A man and dog were apparently struck by a vehicle and killed early Sunday morning in Chesapeake, according to police.

Around 12:25 a.m., police responded to a report of an injured person on the street on Canal Drive near Gilmerton Road, police said in a news release. Officers found the man and dog dead at the scene. Police are calling it a hit-and-run crash. The involved vehicle was not on the scene.

The hit-and-run is an active investigation. Police declined to release additional information Sunday morning.

Police encouraged anyone with information to call 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit a tip at p3tips.com.

Cianna Morales, 757-957-1304, [email protected]

Two players from Hampton Roads are gaining invaluable experience — and medals, they hope — this week as part of the U.S. men’s national volleyball team.

Brett Wildman of Virginia Beach and Cole Bogner of Chesapeake, who were teammates for NCAA power Penn State, are among 14 players who are competing for the Americans at the NORCECA Pan American Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico.

David Arnette, one of the pair’s coaches at the Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club, couldn’t be more proud.

“I coached both of them their 18U year at Coastal and have stayed in touch,” Arnette wrote. “They are the most accomplished players from the area and they have done it side by side. They are both great young men and the volleyball community here is so proud of them. Both of them have come back to work with youth players and are happy to share their experiences with those who are just starting to find their love for the game.”

So far, so good. In pool play, the U.S. defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (26-24, 25-13, 25-23) and then handled Chile 3-1 (25-14, 21-25, 25-12, 25-21). That ensured the Americans a semifinal berth against an opponent to be determined.

Wildman, from Cox High, played briefly against Puerto Rico, with his main contribution being receiving a trio of serves. Bogner, a Hickory High graduate, mostly was a supporter in that match.

Against Chile, though, Wildman provided five kills and an ace. Bogner got in off the bench to play a few points.

Wildman, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter, has been with the national team for much of the past year. Bogner, a 6-3 setter, is making his debut with the Stars and Stripes. In their final college season, they helped Penn State climb to No. 1 in the national rankings and compile a 27-4 season.

Though the Nittany Lions fell to Hawaii in a five-set NCAA semifinal in George Mason’s EagleBank Arena, they defeated the Rainbow Warriors and UCLA during the regular season. Wildman had 15 kills and seven aces and Bogner had 42 assists and five digs in the defeat to Hawaii.

The U.S. men are seeking their sixth Pan American Cup title and their first in 11 years. Last year, they  placed third. Cuba won the tournament’s last two editions, in 2022 and 2019.

After this event, the former Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club teammates will play professionally in Europe: Wildman in Romania and Bogner in the Netherlands. If all goes well, fans could see them at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Lucrative bowling event: Bowling fans will find plenty of entertainment at the PBA Booster Club of Hampton Roads Chesapeake Super Regional, which finishes a three-day run Sunday at AMF Western Branch.

The bowlers rolled eight games apiece Saturday, and the best third will advance to Sunday’s “cashers round.” Sunday’s competition starts at 9 a.m., eventually culminating with the stepladder finals. The champion is expected to earn $8,000, and every bowler in the cashers round will gain at least $500.

E.J. Tackett, a 31-year-old from Indiana who is in the field, is arguably the world’s best bowler but wasn’t among Saturday’s top qualifiers. He has amassed four major championships among his 21 PBA Tour titles.

Local competitors are from Virginia Beach (Andrew Stackhouse, Caleb Reaves, Gilbert Salang, Nicholas Brown, Clifford Dietz, Clifford Stanley II, Joshua Zilk, Robert Riggle), Chesapeake (Brandon Smith, Gordon Hope III, Jeff Keller, Michael Ivers, Roscoe Pretlow), Newport News (Chris Bolosan, David Powers, Jason Aukland, Richard Thompson), Norfolk (Clyde Brown, Khaleeo Johnson, Mathew Woodall), Hampton (Gregory Boyters), Suffolk (Maurice Frazier, Phil Taiclet, Jacobi Brinkley) and Yorktown (Michael Ritz).

