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Shall we all vote for the 80F/party cloudy weather of today - remain until further notice??Â To think it's going to be 87F on Friday!! Those newsletters in which yours truly here at Reader Rewards whined about the frigid weather seem oh-so long ago.

This warmer weather - along with our continued vigilance in washing hands frequently, wearing masks and keeping six feet of physical distance - should get us even closer to wrestling COVID-19 to the ground!Â We continue to make progress here in Hampton Roads. I'm sure you read our coverage in The Pilot and Daily Press earlier this week concerning Governor Northam easing up a bit on restrictions.Â If you didn't check it out here

For those that chose to fill out a bracket, or two, or three, or 40.....for either the men's or women's NCAA basketball tournament: whose brackets were basically busted by last Friday evening?? Yeah - that's what I thought. We may have filled one out here at Reader Rewards; we certainly didn't think Oral Roberts would beat Ohio State. There are literally zero perfect brackets left in the tournament - of the millions that entered across the country, so don't feel bad!Â Norfolk State represented our area well in the tournament with winning their play-in game last week. Congrats on another solid season!

Now a couple positive/local stories to highlight. A couple weeks ago Matthew Korfhage highlighted an uplifting story about Norfolk's Perfectly Frank offering free daily meals for anyone in need: no questions asked. National media outlets picked up on the story - including CNN.Â Matthew did a follow up story on the outpouring of giving that has come since.Â Check it out here, if you haven't read the story yet!Â Secondly, if you haven't caught up on the story about a local Coast Guardsman entering a contest on Instagram with a Virginia Beach-themed Nike shoe, read it here.

Yes - now for the contests!Â I sense we're getting closer and closer to a time where you will be able to find contests that involve winning tickets to local events and concerts once again!Â Until such time - yet more gift cards!Â This week: Target, Lowe's(spring yard work anyone?) and Olive Garden.Â Enjoy!

Enter to win a $50 gift card to one! Go to MyReaderRewards.com to win!

Last Week's Contest Winners

Amazon -Â Â Terrence Stone

Papa John's - Meryl Quirin

Red Robin -Â Pam Reddy

CONTESTS

ShopÂ TargetÂ online and in-store for everything from groceries and essentials to clothing and electronics. Choose contactless pickup or delivery today.Â Register at MyReaderRewards.com for a chance to win a $50 gift card.

Welcome toÂ Olive GardenÂ Italian Restaurants. Stop by today and enjoy family style dining and fresh Italian food at our local restaurants.Â Â Register at MyReaderRewards.com for a chance to win a $50 gift card!

At Home, the Possibilities Are Endless. Buy Online and Get Free Delivery On Orders $45+. Browse Our Variety Of Appliances, Hardware, Tools & More.Â Lowe'sÂ Has You Covered! Top Quality Brands.Â Sign up for a chance to win a $50 gift card at MyReaderRewards.com!

EToTod

Meet Wilhelmina!Â Wilhelmina is this week's My Reader Rewards Pet of the Week - her proud parent is Carol Nitz!Â Â Check out our other furry friends in our new Pet Gallery. Want your pet featured? Email a picture of your pet to
Mark.quan@pilotonline.com. Please include your name along with your pet's name. Let's round up those pet pictures folks to further boost our gallery and to showcase!!!

Restaurants are opening back up so don't forget Reader Perks! Take advantage of over 500,000 local and national discounts that can pay for your subscription over & over again! To access Reader Perks, click here. You must be a print subscriber to take advantage of this program. Log in using the email address associated with your newspaper account. No email on file? Email your name and address to Mark.quan@pilotonline.com to add it and gain access! Not a print subscriber? Click here to subscribe!

COMING SUNDAY:

Norfolk Realtor Kathryn Kramer has seen prospective homebuyers try many tactics to secure a contract in the midst of the booming residential real estate market, but one sticks out in her mind.

During a competition for a home this month, the second-highest bidder asked the person with the top bid to walk away in exchange for $30,000 cash.

The person refused because they didnât want to venture back out into the current housing market, Kramer said.

A record low inventory of homes on the market, combined with low interest rates, translated to a great 2020 for area real estate companies. In the midst of an economy-shrinking pandemic, residential housing has remained a bright spot locally.

âThe houses right now are flying off the shelves, and thatâs a supply-and-demand study for the ages right now,â said J. Van Rose Jr., principal owner of Rose & Womble Realty.

Â Read more in this Sunday's Main News section.

Several early trials and studies show that babies get the covid antibodies from breastmilk or cord blood or placenta from moms who were vaccinated.

Read more in this Sunday's Main News section

A few days ago, a giant container ship ran aground and blocked the Suez Canal. It's still stuck and blocking traffic. There are currently six container ships scheduled to call Virginia in April that are waiting at the canalâs southern entrance. Once reopened, the canal has capacity to efficiently clear the backlog of waiting vessels, but ships will not be able to recover their schedules after a multi-day delay, meaning some of Aprilâs cargo will be late to arrive.

Read more in this Sunday's Main News section

Heads up: One of you tossed out a Whistler. Maybe you were cleaning out the attic? Throwing junk into a donation box? In a classic kick-yourself story, a college girl paid 4 bucks for it at the ReStore in Williamsburg.
Read more in the Sunday Break section
"Forgotten Fruitâ is a series of sculptures and paintings at the Arts of Albemarle in Elizabeth City that depicts African American women who were lynched throughout the history of the United States. The show is on display through Sat., April 3 and a virtual tour will remain online indefinitely.
Â Read more in the Sunday Break section.

Sometimes the journey is the thing. Sometimes itâs good to finally be home.

James Claude Bailey has had a longer trip than most on the way to finally opening his own homestyle New Orleans-style cookery, Baileyâs Bayou â a takeout hole-in-the-wall off the main drag of Portsmouthâs Olde Towne, where you can find thick-spiced jambalaya and sumptuous shrimp Creole of such depth itâll have you checking your ZIP code.
Â Â Read more in the Sunday Break section.
Expected to make the move to middle linebacker this offseason, Virginia Techâs Dax Hollifield is about to see his on-field responsibilities increase, but he and his coaches think heâs ready for it.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Read more in the Sunday Sports section.

Sharon Stone

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