Laurel Kelly | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News Network

For many families, the start of school is a busy, exciting time of year. For some families, though, returning to school also means unpleasant, unwelcome guests: head lice.

An estimated 6-12 million infestations of head lice occur each year in the U.S. among children 3 to 11 years old, predominantly among preschool children in child care settings and children in elementary school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Members of their households also are at risk.

What are head lice?

Head lice are tiny insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. Head lice don’t carry bacterial or viral diseases, and having head lice isn’t a sign of poor personal hygiene or an unclean living environment.

Head lice crawl, but they can’t jump or fly. They most often affect children and are spread primarily by direct head-to-head contact. The risk of spreading head lice is greatest among children within a family or children who have close contact at school or play. Head lice also may spread when items of clothing are stored together. For example, hats or scarves hung on the same hook or stored in the same closet or school locker could serve as vehicles for spreading lice. Household pets, such as dogs and cats, don’t play a role in spreading head lice.

Common signs and symptoms of head lice may include:

— Itching: The most common symptom of head lice is itching on the scalp, neck and ears. This is an allergic reaction to louse bites. When a person has head lice for the first time, itching may not occur for four to six weeks.

— Lice on scalp: You may be able to see the lice, but they’re often hard to spot because they’re small, avoid light and move quickly.

— Lice eggs, or nits, on hair shafts: Nits stick to hair shafts and may be hard to see because they’re very tiny. They’re easiest to spot around the ears and the hairline of the neck. Empty nits may be easier to spot because they’re lighter in color and further from the scalp. However, the presence of nits doesn’t mean there are live lice.

— Sores on the scalp, neck and shoulders: Scratching can lead to small, red bumps that may sometimes get infected with bacteria.

Treatment

If you suspect someone in your household has head lice, see a healthcare professional to confirm that head lice are present before you begin treatment. Studies show that many children have been treated for head lice with nonprescription medications or home remedies when they didn’t have lice.

Treatment of head lice can include medications and home treatments.

Your healthcare professional likely will recommend a medication available without a prescription that kills lice and some of the nits. Medications without a prescription include permethrin, or Nix, and ivermectin, or Sklice.

In some regions, lice have developed resistance to nonprescription medications. Nonprescription treatment also may fail because of incorrect use, such as not repeating the treatment at an appropriate time. If the correct use of a nonprescription treatment has failed, your healthcare professional may recommend a prescription treatment. Prescription medications include spinosad, or Natroba; malathion; and prescription-strength ivermectin, or Stromectol.

If you prefer not to use a medication for treating head lice, you may consider a home treatment. However, there’s little to no clinical evidence that home treatments are effective, and some can be dangerous.

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©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

NEW KENT — A New Kent church that is building an “Ark Complex” to pair youth baseball with the gospel is seeking a rezoning to allow signs on its property.

The New Kent Planning Commission gave a favorable recommendation on Aug. 21 to Journey Christian Fellowship’s application to rezone its land at 3020 New Kent Highway in Quinton from residential to business.

Construction is already underway on Journey’s Ark Complex. It will include four baseball/softball fields, a soccer field and a playground and concession stand.

“The Ark Complex will be a complete gospel learning experience with interactive gospel learning stations that will teach the Bible from Genesis to the Cross,” Journey states on its website, arkcomplex.org. “Little league sports bring healthy and broken families alike together in support of the next generation and their growth.”

Journey hosts a tailgate church on Sundays at the Ark Complex. It also runs a coffee shop, Safari Coffee.

Greg Pulling, the church’s pastor, said the rezoning would bring signs into compliance. Churches can operate on residential property.

“A church is permitted to go into any zone there is,” Pulling said. “At this time, to further promote our ministries with our signs and direct people to us, we feel that zoning business is the best practice for us.”

Pulling said Journey bought the land in 2018.

“Here we are five years later, about $7 million later and we are dying to get our ministry started. We are dying to get the right signage to point people to our ministry,” he said.

Pulling said the ministry has “saved lives” and the mission’s coffee shop has helped addicts. “I have led kids to Christ in uniforms on baseball fields,” he said. Pulling said he has also seen marriages saved on baseball fields.

“We are not in business. We are in the business of saving lives,” Pulling said.

