TOP STORIES: MEAC Tournament begins, OBX bridge not feasible, largest oil reserve release
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The 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament is back at the Norfolk Scope Arena, tipping off on Wednesday with finals set for Saturday.
Stills hopes Norfolk leaves lasting impression on MEAC fans
Sonja Stills, commissioner of the MEAC, said the tournament’s return to Norfolk never loses its significance. “Never gets old, just the 14th year here in the city of Norfolk at the Arena,” Stills said. She said she’s enjoying the parity of this year’s tournament and hopes fans leave Norfolk thinking they have to return for years to come. “It’s growing so much when you talk about the attendance is grown being here in Norfolk,” Stills said.
For Stephanie K. Williams, the moment carries even deeper meaning. Williams performed the national anthem at this year’s tournament on the saxophone — an experience she described as deeply personal, especially as a Spartan with ties to HBCU culture. “Means a lot to me, a lot of tradition, of course HBCU culture, and I work with the band so you know the band is essential for all of the MEAC games,” Williams said.
Norfolk State did not take the floor Wednesday, but both the men’s and women’s squads will look to earn the right to play another day on Thursday. The third-seeded Spartan women battle Morgan State at 2 p.m., with the men taking on UMES at 6 p.m. Robert Jones’s green and gold group is the number four seed in the bracket.
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The $1.2 billion Mid-Currituck Bridge will not be built without a major funding boost, officials said at a public meeting on Wednesday.
Mid-Currituck Bridge not feasible without major funding boost, officials say
The long-talked-about, two-lane tolled bridge would connect the Currituck mainland to Corolla. The project currently has $173 million set aside for it, and alongside the annual expected toll revenue it would generate, comes out to around $400 million. “There’s over an $800 million gap, pretty much any way you look at it,” said Ronnie Sawyer, NCDOT Division One engineer…