De Andre Barnes News Today

A new program in Portsmouth aims to keep them away from crime by giving them jobs, Youth Seize the Summer Program.

The city's Summer RAYS camp program is completely booked for the summer, and 400 of the city's youth will get to participate for free regardless of income thanks to an investment from Portsmouth City Council.

Traveling for official city business is often part of a city council member’s job, allowing an elected official to gain insight on how peers in other cities and countries are handling a variety of issues. But with travel come expenses that are often paid for by taxpayers. The expenses cities cover on council members’ behalf make up only a small fraction of overall budgets, but without ...

To learn more about how city council members are spending taxpayer dollars, The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press filed Freedom of Information Act requests asking for all expenses that six Hampton Roads cities paid for city council members in 2023. Total expenses range from about $41,000 in Newport News to $12,400 in Norfolk.

PORTSMOUTH — City leaders are exploring whether the basement of Portsmouth City Jail can support overnight stays for juvenile inmates to reduce the burden of officers and deputies transporting them to court from housing facilities hours away. Until last year, the city had an agreement to house youth charged with crimes with Chesapeake Juvenile Services, which had been holding minors for other ...

Portsmouth has voted to approve collective bargaining for city employees, making it the first locality in Hampton Roads to do so.

In a 4-2 vote Tuesday night, Portsmouth has become the first city in Hampton Roads to authorize this.

Allowing collective bargaining means workers can negotiate in good faith with city leaders on a labor contract dictating pay, benefits, safety, equipment and working conditions.

The Portsmouth City Council is close to choosing a firm that will help vet and select a new city manager. But the timeline for the selection process means the city could go a full year without a permanent city manager in place.

Portsmouth City Council members voted 4-2 this week to require a majority vote in order to remove a council member from a meeting.