The 2024 election will continue as planned under the current ward-based system, said Deputy City Attorney Chris Boynton.

Former Norfolk Judge Charles Poston presided over a hearing Monday on a lawsuit brought by former Councilman Linwood Branch and several other residents who contend that the city “illegally manipulated the Virginia Beach electoral system by eliminating three at-large seats that are expressly established under the City Charter,” and deprived the rights of voters.

On Friday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have aligned Virginia Beach’s city charter with its district-based election system, citing the pending lawsuit.

SB189 and matching HB416 would have amended the city’s charter to establish a city council with only single-member districts and a mayor. Youngkin had previously amended the bill to say it “shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.” The senate rejected the amended bill and sent it back to the governor, who then vetoed it in its original form.

Youngkin said in his veto statement that he wants the court to “adjudicate the correctness of the implementation,” and that the bill could be reintroduced at next year’s General Assembly session.

Following the governor’s veto, state Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Virginia Beach Democrat and the bill sponsor, said in a statement that the governor “has proven to the people of Virginia Beach that he is beholden to special interests that seek to take us back to an old system that was not representative of our city.”

Last year, the City Council formally adopted a redistricting plan and authorized a ward-based election system, the same method used in November 2022.

The council used to have four members, including the mayor, who were elected at large. Those four could live anywhere in the city and were elected by residents across Virginia Beach. The remaining seven members represented districts but also were elected by the population at large.

Virginia Beach’s election system was overhauled as a result of a lawsuit filed in 2017 that alleged the at-large system that allowed residents from across the city to vote in every council race was illegal and diluted minority voting power. A federal judge agreed in 2021, and the court imposed a district-based election system on Virginia Beach and appointed a special master to draw 10 new voting district maps.

The so-called 10-1 system was used in the 2022 election and includes 10 districts. Representatives must live in their district and only residents who live in the district can vote for their representative. The mayor is elected at-large.

The General Assembly also approved legislation in 2022 that required candidates for City Council and School Board appear only on the ballots for the voters who reside within the bounds of their district.

The effects of the changes to the city’s voter system were immediately evident. The council sworn into office in 2023 was the most diverse — and possibly the youngest — in city history with four Black representatives and four members under 45.

But the City Charter doesn’t yet align with the election system overhaul, and an amendment requires General Assembly approval.

Brandan Goodwin, the plaintiffs’ attorney, argued Monday state law doesn’t allow the city to take away the at-large seats defined in the charter. He had asked to halt an election using the 10-1 system in November, but the judge denied that request Monday.

Boynton said the 10-1 system complies with the Virginia Voting Rights Act and was the city’s only viable option.

“We had no other choice,” Boynton said. “There was one path; we took that path.”

Poston said he will review the city’s defenses and decide if the plaintiffs’ case can prevail.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

Singer-songwriter-keyboardist Harry Wayne Casey, who grew up nearby in Hialeah, Florida, absorbed it all.

That year, Casey put together a group of local musicians and called them the Sunshine Band, as a nod to Florida’s nickname, and adopted the moniker of “KC.”

The newly-formed 12-piece band, which included a four-man horn section, recorded several songs in 1974, written by Casey and his guitarist Richard Finch.

Two of the tunes, “Blow Your Whistle” and “Sound Your Funky Horn,” landed on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart.

They set the template for the KC and the Sunshine sound: unfussy arrangements, infectious melodies, singalong lyrics and a smorgasbord of rhythms.

“We just wanted to write and record uplifting dance tunes,” Casey said during a phone interview from his home in Miami. “And we wanted people to forget their troubles.”

On May 25, the band is bringing its unique sound to the Outer Banks with a performance at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, ĂŰčÖAPP Carolina.

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Sunshine and disco

Something else was happening in Miami in 1974; the city, along with Philadelphia and New York City, was becoming a hot spot for an emerging style of music in the U.S. called “disco” (a shortened version of the French word “discotheque,” which referred to dance venues).

Clubs started multiplying like mosquitoes, and the message to young people was you should be dancing.

To tweak a lyric from Barry Manilow’s campy hit “Copacabana,” music and passion were in fashion. And commercial radio stations embraced the trend, adding disco tunes to their playlists.