With play still underway Saturday, Woodall (234.4-pin average for five games), Smith (216.88 for eight games), Bolosan (213.5 for eight), Johnson (213 for five), Ritz (211.6 for five) and Pretlow (208.4 for five) were among the best performers among the locals.

Drifting back into action: There’s plenty of auto racing within easy driving distance to those of us in Hampton Roads, with Langley Speedway in Hampton, Richmond Raceway and Virginia Motor Speedway in Middlesex County.

But Saturday night, Southampton Motor Speedway held what it called a “grand reopening” in Capron with a drifting competition on the paved track. More drifting — racing while driving sideways through corners — is scheduled for September, October and December.

The original SMS opened in 1992, often featuring high-quality weekly stock car racing, but closed in 2004.

PFLAG is a peer support organization for people who find themselves parenting someone who is LGBTQ+. At our Hampton Roads chapter meetings, we have heard many parents’ stories. Despite different backgrounds and faiths, they all share a deep love for their LGBTQ+ children and a strong desire to do what is best for their kids.

In recent years, we’ve seen more parents come to PFLAG because their child has come out as transgender or gender nonconforming. Parents are afraid for their child as our society becomes more hostile to people who are transgender. Suicide is an ever-present worry. Parents mourn the future they hoped their child would have and seek reassurance that it’s possible for a transgender person to thrive.

While some parents had wondered if their child had a different gender identity, others felt blindsided and struggled to see in their child the gender their child shared with them. Most parents struggle with their child’s need to have a new name and different pronouns. A lifetime habit isn’t easy to change, but often a transgender person is desperate to hear those affirming words.

Another worry for parents is judgmental attitudes about their parenting choices from people who have never raised a transgender child. Sadly, that has included some school officials and a few teachers who claim a free speech right to humiliate a student. Thankfully, other teachers and administrators have been a safe haven for students who are going through a crucial life transition.

Frequently we hear that a transgender student first came out to friends, or sometimes a teacher, before telling parents. This happens even when the student is fairly sure of their parents’ love and support. It makes sense when you remember that parents are the most important people in the student’s life. Before taking that biggest risk, it’s natural for them to practice how to reveal their core truth. No parent at a PFLAG meeting has ever said they wished the school had outed their child. Several have said how grateful they are that their child found some support at school until they were ready to come out at home.

Being the parent of a transgender child is as much a transition for the parent as it is for the child. You would think other adults who lack this lived experience would confine themselves to admiration and support. Instead, there are those for whom this is all hypothetical and who claim to know better than the real parents. If they have political power, these self-appointed experts pass laws and make rules which so threaten the families of transgender children that some are now homeschooling or thinking of moving to a less hostile state.

Virginia is currently not as hostile as Texas, where families are being criminally investigated for affirming their child’s gender identity. So far in Virginia, we have seen transgender resources removed from a state government website; school libraries purged of books that reflect the lives of transgender and other minority students; teachers slandered as groomers in the midst of a massive teacher shortage; and now a so-called model policy for school administrators that codifies the biases of people who lack any personal knowledge of parenting a transgender child.

The original model policy was developed in consultation with parents of transgender students and professional care providers. The replacement seems to have resulted from consultation with political strategists. While claiming to empower parents, it creates barriers for those who are parenting a transgender student. The document comes with bullying resources that will surely be needed after giving school personnel a license to mistreat students who don’t conform to educators’ prejudices.

The board of PFLAG Hampton Roads urges our local school boards to ignore this model policy revision and instead to support parents of transgender students. We welcome parents, family, friends, teachers and anyone interested in learning more at our monthly general meetings.

Carolyn Caywood of Virginia Beach is a retired public librarian and a board member and past president of PFLAG Hampton Roads (pflaghr.com). This essay is the unanimous opinion of the PFLAGHR Board.

New England’s preseason game at Green Bay was called off early Saturday night after Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden was carted off the field in the fourth quarter.

