TOP STORIES: Ebony Parker trial moved, VA-02 race heats up, government shutdown ended
The former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School found grossly negligent in a lawsuit filed by Abby Zwerner, the teacher shot by a 6-year-old student, has had her criminal trial pushed out to May 2026.
Court officials confirmed the change in an email to WTKR News 3 on Wednesday afternoon. There will be a motions hearing on April 26, 2026 with the jury trial expected from May 18-21. Ebony Parker's trial was originally scheduled to begin Nov. 17, just 11 days after a jury issued its verdict in favor of Zwerner in civil court.
Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child neglect for her alleged inaction in preventing the first grade student from shooting Zwerner in a classroom. No students were reported to have been harmed the day the boy, named "JT" in court, pulled out a gun around 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2023, and fired a shot that tore through Zwerner's hand and pierced her chest, nearly killing her. JT's mother, Deja Taylor, is currently serving a four-year sentence after pleading guilty to state and federal charges.
A former Democratic representative is aiming to win back her Hampton Roads Congressional seat following a series of Democratic victories in Virginia on Election Day 2025.
Former-Rep. Elaine Luria announces bid to challenge Rep. Jen Kiggans' seat: CNNFormer Rep. Elaine Luria announced her bid for the House of Representatives in a statement sent to News 3 on Wednesday. Luria is seeking to reclaim Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District seat, which she previously held after winning it in the 2018 midterms. She served two terms in Congress before narrowly losing to current GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans in the 2022 midterms — Kiggans successfully defended her seat in last year's election.
“I cannot sit back and watch as Republicans in Congress create chaos while failing to address the rising cost of living and the issues that matter to Coastal Virginians,” Luria said in a statement announcing her bid.
“Retread loser Elaine Luria remains an out of touch liberal who rubber-stamped Biden's destructive cost-raising, open borders agenda. If Luria moves even further left than she already is to win a messy Democrat primary, she'll have the honor of conceding to Jen Kiggans twice," said a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday night signed a spending bill that reopens the federal government after the longest shutdown in its history.
The bill passed the Senate on Monday with a final vote of 60-40, after eight moderate Democrats sought a bipartisan compromise with Republicans. It passed the House Wednesday by a vote of 222-209.
President Trump presented the shutdown as an effort by Democrats to force taxpayers to pay for services for illegal immigrants, and said that party was responsible for the delays to SNAP payments and widespread flight disruption it caused.
"Today we're sending a clear message that we'll never give in to extortion," President Trump said during the signing on Wednesday night.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, (D-CT), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, criticized the eight Senate Democrats for approving the bill.
“It is outrageous that a few Senate Democrats have joined Republicans in undermining our fight to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing,” she said.
This morning's weather: Another cool and windy day, warming up this weekend
Meteorologist Myles Henderson says we will see a mix of sun and clouds today, more clouds in the morning and more sun in the afternoon. Highs will reach the low 60s with a NW wind at 10 to 20 mph.
Highs will return to near 60 tomorrow with lots of sunshine and light wind.
A quick warming trend over the weekend. Highs will jump from the low 60s on Saturday to the low 70s on Sunday. Expect a mix of sun and clouds with a spotty shower possible as a series of fronts track across the region.
For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.
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