Fort Monroe developments, ORF new customs facility, 8 dead in Calif. avalanche: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: Fort Monroe developments, ORF new customs facility, 8 dead in Calif. avalanche

1. A Virginia developer plans to spend $20 million to redevelop two historic buildings at Fort Monroe in Hampton.

   'A long-term investment:' Redevelopment of two historic buildings at Fort Monroe announced

   The old hospital and the arsenal next to it are now set to house around 85 apartments, starting phase two of a plan to redevelop more than a dozen buildings at the fort. Developer Edwin Gaskin talked with News 3 about plans for the hospital during Wednesday’s announcement at the fort.

   “What we’ll put in there is upscale apartments. So, all new finishes, mostly all new walls, certainly all new systems, appliances," Gaskin explained. As of Wednesday, he was hopeful the renovated hospital and arsenal buildings would be ready in early 2028.

   “When we look at what is happening here, it’s an example for how you can connect today’s problems of housing affordability and lack of supply with the desire to celebrate, honor, and recognize our past," Gov. Abigail Spanberger said.
   

2. Norfolk International Airport opens a new International Arrivals Facility, the first new major facility opening of its $1 billion expansion and overhaul project called Transform ORF.

   ORF opens new customs facility ahead of meetings with international airlines

   The $25 million space includes its own gate, several lanes for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to process travelers and its own baggage claim. Mark Perryman, CEO of the Norfolk Airport Authority, says roughly half of it was paid for through federal grants.

   “The defense industry alone, so much of it is based here in Hampton Roads. I need that easy access in and out in an international way," said Rep. Jen Kiggans (R) during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

   Perryman says the new facility is 99 percent complete and will open shortly after a partial government shutdown affecting Customs and Border Protection and TSA ends. He also says the space will benefit the airport as representatives prepare to meet with airlines next week. “We have meetings with some great European airlines all lined up that want to come here," he said.
   

3. Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and one remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, officials said, making it the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. in more than four decades.

   Eight backcountry skiers found dead and 1 still missing after California avalanche

   Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon announced the deaths at a news conference Wednesday. Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada after a 911 call Tuesday afternoon reporting an avalanche had buried 15 skiers. Six of them have been found alive.

   The group was on a three-day trek led by Blackbird Mountain Guides in Northern California's Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning when the avalanche occurred as a monster winter storm pummeled the West Coast. Two of those rescued after several hours of searching were taken to a hospital for treatment, said the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Heavy snow and the threat of additional avalanches slowed the rescue effort in the mountains near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe.

   “Our thoughts are with the missing individuals, their families, and first responders in the field,” Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement Wednesday. The company said it is helping authorities in the search. It is the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington.

This morning's weather: Rain & cooler today, Warm again tomorrow

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a gloomy, soggy, and cooler day. Expect mostly cloudy skies with on and off showers throughout the day. Temperature will drop from the mid to upper 50s this morning to the low 50s this afternoon.

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

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