Bolden, a seventh-round pick from Jackson State, appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Green Bay’s Malik Heath. As medical officials treated Bolden, both teams left their respective sidelines and went on the field, with some players getting on one knee.

After Bolden was carted off the field, the teams conferred and decided not to continue the game. It stopped with the Patriots leading 21-17 with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter. Both teams are 1-1.

Before Bolden’s injury, New England’s Mac Jones made his first appearance of the preseason before Bailey Zappe took over and rallied the Patriots to the lead.

Chiefs 38, Cardinals 10: Patrick Mahomes saw his first extended action of the preseason, throwing for 105 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s road victory. The reigning MVP for the defending Super Bowl champs completed 10 of 15 passes, playing the entire first quarter.

The Chiefs’ first-team offense wasn’t very crisp during its first two drives, fighting through dropped passes and penalties. But Kansas City found the end zone on its third try when Mahomes rolled out to his right and hit Justin Watson for an 18-yard touchdown strike and a 7-0 lead.

Rookie receiver Rashee Rice — a second-round pick out of SMU — caught eight passes for 96 yards.

Kansas City (1-1) is expected to be among the NFL’s best teams again this year, while Arizona (1-1) is a popular pick to be among the worst. Franchise quarterback Kyler Murray is likely out for the first several weeks of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last year.

Dolphins 28, Texans 3: Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception on his first play of the preseason for Miami in Houston. His second drive went much better.

Playing in his first game since sustaining a concussion on Christmas Day, Tagovailoa led a 14-play, 93-yard drive — capped by a 2-yard scoring run by Raheem Mostert — to give the Dolphins an early lead. Tagovailoa sat down after that, ending his day 5 of 7 for 61 yards for the Dolphins (1-1).

Houston rookie C.J. Stroud was much sharper than he was in his NFL debut last week, when he had a pass picked off on his first possession and finished with 13 yards passing on two drives. Playing the entire first half Saturday, the second overall pick was 7 of 12 for 60 yards and helped the Texans (1-1) to a field goal.

Buccaneers 13, Jets 6: Baker Mayfield might have won Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback job without even taking a snap in the Buccaneers’ preseason road victory.

Mayfield was held out and remained on the sideline during Tampa Bay’s second preseason game — a possible sign he has moved ahead of Kyle Trask in the competition to open the season under center.

Trask, listed with Mayfield as the starter on the Buccaneers’ unofficial depth chart, led two scoring drives that gave Tampa Bay (1-1) a 10-6 halftime lead.

The third-year quarterback went 16 of 23 for 122 yards, including a 33-yard TD toss to rookie Trey Palmer, in the first half. But he had to re-enter the game with 1:03 left in the third quarter when third-stringer John Wolford was carted off the field and taken to the hospital with a neck injury.

Zach Wilson started for New York (1-2) and played the first half as he continues to get work in the preseason as the backup to Aaron Rodgers.

49ers 21, Broncos 20: Brock Purdy and Russell Wilson led their teams to field goals on their only drives of the game, and host San Francisco beat Denver on a field goal by rookie Jake Moody on the final play.

Moody, drafted in the third round, bounced back after missing two field goals last week and an extra point earlier in the game to convert a 32-yarder after Trey Lance drove the Niners downfield in the closing minutes.

Lance overcame an interception on his first drive to throw a 22-yard TD pass to Cameron Latu and then made two big passes to Ronnie Bell to set up the winning kick. Lance finished 12 for 18 for 173 yards. Purdy got his first game action since injuring his elbow in the NFC title-game loss at Philadelphia.

San Francisco improved to 1-1, and Denver fell to 0-2.

Steelers 27, Bills 15: Kenny Pickett guided a pair of quick touchdown drives in less than a quarter’s work as host Pittsburgh breezed past sloppy Buffalo in a matchup of teams coached by former William & Mary teammates — the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and the Bills’ Sean McDermott.

