Newport News Boosts Teachers with Half‑Million Dollar Grant

The city of Newport News has secured a $500, 000 grant aimed at keeping new teachers in the district. This money will fund a two‑year “New Teacher Institute” that offers mentorship, training and community projects to help educators stay. Because of the program, teacher turnover fell from 36 % last year to just 16 %. The grant is part of a partnership between the BayPort Foundation, Ferguson, Newport News Shipbuilding and Virginia Natural Gas. Other news from the region includes a new airport manager for New Kent County Airport, Russell Lee Peaden. After 25 years at Richmond International Airport, Peaden will oversee property and concessions for the smaller county airport. He once ran a food‑and‑retail program that brought in over $15 million annually.In York County, several businesses were honored for growth and community impact: Primrose School of Yorktown was named Business of the Year, Pappas Orthodontics received a revitalization award, and Shorty’s Diner earned an expansion prize. The Chamber of Commerce also gave its Small Business of the Year award to Worley’s Home Services. The Enterprise Center at Virginia Port Logistics Park in Suffolk has earned a CSX Select Site designation, meaning it is ready for quick construction. The 124‑acre site can hold up to 1. 5 million square feet of industrial space, and its “shovel‑ready” status speeds up product launches for manufacturers. Finally, several grant programs remain open through April 30: Keep Virginia Beautiful Green Grants for environmental projects and the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Infrastructure grant to help local farmers grow.