News Flash

Mosaic festival celebrates cultures, history, and the Earth on April 22

March 23, 2023 - The Hampton Mosaic Festival combines elements from the International Children's Festival, Heritage Day, Earth Day celebrations, and adds more art and interactivity. The new, combined festival will be held April 22 from 10 p.m. to...

Dates set for input on future of Hampton's carousel

March 15, 2023 — Community discussions about the future of the historic carousel will be held March 23 and 28. The Downtown Hampton Development Partnership has asked the City Council to move it to make room for a larger waterfront park.

Tom Tingle, archite...

You can feed the animals again at Bluebird Gap Farm

March 7, 2023 — Bluebird Gap Farm, Hampton’s unique petting zoo, has resumed its popular animal feeding experience, which allows guests to purchase bags of feed and interact with some of the park’s animals.

The program was suspended in 2020 due to Covid-19...

Polling on the city's upcoming budget available through March 20

March 15, 2023 - Work to develop next year's budget is under way, and residents can offer their views in an online informal survey. City Manager Mary Bunting seeks input before her recommended budget is developed to ensure it includes residents&a...

HU Proton Therapy Institute announces plan for revolutionary cancer treatment

March 3, 2023 – Hampton University this morning announced a partnership that will bring a revolutionary new technology to improve cancer treatment.

The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute’s partnership with Leo Cancer Care and the Jefferson Lab wil...

Museum at Air Power Park will be closed for 5 days

Feb. 28, 2023 - The museum building at Air Power Park will be closed to the public for five days, expected to be Monday through Friday, March 6-10, to accommodate the installation of a bulkhead along Newmarket Creek. The work will require the electricity ...

Mayor will hold town hall meeting Feb. 28

Feb. 14, 2023 — Mayor Donnie Tuck will conduct a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Third Baptist Church.

The meeting will be open to the public, and it will provide an opportunity for the mayor to address current projects and issues in the city. Re...

Violent crimes were down in 2022, but 2023 starts with a spike

Feb. 8, 2023 – Police Chief Mark Talbot gave an update to City Council about crime in 2022 that started with some good news.

Statistics show that murders were down 25% over 2021. Robberies decreased by 12%. Property crimes were up at total of 16%...

City's home values increased again in 2022; tax rate decrease will be recommended

Feb. 8, 2023 – The value of homes in Hampton increased again during 2022, according to a report by Assessor Libby Griebel. The median sale price rose to $253,000.

In fact, 96.6% of residential properties saw increases, with the mean or average va...

City facilities, trash collection affected by President Day holiday

Here’s a look at how these city offices, departments, or services will be affected by the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023.

City Offices               &nbs...

Council approves $100 million development for former Lincoln Park site

Feb. 9, 2023 — The City Council has approved a $100 million proposal by developer Axis Global Enterprises to redevelop the former site of the Lincoln Park housing development on LaSalle Avenue. The new development, called Olde Hampton Village, w...

UPDATE: Professional lacrosse league suspends season; Hammerheads games canceled

Jan. 31, 2023 - The Professional Box Lacrosse Association announced that all remaining games across the league will be postponed as of January 31, 2023.  The local team, the Hampton Hammerheads, played at the Hampton Coliseum.

Season ticket holder...

Free city calendars now available at libraries, community centers

Free Hampton calendars for 2023 are now available at all city libraries, community and neighborhood centers, and at the Hampton History Museum.

The calendars, featuring more than a dozen new original images inspired by the city of Hampton, are fil...

City creates escalating penalty for violations of trash regulations

Jan. 13, 2023 - In an effort to control increasing costs of trash collection, Hampton will begin issuing violations and fines for customers who fail to follow the regulations.

These measures will go into effect July 1 to give residents time to get better a...

UPDATE: City Council approves red light cameras on roads near HRBT

Jan. 26, 2023 - The City Council agreed to a proposal to add red light camera traffic enforcement at intersections on roads near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, as part of a plan to deal with congestion caused by the HRBT Expansion Project.The City of Ha...

