What Kind of News and Content Can I Find on The Virginian-Pilot?

The Virginian-Pilot (pilotonline.com) is the local news source for southeastern Virginia, northeastern North Carolina, and the wider Hampton Roads region. On the site you'll find breaking news, local reporting, sports, business, entertainment, things to do, opinion, photos, and videos. It's most useful if you want coverage of Hampton Roads-area communities rather than national or international news as a primary focus.

Breaking News and Latest Headlines

The homepage leads with a Featured section for the biggest stories of the moment, followed by Latest Headlines for a running feed of fresh items. Recent examples from the site show the range:

• Power outages that closed Janaf Shopping Center stores and knocked out Military Highway traffic lights in Norfolk
• A dentist office set to replace a former McDonald's in Virginia Beach
• A Norfolk mother sentenced to five years in her daughter's death
• Ten Top closing its longtime Ghent location and merging with a North Colley spot

Headlines are timestamped (for example, "55 minutes ago," "2 hours ago"), so the Latest Headlines feed is the fastest way to see what's new.

Local News, Crime and Public Safety

Two named sections organize community reporting:

• Local News — city and regional developments across Hampton Roads
• Crime and Public Safety — courts, police, and public safety stories

A Most Popular module also surfaces the stories other readers are engaging with most, which is a quick way to catch up on the day's biggest local items.

Sports

Sports coverage centers on local high schools and colleges. Examples from the site include:

• High school scoreboards, such as Grafton volleyball and York field hockey earning Bay Rivers triumphs
• Old Dominion University athletics (ODU's Javen Gibson named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week)
• Conference news affecting regional schools, such as JMU leaving the Sun Belt for the American Conference
• VHSL tournament results, like the Jamestown team and Eagles' Aiden Connor placing second in Class 4 golf

Business, Entertainment and Things to Do

The site's own description lists business, entertainment, and things to do among its coverage areas. Business items in the feed have included:

• Public Records entries, such as a new facilities manager at Hampton's Power Plant and a former motorcycle shop selling in Virginia Beach
• Virginia Beach-based Haynes Furniture and The Dump announcing permanent closures

Entertainment and community items include things like a former teacher opening a new bookstore in Virginia Beach and a Virginia Legacy soccer alumni gathering to celebrate 50 years.

Opinion, Columns and Letters

An Opinion section carries editorials, columns, and reader letters. Recent examples:

• An editorial arguing schools should have an on-site nurse
• A column on energy policy
• Letters to the editor, such as one on finding a way for data centers not to raise Virginia energy costs

Letters are dated (for example, "Letters for Oct. 13"), so you can tell how current the discussion is.

Photos, Videos and Multimedia

The site publishes photos and videos alongside its written reporting, per its own description. These appear within stories and as standalone visual coverage of local events and news scenes.

Newsletters and Access

The site offers email newsletters with a sign-up prompt on the homepage, and a dedicated page to subscribe to newsletters. Pricing signals on the site include "subscribe" and "premium" language and Apple Pay as a payment platform, so some content or newsletter access may involve a subscription. Check the specific page for current terms rather than assuming everything is free.

Quick Reference

If you're looking for Hampton Roads-area news specifically — Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, and surrounding communities — this is the site's core focus. For national or international news, expect it to appear mainly through columns, letters, or wire-style items rather than as the primary product.