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Virginia
Hopewell: Virginia Department of Forestry program will improve city’s tree canopy
‘Trees help lower temperatures by up to nine degrees in the summer by providing shade and promoting exercise and healthy living’ — Kendall Topping, urban forester, Green Infrastructure Center
HOPEWELL — The Virginia Department of Forestry selected Hopewell for its Community Forest Revitalization Program. The city will partner with the Green Infrastructure Center [GIC] to improve the city’s tree canopy through urban forestry planning, management and community tree planting.
“Trees are an important element of the city’s health. They are natural air filters that decrease asthma rates by reducing air pollution,” Karen Firehock, GIC’s executive director, said.
The program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Inflation Reduction Act is available at no cost to the city. This initiative will help Hopewell plan for a healthier future and implement goals related to community health and beautification for the city’s comprehensive plan.
“Studies have shown that businesses also benefit from the presence of mature trees, with higher spending recorded in well-treed commercial areas,” Jessica Huang, GIC’s community forest planner, noted.
Kendall Topping, GIC’s urban forester, shared, “Trees help lower temperatures by up to nine degrees in the summer by providing shade and promoting exercise and healthy living.”
During this two-year program, GIC, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization founded in 2006, will assist with city-wide tree planning goals and work with underserved and disadvantaged neighborhoods to choose how to plant trees in their neighborhood through a series of community engagement activities and meetings. For more information, visit gicinc.org.
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Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.
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BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – First responders never stop training, and this week almost 500 from across Virginia are honing their skills in Blacksburg.
The Virginia Association of First Responders now includes EMTs, firefighters, police officers and many others who answer the call in an emergency.
Thursday, a farm accident and a collision involving a car and school bus were just two of the scenarios they encountered.
“It’s a week-long opportunity, not only for technical stuff like this, but for medical classes,” said Covington Volunteer Rescue Squad member Greg Burton. “People call 911 every day for something. And we’re just here to help ease the problem a little bit.”
The annual conference also includes a Rescue Camp for young people with an interest in emergency services.
43 campers are taking part in a variety of activities, including a session on scuba diving Thursday afternoon.
Copyright 2026 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A brush fire in a wooded area on Criollo Drive Wednesday afternoon was set by children playing with fire, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
Units with Virginia Beach Fire and Virginia Beach Police were dispatched to the 3700 block of Criollo Drive in reference to a report of a possible fire in a wooded area at approximately 5 p.m.
Upon arrival, crews saw light smoke coming from a wooded area. They quickly had the brush fire under control at 6:05 p.m. and marked out at 6:37 p.m.
There were no injuries reported to civilians, firefighters or pets.
A VBFD Fire Investigator determined that the fire was set by kids playing with fire.
There are no charges being filed currently.
For Navy Vice-Admiral Douglas Perry, you could say all roads, or waterways, lead to Hampton Roads.
“It is more than full circle,” said Perry, who noted he went to the first Harborfest downtown in 1976.
And when he saw those tall ships led by Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle, “I was sold. I wanted to go to sea. I wanted to be a naval officer.”
Link: https://www.wavy.com/living-local/50th-harborfest-weekend-more-than-full-circle-for-navy-vice-admiral/
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