Oyster Pointer

By Anna Hickey, Luter School of Business, Christopher Newport University Philanthropy is often described in terms of generosity, but at its core, it is about investment — an investment in people, in communities and in the future we hope to build. Nowhere is that more evident than in higher education, where the impact of giving extends far beyond campus boundaries.

Chekesha White, founder and executive director of G.I.R.L.S. Club. It wasn’t a job offer or goals of being a CEO that brought Chekesha White to become founder and executive director of the Hampton Roads G.I.R.L.S. Club (Girls Influenced by Righteous Living in All Situations). For her, it was a higher calling to give back to her community. On its website, G.I.R.L.S. Club (GC) is described as a community-based mentorship program for girls in fourth grade through high school.

How a structured settlement works in injury cases It’s been said that compound interest is the Eighth Wonder of the World. In the world of personal injury settlements — where money is the only thing — this old maxim by Albert Einstein rings especially true. Thankfully, most people who bring an injury claim have recovered from their injuries, have resumed their normal lives and a one-time lump sum payment does just fine, thank you very much.

What Actually Happens When You Plan Both Ways Every day, travel advisors talk with people who have started planning their vacation the same way. A few searches. A dozen open tabs. A growing list of “must see” spots pulled from blogs, reels and reviews. On the surface, it feels productive. You’re gathering information, comparing options, building your plan. In reality, you are probably doing something else entirely.

Brooke Wynings Until 1978, real estate was historically dominated by men. It has since become a doorway into the workforce for women. Today the majority of members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) are women — 62 percent of all REALTORS® are female. Excellent multitasking skills, empathy toward the personal and emotional needs of home buying and strong relationship-building skills make women particularly successful at real estate sales and purchases.

Steve Parker, left, and Ron Clark with fundraising poster for water tanks in Nicaragua for clean, potable water. (Photo by Wendy Wood) By Ruth Rasmussen When you walk into a commercial building that is comfortably heated in winter and delightfully cool in summer, where water flows from faucets as expected and toilets flush without incident, you can thank a mechanical contractor.

Paul Prillaman with his sons. From lifting airplanes to helping build roller coasters, Prillaman’s Crane & Rigging has spent years handling projects most people never get to see up close. But for Paul Prillaman, the company’s president, business has always been about more than cranes and heavy equipment — it has been about family, relationships and building something meaningful from the ground up. Officially launching in 2007, Prillaman’s Crane & Rigging, Inc.

Lelani Clayton Top April agent for Coldwell Banker Traditions’ Peninsula office was Lelani Clayton, top listing and sales agent. Clayton was also top listing agent for the overall company. The DeGood Foundation, the local nonprofit that partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, delivered 6,288 age-appropriate books in April to children from birth to age five throughout Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, Poquoson, Gloucester, Mathews, Isle of Wight County and York County at no charge.

In 1961, Joseph Heller’s novel Catch-22, a paradoxical situation is the focus, and in our culture, the phrase has become synonymous with no-win situations. It’s my intention to write encouraging — not discouraging Health columns as long as they’re based on facts, not on my opinions. This column is going to be about the hottest new drug being touted as THE panacea for the number one preventable health issue of the last 50 years.

NNEF awards three scholarships to graduating seniors Kody Brindle was honored as the 2026 Wayne D. Lett Scholar. The Newport News Education Foundation awarded three scholarships to Newport News Public Schools graduating seniors at its May Salute to Success Student Recognition Ceremony. Kody Brindle, a graduating senior at Warwick High School, was recognized as the 2026 Wayne D. Lett Scholar. He received a $10,000 scholarship funded by donor support toward his tuition.