Artists like Paul McCartney, Diana Ross and especially The Bee Gees added some dance beats to their sound.

KC and the Sunshine Band’s popularity in clubs and on airwaves grew quickly, scoring their first No. 1 single (“Get Down Tonight”) on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1975.

“It had an infectious sound to it,” Casey said. “I knew it from the day I did the vocal.”

Over the next two years, the group ascended to rarefied air, hitting the top spot three more times with the nuggets “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” and “I’m Your Boogie Man.”

They became the first band since The Beatles in the mid-1960s to accomplish that feat. Another single (“Keep It Comin’ Love”) in 1977 reached No. 2 on the chart.

And, oh, another KC original “Boogie Shoes” was on the soundtrack of a little 1977 movie called “Saturday Night Fever.”

“It was a pretty crazy time,” Casey remembers.

The band had another No. 1 single in 1979 with the ballad “Please Don’t Go”; the follow-up single “Yes, I’m Ready” hit No. 2.

After the group’s top 20 record “Give It Up” in 1984, KC did just that, retiring from touring and recording.

But the band’s music stayed alive, playing on oldies radio stations, popping up in TV shows and movies, pumping up crowds at sporting events and, of course, getting people to put their flat feet on the ground at parties and wedding receptions.

In 1991, with disco enjoying a revival, Casey put on his flowered shirt and bell-bottom pants and came out of retirement.

These days, he travels with a 15-piece band, which includes four horns and two singers — and plays off-the-record versions of his classic hits for fans new and old.

“We definitely have a wide demographic,” Casey said. “I think people are still trying to escape from the world for a while.”

The Charlotte-based soul-beach music band Chairmen of the Board (“Carolina Girls,” “Dangling on a String,” “Give Me Just a Little More Time”) will open the show.

___

If you go

When: 5 p.m. May 25; Chairmen of the Board play at 7 p.m.; KC and the Sunshine Band perform at 8:30 p.m.

Where: Roanoke Island Festival Park (lawn seating), 1 Festival Park, across from the Manteo waterfront

Tickets: $50

Details:

But after fighting through some early adversity, the Cavaliers have come together, won nine consecutive games and look like title contenders once again.

Princess Anne, now 11-3-1 on the season, is heating up at the perfect time, with the Region 5A playoffs starting next week. The Cavaliers will have a shot at extending their win streak to 10 games Thursday night in their regular-season finale against Western Branch.

“We’re trying to get better every week,” head coach Sonny Travis said. “That’s been our main objective. We feel like we’re playing pretty good soccer right now and we still have to keep going.”

The Cavaliers started off the year 2-0-1 with wins over Tabb and Lafayette, but ran into a buzzsaw of a three-game slate the week after spring break.

Travis’ squad lost consecutive games to ĂŰčÖAPP, Cox and First Colonial — some of the best teams the Beach District and Hampton Roads have to offer.

The rain kept Princess Anne, who is without a turf field, indoors for most of the preseason, Travis said. Combine that with losing eight seniors from last year’s state title team and you have a squad that hadn’t fully come together yet.

“Cox got rescheduled to that week and that was a tough blow because we hit three of the toughest teams we would probably have on the schedule (in one week),” Travis said. “I do think (the losing streak) was a combination of factors. One was we had so much rain in the preseason that we were indoors for all of preseason. We lost both of our scrimmages to rainouts. So our team didn’t have time to come together.”

Following the string of losses, Travis said the team held a meeting and adopted a “one-game mentality,” and has worked extremely hard ever since.

“Nobody wants losses, but I think what it did is it woke our guys up,” Travis said. “I think that coming in as state champions, they were feeling the pressure. Everybody knew, it wasn’t stated, but everybody knew we were gonna get everyone’s best game. I think after those three losses, that’s when we realized that, hey, we have a lot of work to do and we can’t look back on the past, we have to make our own future. The team is resilient and they’ve come through.”

Princess Anne has been led by juniors Kishin Togashi and Maciej Majcherczyk — who Travis said are player of the year candidates — during its win streak and throughout the season. A supporting cast of players like seniors Will Jennings, Ian Mulcahy, Hernan Nisperos as well as sophomore Josiah Roberts has been crucial to helping “elevate” the attack and defensive intensity.

