At least six pregnant Virginians have died of COVID-19, and 346 have been admitted to hospitals for serious illnesses. Itâs not known what happened to their babies â whether any were lost or if they got sick. Virginia Department of Health officials said they donât have data on their outcomes. Pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill if they contract the virus than those who arenât, state epidemiologists said. If they have underlying health conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, theyâre at even greater risk. With the recent rise in cases, more pregnant patients have ended up in the hospital earlier than planned. Lucy Vinson, a Sentara Norfolk General Hospital ICU nurse manager, said her team also has cared for a slew of pregnant coronavirus patients. Read more in this Sunday's Main News section Youâve probably seen the ads. Theyâre on billboards and in your browser. They play during commercial breaks of football games, and podcast hosts tell you about the chances to win big. Online sports betting started this year in Virginia, and the persistent advertising seems to be effective. In the seven months since sports betting became legal, Virginia bettors wagered $1.48 billion at the seven sportsbooks licensed to operate in the state, according to the Virginia Lottery. Look closely or listen to the end of those ads, and youâve probably noticed the disclaimer, too. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-532-3500. Carolyn Hawley, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, is president of the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling, the organization that manages the help line. This year, that line is on track to receive close to 800 calls. In 2019 and 2020 combined, it received 646. Callers can get information about problem gambling or referrals to different resources based on what they need. Some callers need treatment, and a major challenge, Hawley said, is connecting those callers to a certified gambling counselor. Only nine people in Virginia have that certification. Read more in Sunday's Main News section In the past year both Hampton City Schools and Newport News voted to rename several schools in their district previously named after Confederate officers, slaveowners and segregationists. Several of these renamed schools are now in session, after beginning the transition toward taking new names celebrating progressive and predominantly Black leaders from Hampton and Newport News over the summer. Read more in Sunday's Main News section In 1960, people around the world marveled at that yearâs Summer Olympics, the first to be commercially televised. Fans watched athletes compete in the oval-shaped Stadio Flaminio, Romeâs new 30,000-seat stadium designed by Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi and his son.
Norfolk civic leaders were watching too and were captivated by the stadium. In 1965, they tapped the man behind it to design Norfolkâs cultural and convention center for basketball championships, rock concerts, opera and theater: Scope. Scope opened in November 1971. The building and nine other Nervi projects are the focus of the 50th anniversary exhibition, âPier Luigi Nervi: Art and Science of Building,â at the Chrysler Museum of Art. The show opens this weekend and will continue through Feb. 27. Read more in the Sunday Break section
Lauren Oliver and Samantha Foster, Main Street Smithfield business partners, have been best friends since they were 6 years old. Now 30 and 29 years old, respectively, Oliver and Foster are expanding their small-town retail niche with a second store and growing lifestyle brand. The duo bought Sew Personal Boutique on South Church Street in 2013 and relocated it to Main Street five years later, where itâs acquired quite a following. The 600-square-foot shop carries a variety of womenâs clothing and offers monogramming and embroidery services. âWe realized the traffic on Main Street is absolutely incredible; there are people coming from all over,â Oliver said. Couples would stroll down Main Street, but the business partners watched as men would make a beeline away from the boutique while their partner shopped. Thatâs when they saw the potential for a dedicated menâs clothing store in town. Oliverâs husband, a farmer, isnât your typical suit-and-tie wearer, she said. âThere is nothing around here for him as far as shopping goes,â Oliver said. When a storefront directly across the street from Sew Personal became available in January, Oliverâs and Fosterâs wheels started turning. The landlord offered the spot as a larger space for their existing store, but instead they decided to launch a second business. In February, they opened Riverâs Edge Apparel, a retail outfitterâs store for men and women at 207C Main St.
Read more in the Sunday Work & Money section
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