This week on Tidewater Talk, we caught up on a little local news and a lot of Coastal Virginia life. We talked about a strange case involving red-light tickets in Virginia Beach tied to a car that had already been sold, then shifted into a health update after the Virginia Department of Health confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in Virginia Beach. We also shared practical mosquito precautions, compared notes on recent summer illnesses, and, as always, mixed in a few very real and very funny personal stories along the way.

We also dug into one of Tidewater’s more memorable local quirks: Norfolk’s iconic mermaids. I shared how the whole public art tradition actually grew out of Chicago’s famous cow parade before becoming a lasting symbol of Norfolk, complete with an official mermaid trail. We wrapped with a weather update featuring dangerous heat, storm chances later in the week, this week’s location riddle centered on Fort Monroe, and a roundup of Labor Day weekend events including concerts, fireworks, the Super Girl Surf Festival, a local car show, and Norfolk’s upcoming Neighborhood Expo and Uplift Awards.

This week on Tidewater Talk, we covered a wide mix of Coastal Virginia stories, from another round of flash flooding in Norfolk to West Nile virus turning up in mosquitoes across multiple Virginia Beach neighborhoods. We also talked through a headline-making lawsuit involving a former Norfolk police officer and her privacy complaint against the department, and then shifted into one of our favorite lanes: the strange and memorable corners of local history. This week’s “Strange Tidewater” spotlight was Portsmouth’s long-running Winter Wonderland animatronic Christmas display, a community-loved holiday attraction with roots going back decades and a story that includes fire, restoration, and a second life at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center.

We also shared the latest local forecast, with comfortable mid-80s temperatures, storm chances building later in the week, and an eye on two tropical disturbances in the Atlantic. To wrap things up, we swapped a few Tidewater tips for the weekend, including Maker Fest Portsmouth, the East Coast Surfing Championships, a “dive-in” screening of Finding Nemo at Ocean Breeze Waterpark, and Moth Night at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Plus, we dropped a new local history trivia clue centered on the Great Dismal Swamp.

This week on Tidewater Talk, we caught up on a mix of local news, community updates, and one of our favorite oddball Tidewater stories. We talked about Virginia Beach’s free ADA beach wheelchairs available at the Oceanfront and Sandbridge, Norfolk Fire-Rescue becoming the first in the region to move to a fourth shift, and a fun Keep Norfolk Beautiful cleanup event at Lafayette Park. We also touched on the Virginia Beach golf course vote and why it has stirred so much public reaction. On the Strange and Odd of Tidewater side, we shared the Suffolk roots of Mr. Peanut, whose iconic mascot started as a sketch by a 13-year-old local kid who won just $5 for the drawing.

We also ran through the local forecast, with heat building into the low 90s before storms cool things off into the weekend and sunshine returns by Monday. To close things out, we revealed last week’s mystery: the world’s oldest edible ham at the Isle of Wight County Museum in Smithfield, then dropped new clues for next week’s local history challenge. We also shared a few Tidewater tips for the weekend, including Virginia Stage Company’s Curtain Up Community Day at the Wells Theatre, Atlantic Comic Con in Norfolk, the Farmers Market Hoedown in Virginia Beach, and the Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival.

This week on Tidewater Talk, Brodie checked in with Co while fighting through a summer cold, and we still packed the episode with plenty of local updates from around coastal Virginia. We talked about the sudden flooding in Norfolk’s Ghent neighborhood, where a highly localized storm dumped inches of rain in just a few hours, and we highlighted Norfolk’s new free Norfolk 101 Citizens Academy, an eight-week evening program that gives residents an inside look at city services, public safety, utilities, and more.

For this week’s Strange and Odd of Tidewater, we dug into the wild history behind Naval Station Norfolk: the world’s largest naval base was built on the grounds of the failed 1907 Jamestown Exposition at Sewells Point. We explored how abandoned fair infrastructure helped create the base and how several state pavilions still stand today on Admiral’s Row. We also shared a few local tips for the week ahead, including the Soulful Vegan Festival at Mount Trashmore, a wellness festival in Suffolk, a Surfers Healing benefit at Atlantic Park, Josh Groban with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Neptune’s Coastal Craft Beer Festival. We wrapped with a new clue-based segment for listeners to solve before next week’s episode, and celebrated hitting our 80th episode.

This week on Tidewater Talk, we covered a mix of local news, seasonal updates, and Tidewater trivia. We talked about the USS Nimitz making its final visit before decommissioning in 2027 and reflected on how ships can take on a personality of their own for the people who served on them. We also highlighted Virginia’s tax-free weekend, including deals on school supplies, clothing, hurricane preparedness items, and select energy-efficient products, plus a fascinating ODU project: a remote-controlled tick-killing rover being tested to help reduce tick populations on local trails.

We also took a deep dive into one of the region’s strangest stories: Lake Drummond, the natural lake sitting high in the middle of the Great Dismal Swamp, known for its dark red tannin-stained water and rich local lore. To wrap things up, we shared this week’s weather outlook—hot, humid, and mostly dry after a slight midweek rain chance—and a roundup of local happenings, including Summer Bash at Mount Trashmore, the Boss Babe Market at COVA, the new free historical village on the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, the Oceanfront Concert Series, Beach Blanket Cinema, The Wreck of the Dictator, and a free Celtic performance at Zeiders.

This is a rewind episode from 10 March. Let us know if you have anything interesting for us to cover next week at tips@tidewatertalk.com

This week on Tidewater Talk, we covered a little bit of everything happening around Coastal Virginia. We started with a reality check on the recent cyclosporiasis headlines in Virginia, talked about a brief power outage in Isle of Wight caused by a tree limb, and looked at Norfolk’s plan to add a fourth firefighter shift to help reduce burnout and improve long-term health for first responders. We also shared a quick local weather update, including a hot week ahead, scattered thunderstorms, and a severe thunderstorm watch affecting much of South Hampton Roads.

We also took a dive into local history with a strange Tidewater story from the Battle of Lynnhaven Inlet, where a pirate ship and a Royal Navy warship exchanged cannon fire right off Virginia Beach in 1700. On the local fun front, we talked about live performances at the Virginia Beach boardwalk and rounded things out with weekend picks, including Norfolk Pirate Fest, the Military Aviation Museum’s Summer of Flight demonstration, Yorktown’s summer concert series and market days, Suffolk’s farmers market, Neptune’s Coastal Craft Beer Festival, and Selden Market in downtown Norfolk.

Pickle pizza, abandoned ships, dangerous heat, and a very muddy kayaking lesson.


In Episode 76 of Tidewater Talk, Brodie and Co explore Suffolk’s Pickle Palooza, including pickle pizza, pickle lemonade, fried pickles, pickled peanuts, and more. Brodie also shares how a misread tide left him stranded in the mud, before uncovering the story of Suffolk’s “Ghost Fleet,” a collection of at least 13 historic boats abandoned along the Nansemond River.


Plus, we cover the delayed demolition of Norfolk’s MacArthur Center, new free pet microchip scanning stations, Virginia’s expanded Styrofoam food-container ban, the week’s extreme heat, and a few local places and events worth checking out.


Tidewater Talk keeps you connected to the people, stories, weather, food, and unusual history of Coastal Virginia.


Visit TidewaterTalk.com to support the show or send us a local story, event, or Tidewater Tip.