Majcherczyk and Roberts are the Cavaliers’ leading scorers with nine and eight goals, respectively. Princess Anne has outscored its opponents 47-5 during the past nine games and is outscoring opponents 53-12 for the season.

Travis feels like his team is playing its best soccer “to this point” and that there are still things the Cavaliers can work on as the season concludes. As for what it’s going to take for Princess Anne to make a run at defending its state title, it boils down to one word: focus.

“We talk about that quite a bit because if you make a mistake in elimination games, it could cost you your season,” Travis said. “We’ve concentrated on that and team play. Those sound like clichĂ©s, but the reality is we have to be clicking on all cylinders. But if we are, I think we can beat anybody.”

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Bayou Bon Vivant, a Cajun music, food and art festival, kicks off at noon Friday with free admission till 2 p.m. Tickets required from 2 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 Saturday and noon to 6 Sunday. At Town Point Park, Waterside Drive, Norfolk. Single-day tickets start at $10. For more information or festival schedule, visit .

Virginia Symphony Orchestra presents “Romeo and Juliet” with JoAnn Falletta. Friday at Ferguson Center for the Arts, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport ĂŰčÖAPP; and Saturday at Wilder Performing Arts Center, 700 Park Ave., Norfolk. Both performances start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $10. For information on pre-concert ticket benefits, visit .

Pungo Offroad Monsters on the Beach is back, as the annual event roars onto the sand this weekend. 7:30 p.m. Friday, noon and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday between 4th and 8th streets at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Tickets start at $23. To buy online, visit . For Monster Experience ticket options and event lineup, visit .

The Little Theatre of Virginia Beach presents “The Outsider,” a comedy that pokes fun at politics and celebrates democracy. Various dates through June 9 at 550 Barberton Drive. Tickets start at $20. To buy online or check availability, visit .

Grammy Award winner Tye Tribbett will bring his friends to Norfolk. The artist won 2024’s Best Gospel Album for “All Things New (Live in Orlando)” this year. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Chrysler Hall, 215 St. Paul’s Blvd. Tickets start at $25.50. To buy online, visit .

The 32nd annual Umoja Festival, a festival of unity, will feature live music, international foods and more. 6:15 p.m. next Friday, May 24; 1 p.m. next Saturday, May 25; and 2 p.m. next Sunday, May 26, at Festival Park, 16 Crawford Circle, Portsmouth. Admission to most shows is free except for the R&B Money tour, featuring Tank with Keri Hilson and Carl Thomas (8 p.m. next Saturday, May 25). For ticket information or festival lineup, visit .

Events may change. Check before attending.

Patty Jenkins, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com

The spending plan was approved by a 10-1 vote. Councilman Chris Taylor, the only member who voted against it, cited several reasons for his opposition but said the budget didn’t go far enough to reduce the tax burden on residents.

The budget includes a 2-cent reduction in the real estate tax rate, lowering it to 97 cents per $100 of assessed value.

“I don’t think the 2-cent reduction is going to do much for families,” Taylor told ĂŰčÖAPP following the vote. “We could have been more aggressive.”

Real estate assessments in Virginia Beach will top $82 billion in the new fiscal year, a 7.4% jump from the previous year. Even with the 2-cent rate reduction, most residents would still see an increase in their tax bill. For a resident with a median home value of $388,200, the 2-cent reduction will save $78 a year.

“It could have been lower perhaps, but the cut in funding across the board would have been too much,” Councilman Worth Remick said before casting his vote.

A 2-cent rate reduction is equivalent to forgoing $15 million, so to balance the budget, it required a shuffling of funds, the elimination of more than two dozen vacant positions and some grant funding reductions — but no major service cuts.

The approved spending plan fully funds the public school budget of $1.16 billion which includes an operating budget of $948.9 million. School officials have said its budget factors in a $5.7 million loss as a result of the real estate tax reduction. The division plans to cut 16 staff positions through attrition.

City workers will receive a roughly 3.5% pay increase as part of the step pay raise program approved in 2022, which was based on years of service when implemented. About 80% of the workforce qualifies for the step plan. All other employees are also getting an approximate 3.5% raise. The total pay increases add up to $19.5 million, according to the city.

