-emergent issue.

Today, more than 32 million people have chosen to enroll in a MA plan. That’s more than half of all eligible Medicare members, showcasing the critical value that MA plans, including supplemental benefits, provide for older adults and people with disabilities.

With the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period fast approaching, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, it’s a crucial time for all Medicare-eligible individuals. Take this opportunity to review your options carefully to ensure that your MA plan is working for you. Don’t overlook the supplemental benefits, as these can significantly contribute to overall health and wellbeing.

Neil Steffens is Medicare president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s East Region, which includes Virginia.

All residents of 757 are fortunate to live near the water, especially the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. My wife and I, and our neighbors, are particularly grateful for living at the bayfront and having the daily experiences of watching diving osprey and pelicans, dolphins and people enjoying all kinds of water sports.

Residents and tourists alike are attracted to the beach for those same reasons plus the sunbathing, fishing, crabbing, beach games, cookouts and beverages.

On Sept. 10, a good-sized crowd of 30 or so young people spent the day with three big tents and cookout equipment, and did lots of beach games and swimming. They all appeared to be having a good, well-behaved time. Most of them spent the entire day, late morning to early evening, laughing with some pleasant music and general good behavior.

The next morning was a real shock. The beach was littered with beer cans, debris, garbage and even a table littered with more trash.

Seriously. These folks did not seem underprivileged, ignorant nor oblivious to the beauty of the bay. Why by any stretch of imagination would these young people desecrate a thing of beauty enjoyed for free? They know better, and their behavior is inexcusable. It’s sad they have no respect for something that most of the rest of our country envies.

John Baggio, Virginia Beach

Security

Re “Classified documents” (Your Views, Sept. 15): I am responding to questions in the letter asking what would happen to federal workers who handled classified documents poorly. When I was a GS-4 clerk working at Fort Monroe during the Vietnam War, our office received many classified documents for which I was responsible. I had to sign for each one and track every movement a document took when out of the secure file cabinet. Had I failed to account for any one of those documents at the end of the day or even left one unattended on my desk, I could have lost my security clearance and therefore my job.

Though among the lowest-graded civilian employees, I understood my responsibility completely and complied to the letter. That the highest-ranking civilian in the country could act so cavalierly about our national security is appalling. That he might end up back in the White House and once more in possession of national secrets is terrifying.

Bonnie Kashouty Nealon, Toano

Orange wimp

The debate Sept. 10 between Vice President Kamala Harris and the orange felon was an epic beatdown. If it had been a prizefight, the referee would have stopped it and former President Donald Trump would have been administered smelling salts.

Now the cowardly Trump indicates that he will not debate Harris again. If Trump refuses to debate again, Harris needs to publicly call him out for being a chicken because he is afraid to get beaten by a woman again. Don King would be ashamed. How can the “cowardly lyin'” be expected to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he is afraid to get beaten up by a woman?

Christina Anne Knight, Newport News

JD Vance

I’m sure Ohio Sen. JD Vance didn’t realize when he made his “single cat ladies” comments he would tick off one of the most popular women in the world. However, someone in former President Donald Trump’s campaign should have known that Trump re-sharing artificial intelligence-generated pictures that falsely showed Taylor Swift endorsing Trump, would lead her to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.

There will be 8.3 million Generation Z youth who will have become eligible to vote in 2024, according to circle.tufts.edu. In one day, many of them registered to vote. Thank Vance.

Joseph Ketron, Williamsburg

Sometime before the attack in Boulder in 2021, Moustafa Alissa recalled waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and his son, Ahmad Alissa, telling him to go talk to a man who was in his room. Moustafa Alissa said they walked together to his son’s room and there was no one there.

Moustafa Alissa also said his son would sometimes talk to himself and broke a car key fob he feared was being used to track him, echoing testimony on Monday from his wife. He said he didn’t know exactly what was wrong with his son but that in his native Syria people say someone acting that way is believed to be possessed by an evil spirit, or djin.

“We thought he probably was just possessed by a spirit or something,” Moustafa Alissa said through an Arabic interpreter in court.

Ahmad Alissa was diagnosed after the shooting with a severe case of schizophrenia and only was deemed mentally competent to stand trial last year after a doctor put him on the strongest antipsychotic medication available. No one disputes he was the gunman at the supermarket but he has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

The defense says he should be found not guilty because he was legally insane and not able to tell the difference between right and wrong at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors and forensic psychologists who evaluated him for the court say that, despite his mental illness, he did not experience delusions and knew what he was doing when he launched the attack. They point to the planning and research he did to prepare for it and his fear that he could end up in jail afterward to show that Alissa knew what he was doing was wrong. However, the psychologists said they thought the voices played some role in the attack and don’t believe the attack would have happened if he had not been mentally ill.

When District Attorney Michael Dougherty asked why Moustafa Alissa did not seek out treatment for his son, he said it would be very hard for his family to have a reputation for having a “crazy son.”

“It’s shameful in our culture,” he said.

During questioning, Moustafa Alissa, whose family owns several restaurants in the Denver area, also acknowledged that Ahmad Alissa had promised to return a gun he had that had jammed a few days before the shooting and that he went to the shooting range at least once with his brothers. Despite his concerns about his son’s mental state, he said he did not do anything to try take guns away from him.

Given that, Dougherty suggested that his son’s condition may not have been as bad as his family is now portraying it.

“He was not normal but we did not expect him to do what he did,” Moustafa Alissa said.