New Kent Planning Director Amy Inman said the rezoning application was submitted because the signs on the church’s buildings are not permitted on residential property. The signs were moved to the new site from a former location.

Ron Stiers, a county supervisor who spoke at the public hearing, said voting against rezoning would not affect the activities.

“Wouldn’t you rather see all these kids out there playing on a ball field than going home after school and getting on the streets, on their video games, and smoking dope?” he said.

Eileen Blixt, who lived near the present church site when she was 5, said she later ran on the fields and holds the cross-country record for New Kent High School. “That was my field. In 33 years I’ve seen it be all kinds of things but all I see now in that field is opportunity, the opportunity for my girls to train in the same field,” said Blixt, who is a member of the church.

The planning commission backed the rezoning with no dissenting votes. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the application.

David Macaulay, [email protected]

Gloucester started the 2023 field hockey season on a roll, scoring 26 goals en route to a 3-0 record. Reese Miller scored twice in a 4-2 thrilling opening win against Western Branch and totaled six goals and six assists to lead the Dukes. Leigha Germain and Kaylee Hall each chipped in with five goals.

The Bruins dropped to 0-2 with their other loss coming at the hands of another ranked foe, Nansemond River. Anyia Woods registered a hat trick for the Warriors.

Catholic cracks into the Top 15 with two victories, including an upset of Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II defending champion Cape Henry. Sophia Stavrides leads the Crusaders with three goals, followed by Brooke Sunderland with two.

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Team, record, last ranking

1. Norfolk Academy, 0-0, 1

2. Cox, 1-0, 2

3. Great Bridge, 1-0, 3

4. Nansemond River, 2-0, 4

5. First Colonial, 1-0, 7

6. Gloucester, 3-0, 11

7. Tabb, 0-0,  8

8. Poquoson, 0-0, 9

9. Kellam, 0-0, 10

10. Western Branch, 0-2, 6

11. Cape Henry Collegiate, 0-1, 5

12. Grafton, 1-0, 15

13. Menchville, 0-0, 12

14. Princess Anne, 0-0, 13

15. Catholic, 2-0, NR

Dropped out: York, 0-0, 14

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Monday set a March 4, 2024, trial date for Donald Trump in the federal case in Washington charging the former president with trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan denied a defense request to push the trial back until April 2026, about a year and a half after the 2024 election, but also sets it later than the January date proposed by special counsel Jack Smith’s team.

“The public has a right to prompt and efficient resolution of this matter,” she said.

If the date holds, it would come right in the middle of the Republican presidential nominating calendar and the day before Super Tuesday, a crucial voting day when the largest number of delegates are up for grabs.

Trump, a Republican, was charged earlier this month in a four-count indictment with scheming to undo his loss to Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the 2020 election.

The federal election subversion prosecution is one of four criminal cases against Trump. Smith’s team has brought a separate federal case accusing him of illegally retaining classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, property, Mar-a-Lago, and refusing to give them back. That case is currently set for trial next May 20.

Trump also faces state cases in New York and Georgia. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to a porn actor who has said she had an extramarital affair with Trump, while prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, have charged Trump and 18 others in a racketeering conspiracy aimed at undoing that state’s 2020 election.

Trump, the early front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, surrendered Thursday in that case, posing with a scowling face for the first mug shot in American history of a former U.S. president. He has claimed the investigations of him are politically motivated and are an attempt to damage his chances of winning back the White House.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of former President Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.

Tourists were initially urged to stay away from the Hawaiian island of Maui in the immediate wake of a wildfire that killed at least 115 people and devastated the historic town of Lahaina.

But now, nearly three weeks after the catastrophic wildfire, officials and some locals are urging visitors to not cancel upcoming trips to other parts of the island, saying the tourism dollars are needed to keep locals employed.

“Maui update. South Maui resorts (Lahaina is West Maui) NEED visitors. Furloughs and layoffs starting because people think the whole island is closed. It is not,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii tweeted Thursday. “If you are planning a trip to Wailea or Kihei, don’t cancel. If you want to come to Hawaii pls consider South Maui.”

‘Āina Momona, a community organization that discouraged visitors from coming immediately after the fire, is now offering advice to tourists who do come to the island.