Fees for water, sewer and curbside recycling will increase. Per month, water will increase by $2.70; sewer by 79 cents; and recycling by $3.05.

The budget funds operating expenses between July 1 and June 30, 2025. Separate from the city’s operating budget is a proposed six-year capital improvement project budget of $5.4 billion. The first year of the CIP allocates $385 million toward infrastructure projects, including new funding to begin the first phase of infrastructure improvements on 17th Street at the Oceanfront. It also includes redirecting $60 million from a resort area parking fund to build a park at Rudee Loop.

The operating budget includes redirecting 20% of the amusement tax, or $1.6 million, from the Tourism Investment Program fund to a dedicated fund for art initiatives. The amusement tax is an admission tax on concert, theater and other entertainment tickets collected citywide.

“I look forward to seeing the many positive impacts this change will have on our community,” said Councilman Michael Berlucchi, who advocated early on in the budget process for a boost to arts and culture.

Residents who are late paying their real estate and personal property tax bills will have some relief with a new five-day grace period for penalties and interest.

The City Council approved multiple additions to the budget last week, including the hiring of more firefighters for a total of 30, to help mitigate overtime cost and to support the well-being of the department. Taylor said he felt the budget didn’t prioritize public safety and had wanted more support for the fire and police departments.

Two 2025 festivals received funding in last-minute appropriations: $100,000 to the LAMBS Foundation for its Juneteenth festival and $90,000 to Hampton Roads Pride for its Pride at the Beach Festival.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

Clarification: A clarification was made on May 15, 2024 to better describe how raises are being implemented. The step pay raise program approved in 2022 was based on years of service when it was implemented. City workers will receive a 3.5% raise in fiscal year 2025, which is not contingent on their years of service.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Missy Cotter Smasal and Jeremiah “Jake” Denton IV will vie for the Democratic nomination. The winner will challenge Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in what is considered among the most competitive House races in the nation. Kiggans unseated Elaine Luria in 2022. The district spans the Eastern Shore, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Franklin.

Primary elections are June 18, but in-person early voting is open and runs through June 15.

Missy Cotter Smasal

Age: 46

Occupation/job title: Executive Director at Valor Run (nonprofit) and adjunct professor at Old Dominion University

Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science from Villanova University; Master of Science in education from Old Dominion University

Previous elected offices held (if any): N/A

Military service (if any): Navy veteran; Served as a Surface Warfare Officer deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom

Website:

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing the nation and, if elected to Congress, what legislation would you put forth to help address it?

In Congress, I would prioritize defending and protecting reproductive rights, abortion access, and health care. I will vote to restore Roe v. Wade and guarantee that women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions. I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race backed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and other women’s organizations. Coastal Virginians are also concerned about the rising costs of everyday expenses. In Congress, I will focus on bringing down prices to protect Virginia families and businesses. That starts with taking on the large corporations that took advantage of the pandemic to price gouge Virginians to increase their profits — and aren’t letting up today. We need to crack down on oil and gas companies, massive food conglomerates, and multinational retailers, and hold them accountable for their refusal to lower prices.

Social Security and Medicare could fall short on money in the next decade. How would you propose to reform the programs or the method for funding them and would you consider cuts to keep the programs solvent?

I will never support cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Period. We must take action to ensure that both programs remain strong for future generations. Congress has spent years playing politics and not taking action to protect retirement security for Virginians. The wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes by lifting the Social Security tax cap for high income earners to keep the program funded for the long term. And I’ll protect and expand Medicare’s ability to negotiate lower prescription drug prices which saves money for Medicare and seniors alike, and I’ll never support privatizing Social Security nor attempts to cut Medicare by turning it into a voucher program. Medicare and Social Security should be protected by ensuring the wealthy pay their fair share — NOT by cutting benefits for seniors.

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Jeremiah “Jake” Denton IV

Age: 48

Occupation/job title: Constitutional law and civil rights attorney, Denton Law, PC

Education: Juris Doctorate, William & Mary School of Law

Previous elected offices held (if any): N/A

Military service (if any): N/A

Website:

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing the nation and, if elected to Congress, what legislation would you put forth to help address it?

