The Book Exchange, which has spent more than 20 years in Norfolk’s Wards Corner, is moving across the street to a former Rite Aid location by the end of the year.

The move will allow the exchange to expand its overall offerings but also add a second counter for a “Sports Exchange” offering sporting equipment for the first time, according to Cassie Gardner, general manager of the store. The Book Exchange is expected to move into the new location at 7601 Granby Street by early September and the Sports Exchange will be open before Christmas.

The new sports section will include basic equipment for major sports as well as items like surfboards, according to Gardner.

“There’s going to be a lot of different options for people that are into that realm,” Gardner said in an interview.

The Book Exchange sells pre-owned books, movies, music and other items which have been traded in by the public in exchange for store credit.

Click the link above to read more.

Old Dominion University researchers conducted a study to find out if the federal government’s 2018 smoke-free mandate for public housing was improving indoor air quality. 

By placing more than 100 air quality monitors across 12 public housing buildings in Hampton Roads, scientists tracked levels of fine particulate matter. 

The study revealed consistently poor indoor air quality across all monitored buildings despite the region having high outdoor air quality ratings.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/business-growth/2026-07-22/air-quality-inside-hampton-roads-public-housing-is-significantly-worse-than-outside-study-finds

Hi all,

I'm moving to Norfolk soon for 1 year and will be living in downtown Norfolk. Work is walking distance for me. Would it be insane to try and survive the year without buying a car? I imagine groceries would be annoying, but I could always uber/lyft there or get my groceries delivered.

Thank you in advance!

I'm in a recovery program and ready to start looking for jobs. I just need a haircut and trying to save money anywhere I can. I'm currently in Norfolk near E Little Creek and Tidewater.

Our dog is a lab but she hates the ocean, and she will try and drink salt water and make herself sick 🤦‍♀️ I really want to bring her somewhere she can go swimming but not sure where those spots are, we're not from the area.

I’m curious to see what yall know. I’ve been in the area for a few months and want to create a connection with a mechanic that’s going to actually explain what’s wrong with a vehicle instead of giving me recommendations or suggestions (although they can be helpful at times if they actually explain things). Had a mechanic I was cool with in the NOVA area and I need something closer to me now that I’m here. Any highly favored mechanics with multiple highly favored experiences?

Hi everybody

Im currently looking to get gutters installed on my house as well as have a electrical load calculation done to see if we have room for a sub panel. Being newer to the area ide like to see if anyone has any recommendations. Both positive and negative feedback is welcomed on local contractors. Ide like to avoid the Michael and sons of the trades but I also recognize something’s you truly get what you pay for. Any feedback is appreciated thanks in Advance!

I live near the Larchmont Library and am excited for its grand-reopening next month. But the hours are terrible for me and my family. Prior to the renovations I sent an email asking for an explanation of hours but got no response.

Being open Monday-Friday from 10am to 6pm ensures that I can never use the library with my 9-5 work schedule (I might be able to slip in quick in just before closing.) Being a working adult attending college part time I'd love to have my local library open for me to use in the evening and on weekends. I bet other students (K-12 and college) in the neighborhood would benefit from a safe study place as well.

I'd volunteer to offer after school and weekend programs with my kids in tow but the operating hours prevent that.

Any ideas on who to contact or what I can do to see some change?

Tons of cops and fire responded right near the Freemason parking garage?

Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week is serving up more than great food.

At Black Eyed Peas on Granby Street, owner Cynthia Terry is sharing Southern comfort food inspired by family recipes while creating a space where the community can gather. From homemade favorites to catering, private dining and event spaces, the restaurant is helping bring people together one meal at a time.

Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week runs through July 26, featuring special menus at participating local restaurants across downtown.

Good afternoon,

Yesterday morning, 21 July 2026, around 4 AM, Virginia State Police responded to a report of a shooting on eastbound I-264 between Campostella Rd and Brambleton Blvd. Police and EMS eventually found a sedan on N. Military Hwy near Military Hwy. and Virginia Beach Blvd. They found two people inside suffering from gunshot wounds. A 39-year-old man, the driver, was seriously wounded but his passenger, 19-year-old Alexis Styles, died from her injuries.

As this occurred on a major highway, Virginia State Police are a major part of the investigation.

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/npd-vsp-investigating-incident-on-n-military-hwy/

https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/07/21/interstate-264-shooting-norfolk/

A few observations:

- This was the third murder this month in Norfolk and the 20th overall for 2026.

- The average age of those killed in July has been 21 years. The average age for the year is currently 34.52 years old.

- Five of the twenty people killed this month have been women, with the others reported as men, according to law enforcement and local media.

- The purpose of this project is not to scare people but to inform and conduct some light data analysis.

Be safe, make good decisions!

