"Maury was built to make a statement," Louis Wilson, a 1960 graduate, recalled. "And it does." Maury High School is known for its stunning architecture with its stately columns, blue and white terra cotta accents and the front steps alumni remember walking up everyday. Built in 1911, the school is considered a prominent feature of the Ghent neighborhood. Now the school division is trying to decide if Maury will be modernized for "21st century learners" or torn down and rebuilt. This process has been underway for years with a decision expected this year. Read more in the Sunday Main News section 
The mental health system aboard the USS George Washington is "overwhelmed" and sailors have a poor understanding of alternative resources, according to the Navy's investigation into three sailor suicides. In May, the Navy launched an investigation into the April deaths, interviewing senior medical officers and sailors aboard the carrier undergoing an overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding. While the probe into three sailor suicides assigned to the USS George Washington found the deaths were not connected, the roughly 60-page report released Dec. 19 found the Washington's psychologist and behavioral health technician — Psych Boss and Psych Tech — were "overwhelmed" and struggle to keep up with the demand for services. From January 2021 to January 2022, the ship reported approximately 2,600 mental health patient encounters with the psych boss, the behavioral health technician and two substance abuse rehabilitation program counselors. It was unclear how many sailors sought mental health services, as a "patient encounter" could mean one sailor was seen multiple times. Read more in the Sunday Main News section Like many who lose a loved one in a mass shooting, Debbie Borato sought justice. But the legal battle she waged after her sister, Michelle "Missy" Langer, was killed on May 31, 2019 at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center has resulted in a strange victory. Borato now owns the home of the disgruntled city employee who killed 12 people, including her sister, before he was fatally shot by police. In an even stranger turn of events, the two-bedroom Virginia Beach condo is now center stage in a controversy with potential to be a major embarrassment for law enforcement agencies that investigated the attack. Read more in the Sunday Main News section The holidays are over and it's time to recover ― let someone else do the cooking this month. Sunday, Jan. 15, kicks off several annual Restaurant Weeks around the region with special menus and fixed pricing. The weeks give the community a chance to support local businesses during a month that is typically slow. This allows the restaurants to thrive and keep staff until the warmer months when business typically picks up, explained Martha Davenport, executive director of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association, in an email. Suffolk's event is scheduled for March 18 through 25; Chesapeake's, Oct. 13 through 20. Save the dates. Here's a list with links to restaurants and menus. Reservations are not required but are encouraged where available. Check out the list in the Sunday Break section
Couples who married in 2022 had some of their most formative years during the pandemic, and many said they developed a strong bond during lockdowns. The past year saw the return of larger gatherings, including weddings. But many of these couples' proposals happened in 2020 and 2021 — the two most socially distanced years. This didn't stop people from getting creative and extra thoughtful when popping the big question. A Richmond psychology professor embedded his proposal in an escape room clue. A strategy director presented a symbolic painting to his partner, while one man's proposal at a Northern Virginia winery almost didn't happen. Here are five — two from Virginia — of the best proposals featured in The New York Times Weddings pages in 2022. Read more in the Sunday Break section Shortly after Gary Hughes and his wife, Laura, opened Gangsta Dog in Yorktown in 2021, customers started coming from across Hampton Roads to Riverwalk Landing to buy the homemade, all-natural dog biscuits and other assorted dog goodies. When Hughes realized a considerable number of customers were from Norfolk, he began to think of expanding in that direction. That thought became reality this past August when Gangsta Dog opened at 9555 Shore Drive in East Ocean View. Gangsta Dog is named after Bruiser, their cairn terrier-miniature schnauzer mix. When folks inquired about the dog's breed, Hughes preferred to say "gangsta dog" over mutt. Like its store in Yorktown, the Norfolk store offers cookies and cakes in a variety of flavors, everything from toasted coconut and pumpkin to peanut butter and bacon cheeseburger. Additionally, Gangsta Dog offers soft treats, dog food, specialty products for food allergies, dog food sprinkles, cupcakes and products for senior dogs, along with CBD oil products. Read more in the Sunday Work & Money section
Whenever Dominic Manilla receives a phone call from Joe Mersel, he knows it has to be something important. "Nothing is ever small with Joe," said Manilla, the Old Dominion University women's tennis coach. So when Manilla received a call from Mersal nearly a year ago, he was interested. Mersel told Manilla about his plans to start a fund that would help ODU recruit men's and women's tennis and basketball players from Ukraine. Mersel, along with his wife, Ellen Sue (Susie), and son Mark Mersel, partnered with the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation to found the Mersel Ukrainian Student Triumph Fund, or the "MUST" fund. Read more in the Sunday Sports section
Note To Readers: A reminder that Parade magazine is now only found along with your e-edition of either The Virginian-Pilot or Daily Press each Sunday morning. Print copies of Parade magazine ceased after the November 13th issue.
Andie MacDowell Parade Picks - Welcome to the Magentaverse What America Eats - Jamie Oliver's Amazing Chili | 