“If you decide to travel to Maui, behave with solace, empathy, compassion,” a recent Instagram slideshow urges. The “bottom line,” it says, is that people should “visit,” “spend” and “go home.”

Tourism has historically been a fraught subject in Hawaii and the recent fires have brought those tensions to the forefront.

But for those who do visit the island in the coming weeks and months, officials, community leaders and other locals offer some advice for being a respectful visitor and minimizing negative effects on the island.

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Do not go to West Maui

The No. 1 message from community leaders and officials is that tourists should steer clear of Lahaina, which was ravaged by fire, and nearby towns such as Kaanapali and Kapalua, which are housing relief efforts and displaced fire survivors.

Don’t “rubberneck” around the affected communities, said Kainoa Horcajo, a cultural consultant and organizer with mutual aid organization Maui Rapid Response. “But the rest of the island is open and it needs support,” Horcajo added.

Stories about tourists taking selfies in front of the destruction in the immediate aftermath of the fire compound the anger and frustration of people in the community who have already lost so much, said James Kunane Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Tokioka reiterated the message that the rest of the island and state are open, but urged tourists to act with respect.

Popular South Maui towns such as Kihei and Wailea are far from the destruction, as is Paia on the North Shore.

Travelers are welcome in Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei, Wailea, Makena, Paia and Hana, as well as the neighboring Maui County islands of Lanai and Molokai, according to official state guidance.

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Act with sensitivity and empathy

“Come with respect, humility and reverence for our Maui community, especially West Maui. There is a lot of cultural and emotional sensitivity at this time,” said Jeana Naluai, a Native Hawaiian who runs a spa in Maui’s Upcountry that specializes in traditional Hawaiian Lomi Lomi techniques. “The families are hurting and deserve your consideration and care.”

Trisha Kehaulani Watson, ‘Āina Momona’s co-founder, underscored the fact that many people tourists encounter — including hotel, restaurant and retail workers — may have a personal connection to the fires.

“We really need tourists to be patient and kind and compassionate and understand that people here are deeply traumatized and really beginning to cope with this,” said Kehaulani Watson, a natural and cultural resources management consultant.

Tourists should know that recovery remains the island’s priority and expect that some places could be short-staffed and some attractions may be closed, Kehaulani Watson said.

Gemma Alvior, a local designer who has a boutique at Maui Mall Village in Kahului, also urged visitors to “always remember to watch how you speak about your vacation because you don’t know who is listening. Everyone is emotional and hurt.”

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Patronize small businesses and tip well

“Support the economy by shopping at local stores, restaurants, food trucks and shopping Hawaiian products,” said Naluai, who runs Ho’omana Spa. She suggested that tourists use the Kuhikuhi database to find Native Hawaiian-owned businesses or shop them virtually and take as many selfies as they want supporting local businesses in unaffected areas.

Many people are looking for jobs, and local businesses need to absorb the workforce until things rebuild, Naluai said. “Only thriving business can continue to offer opportunities. We all need to survive so we can continue to serve for the long haul towards restoration.”

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Volunteer or donate

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism urges visitors to check mauistrong.hawaii.gov for the latest Maui emergency management and recovery information, as well as information about how to help.

‘Āina Momona suggests that tourists consider volunteering with Maui Food Bank, Maui Rapid Response or Common Ground Collective.

Alvior, the Pulelehua boutique designer, also suggested that people consider volunteering with the Maui Humane Society or donating goods.

“They can also bring an extra luggage full of items that are needed here. Don’t come empty-handed,” Alvior said. (Needs have shifted relatively quickly over the last few weeks, so it’s best to connect with local groups beforehand or on social media.)

Kilakila Nunes, a Maui resident whose pool services business works with local resorts, suggested that travelers consider making “a small monetary donation to a credible agency if possible” while enjoying the rest of the island.

While most of the country is gearing up for the 2024 national elections, Virginia is focused on the upcoming 2023 elections. The entire Virginia General Assembly — the state Senate and the House of Delegates — will be elected in November.

