12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 11 Number 4 Around Hampton Roads


Stella McClain recognized at Women in Business 2016


Achievement Awards Chesapeake, Va. – Chesapeake Economic Development has recognized Stella McClain of Taylor Made Diagnostics for being awarded the 2016 Women in Business Award. Women selected as honorees are recognized as significant contributors in their community and industry, and are considered champions for supporting and encouraging other women on the road to success.


As Operations Director of Taylor Made Diagnostics, Stella's motivating factor is to be a role model for her daughter and an inspiration to others who are hoping to make a difference in their community. Trusting her intuition, Stella has had the opportunity to work with Taylor Made Diagnostics from the ground up and has built a career grounded in strong client relationships.


'My Lottery Dream Home'


introduces Virginia Coastal home Hampton, Va. – The HGTV show 'My Lottery Dream Home' will present a home in Buckroe Beach.


The show is hosted by David Bromstad and follows as he takes people who have recently won the lottery out to find the house they have always dreamt about that they can now afford.


This episode will feature a couple that is now retired and looking for a vacation home along the coast of Virginia. The viewers will follow Bromstad as he shows them a variety of homes in the area with one of the choices being in East Bay at Buckroe Beach. They are choosing this area to be near to their family.


The episode will be called “Dreaming of the Chesapeake Bay.” It is said to air on January 6 at 9 p.m.


Blue Star Diner reconstruction


may lead to grand reopening Newport News, Va. – Blue Star Diner, a diner amongst few of the remaining Virginia diners that were produced in a factory, could be set to re-open after years of delays. Not much construction will be done on the diner because of its historical background and hopes to keep its look. Most of the renovation will be dealing with the plumbing and electrical wiring. It is unclear what the cost of those repairs will be. The construction of the 1950s diner has to be put into effect within a six-month range, according to the permit it received last month, or it will be put to an end.


Michael Lessin, president of Belleville Diners, has been promising this


construction since the company bought Blue Star Diner back in 2010. Newly discovered costs and other unfortunate events have caused him to continue to push back the renovation and reopening date. Belleville Diners bought it from the original owners, Fannie and Angelo Blentson, whose customers still have fond memories of the restaurant.


The Department of Historical Resources has deemed the diner eligible to be named a state landmark, and Lessin is working toward making sure that is set into action. The construction of the diner could start as soon as this month. A reopening date has not yet been set because of the past problems Lessin has endured.


Company selected as first to be financially supported by new


'Innovation fund' Norfolk, Va. – A new business is producing implanted medical instruments of the next generation that can be used to repair damaged tissue. Embody, a medical device company, will receive a loan of $150,000 from the city’s new fund that plans to advance companies that specializes in science and technology. The loan was approved by the Economic Development Authority recently after looking over a few aspects of the company. The finances of Jeff Conroy, the founder of Embody, were one of the main discussions in the meeting that the EDA held.


Embody is working on presenting new products and doubling the amount of its employees in upcoming years which will lead to a lot of job openings. The loan will be used for animal testing amongst other types that are not already covered under the federal grant that the city said the company received from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. According to Chuck Rigney, Executive Director of the EDA, the company will be receiving the loan in about two months. They will then have ten years to repay the loan with interest. Embody offices can be found at Old Dominion University which is not new to housing similar companies.


City Council votes out


$1,500-member fine Portsmouth, Va. – For members of the City Council who speak out on closed sessions publicly, a rule was implemented to hold them accountable for a fine of $1,500. On Tuesday, Council members voted on whether they should get rid of the rule that caused a bit of an uproar, last year, resulting in multiple fines and lawsuits.


New council members were recently elected and allowed to vote on the issue. With a majority vote of 5-1, the rule was abolished. The ruling was obviously not very popular. It did not draw much applause from the audience that was present.


Councilmen Bill Moody was one of members to receive the $1,500 fine after being accused of sharing information through a Facebook post that was discussed in a meeting that was not open to the public. After Moody paid his dues, he decided to hire an attorney to fight the lawsuit and the Judge ended up ruling in his favor. He decided not to take place in the vote on Tuesday.


Councilmen Danny Meeks, one of the members that voted against Moody, was fined a month after the incident. Meeks claimed that he learned the information he discussed elsewhere and refused to pay the fine because of it. The court hearings for both Bill Moody and Danny Meeks will take place on Jan. 30th.


Free medical services provided


for the uninsured Suffolk, Va. – The Virginia mobile health clinic, Care-a-Van, will be providing free medical care and other routine examinations to adults and children who do not have insurance.


Care-a-Van is for walk-in appointments and works on a first-come, first-served basis. Some of the main services that are treated include minor rashes, muscle pain, respiratory infections, and conjunctivitis (pink eye).


Other services provided include enrollment for health insurance, health education, and physicals.


Registration for each day will open at 8:30 a.m. to noon for every day that the clinic is open, and it will remain open until all spots are filled.


These services will be offered each week on Friday from 8:30 a.m.- noon over the next few months. The schedule is as follows:


Jan.13, Feb. 10, Mar. 10 Location: Chorey Park, 804 W. Constellation Road, Suffolk, VA 23434 Jan. 20, Feb. 17, Mar. 10 & 17 Location: Colander Bishop, 925 Brook Avenue, Suffolk, VA 23434 Jan. 27, Feb. 24, Mar. 24


Location: Parker Riddick/Cypress Manor, 94 Stacy Drive, Suffolk, VA 23434 Feb. 3, Mar. 3 Location: Hoffler, 2210 East Washington Street, Suffolk, VA 23434


For more information, contact Bon Secours Health Center at (757)-889-CARE (2273).


EFFORTS TO INTENTIONALLY SABOTAGE THE PRINTING, DISTRIBUTION OR REPUTATION OF THIS PUBLICATION IS A VIOLATION OF THE US CONSTITUTION’S PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF ANTITRUST LAWS. IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE PARTICIPATING IN SUCH ACTIONS, PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.


January 2017


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16