Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How safe is Hull Creek two weeks after Portsmouth’s massive sewage spill?
Coming up on the Portsmouth Patch calendar: Rickey Smiley
Coffee in hand, Portsmouth? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How safe is Hull Creek two weeks after Portsmouth's massive sewage spill?
- Portsmouth man sentenced after deadly London Boulevard shooting case concludes.
- Repeated gunfire rattles Portsmouth's Westhaven community near an elementary school.
Also on today's calendar: Back To School Fundraiser and 6 more events.
Today's riddle: What do evil hens lay? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Wednesday: Hot and humid with some sun, with a high of 91 and low of 73 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Thursday: A heavy t-storm in the p.m., temps: high: 94, low: 75.
- Friday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, with a high of 86 and low of 73 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Two weeks after 3.1M-gallon sewage spill, Portsmouth neighbors worry about property values and Hull Creek (wtkr.com) — Portsmouth residents along Douglas Avenue are still dealing with odor, cleanup, and property worries two weeks after a 3.1‑million‑gallon sewage spill flowed into Hull Creek. Officials say the sewer line is repaired, the road has reopened, and recent water tests allowed the Hull Creek advisory to be lifted, though monitoring continues and neighbors remain uneasy about long‑term environmental and financial impacts. 
2. Man pleads guilty in fatal 2025 Portsmouth shooting (pilotonline.com) — A man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a 2025 shooting that killed 62-year-old Carlos Basnight in Portsmouth, and will serve 30 years in prison plus probation. Prosecutors say surveillance video showed the gunman approach Basnight's vehicle on London Boulevard, fire multiple shots, rob him, and flee before officers found Basnight fatally wounded in a parking lot.
3. Gunfire shatters a neighborhood's sense of safety (wavy.com) — Overnight gunfire in Portsmouth's Westhaven neighborhood left bullet holes in a home across from Westhaven Elementary School, the fourth shooting there in recent months. Residents, fearful and frustrated, say a corporately owned rental property is at the center of the trouble, while the city has ordered the owner to clean up the lot as police continue investigating the violence.
4. DEQ study warns of groundwater limits (suffolknewsherald.com) — Portsmouth's Lake Kilby Water Treatment Facility is already one of the region's largest groundwater users, as a new state study warns Southeast Virginia aquifers have little room for big new withdrawals. The report, driven partly by data center growth concerns, suggests any large industrial project seeking to pump millions of gallons daily near Portsmouth would face strict limits and need alternative water sources.
5. Final Intern Blog! (wavy.com) — An intern based in Portsmouth reflects on a summer working behind the scenes on WAVY's Hampton Roads Show, from producing a mini-episode segment to learning digital publishing and social media. Their experience offers a glimpse into how local TV and online news are made, and highlights the supportive newsroom culture they found in Hampton Roads.
📸 Around Portsmouth
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Portsmouth
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Rickey Smiley →
Rivers Casino Portsmouth, 3630 Victory Blvd, Portsmouth
8:00 pm
Friday August 21
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- LCD August - Virginia Stage Company
Little Theatre of Norfolk Wells Theatre (108 E Tazewell St, Norfolk, VA 23510, United Sta
9:00 am - CES Meet and Greet
Churchland Elementary School Portsmouth, VA 23704
4:00 pm - Back To School Fundraiser →
Westhaven Elementary School, 3701 Clifford St, Portsmouth
9:00 am - Nashville Sounds at Norfolk Tides →
150 Park Ave Parking, 150 Park Ave, Norfolk
2:35 pm - First Day of School
Norfolk , VA 23510 - Churchland Lions Club →
Portsmouth Public Library - Adults Coleman Meeting Room - Churchland Branch - 4934 High Street West Portsmouth VA 23703
5:00 pm - Orientation Day - Vera Stark
Little Theatre of Norfolk Little Theatre Of Norfolk 801 Claremont Ave, Norfolk, VA 23507
7:00 pm - Creative Nation - Wave Fest →
Portsmouth Pavilion, 16 Crawford Cir, Portsmouth
5:00 pm
Thursday August 20
Friday August 21
Saturday August 22
Monday August 24
Sunday August 30
📣 Portsmouth Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Workshop: Introduction to Animation Tools →
Norfolk, VA Calendar, 215 E. Plume Street, Norfolk
5:00 pm - Social Cycling Ride with Bike Norfolk →
Norfolk, VA Calendar, 2406 Colley Ave, Norfolk
6:30 pm - The Weight: Veterans on Fighting America's Foreign Wars Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion →
Norfolk, VA Calendar, 198 Bank Street MacArthur Square, Norfolk
7:00 pm - LCD August - Virginia Stage Company
Little Theatre of Norfolk Wells Theatre (108 E Tazewell St, Norfolk, VA 23510, United Sta
9:00 am
Wednesday August 19
Thursday August 20
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Portsmouth PatchAM possible:
- AARP Virginia
- AARP Virginia — (866) 542-8164
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Urgent..
Urgent.. Urgent.. Someone Missing a Dog Grey & White she does have Nipples like she has had a Recent Set of Puppies, Please if you know Who's Dog… (Nextdoor Cradock) - I came outside this morning to this little guy running around looking lost.
He came running when I called him but kept his distance. Looks young and is unaltered. I'm pretty familiar with the cats in my neighborhood and this… (Nextdoor Water View)
- Universal Health Services, Inc. posted a job opening for Housekeeper in Portsmouth. Apply here.
- Global, a 1st Flagship Company posted a job opening for Outside Marine Machinist in Portsmouth. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Portsmouth here.
Ok Portsmouth! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Deviled eggs (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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