Pickett, a second-year quarterback, connected on a third-down pass during the first possession for Pittsburgh (2-0) to set up a 62-yard touchdown sprint by backup running back Jaylen Warren. Pickett then found Pat Freiermuth for a 25-yard score on the first snap after a 54-yard punt return by Calvin Austin.

The Bills (1-1) were not quite as crisp in safety Damar Hamlin’s return to his hometown. Hamlin received a warm ovation and exchanged hugs with several Steelers — including Pickett, a college teammate of Hamlin’s at Pitt — during the opening coin toss. Hamlin had three tackles in the first half as he continues his comeback from a near-death experience on the field in Cincinnati in January.

Raiders 34, Rams 17: Jimmy Garoppolo completed all four of his passes for 39 yards while leading a touchdown drive in his Raiders debut as Las Vegas won a road game.

Garoppolo played only the opening series for the Raiders (2-0), who signed the longtime 49ers quarterback in March as their replacement for Derek Carr. The 10-year veteran has beaten the Rams more often than any other quarterback during Sean McVay’s coaching career, and Garoppolo didn’t make a significant mistake while leading a comfortable drive ending in Brandon Bolden’s 7-yard TD run.

Stetson Bennett went 15 of 24 for 142 yards and rushed for a touchdown while playing the first three quarters for Los Angeles (0-2). The two-time national champion with Georgia made several sharp throws but also several mistakes — none bigger than a massive miscommunication with Tyler Johnson that led to a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown by Isaiah Pola-Mao in the second quarter.

Titans 24, Vikings 16: Malik Willis rushed for 91 yards and threw a touchdown pass while playing the entire game for Tennessee, and the Titans dominated at the line of scrimmage in Minnesota.

Rookie Tyjae Spears had a 33-yard touchdown run, Julius Chestnut rushed for 98 yards and a score, and the Titans (1-1) racked up 281 yards on the ground to give resting star Derrick Henry a good show.

Willis, a 2022 third-round draft pick from Liberty, has been competing with rookie Will Levis for the backup role to Ryan Tannehill. Levis was injured Thursday in a joint practice with the Vikings, giving Willis an extended opportunity.

Rookie DeWayne McBride had a touchdown run and Greg Joseph made all three of his field-goal tries for the Vikings (0-2), who didn’t play a single starter.

Jaguars 25, Lions 7: C.J. Beathard threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Parker Washington late in the first half for Jacksonville in Detroit. Beathard filled in for Trevor Lawrence as most of the starters for both teams sat to avoid injuries.

Beathard, a backup in his sixth NFL season, was 12 of 20 for 138 yards. He threw an interception along with the touchdown pass to Washington that put Jacksonville (2-0) ahead 12-0.

Teddy Bridgewater was shaky in his first action for Detroit (1-1). Bridgewater, signed this month to be Jared Goff’s backup, was sacked on his first snap and completed 5 of 11 passes for just 34 yards.

Colts 24, Bears 17: Sam Ehlinger directed two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, and Jake Funk’s late 4-yard TD run lifted Indianapolis to a home victory.

Neither of the two featured attractions — Bears quarterback Justin Fields or Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson — played. The two coaches — Chicago’s Matt Eberflus and Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen — also opted against using most key players after the teams held two joint practices this week.

But Gardner Minshew and Ehlinger, the Colts’ backup quarterbacks, and Tyson Bagent, Chicago’s undrafted rookie, all played well. Both teams are 1-1.

Having evaluated hundreds of children with disabilities, I support quality and nondiscriminatory education and treatment of all students. The 2021 Virginia Department of Education Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students put this at risk. Virginia Beach school officials are wise to consider an alternative set of policies.

The 2021 policies enable school personnel to initiate gender-affirming care without parental awareness. Gender-affirming care begins by socially transitioning a child from a boy to girl or vice versa. This is followed by puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and various surgeries. The treatment causes infertility and other irreversible health issues. The 2021 policies presume gender-affirming care is best for all students who say they wish to identify by something other than their sex.