Hi would anyone have a good recommendation for a urologist in the Norfolk/ VA beach area? I just moved here recently so I don’t have much knowledge on my options. I have been struggling with reoccurring and chronic utis and I’m looking for a dr who will actually take me seriously unlike my past experiences. I’m also military so if you have an on base recommendation that would be great too!

There was a shooting across the street from my house a few years ago and, being one of the first to respond and help the victim, I gave my statement to the police. Due to the shooting being drug related, at least that was the statement at the time, the police were very tight lipped about it. Is there a database or resource to learn more about it? I find myself wondering from time to time how everything ended up.

Hey all! I'm moving to Norfolk in about a week and wanted to see if are there any affordable adult hip hop dance classes currently happening in the area. Trying to find a dance studio I could go to on the regular (seeing results online, but it's kinda hard to tell if some of these studios are still active or not). Also might be down to do kpop classes if anyone knows anything! Thank you!

My lease isn't up until next May but I'm looking for new areas to live, currently paying 1250 for a one bedroom apartment. Trying to stay near 1100 and below for a one or two bedroom apartment, don't need anything fancy like a pool. As long as it has a dishwasher haha. I've done some looking around, there isn't much but was wondering if anyone had any other leads.

Good evening,

Late this past Friday night / early Saturday morning, about 1 AM on 18 July 2026, a call summoned police to the 400-block of East Little Creek Rd. There, police and EMS found 19-year-old Kyle Ronqueall suffering from dangerous stab wounds. EMS transported Mr. Ronqueall to the hospital, but he died under medical care there.

Police arrested a 19-year-old woman at the scene, charged her with 2nd degree murder, and classified the incident as a domestic assault.

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/man-dead-after-stabbing-on-east-little-creek-road-in-norfolk/

https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/07/20/stabbing-east-little-creek-road-man-dead/

A few observations:

- This was the second murder in July and the 19th in 2026 overall in Norfolk, or so I am tracking. I saw headlines about a fatal shooting in I-264, I will post that separately and promptly, hopefully tomorrow.

- The average age of the two people killed so far in July is 22 years old. The average of those killed for 2026 overall has been 35.39 years.

- Fifteen of the nineteen people murdered in Norfolk this year have been identified by police and local news media as men. Those sourced reported the other four as women; this ratio is mostly in line with trends in the last 3 years.

- I began this project a handful of years ago to inform folks on the nature of murder in our city with data rather than lurching from crisis to crisis. The intent of this project is not to scare people or paint the town in a bad way.

Be safe, make good decisions!

The one-man band returns. Check out the video.

https://youtu.be/mBqPR-DpgZE?si=INBmhF0rrVR7cc6V

https://youtu.be/9xa_ph8o2Zc?si=D2elGhhGETvtj01c

Norfolk officials are preparing to redevelop the shuttered MacArthur Center site into a connected urban district that restores the historic downtown street grid lost when the mall opened in 1999. 

Following the city's purchase of the property in 2023 and the mall's permanent closure last month, the master plan focuses on reopening key avenues such as Bank and Freemason streets to link neighboring districts, the Scope, Chrysler Hall and the waterfront. 

Supported by $72 million in city capital improvement funds, the project also includes multifamily housing, community green space and a long-sought downtown grocery store.

Read more here: https://www.whro.org/local-government/2026-07-20/260720-macarthur-redev-saunders

Anyone want two phrozen mighty 8k 3D resin printers?

They were being used and working until they got replaced a few months ago.

Comes with UV light case (not pictured) and AC power adapters. They don’t have build plates or resin vats. So you’d have to get these first. Comes as is

Machine and internals should work , UV light works, moving and need space.

Need gone ASAP. Dm to pick them up.

Ron Hess sign. Look what I did with ChatGPT!

A 19 year old woman was shot and killed on the highway at 4am on her way to work yesterday

Every time this happens it reinforces my belief that we have a straight up serial killer that is shooting people on 264 and 664.

And every time I express my belief, a horde of people arrive to shut me down.

My question: Exactly how many random interstate murders is it going to take before law enforcement and the public even consider the idea of a serial killer?

A longtime Norfolk pet store, groomer and boarding facility is sticking around.

Muddy Paws, a Hampton Boulevard pet store celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, plans to move rather than close when its current location is redeveloped into apartments and ground-level retail in 2027.

“20 years isn’t long enough!” the store said in a social media post June 28.

A sign outside the store also announced plans to move.

The announcement said the store will release more details on the move in the future. The store’s owner did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.

The Old Dominion University Real Estate Foundation plans to build 117 one- and two-bedroom apartments at 3700 and 3708 Hampton Blvd., according to city planning documents. The seven-story redevelopment would also include a 343-space parking garage on the first two floors in addition to 3,715 square feet of ground-level retail space.

The apartments will be available for lease to the public, not just ODU students, according to a city planning official.

The Norfolk Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a conditional rezoning application related to the redevelopment on May 28. City Council will consider the application at an upcoming meeting.

Click the link above to read more.