TOP STORIES: 2025 laws, stolen gifts, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah
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As 2024 comes to a close, some laws in Virginia will start to take effect next year.
Individual income tax will go down from %4.75 to %4.5.
Virginians can also expect an increase in minimum wage. This has been a steady increase since the first initiative back in 2020 to eventually get the minimum wage to $15 an hour. At the start of 2025, the minimum wage will go from $12 dollars per hour to $12.41 per hour.
Car insurance requirements will increase to $50,000 for injury or death of a person. $100,000 for two or more, and $25,000 for property damage.
At the end of this year, Virginia will no longer follow California’s electric vehicle mandate
Gov. Glenn Youngkin made the announcement back in June, saying Virginians deserve the freedom to choose which car best fits them and their business.
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Norfolk family’s car and gifts stolen on Christmas Eve—police officers pool money to help save Christmas.
Norfolk police told News 3 that a car was stolen from Midland Street. Inside were gifts that were to be given to young children. Eventually, police found the car, but no gifts were inside, authorities said.
Neighbor Donny Price called it a heartbreaking situation.
“When someone works so hard to please their children and something like that happens, it just breaks your heart, and it shouldn’t happen like that,” he said.
But the story ends on a positive note for this Christmas holiday.
Some of the Norfolk police officers who were part of the call and the shift took up a collection and gave the money to the family.
“Norfolk police officers show up every day and commit themselves to the health and well-being of others. Despite the circumstances, they display their best during even the most unfortunate of situations,” said Chief Mark Talbot.
Police said they arrested two people connected to the incident. The two 22-year-olds were being held at Norfolk City Jail without bond on Christmas Eve.
Norfolk PD officers pool together money to help family after car, gifts stolen
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Today marks the first day of the week-long celebration of Kwanzaa, with night two of Hanukkah beginning later this evening.
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 as a non-religious way for African Americans to reconnect with their ancestral roots.
It is celebrated each year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. A candle is lit each night on a seven-branched candelabra called the kinara.
Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Gifts are often given to children.
This is also the fifth time in the last 114 years that the first night of Hanukkah coincides with Christmas. The reason the dates do not usually align is that the Hebrew calendar is based on the moon’s cycles, while the Gregorian calendar, followed by Christianity, is based on the sun.
Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, with two blessings being chanted or recited every night. The tradition of lighting the menorah originates from a story in the Talmud in which a candle flame miraculously lasted for eight nights.