Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer convened a hastily announced news conference outside City Hall last month to announce Police Chief Larry Boone would be retiring. Local news outlets werenât alerted to the event until a little more than an hour before it began. It lasted just two minutes, with Filer the only person to speak. He refused to answer questions afterward. Boone, who led the Norfolk Police Department for the last 5½ years and was an officer there for more than three decades, didnât attend. Filer told reporters Boone announced his retirement during a meeting earlier that day, and that his last day on the job would be two days later. Photos of Boone that hung in the cityâs two police precincts were gone by the next day. The chiefâs abrupt departure came as a surprise to many â including the mayor, City Council and the more than 500 sworn officers who work for the Norfolk Police Department. It occurred as Norfolk grapples with an uptick in gun violence and police staffing shortages. Since then, rumors have swirled among city leaders and rank-and-file police as to whether the chief chose to retire, or was forced out. Read more in the Sunday Main News section 
David Olivis walks down the school hallway every day where he almost lost his life. The Heritage High School teacher and assistant basketball coach was trying to break up a fight at the school last year when one student pulled a gun and opened fire in a crowded hallway, wounding two fellow students. Olivis, who was in the line of fire but wasnât hit, went back to teaching as soon as he could. But he said things will never feel the same. âItâs affected me quite a bit. Itâs humbling,â Olivis said this week, reflecting on the Sept. 20 shooting. âThey changed the (floor) tiles where the bullet holes were. But theyâre lighter than the other ones because they are noticeably newer. So thatâs still a reminder.â The shooting was captured on the schoolâs surveillance system and plays out in a matter of seconds. Footage of the shooting and its immediate aftermath were entered into evidence in Newport News Circuit Court last week at a plea hearing where a 15-year-old former student, Jacari Taylor, admitted to the shooting. The Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot obtained the footage from the court and are publishing it for the first time. Read more in the Sunday Main News section âBarbecue started in Virginia,â Deb Freeman said, nodding seriously as she settled into a coffee shop couch in Richmond. Weâd met to discuss her latest and most important project to date. Sheâs confident, not cocky, but it is easy to see (and hear) why Stephen Satterfield, food educator and host of âHigh on The Hogâ on Netflix, has backed her âSetting the Tableâ podcast with his production company, Whetstone Radio Collective. His bet is spot-on â her podcast launched in March, and its first episode hit No. 1 on Appleâs U.S. food chart. Freeman, a Norfolk native and Richmond resident, began writing with a self-admitted-terrible-but-popular music blog in 2016. Read more in the Sunday Break section Meet our new food writer: Rekaya Gibson!
The Food Dude, John Walters, happened to describe me perfectly: âThe only thing I like better than talking about food is eating.â Iâm constantly in search of seasoned foods that let me taste greatness, culinary and drink events with a little history, and tea with real Camellia sinensis. Now, I get to share these finds and more with readers of The Pilot and Daily Press. I hope to help readers discover their new favorite spots, satisfy their sweet tooth cravings and uncover drink options for all occasions. Also, I plan to give them a little something extra â or lagniappe (lan-yap), as they say in New Orleans â when they plan an evening at home. I will share some recipes from my kitchen and othersâ alike. Iâve been cooking since I was 8, when I was growing up in Indiana. My first meal: Thanksgiving dinner. I pulled the chair up to the stove as my mom gave instructions on how to prepare all the trimmings. Iâm taller now. I still love to cook and experiment. Furthermore, Iâve been writing about food and drink for more than 18 years as a freelancer, blogger and author, the past 12 while enjoying cuisines and beverages throughout Hampton Roads. Read more in the Sunday Break section
A drones seller displaced by Pembroke Mallâs redevelopment landed at the iconic M.M. Crockin retail building on High Street in Portsmouth. The owner of Dominion Drones Tech Co. bought the 33,800-square-foot Olde Towne building that formerly housed Crockinâs Furniture, which closed in 2015 after 126 years in business. âI feel the environment in the downtown area of Portsmouth is pretty good and itâs business friendly,â Paul Liao, owner of Dominion Drones, said. Liao operates DJI Store Virginia, an authorized seller of DJIâs drones, cameras and products. As drones became popular with consumers and hobby users, China-based DJI became a market leader.
Read more in the Sunday Work & Money section
David Baker, the softball commissioner for the Eastern Officials Association, was able to flip through a Rolodex of more than 70 umpires two years ago for assignments in recreational league, high school and college softball games. Now, that number of available officials has dropped to about 50. Chad Foltz, the EOAâs baseball commissioner, has also watched his numbers plummet from nearly 140 umpires in recent years. âRight now, Iâm looking at 100 active officials,â Foltz said. âObviously, thatâs if everyone is available on a given day, which is not the case because you have Injuries and guys not available. This week alone, Iâve had everything from emergency deployment to jury duty, to peopleâs transmissions falling out of their cars. So that affects us as well.â The lack of baseball and softball umpires in the EOA â which oversees games from western Tidewater to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront â mirrors a trend in most other sports throughout Hampton Roads and nationwide. The problem is especially problematic in the spring, when a busy day in Hampton Roads can feature more than 100 varsity baseball, softball and soccer games. Read more in the Sunday Sports section
he path to a world timbersports title starts today in Virginia Beach, and the man looking to repeat is in town. Jason Lentz, the 2021 World Champion, will attempt to defend his title as the Stihl Timbersports lumberjack competitions kick off the circuitâs 2022 season at Mount Trashmore. The home of the chainsaw and power equipment manufacturerâs U.S. headquarters is host to the first U.S. Trophy event, featuring the top 12 ranked U.S. male athletes competing in a relay-style endurance contest. The winner will advance to the World Trophy event, held May 28 in Vienna, Austria. Read more in the Sunday Sports section
It is only natural that the Christopher Newport University menâs lacrosse team begins the postseason today, in a home game at 4 p.m. against No. 3 Salisbury for the championship of the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference, with Division III national championship aspirations. The Captains are 16-0, lead the nation in scoring margin at 12.25 goals per game and routed then No. 1-ranked Salisbury 17-7 at Jennings Family Stadium, the site of the conference final. CNU has been ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history in the three weeks since. But Captains coach Mikey Thompson knows a little something about national championships, having assisted Dom Starsia on the University of Virginiaâs NCAA title team in 2011. Starsia, who guided the Cavaliers to four national titles and 13 Final Fours, often cautioned his players about overconfidence. Read more in the Sunday Sports section 
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