No gender dysphoric child should be harmed by unaccepting parents. But our desire to protect children should not give schools permission to end-run parents when potentially life-changing issues are at stake.

Informed consent is a legal requirement of ethical health care. Minors are generally considered incompetent to provide informed consent because they are not sufficiently mature to weigh the potential risks and consequences of treatment options. Because gender-affirming research is still in its infancy, nobody can predict the full consequences of transgender care. Name changes, hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgeries never completely transition a person from one sex to another. But the process always entails adverse health consequences and creates lifetime dependency on medications.

Dr. Miriam Grossman, a child psychiatrist who has cared for gender dysphoric individuals for decades, says puberty blockers sometimes trap kids into permanent gender-identity crises. Yet, the 2021 VDOE policies encourage school personnel to adopt whatever names and pronouns students prefer, thereby initiating gender-affirming care … without parental awareness or informed consent.

Grossman’s book, “Lost in Trans Nation,” details how the American Academy of Pediatrics has co-opted rank-and-file pediatricians into providing gender-affirming care despite most pediatricians disagreeing with the organization’s recommendations. Worse, the AAP guidance holds sway over educational policies despite its lack of adequate empirical support.

While attending Georgetown University’s recent PharmedOut conference, transgender care was raised during a session on hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women. An expert on harms associated with menopause-related hormone therapy noted that gender-affirming care involves larger hormone doses and more serious side-effects.

Gender dysphoria has existed for eons. Until recently, it affected less than 1% of humans. Even if more people have struggled with transgender issues than medicine has appreciated historically, the current epidemic most likely reflects a social contagion partially fueled by social media. So, when young adults express gender dysphoria, wouldn’t it be prudent to examine the forces driving their transgender desires before helping them transition?

As the debate roars, people should learn about Dr. John Money, the psychologist who coined “gender role” and founded the Gender Identity Clinic at Johns Hopkins. While there, Money fabricated evidence to convince the scientific and medical communities that one’s gender identity was wholly malleable. As told in “As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl,” Money’s opinions served as the cornerstone for AAP guidance advocating for immediate sex-change operations for children born with ambiguous genitalia (intersex babies).

Despite mounting scientific evidence that gender is not entirely socially constructed (biology matters), the AAP continued to promote sex-change operations among intersex babies. AAP amended its position only after David Reimer, one of Money’s ex-patients, exposed the doctor’s scientific fraud and child abuse. Reimer said, “I hope people learn from it that you don’t do something that dramatic to someone without their informed consent.”

If we don’t think schools should make parents aware of their children’s transgender struggles, should they alert parents when students are suicidal? If they skip school or become violent? What if they threaten to harm others?

As a health care researcher, I am aware of the extent to which corporate interests drive medical policies and clinical guidelines. Big egos, big money, and Big Pharma are influencing how we think about transgender issues. Nonetheless, our transgender school policies must promote both nondiscrimination and parental involvement. This is essential for the health and safety of all children.

Gretchen LeFever Watson, Ph.D., of Virginia Beach, is a clinical psychologist and an academic affiliate of the University of South Carolina.

Greg Edwards stopped Connor Hall’s season-long command of Langley Speedway’s Late Model Division, winning both twin 50-lap races Saturday night in Hampton.

Hall had won all 12 of the previous races counting in the standings, which he led by 34 points beginning the night, though Brenden “Butterbean” Queen prevailed in the Hampton Heat 200. Queen, from Chesapeake, was racing Saturday night on the CARS Tour.

Edwards, a longtime Langley standout from Poquoson, outpaced Hall by 1.176 seconds. Ryan Matthews was third, 1.414 seconds behind Edwards.

Twenty drivers began the opener, and 13 finished on the lead lap of a race that took slightly more than 19 minutes and 15 seconds.

In the encore, Edwards, Matthews and Mark Wertz comprised the top three as Hall had to settle for fourth.

In other divisions:

Virginia Racers: Jacob Derrick captured a 50-lap victory in just less than 18 minutes, finishing 1.721 seconds in front of Ayden Millette.

