22+ hour, 12+ min ago (948+ words) Students applying to college know they can't " or at least shouldn't " use AI chatbots to write their essays and personal statements. So it might come as a surprise that some schools are now using artificial intelligence to read them. AI tools are now being incorporated into how student applications are screened and analyzed, admissions directors say. It can be a delicate topic, and not all colleges are eager to talk about it, but higher education is among the many industries where artificial intelligence is rapidly taking on tasks once reserved for humans. In some cases, schools are quietly slipping AI into their evaluation process, experts say. Others are touting the technology's potential to speed up their review of applications, cut processing times and even perform some tasks better than humans. "Humans get tired; some days are better than others. The…...

1+ day, 18+ min ago (1623+ words) LOUDOUN " When'Julia Mason'moved into her new home in'Loudoun Meadows'six years ago, the community was less than 10 years old, and the view across'Quail Ridge Lake'was a farm, with woods and a red-and-white barn. Mason didn't know that the same day she arrived, a developer broke ground for a 1-million-square-foot data center for'Amazon Web Services'that now rises 70 feet directly across from her home on a cul-de-sac in this community near'Aldie'in southeastern'Loudoun County. A data center is seen from a street in the Loudoun Meadows housing community in'Loudoun County. The view from the community landing on'Quail Ridge Lake'now features the Amazon complex on one side and a 1.5-million-square-foot data center built by Microsoft on the other, with an electric power substation next to it. Neither data center is operating yet, but their presence is inescapable. "It was a farm when we were looking…...

2+ day, 16+ hour ago (565+ words) The Tidewater Striders recently elected three people to their Hall of Fame class of 2026. They will be inducted Feb. 7 at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. Here's a look at the longtime area club's honorees, all of whom have made outstanding contributions as volunteers: Bernie Duffy served as a board member from 1981-84 and as vice president in '82, performing many roles.He founded the Ocean View Triathlon in 1984 and went on be the race director and/or organizer of many triathlons in Hampton Roads and North Carolina. In 1985, Duffy and Rudy Schuster became the first area competitors to complete the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. He also won the 10-kilometer state championship in 1979 for the 50-59 age group. Curt Aasen has been a secretary, vice president and president for the Striders. He was the Volunteer of the Year in 2002 and '03 and the…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (713+ words) In 1920, prohibition was enacted. The 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was ratified. The country was still on the gold standard. And the First World War had ended just two years earlier. Sliced bread wasn't commercially sold until 1928. On Dec. 1 of 1920 " a month after Warren G. Harding was elected president of the United States " Elizabeth Barrett was born. "How old are you turning?" one of her eight children playfully asked recently. "Oh, I don't know," Barrett, who to close friends and family goes by "Betty," said with a chuckle. Barrett served as a flight instructor in World War II. She and her late husband, also a veteran of that war as well as Korea and was in the reserves in Vietnam, built a number of homes and later managed a racquetball club in Virginia Beach. Much later in life, she…...

2+ day, 23+ hour ago (680+ words) Motiejus Krivas scored 20 points, Koa Peat added 16 and No. 2 Arizona overpowered Norfolk State 98-61 Saturday at McKale Center in Tucson. Anthony McComb III led NSU with 19 points as coach Robert Jones" team began a long stretch of away games. The Spartans scored a school Division I-record 136 points in a blowout over Virginia University of Lynchburg in their last game and managed to keep up with Arizona early. But as the first half wore on, the Wildcats wore them down, stretching the lead with a flurry of inside baskets and three-point plays. Randolph 89, Regent 63: Green Run High alum Trey Miller had 14 points and 12 rebounds to help the visiting WildCats (3-3) outplay the Royals (2-5). Elijah Cox added 13 points for Randolph. For Regent, Darrin Clark scored 23 and Antoine Brown 16. No. 25 Indiana 100, Bethune-Cookman 56: Tucker DeVries scored 12 of his 20 points in the first half and Lamar Wilkerson…...

4+ day, 9+ hour ago (264+ words) Holiday travel could bring a rise in contagious illnesses such as the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, according to Virginia health specialists. As of Nov. 22, the most recent data available, the Virginia Department of Health reports that overall respiratory illness activity in Virginia is "low and stable." "We're starting to see indicators that things are most likely going to take off really quickly here in the next few weeks with respiratory illness trends," Diskin said. "We're keeping a close eye on that." Older adults, younger children and those with underlying conditions are the most at-risk, she said. Public health officials encourage the public to be proactive to prevent the spread of illness, and Diskin said that incorporating small habits can make a big difference in spreading illness. "Because we're seeing the flu season starting a little bit late this year,…...

5+ day, 8+ hour ago (481+ words) After the largest food drive of the year, Virginia food banks are still struggling to ensure Virginians in need are fed as the holiday season approaches. The Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and Eastern Shore and the Food Bank of Albemarle, North Carolina, held their annual food drive over the weekend when people could drop off donations. According to Peninsula Foodbank CEO Bob Latvis, the event garnered more than 1 million meals across all three locations, more than 250,000 of which were donated to the Peninsula. Latvis said the drive was a much-needed boost for a community that has seen a spike in food insecurity this year. "We see a greater need at the holiday period and then going into winter," Latvis said. "The need goes up as the weather gets cooler." Food bank staff are still finalizing data,…...

5+ day, 17+ hour ago (125+ words) The Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation announces the return of the Virginia Beach Holiday Boat Parade of Lights next Saturday. The Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation announces the return of the Virginia Beach Holiday Boat Parade of Lights next Saturday. The event features illuminated vessels cruising from Broad Bay to the Lynnhaven inlet with proceeds supporting the city's volunteer Emergency Medical Services system. Boats will begin to move along the parade route at approximately 5:40 p.m. Spectators can watch along the route and the walkway on Lesner Bridge, along with prime viewing spots including Chick's Oyster Bar, 2143 Vista Circle. For the parade route, visit vbboatparade.com/parade-route. For more information on registration, sponsorship, and viewing locations, visit vbboatparade.com....

6+ day, 4+ hour ago (122+ words) VIRGINIA BEACH " Police charged three men with solicitation of prostitution in connection with a human trafficking investigation. While three men were charged criminally, others were connected with support services. Virginia Beach residents Alex Gonzalez-Cinto, 28, and Timothy Jameson, 25, along with Norfolk resident Patrick Brigman, 39, were charged. The Special Investigations Bureau is a part of the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force and regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Hampton Roads task force provides services to human trafficking victims, investigates and prosecutes crimes related to sex and labor trafficking and conducts public outreach activities to bring awareness to human trafficking. Anyone can confidentially report human trafficking crimes to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888....

1+ week, 23+ hour ago (564+ words) Since 2010, data centers in Virginia have not had to pay the state's sales and use tax. At a rate of 4.3%, that foregone revenue adds up: Over the past decade, data centers have been exempt from paying $2.7 billion. The state lost out on $1 billion through the data center exemption in fiscal 2024, up from $685 million in fiscal 2023. That's according to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which compiles an annual report on state spending for economic incentive programs. Those economic incentives are designed to encourage businesses to locate or expand operations in Virginia and include measures such as grants, tax credits and exemptions, business loans and gap financing. "So the tax revenue impact has been really increasing rapidly as well in Virginia." Virginia isn't the fastest-growing market for data centers any longer, Rephann said, as data center growth expands to other…...