Former church leader sentenced, Pembroke Square plans, House passes $95B budget: Sunrise Brief

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Top stories: Former church leader sentenced, Pembroke Square plans, House passes $95B budget

1. A former church leader who took 200 videos of men in bathrooms across Virginia Beach was sentenced on Wednesday.

   Former church leader filmed hundreds of men in bathrooms got sentenced 2 years, but will likely get out soon

   Aloysius Marcus Albritton, 45, pleaded guilty to eight counts of unlawful filming and eight counts of using a peephole to view a nonconsenting person after getting arrested in June of 2025. With his phone, he’d prey on men in gas stations, the mall, and many other public bathrooms over the span of two-and-a-half months.

   Albritton was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in prison. He has already served 14 months since being held without bond since his arrest, leaving 13 months left on his sentence. However, due to the charges being misdemeanors, he only has to serve half the sentence if he's been on good behavior while in jail. That means with 14 months already served, he could get out of jail sometime soon.

   Defense Attorney Happy O'Brien argued he should be out of jail for time served. Meanwhile, the prosecutor was asking for 12 months for each of the 16 total charges he pleaded guilty to.
   

2. Construction continues to move forward at Pembroke Square, the mixed-use redevelopment replacing the former Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach, with new retail, entertainment, hospitality and residential projects taking shape.

   Pembroke Square project advances with apartments, retail and hotel on the way

   Travis Bode, with Pembroke Realty Group, said work has remained steady since the interior of the former mall was demolished about two years ago. Among the projects that have been completed include the Aviva Senior Living, Funny Bone comedy club, as well as the Draftcade. Construction is continuing on the Tempo by Hilton hotel, which is expected to open in February. Interior retail spaces are also under construction such as where the former Coastal Edge once sat.

   Bode said a 13,000-square-foot retail space is expected to open later this year. He said Pembroke Realty Group has signed a lease with a new-to-market tenant and is currently building out the space. Construction is also scheduled to begin at the end of August or in September on a 284-unit apartment building that will be located in the former center of the mall. Plans also call for a public green space adjacent to the apartments that will host community events.

3. The House adopted a Republican-only $95 billion budget proposal Wednesday, a long-shot effort to fund the Iran war and other White House priorities over objections from Democrats and a few GOP holdouts in a final push before the midterm elections.

   Congress is at a standstill over the U.S. war against Iran — unable to stop Trump's military strikes, but not having authorized the use of American military force — and politically torn over having to provide billions of taxpayer dollars to pay for it. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators at a fiery hearing this week that the Pentagon is running short of cash, despite a massive $150 billion one-time allotment in last year's big budget bill.

   The package has $60 billion for the Pentagon and $13 billion for other national security needs, $12 billion for farmers struggling under Trump’s tariffs and $10 billion for voting law changes aligned with the SAVE America Act and proof of citizenship requirements that are Trump’s top priority. The vote tally was 216-214, with all Democrats opposed. The plan faces major hurdles in the upper chamber, where the SAVE America Act has been stuck for months.

This morning's weather: Flooding risk today, Cooler and less humid

*** Flood Watch is in effect Thursday for parts of the Southside and NE NC. An additional 1 to 3 inches of rain are possible with locally higher amounts.

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a slow-moving cold front will continue sliding through the region today. Expect mostly cloudy skies with on and off showers and storms. Some storms could be strong with localized flooding and gusty winds. Highs will only reach the low 80s today, with lower humidity.

Leftover showers are possible Friday, mainly in NE NC. Highs will return to near 80, almost 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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