We have to give a shout-out to our dearly departed Terry Zahn. My sister and I played violin at his funeral, which was held at our Catholic church in Chesapeake. Click here for a video about his personal battle with cancer, which included being active in our local Relay for Life.

While doing "research" for yesterday's Don Slater bit, I found out that Les Smith was no longer at WAVY-TV 10. I won't lie, I was a little upset. I mean, what is the news without Les Smith and Alveta Ewell?! He apparently left just about a year ago, on April 24, 2008, rather abruptly and without a real explanation.

Well, now the truth is out: as of April 25, 2009, Les Smith is anchoring at WTKR. I called him a dirty traitor, but Vivian had this to say:

"no dirtier than barbara ciara"

Good call, Asian. Let's take a moment to remember my favorite co-ed news anchor duo:



Side note: Alveta Ewell's MySpace page is an atrocity.

In recognition of the first hot day of 2009 here in upstate New York (it reached the mid-80s!), I would like to celebrate the achievements of Don Slater, meteorologist at WAVY-TV 10. Maybe my family started watching their version of the 11 o'clock news because Jay Leno was on afterward, but I have not been satisfied with another news team since I moved out of Virginia Beach. Apparently, I'm not just crazy, because they won a pile of recognition at the 2008 Associated Press news awards.

Anyway, during one of our little heat waves back in the summer of 1995 or so, my most vivid memories are of watching the Price is Right and then the news at noon with my grandma. The clearest recollection is that of a weather forecast, where we learned that the daily highs would be over 100 for the next several days and that the blacktop was so hot, you could fry an egg on it. Like, literally. Don Slater busted out a damn egg and fried it on the ground. It was amazing and made him forever my hero.

Promo for the WAVY-TV 10 Weather Team:



And finally, here is a video of a spot for the Weatherschool program he did, because you know I love me some video embeds:

Yes, I am fully aware that there were other musicians of note from the Hampton Roads area before Missy Elliot released Supa Dupa Fly, but none of them were hip-hop musicians, and no one quite knows how to give a shoutout to their hometown like a rapper. I mean, before Missy came out, even people like you and I only thought about Portsmouth as that stuff across the river from Waterside mall, where you may or may not have gone to check out the Children's Museum. And then remember when Missy joined Lilith Fair and they came to the Virginia Beach Amphitheater? I would've braved hairy pits, hemp skirts, and ineffective organic deodorant to see that, had I been old enough.

It seems a little counterintuitive to talk about musicians from Hampton Roads and not mention the Neptunes, but that is deserving of another post of its own.

Pavan Gupta. Either you know or you don't.

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Did you ever hear anybody say "I drove past Missy Elliott's house during Driver's Ed!"? Well, I'm pretty sure we never went quite that far during our lessons on how to drive on winding Pungo roads, at least from Ocean Lakes, but it turns out that she really does have a house there. Apparently she bought it for her mother.

(via Virtual Globetrotting)

Do you know why this guy is so popular? Neither do I. Nonetheless, boozy, middle-aged, over-tanned white folks (and a few black people too) have practically adopted him as an honorary native son. I suppose it comes with the territory of living in a coastal area.

I know, that only ended like two months ago. But it wouldn't be a blog about Virginia Beach without a mention of our (formerly up until recently) Mayor 4 Life Meyera Oberndorf!