This timing always sets up an interesting conversation between national and state/local politics. Virginia’s governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general stand for election in the year after national elections. In 2017, Virginia elected Democrats to all three of these positions; this result, one year after Donald Trump’s electoral victory in 2016, was widely seen as a referendum on the 2016 result. In the midterm Congressional elections in 2018, the Virginia delegation to Congress switched its partisan balance; before this election, the balance was seven Republicans to four Democrats. When this election was over, the partisan balance was seven Democrats to four Republicans.

The results in Virginia’s House of Delegates election in 2019 (the year before the 2020 national elections) completed the Democrats’ governing trifecta; the Democrats continued to hold the governor’s position (this office was not contested until 2021) and won the state Senate and the House. These statewide legislative elections were widely seen as a predictor of the 2020 election result in Virginia. As predicted, Virginia’s 2020 electoral votes went to Democrat Joe Biden.

The 2021 statewide elections in Virginia reflected some discontent with Biden’s 2020 victory, as Republicans won all three statewide positions in 2021. In addition, the House of Delegates swung to Republican control in that year. The state Senate, which was not up for reelection, remained in the control of the Democratic Party.

In the 2022 national midterm elections, the results in Virginia trended in favor of the Republicans — six Democrats and five Republicans won. This rolled back but not did not reverse the 2018 Democratic 7-4 majority among Virginia’s 11 members of Congress.

The statewide executive offices are not on the ballot this year. However, some political-watchers believe that Gov. Glenn Youngkin is contemplating a run for president in 2024. Because Virginia governors are limited to one term in office, he is almost certainly looking around to identify his electoral options after 2025. Depending on what happens in the next six months in the Republican party’s efforts to identify its 2024 presidential candidate, Youngkin could decide to declare his candidacy.

All of this leads us to this November. Throughout the state, candidates for local government positions will be on the ballot along with all 40 Senate seats and 100 seats in the House of Delegates. New legislative districts in Virginia have created more uncertainty than usual. The number of retirements after the last legislative session was greater than normal, as incumbents found themselves in new districts that either pitted them against another incumbent or included communities that might be less supportive of their reelection.

No matter who wins these contests, the General Assembly will have more newcomers than in previous years. Because these statewide elections occur one year before the 2024 national elections, many observers will be watching for indicators of voter preferences as the nation enters the 2024 election cycle.

Voters in Virginia need to be aware that things have changed for this election. The legislative districts have been redrawn and renumbered. Voting precinct boundaries have also been redrawn. Voters may find that they can no longer vote for the candidates they supported in the past or at the locations they are accustomed to.

Voters need to keep a few dates in mind as the election season begins. These are from the Virginia Department of Elections website, elections.virginia.gov.

Sept. 22: First day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office. In James City County, this is at 4095 Ironbound Road. In Williamsburg, it’s at 401 Lafayette St. In York County, it’s at 5322 George Washington Memorial Highway or at 6614 Mooretown Road, Suite A. Early voting continues Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., through Nov. 3.

Oct. 16: Deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration. (Voters may also register on Election Day and vote using a provisional ballot.)

Oct. 17: Deadline to apply for a mail ballot. Your request must be received by your local voter registration office by 5 p.m.

Oct. 28: Voter registration offices open for early voting, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Nov. 4: The last day of in-person early voting at your local voter registration office, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Nov. 7: Election Day. Vote at your local precinct, 6 a.m.–7 p.m.

Here are a few things you should do before the fall.

• Register to vote if you have not done so already.
• If you are already registered, check  your voter registration in plenty of time to fix any problems before the registration deadline expires. Sometimes, voter lists are purged (for a variety of reasons) and your name may have been accidentally deleted.
• Figure out your new district and identify where you should go to vote.
• Find out what candidates are on your ballot, and research who they are and what they stand for.
• If you are so inclined, contact local candidates and offer to help their campaigns.
• Make a plan to vote — either early or on Election Day.

Karen McPherson is a retired teacher, volunteer at Literacy for Life and instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at William & Mary. She can be reached at [email protected].