Andrew Condrey was a distant third, 4.591 off the lead. Derrick, who’s second in the standings, used his series-best sixth triumph of the season to gain on Cody Bryant, who began the race with an eight-point lead but placed fourth among 14 competitors.

Super Truck: Chase McAdams emerged with his first victory of the year in a 25-lap race that took almost 26 minutes to complete. The Poquoson native held off Rick Poust by 527-thousandths of a second, while Donald Brown was third, 2.062 behind McAdams — who began the evening seventh in the standings.

Points leader Hunter Waltrip was ninth in the field of 11.

Champ Kart: Jordan Valdes edged points leader Ryan Hudgins by 86-thousandths of a second in a seven-driver race. The top five were separated by 0.385 of a second in a race that lasted about 11 minutes.

Valdes, who began the night 14th in points, became the sixth driver to win in the division’s seven races this year.

Enduro: Charlie Bryant tightened his grip on first place in the standings, prevailing over 30 laps and just more than 10 1/2 minutes for his fourth victory of 2023.

He overcame Alex Floroff by 283-thousandths of a second, and Stephen Flinn was third among 17 competitors. Flinn began the night second in points, 21 behind Bryant.

Pro Six: Travis Wall captured his sixth victory in his group’s seven races, beating Atley Wiese by 0.657 of a second in a little more than 18:06.

Wall took the green flag four points ahead of Wiese. Eight drivers started the 25-lap race.

——-

Leaders from Saturday night’s races in Hampton:

Late Model 50 #1: (20 starters); 1. (21) Greg Edwards; 2. (77) Connor Hall; 3. (51) Ryan Matthews; 4. (91) Justin Carroll; 5. (26) Danny Edwards.

Late Model 50 #2: Results TBA

Virginia Racers 50: (14 starters); 1. (88) Jacob Derrick; 2. (9) Ayden Millette; 3. (38) Andrew Condrey; 4. (08) Cody Bryant; 5. (57) Chase Johnson.

Super Truck 25: (11 starters); 1. (15) Chase McAdams; 2. (9) Rick Poust; 3. (05) Donald Brown; 4. (57) Chris Bechtel; 5. (4) Gates Kobuszewski.

Pro Six 25: (8 starters); 1. (44) Travis Wall; 2. (78) Atley Wiese; 3. (48) Nick Lamarche; 4. (67) Chris Bechtel; 5. (39) Jaxon Bone.

Champ Kart 20: (7 starters); 1. (18) Jordan Valdes; 2. (4) Ryan Hudgins; 3. (47) Billy Dailey; 4. (46) David Phelps; 5. (06) John Snyder.

Enduro 30: (17 starters); 1. (88) Charlie Bryant; 2. (17) Alex Floroff; 3. (05) Stephen Flinn; 4. (25) Ryan Vinson; 5. (3) Mikey Chinn.

Almond, Magee win features at Virginia Motor Speedway

Corey Almond of Appomattox and Derek Magee of Millsboro, Delaware, split twin 17-lap Late Model victories on the dirt track at Virginia Motor Speedway in Middlesex County.

Almond held off Billy Hubbard in the opener, while points leader Jeremy Pilkerton was fourth.

Five cars were inverted for the encore. Magee passed Chuck Bowie for the lead and went on to win in his first appearance at the track.

In other divisions:

Sportsman: Bret Adkins of Saluda won a 25-lap race in his home county, taking control after leader Tim Shelton blew an engine.

Modified: Bret Hamilton of Powhatan captured his second victory of the season, followed by Brent Bordeaux and points leader Chase Butler, who finished the 25 laps on three tires.

Limited Stock: Johnny Brooks had to start eighth after winning the last two races, but he moved through the field and won again, with Cory Bradley taking the runner-up spot.

Saturday’s leaders at Virginia Motor Speedway, with starting positions in brackets.

