Virginia
Virginia Beach residents disgusted by dead fish and lack of answers
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In the Great Neck area of Virginia Beach, residents report that an unusual number of fish are dying at a body of water known as Lake Conrad. It’s in the Laurel Cove neighborhood.
Some shared information about the “fish kill” on community social media pages to alert neighbors.
One homeowner, Todd Freischlag told News 3 reporter Angela Bohon that he first noticed it on Thursday, August 29. He said he contacted the City of Virginia Beach who did send employees with Public Works to the area to check it out, but he feels there hasn’t been a sense of urgency with addressing the problem.
“I’ve never seen this before since 1998 when we moved in,” stated Freischlag. “It’s very unusual and very concerning.”
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Norfolk considers building fishing pier in Lafayette River along Granby Street
He then contacted the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
A spokesperson for DEQ says a staff member visited the site and observed approximately 50 dead and decaying fish, specifically largemouth bass and bluegill.
DEQ described a “fish kill” as “a sudden and unexpected or atypical death of fish or other aquatic animals in a clearly defined area” and wrote that “Fish kills can occur anywhere inhabited by fish and can be caused by water pollution or by natural events.”
They say they measured low levels of dissolved oxygen and that the cause of the low oxygen levels is under investigation.
Neighbors tell News 3 that a few weeks ago, they noticed a contractor working on the storm drains and that whatever substance they were using had a horrible odor. They fear it could have something to do with the fish dying.
Watch: No license needed during upcoming Free Fishing Days
No license needed during upcoming Free Fishing Days
“It was so noxious, I actually had to change the route in which I was going,” Anita Miles said while describing her daily walks.
Miles added that she’s lived in the home for decades and has never smelled this type of odor before and also never seen fish dying in high volumes at the lake.
A spokesperson for the City of Virginia Beach says that its Public Works department is working with a private contractor who has been re-lining storm pipes.
“The City of Virginia Beach and the Department of Environmental Quality are actively reviewing the situation. We will release additional information as soon as it is available.”
Freischlag hopes to get answers as soon as possible.
“We may well have carcinogens in the lake exposing the residents, the kids who fish in the lake, the wildlife of something really bad. So the city needs to sample and test for that right away to eliminate that as a possibility,” Freischlag said, describing his frustrations.
DEQ says that no additional impacts have been reported.
Homeowners are concerned that contaminated water could spread from Lake Conrad to Great Neck Lake or through other environmental factors.
“We had eight black vultures who were eating a lot of the dead fish which is a good thing unless, again, there’s carcinogens in it. That could spread into the ecosystem. I’d really like the city to rule that out,” Fresichlag said.
Resident Jessica Ludwig is also hoping for answers. “Looking out on the water every morning, it’s just so peaceful,” she said. “There’s just something about the water. It’s really enjoyable until all of this started to happen.”
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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