Appointed/elected

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced key administration and board appointments. Lindsay Winter of Virginia Beach, head of Virginia Public Policy at Amazon, was appointed to the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority. Karey Malyszko of Norfolk, vice president of plant operations with Newport News Shipbuilding, was appointed to the board of trustees of the Science Museum of Virginia. Billy Foster of Suffolk, president/CEO of TowneBank, was appointed to Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates. Dr. Andrew J. Nash of Norfolk, an audiologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs, was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Krista Martinez of Chesapeake, chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Norfolk and co-director of the Norfolk Family Justice Center, was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Sexual and Domestic Violence. Ross Stolle of Virginia Beach, a consultant with Accenture, was appointed to the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel. David Hackworth of Chesapeake, a senior associate at Moseley Architects, was appointed to the State Board of Local and Regional Jails. Vanessa Christie of Virginia Beach, CEO of Prevailance Aerospace, was appointed to the Virginia Aviation Board.

Robert Crum of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission was elected to the board of directors of the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions at its annual Summer Conference held in Norfolk July 26-28.

Awards and honors

Brown Edwards, a full-service regional accounting firm with an office in Newport News, was recognized as a top accounting firm on the Inside Public Accounting Top 100 List, moving up another spot on the list this year to No. 72.

Metronet, an independently owned 100% fiber optic provider based in Evansville, Indiana, was ranked the fastest internet service provider in Norfolk, according to data from Ookla Speedtest Intelligence.

Newport News-based PBMares continues to rank in the top 100 of all public accounting firms in the United States, ranking No. 80, according to the 2023 Inside Public Accounting Top 100 list.

Education

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, Assistant City Manager Ralph “Bo” Clayton and Director of Human Resources Allison Dichoso were selected to participate in the seventh class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. They join a set of 40 mayors and 80 senior municipal leaders from across the globe who are taking part in the yearlong professional management training program. Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, the program covers topics including policy development, communication, poverty reduction, equitable growth and jobs, climate, resilience, affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure.

Grants and donations

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast received a $15,000 grant from the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation Inc. to support the onboarding of a new phone system at its headquarters, A Place for Girls, in Chesapeake. The new multifunctional phone system has many benefits that will improve communications and reduce additional costs.

Mergers and acquisitions

Newport News-based Ferguson acquired Bruce Supply Corp., a plumbing distributor; The Kennedy Cos., a waterworks distributor; and S.G. Torrice, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning distributor. All three acquisitions closed on July 31 and generate aggregate annualized revenues of approximately $450 million.

Opening

Lendmark Financial Services, a Lawrenceville, Georgia-based provider of household credit and consumer loan solutions, opened a new branch located at 750 Independence Blvd. in Virginia Beach. It marks the company’s 45th location in Virginia.

On Aug. 7, Melone Hatley, a solo female-owned law firm practicing in the areas of family law and estate planning, opened its roughly 10,000-square-foot corporate office off Lynnhaven Parkway. The new corporate office will support the company’s three other offices in Virginia and North Carolina.

The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Outer Banks Golf Club on July 25. It features a golf pro shop for practice, play and equipment fittings and is stocked with clubs and apparel. The chamber also held a ribbon-cutting for Sherwin Williams in Southern Shores on July 26. It’s a full-service location for contractors and homeowners carrying pressure washers, paint sprayers, ladders and a large selection of wallpaper available through special order.

Partnerships

Newport News-based ITA International, a provider of data, technology and professional services, was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health, enabling the company to advance the NanoSafe Tested program. The program is aimed at characterizing exposures to products containing engineered nanomaterials and respirable particulate matter to ensure consumer safety and support safety-conscious manufacturers. ITA and NIH will refine evaluation protocols for advanced manufacturing products (such as 3D printers and laser engravers), cosmetics, filtration appliances, face masks and other high-risk products.

They say it’s the most important meal of the day.

It’s breakfast, a time to get fueled up for what lays ahead. And while many times it’s a day where you have to grab-and-go with something easy and quick, there are other days where you can ease into the morning with a sit down breakfast that makes you stand and take notice.

September is National Breakfast Month, a great time to indulge a bit with the first meal. We love doing just that from time-to-time.

There’s a simplicity to breakfast that doesn’t always come at brunch, and that’s fine in our books. Are you looking for a new breakfast favorite? Here’s five dishes that stand out across Norfolk.

