New Virginia Laws, a Great White Sighting, and Virginia Beach’s First Official Song

This week on Tidewater Talk, we covered a mix of local news, odd stories, and summer happenings around Coastal Virginia. We talked through several new Virginia laws taking effect July 1, including job salary transparency requirements, changes that allow certain criminal records to be sealed from public view, and a new rule requiring speed limiter devices for drivers convicted of going 100 mph or more. We also touched on the ongoing conversation around Virginia’s new restrictions on certain semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity magazines. On the lighter side, we shared the wild story of a Virginia Beach fishing charter spotting a roughly 15-foot great white shark offshore near the wind project, and we dug into the surprising fact that Virginia Beach now has its very first official city song, "Driving East."We also looked ahead at the week’s weather, with storms giving way to sunshine and rising temperatures, and swapped a few Tidewater tips for upcoming events and experiences. Highlights included Hampton’s "Invisible to Others" exhibit exploring blindness and perception, Virginia’s "VA250" passport program for visiting historic sites across the Commonwealth, beachside movie night featuring "Lilo & Stitch," the Independence Day 5K Totten Trot, La Fiesta at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, a junk journal craft night in Norfolk, and the long-running Hampton Jazz & Music Festival. We also asked listeners to share what song makes them think of Hampton Roads, continuing the conversation about what gives this region its sense of home.