A1 Nov. 29, 2016, Karen L. Gill design
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The document summarizes several news stories from The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. The top story discusses Virginia Beach's plans to improve the confusing Laskin Road by removing parallel feeder lanes and transforming it into an eight-lane divided highway at a cost of $29.1 million. The second story outlines a lawsuit filed by Norfolk's former veterans liaison claiming he was fired for raising ethical questions about a federal job program for veterans. The third story reports on NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith's call for a racial disparity study on how Virginia Beach awards city contracts.
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A1 Nov. 29, 2016, Karen L. Gill design
- 1. | Our 152nd year | 11.29.16 | PILOTONLINE.COM | $1 in Hampton RoadsTuesday Students have a hard time judging the credibility of online information. PAGE 3 Fact or fiction? Not always clear Cyber Monday might go the way of dial-up modems. Business, Page 9 Showers High, low 70s. Low, low 60s. Back page of Sports By Stacy Parker The Virginian-Pilot VIRGINIA BEACH Laskin Road, notorious for its baffling feeder lanes, tops the citys list of next big road projects. Theyre so confusing, said Joe Taylor, a Birdneck Acres resident and owner of Taylors Do-It Center on Laskin Road. People just dont know what to do. Taylor has seen drivers do a U- turn in his stores parking lot to line up for the traffic light rather than venture from the feeder lane onto the main road. Removing the feeder lanes has long been a goal of the city. The Virginia Department of Transportation has taken incre- mental steps to prepare for the improvements. Right of way ac- quisitions and relocation of utili- ties are nearly complete along the busy corridor. Once we get the construction money, its shovel ready, said Phil- lip Pullen, the citys transportation division manager. This fall, the Public Works De- partment submitted an application with three projects for SMART Scale, a state transportation funding program, in hopes of land- ingmillionsofdollars.LaskinRoad was No. 1 for the city. If selected, funding would be allocated begin- ning in fiscal year 2018, and con- struction could begin in 2021, ac- cording to Paula Miller, VDOT spokeswoman. The City Council will provide $14.1 million and is requesting $15 million in state money for the first phase of road improvements. It includes transforming 2 miles of Laskin Road through the Hill- top area into an eight-lane divid- Beachasksforcash tofixLaskinheadache City wants stateshelp withroads feederlanes From wire reports COLUMBUS, OHIO A Somali-born Ohio State University student plowed his car into a group of pedes- trians on campus and then got out and began stabbing people with a butcher knife Monday before he was shot to death by a police officer. Police said they are investi- gating whether it was a ter- rorist attack. Eleven people were hurt, one critically. The attacker was identi- fied as Abdul Razak Ali Ar- tan. He was born in Somalia and was a legal permanent U.S. resident, according to a U.S. official who wasnt au- thorized to discuss the case and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The FBI joined the investigation. The details emerged after a morning of conflicting re- ports and confusion, created in part by a series of tweets from the university warning 11 wounded in car, knife attack at Ohio State University Norfolksformer veteransliaisonfiles suit,sayinghewas firedforspeakingup By Eric Hartley The Virginian-Pilot NORFOLK The citys former military liaison says in a new federal lawsuit that he was fired in retali- ation for raising ethical questions about a fed- eral program meant to help vet- erans find jobs. John Andrews, who left city government in November 2014, says he lost his job after point- ing out a possible conflict of in- terest: A man selling software to help veterans transition to new careers was married to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs official overseeing sim- ilar efforts. In a complaint filed Wednes- day in U.S. District Court, An- drews requests reinstatement to his job, plus unspecified damages, and asks the court to or- der the city to institute policies to eradicate the VICKI CRONIS-NOHE | THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Virginia Beachs Laskin Road is notorious for its parallel feeder lanes, which can often frustrate drivers and have contributed to the Hilltop area being one of the citys most congested. Theyre so confusing, said Joe Taylor, who owns a shop off the street. People just dont know what to do. See LASKIN, PAGE 7 Monarchs accept Bahamas invite John Andrews, hired as Norfolks first military liaison in 2012, left in 2014. STEPHEN M. KATZ | THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith says Beach Mayor Will Sessoms perhaps fears the results of a disparity study on who is awarded city contracts. Smithsteps upcallfor disparity study in the Beach By Alissa Skelton The Virginian-Pilot VIRGINIA BEACH NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith said its possible the mayor wont call for a racial disparity study because hes scared of what hed find. Smith held a news confer- ence Monday morning in a parking lot overlooking the Rudee Inlet at the south end of the Oceanfront, a 10-acre site owned by the city that he has wanted to develop. About 30 people gathered to sup- port him, some local black activists, businessmen, a rep- resentative for the Virgin- ia Legislative Black Caucus and Portsmouth Mayor Ken- ny Wright. Smith said he and a group of businessmen, whom he declined to name, would be willing to pay half of the cost of a racial disparity study on how city contracts are awarded. Mayor (Will) Sessoms re- fused to initiate a science- based study perhaps out of fear of inequalities the study would reveal, Smith said. Smith, a real estate de- veloper and investor, first raised concerns of racial in- equality and cronyism last week in a letter addressed to Sessoms and sent to doz- ens of legislators and offi- cials in Virginia Beach and around the state. In the letter, Smith detailed roadblocks he said he has faced as an Afri- can American businessman trying to develop properties at the Oceanfront. Sessoms, after reading the letter, said the city is open to African American develop- ers and businesses and there was no need for a study. Oth- er council members could still call for one, but so far none have. Smith on Monday took See LAWSUIT, PAGE 7 Old Dominion to face to-be-announced opponent in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 23. IN SPORTS See SMITH, PAGE 7 Police identify Somali-born Muslim student as suspect in assault KEVIN STANKIEWICZ | THE LANTERN VIA AP OSU student Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot dead by a campus police officer. See ATTACK, BACK PAGE PublicationDate:11/29/2016 AdNumber: InsertionNumber: Size: ColorType: ClientName: Advertiser: Section/Page/Zone:Main/A001/ Description: ThisE-Sheet(R)isprovidedasconfirmationthattheadappearedinTheVirginian-Pilotonthedateandpageindicated.Youmaynotcreatederivativeworks,orinanywayexploitorrepurposeanycontent.