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The Tom Hanks Platter at Charlie’s Cafe

In June, 2012, Tom Hanks was in Norfolk filming the movie “Captain Phillips,” and while here he dined at several restaurants in the area, and, at the time, noted the Granby Platter, at the venerable Charlie’s Cafe. The dish was promptly renamed after the star.

That’s what I ordered on my visit, and I was rewarded with a huge plate of food. Center of the plate is country fried steak or country fried chicken — I chose the former — atop two big fluffy biscuits that have been split open to receive the meaty offering. Thick cream gravy full of sausage is ladled on, enrobing it like a warm, delicious blanket.

Two eggs are on the platter (like Hanks, I like mine over easy) and the option of a side, of which I picked breakfast potatoes. I also love grits, so I ordered an extra side of those.

Everything was Oscar worthy.

Charlie’s Cafe is at 1800 Granby St., Norfolk. Call 757-625-0824 or visit www.facebook.com/1800CharliesCafe.

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Hella Fitzgerald at Handsome Biscuit

Biscuits are the name of the game at Handsome Biscuit, including a favorite of mine, the Hella Fitzgerald. Presented was a very large, handcrafted biscuit split open and loaded with an oversized piece of fried chicken, slices of bacon, melting cheddar cheese and red eye pork sausage gravy.

The chicken is offered as classic fried, or Nashville hot, and I picked the latter. I enjoyed the chicken; it was crispy on the outside and had a juicy, tender exterior, but I would probably order it without the Nashville hot addition next time.

Alongside, I added an order of hash-tots.

Note that there is no indoor dining room, although there is picnic table seating for about 30 folks. It was a pleasant morning when I visited. I saw most folks grabbed their order to go.

Handsome Biscuit is at 2511 Colonial Ave., Norfolk. There is no phone; visit www.HandsomeBiscuit.com.

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Chicken and Waffle Beach House Bowl at Karla’s Beach House

Chicken and Waffles are a classic combination, and I love the riff at Karla’s Beach House.

Here the Chicken and Waffle Beach House Bowl is one of four breakfast bowl menu items and a large bowl is filled with a warm, fluffy waffle that has been cut into bite-sized pieces.

That’s the same with the fried, boneless chicken thigh, which is golden, brown, and delicious. Chopped applewood bacon is added, and the dish is topped with egg; I picked over easy. A honey-maple sauce pulls it all together.

This combined all the elements of the classic chicken and waffles, but in a more manageable serving.

Karla’s Beach House is at 3248 E. Ocean View Ave., Norfolk. Call 757-937-3844 or visit www.KarlasBeachHouse.com.

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Croque Madam at Oceanview Diner

The Croque Madam at Oceanview Diner elevates the breakfast sandwich to a whole new level.

Thick Texas toast is stuffed with grilled ham and cheese and grilled until the bread is golden brown, and the mixture inside gooey and melty.

On top, an egg prepared in any manner — I picked over easy — is added. Then the entire thing is enrobed in a rich béchamel sauce. Use a knife and fork to enjoy this offering.

With a side option of home fries or grits; I picked the latter and enjoyed the creamy, thick bowl of grain rich with flavor.

I also added a side of sliced tomatoes for something bright and fresh, as well as a bowl of beans. These aren’t any ordinary beans; a signature offering of the diner, they are simmers low and slow until tender, and in a decadent, rich sauce spiked with earthy curry.

Oceanview Diner is at 9619 Granby St., Norfolk Call 757-837-4287 or find them on Facebook.

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So Cal Sandwich at Yorgo’s Bageldashery

The So Cal sandwich at Yorgo’s Bageldashery is a delicious offering of smoked turkey, bacon, muenster cheese, tomato, sprouts, and avocado. The sandwich is served on a choice of, bread, roll, wrap or bagel; I chose the latter.

Of the bagel options available, I picked jalapeño. It’s full of flavor, but not a ton of heat. What is there is pleasant and complimentary to many would-be ingredients, or simply on its own.

The sandwich was piled high with ingredients, and the smoked turkey played wonderfully with the bacon. There was a good dichotomy of textures too, with some crunch from the bacon and sprout, and a rich creaminess from the avocado.

Yorgo’s Bageldashery is at 2123 Colonial Ave., Norfolk. Call 757-623-6609 or visit www.YorgosBageldashery.com.