The conservative bloc of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade was an assault on women’s reproductive health and opens the door to ending more privacy protections like the right to same-sex marriage or interracial marriage. This disastrous decision fractured the United States into states where care is legal in one state and not the other, jeopardizing IVF care and forcing pregnant women to choose between life-saving operations and arduous and burdensome travel. If elected, I’ll vote to codify Roe v Wade on day one and look to codify more privacy protections that are under threat by this conservative majority.

Social Security and Medicare could fall short on money in the next decade. How would you propose to reform the programs or the method for funding them and would you consider cuts to keep the programs solvent?

We cannot cut Social Security or Medicare. These are vital programs for seniors in our country who have spent their lives paying to ensure these benefits would be there to support them in their retirement. We have a responsibility to care for older generations. I’m committed to a bipartisan process that works to ensure Social Security and Medicare is not just there for my generation but for my kids’ generation as well. I’m committed to doing the right thing by baby boomers as they start to retire and to make the tough decisions that maintain fiscal discipline in Congress.

Construction was temporarily delayed because groundwater building up inside of the hole that will become a surf park contained high levels of iron and arsenic. The 10-foot deep excavated area runs along the western side of Pacific Avenue between 18th and 20th streets.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality halted the work in December, following a resident’s complaint about brown water and a rusty film in a cove off of Lake Holly where the groundwater was being discharged. The agency traced the elevated level of contaminants back to the surf lagoon excavation and began reviewing the project’s dewatering methods.

Virginia Beach owns the Atlantic Park land and is a partner with Venture Realty Group on the $325 million project. The project also has the backing of music and fashion star Pharrell Williams, who was raised as a young child down the street from the project site, in the Seatack neighborhood.

The developer wanted the city to pay the roughly $1 million needed to remove the contaminants from the water. But attorneys working for Virginia Beach disagreed, stating in a letter that construction of the surf park project had advanced beyond the point of city liability.

Rather than hold the project up any further, the contractor working for the developer began testing methods and equipment to remove the contaminants in March. Now, it’s finally up and running.

“The dewatering system is doing what it needs to do, and we’re pleased with what we’re seeing,” Mike Culpepper, principal with Venture Realty Group, said by phone Monday.

Despite the setback, Culpepper is hopeful the surf park will debut in May 2025, which was generally the original projected opening timeframe. Venture is fronting the dewatering cost with the intention of reconciling with the city at a later date, Culpepper said.

Meanwhile, construction of Atlantic Park’s other elements are steadily moving forward. Two parking garages are more than 50% complete, and the entertainment venue and apartments are taking shape.

The developer has also been ramping up its social media marketing of the project in recent weeks. One Instagram post from @atlanticparkvb features a video with scenes of Virginia Beach and the surf park. It’s narrated by Williams who describes it as the “wave of change.”

Another recent post is a photograph of what may be Williams sporting a cowboy hat at the Atlantic Park construction site. The post says the photo was captured May 5 and includes a quote from Edgar Cayce, founder of the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach.

Williams, who is Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director, wore a similar hat in Paris earlier this year when he showcased American Western-themed looks at the designer’s fall 2024-2025 men’s collection.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

According to an update from the Virginia Beach Police Department, emergency services received a call for shots fired at about 10:45 p.m. April 5 at the 1200 block of Level Green Boulevard. At the scene, officers found 21-year-old Kalani Bailey-Cortez, of Norfolk. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say a 17-year-old boy from Virginia Beach has been charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm in commission of a felony. Police did not say if the two knew each other, or what circumstances may have led to the shooting.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

The enormous steel monopiles, each almost as long as a football field, are headed to the construction site 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The monopiles were loaded last week and the ship is now travelling to the site of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, Dominion Energy spokesperson Jeremy Slayton said in a text message.

The voyage was originally scheduled for last week, but was delayed due to the late arrival of a support vessel, Slayton said.

The ship’s departure comes as a judge is weighing arguments in a federal lawsuit brought by a group of anti-offshore wind organizations seeking to stop construction of the project. The groups allege the wind turbine construction would harm endangered ĂŰčÖAPP Atlantic right whales. A preliminary injunction request is pending.

The $9.8 billion wind farm will generate enough electricity to power up to 660,000 homes, according to Dominion. Construction is planned to continue until the end of 2026.

Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com