Pro Late Model A Main 17 #1: (15 starters); 1. 29H-Corey Almond[2]; 2. 38B-Billy Hubbard[1]; 3. 96-Derek Magee[9]; 4. 8-Jeremy Pilkerton[3]; 5. 14C-Chuck Bowie[5].

Pro Late Model A Main 17 #2: (15 starters); 1. 96-Derek Magee[3]; 2. 38B-Billy Hubbard[4]; 3. 37-Bud Stinson[8]; 4. 14C-Chuck Bowie[1]; 5. 29H-Corey Almond[5].

Sportsman 25: (10 starters); 1. 16-Brett Adkins[4]; 2. 9-Steve Causey[6]; 3. 01-Adam Breeden[1]; 4. 01X-Tommy Upshaw[9]; 5. 1-Blake Adkins[8].

Modified 25: (10 starters); 1. 1ST-Bret Hamilton[4]; 2. 40-Brent Bordeaux[3]; 3. 11-Chase Butler[5]; 4. 814-Samuel Lamborgini[1]; 5. 11K-Robert Kramer[10].

Limited Stock Car 20: (16 starters); 1. 7-Johnny Brooks[8]; 2. 41-Cory Bradley[2]; 3. 04-Brian Maxey[4]; 4. 9-Justin Pullen[6]; 5. 01-Trent Clemans[3].

Grassfield High graduate Garrett Stallings pitched five strong innings for the victory as the Norfolk Tides posted a 9-2 rout of Memphis on Saturday night before 4,197 at AutoZone Park in Tennessee.

Stallings struck out five, walked two and scattered seven hits on 90 pitches for the Tides. Connor Norby’s three-run homer in the second inning put the Tides ahead, and a six-run eighth virtually clinched the victory.

LAUNCHED. 🚀🚀🚀@norby_connor hits a 431 foot blast to give the Tides a 3-0 lead in the third!#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/nwMOTS69Tt

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 20, 2023

After losing the series’ first three games near Elvis Presley’s first recording studio, the Tides (71-47, 23-21 in the International League’s second half) found their rhythm, have won two in a row and can earn a split with a victory at 3:05 Sunday afternoon against the Redbirds (59-60, 20-24).

After Stallings (5-4) departed, Morgan McSweeney, Bryan Baker and Nolan Hoffman were effective in relief to finish the game.

Redbirds starter Michael McGreevy (7-5) pitched six innings but took the loss, yielding five hits, two walks and three runs. The Tides roughed up reliever Ryan Loutos for six hits and six runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Josh Lester had three hits, and he, Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo drove in two runs apiece. Daz Cameron and Jose Godoy had two hits each, and Lester scored twice.

Memphis’ No. 9 batter, shortstop Kramer Robertson, was 3 for 3 with an RBI.

Thousands of people packed onto the green at Eagle Creek Golf Club and Grill in Moyock, North Carolina on Saturday, August 19 to see overnight sensation Oliver Anthony perform.

Fans crowded around the singer in swarms as he made his way to the stage with his three dogs, surrounded by security and a small entourage. Signs reading “Oliver Anthony 2024” were placed around the venue, fans wore t-shirts saying things like “Oliver Anthony for President” and “In Oliver We Trust” and some traveled from places as far as Traverse City, Michigan.

Anthony is a native of Farmville, Virginia who went viral for his song “Rich Men North of Richmond”, which he played twice for the crowd on Saturday. The song, which has garnered 25 million views on YouTube, speaks to the working class communities by expressing frustrations with issues in the country including child sex trafficking, homelessness, the welfare system and more.

“It’s been difficult as I browse through the 50,000+ messages and emails I’ve received in the last week,” Anthony wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday. “The stories that have been shared paint a brutally honest picture. Suicide, addiction, unemployment, anxiety and depression, hopelessness and the list goes on.”

Anthony’s real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford but created Oliver Anthony Music in honor of his grandfather and 1930’s Appalachia where he was born and raised.