Patrick Evans-Hylton, [email protected]

Heston Kjerstad is officially ready to move on.

It’s not that the Norfolk Tides outfielder is overly impatient to finally reach the major leagues; it’s that, at 24 and fairly well into a professional career delayed for two years by widely known and unusual circumstances, he’s focused on tackling the now.

For Kjerstad, the third-ranked prospect in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization according to MLB.com, the past includes a 2020 minor league season — which would’ve been his first — canceled altogether. It includes a 2021 season lost when he suffered from myocarditis, a rare condition that “can weaken the heart and its electrical system” and reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood, according to the American Heart Association.

That condition was followed by a hamstring injury that delayed the start of his professional career until June 10, 2022, two years to the day after the Orioles drafted Kjerstad second overall out of the University of Arkansas.

Since then, he’s flown through the organization, hitting like a madman at nearly every level.

Kjerstad entered Sunday’s series finale against Durham with a .308 career batting average, including a .305 clip with eight home runs and 26 RBIs through 62 games with Norfolk this season.

“Obviously, (with) what he went through, yeah, he’s moved fast,” Tides manager Buck Britton said. “It’s been impressive he’s been able to do what he’s done with that much lost time. He’s an exciting player.”

But asked this week about the specifics of what he went through with myocarditis, Kjerstad respectfully declined to elaborate, agreeing only to discuss whether it affects him today. The condition, he said, has lived on only in interviews throughout his brief career.

“It’s all good,” Kjerstad said. “Luckily, got all that behind me.”

Kjerstad’s present involves continuing to learn to play first base — no small task for someone who had only done it in fall ball at Arkansas before this season.

Condensed footwork, holding runners on and being in position for cutoff throws were all mostly foreign to a player accustomed to running down fly balls and heaving the ball with purpose toward the infield.

No one on the field has had a closer look at Kjerstad’s first-base work than second baseman Connor Norby, who has dabbled at left field, right field and shortstop this season. It’s part of an organizational trend that has few players manning just one position over the course of a season, in the interest of lineup versatility.

Kjerstad’s ongoing transition, Norby said, is especially impressive.

“He’s getting better,” Norby, a former East Carolina star, said. “I enjoy having him over there.

“It’s hard to move from the outfield to the infield. That’s probably the hardest thing for anyone to do in this game. And he’s kind of taken it and run with it. He works really hard at it, and he’s improving every single day. I think the game helps him the most, just because it’s hard to replicate those reps. But he’s handling it well.”

Still a relatively inexperienced pro, Kjerstad (pronounced KERR-stad) is learning to deal with other things, too. He recently endured an 0-for-15 slump that cost him 23 points off his batting average. He followed that by hitting safely in his next six games.

Despite what Britton called his “tremendous” bat-to-ball skill, Kjerstad is showing continued development at the plate by putting the tough times behind him.

“It’s the game of baseball,” Kjerstad said. “You’d love to get a hit every AB, but that’s not the case. And sometimes you hit a stretch that’s not the most enjoyable and kind of frustrating. But at the end of the day, it’s a learning moment every time you’re struggling like that. There’s something there that you can learn from that’s going to help you reach the goals you want to reach or become the player you want to become.”

With established major leaguers Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn handling the bulk of the first-base reps for Baltimore, Britton doubts that Kjerstad is likely to play the position in the major leagues this season.

But that doesn’t mean that, despite not being on the first-place Orioles’ 40-man roster, he won’t get a taste.

“He has entered the conversation about the major league roster in a legitimate way and is certainly a candidate for any part of the stretch run here coming up, should we decide he’s the guy,” Baltimore GM Mike Elias told reporters this week.

Britton, a former minor league utiltyman who played for the Tides as recently as 2014, personally worked with Kjerstad to teach him the ins and outs of infield play.

The jobs can almost be night and day.

“That’s the biggest thing for outfielders coming to the infield, is the footwork,” Britton said. “In the outfield, there’s a bunch of long strides to get you to the ball. On the infield, man, we work in tight spots. He’s taken to it well. I think it’s something that we’re going to have to continue to pound, even if he gets a shot up there.”

Until then, Kjerstad will continue to work on pitch selection and using the whole field. And he’ll likely continue to display what Norby described as a playful personality.