Relief funds available for homeowners affected by pandemic

January 10, 2023 - Homeowners who have been financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic may be eligible for up to $50,000 in federal relief funds under new guidelines announced today by the Virginia Mortgage Relief Program.

To be eligible, homeowners mus...

City Council will swear in new members Wednesday

January  9,  2023 - The Hampton City Council  will hold a special  session on Wednesday, Jan. 11, to swear in two new members.

At 11 a.m. in council chambers on the eighth floor of CityHall, newly elected Hope Harper and...

Property owners on Hampton waterfront could be eligible for aid

January 9, 2023 - Property owners on Hampton’s waterfront may be eligible for financial aid in constructing a living shoreline that complies with state regulations regarding preparation for sea level rise.

The city has created a partnership with ...

New rules allow Airbnbs, VRBOs easier path to be licensed to operate in Hampton

Dec. 16, 2022 - City Council created a pathway for people who own houses that they rent through such sites as Airbnb or VRBO to operate legally. Previously, short-term rentals were only allowed as an “accessory use” to a home that is a...

Hampton named Top 10 Digital City for 20th time

Nov. 10, 2022 - Hampton was once again named a Top 10 Digital City. This is the 20th time the city has been recognized for its innovative use of technology and citizen engagement. 

The rankings are done by the Center for Digital Government, a nati...

Sewer replacement work will create detours on Old Buckroe Road

Oct. 17, 2022 - HRSD crews will be installing sanitary sewer pipelines on Old Buckroe Road, forcing a road closure for through traffic that is expected to last for a year. Work is expected to begin this week near Colonial Acres Drive.

During this work, mot...

Free grand opening events for Aquaplex swim center on Oct. 29

Oct. 12, 2022 — The city's new two-pool swimming center will hold a free celebration Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with demonstrations, refreshments, games, and entertainment. 

The program will feature Olympic gold ...

North King Street closed for repairs that could take 3-4 months

Aug. 19, 2022 - North King Street just south of the Interstate 64 overpass is closed due to emergency road repairs expected to take three to four months. The closure is where the road crosses Bright's Creek, between the Vanguard Brewpub and Sprin...

UPDATE: Winds shift, sparing Hampton from severe flooding; shelter closing

Oct. 3 — A change the wind direction meant Hampton was spared the severe flooding that was predicted a day ago. Instead of seeing a high tide of 6.9 feet, Monday's high crested just above 5 feet. There was street flooding and minor damage, plus heavy wind...

Reminders about Buckroe Beach for Labor Day weekend

As we hit the Labor Day weekend and move into the “off season” at local beaches, here are a few reminders for visitors to Buckroe Beach:

• After this holiday weekend, there will be no lifeguards on duty until next spring, when the season re-opens on Memorial...

Poll workers needed to staff precincts on Election Day

Aug. 31, 2022 - The Hampton Voter Registrar’s Office is looking for dedicated people to serve the democratic process by serving as election officials on Election Day.  

The polls open on Election Day at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.; however, electio...

UPDATE: Swimming advisory lifted for Buckroe Beach

Aug. 24, 2022 – The Health Department has issued a swimming advisory for the central part of beach due to levels of bacteria levels that exceed the state water quality standards for swimming.

Buckroe is segmented, so bacteria levels could affect the entire...

REPAIRED: Gas leak closes Hardy Cash-Executive intersection

Aug. 23 - UPDATE: Repairs have been made. The intersection of Hardy Cash and Executive drives is now open after a gas line was repaired.

Hampton named top community in Virginia for resilience efforts

July 18, 2022 - Hampton has been named the Resilient Virginia Community of the Year by the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association for its "outstanding example for how to undertake resiliency planning," according to the announcemen...

Hampton's new budget lowers real estate tax rate by 6 cents

May 12, 2022 - City Council unanimously adopted a budget containing a combination of tax relief and targeted new spending for Fiscal Year 2023, which begins July 1.

The tax relief includes a 6-cent reduction in the tax rate for property (from $1.2...