“Dirt floors, seven kids, hard times,” Anthony said on Facebook. “At this point, I’ll gladly go by Oliver because everyone knows me as such. But my friends and family still call me Chris.”

Anthony goes on to write about his life dropping out of high school at 17-years-old, working various blue-collar jobs in North Carolina, moving back to Virginia in 2014 after being injured in an accident at work, and spending the last five years struggling with mental health and alcohol abuse.

Since going viral, Anthony has turned down an $8 million recording deal. “Im sitting in such a weird place in my life right now. I never wanted to be a full time musician, much less sit at the top of the iTunes charts,” Anthony said in his Facebook post. “Draven from RadioWv and I filmed these tunes on my land with the hope that it may hit 300k views. I still don’t quite believe what has went on since we uploaded that. It’s just strange to me.”

One year ago, the Biden administration passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to supercharge our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy. With more than 100 programs and billions of dollars available to help accelerate our commonwealth’s transition to a clean energy future, Virginia must fully embrace these programs to become a climate leader and compete for jobs in the clean economy.

Virginia has taken critical steps in its clean energy transition to make communities more resilient to climate change. In 2020, legislators passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, committing to a zero-carbon-emissions electricity grid by 2050. We’ve joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) — a multi-state program in which power companies reduce and pay for the pollution they create — which has generated more than half a billion dollars for the state in just two years of participation. This funding is used to invest in energy efficiency upgrades and flood resilience projects in Virginia, such as improving stormwater infrastructure or implementing flood prevention measures.

The president’s clean energy plan will amplify those efforts with increased funding for infrastructure projects, clean energy initiatives, climate resilience and other programs that address the climate crisis and create good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. Clean energy jobs are growing faster than fossil fuel jobs, with Virginia having 92,315 in 2023, and young people overwhelmingly want to work in industries that are serious about addressing the climate crisis.

Simply put, Virginia is just beginning to see the funding opportunities flowing from these generational investments.

For example, the Biden administration’s clean energy plan is making buying electric vehicles (EVs) easier and cheaper, with thousands in tax credits to buy new and used EVs. The plan includes tax credits for electric heavy-duty trucks, such as those produced at the Volvo Trucks New River Valley Plant in Dublin, Virginia. Switching to zero emission vehicles will help lower air pollution on our highways and save Americans money at the pump.

To help power the new EVs, the commonwealth is planning an EV charging network across the state, funded with $100 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Using these resources to build a robust EV charging network will increase EV vehicle adoption in Virginia, driving down climate pollution, creating jobs and helping Virginia reach its goal of 100% EV sales by 2035. Notably, EVs are expected to reach price parity with gas-powered vehicles by the end of this year.

Virginia’s electric power sector will also benefit from federal investments, which will help build the clean, reliable and affordable power grid of the future. The clean energy plan modified and extended tax credits for renewable energy projects, such as building wind farms and solar arrays. States with strong, binding pollution limits like RGGI will have greater incentives to use these tax credits to their advantage.

Virginia must embrace these federal dollars for necessary electric power sector investments. It only takes one extreme weather event, such as the unexpected deep freeze in Texas earlier this year, to wreak havoc on older, existing power grids. Analysis from the Environmental Defense Fund also shows that federal programs such as the IRA will spur at least 10 times the amount of investment from the private sector.

It’s encouraging to see many state agencies working to secure federal funds to invest in Virginia. Investing wisely in the clean economy to benefit all Virginians isn’t a partisan issue. We see elected leaders across party lines embrace hometown projects that bring jobs and other benefits. However, not everyone is on the same page. Despite overwhelming support for RGGI and clear pollution reductions, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is attempting to withdraw from this proven program.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. We need Youngkin, the General Assembly, business leaders, and local officials working in unison to ensure these crucial funds are accessible and easy to apply for, especially for businesses, counties, towns, schools and other community organizations. Virginia’s clean energy future depends on it.

Mandy Warner of Fairfax is the director of climate and clean air policy for the Environmental Defense Fund.