“He’s a character,” Norby said. “He’s like a grown child at times. But he’s a blast to have in the clubhouse. He’ll talk smack with you, but he likes when you talk smack back. And that’s who he is. He kind of thrives off that.”

When Kjerstad first arrived in Norfolk from Double-A Bowie in June, just shy of a year after his pro debut, he was asked to pronounce his name for assembled reporters.

He slowly stated it before adding, “The J’s silent. I don’t know why it’s there. It’s just chilling.”

Kjerstad’s personality, Norby said, is part of what makes him a good player.

“No moment’s ever too big for him,” Norby said. “He handles himself really well. I don’t ever see him getting frustrated. No matter how good or bad things might be going, you don’t ever see him get frustrated. He keeps it loose all the time.”

Kjerstad, who said recently that he hopes to spend his entire career with the Orioles, was asked that June day about his delayed career.

He didn’t get specific then, either, but his appreciation was apparent.

“It’s definitely not the way you draw your path up after getting drafted, but that’s part of life, part of being an athlete,” Kjerstad said. “I had a few setbacks. But now I’m back here healthy and out here playing every day. That’s about all I can ask for. I’m just excited for what’s to come.”

David Hall, [email protected]. Twitter @DavidHallVP

Stormwater projects

Re “Construction underway for stormwater project in Hampton’s Newmarket Creek area” (Aug. 19): It’s nice to see some proactive measures from the city to address stormwater issues as well as having environmental improvements that are a small step in mitigating recent development. I’d like City Council members to take a quick tour down Old Buckroe Road to the retention pond at the corner of Nickerson Boulevard.

It has a fountain to aerate the water, but there’s an island with a large tree and bushes growing out of the sediment that’s been flushed there. I’ve seen one work crew there over the years — there may have been more — but the island has been expanding yearly. Hopefully the council has included a maintenance budget in these new projects to keep them clean.

Jeff Allen, Hampton

2024 election

Re “President Biden” (Your Views, Aug. 15): I agree with John R. Baer about the competence of the president. President Joe Biden’s insensitivity at the ceremony for the soldiers who died in the Afghanistan fiasco was coldhearted. It reminded me of President Donald Trump’s belated phone call to the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, an honorary Green Beret who was killed fighting suspected terrorists in Niger. He allegedly said, “Well I guess you know he knew what he was signing up for, but it still hurts.”

Many voters would rather have someone else in the White House than Biden. Still, the Democrats have rallied around their octogenarian incumbent, believing he can beat the man the media has anointed as “the frontrunner.” They are counting on Trump’s nomination because Biden has once defeated the whiner of Mar-a-Lago in Florida. One Democratic challenger is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with a family name that has faded into history and a reputation for being a bit screwy.

If the Republicans can shake themselves free of their Make America Great Again hypnosis and nominate someone without all the Trumpism drama, many centrist Democrats and independents would jump sides, and Republicans would win. If the party would nominate a candidate such as Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, I would be one of those voters.

Steve Bailey, Richmond

Open borders

Re “As death toll mounts, more action needed to alleviate drug addiction” (Our Views, Aug. 21): I was left wondering why the editorial failed to point out that our open borders are allowing the drug cartels to exploit every opportunity the Biden administration gives them to flood our country with deadly drugs.

There can be no question that our open borders are contributing to the rise in overdoses year after year. These overdose victims are being poisoned by the people in the supply chain from Mexico to China, while our own government “whistles past the graveyard” when it comes to protecting American citizens. Virginians can do something about these overdoses in the next presidential election by casting their ballots in favor of the political party that is serious about combating this national tragedy.

Charles Race, Williamsburg

Guns

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 4,752 young people died from firearm-related incidents in 2021. This was a 42% increase from 2018 to 2021.

In 2020 the leading cause of child and adolescent deaths became gun violence, surpassing deaths from cars. Gun ownership in the U.S is self-reported as 32% of adults, and 44% say they live in a household that owns a firearm.

States with the more restrictive gun ownership laws have less violence. Unless gun owners get on board to stop the carnage, more people will buy guns to protect themselves. Then we will suffer more accidents, sheer violence and suicides from guns than we have now.

Georgette Constant, Norfolk