NF superintendent update, company invests in Hertford Co., Clinton’s deposition: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: NF superintendent update, company invests in Hertford Co., Clinton’s deposition

1. The Norfolk School Board (NPS) voted to put their incoming superintendent in an acting role on Thursday due to a delay prompted by a licensure error, a board member confirmed to News 3.

   This move, which was approved unanimously, oversteps the current need for Dr. Jeff Rose's license to be approved by state leadership for him to begin work, a board member told News 3. The process to formally review his license remains underway. This acting role is temporary.

   Rose was previously scheduled to start on Monday. NPS said Rose submitted his complete application through the Virginia Department of Education's online portal on Dec. 2, and it was confirmed to be received the next day. Rose's application was completed correctly, but formal action by the Virginia Board of Education was not taken, according to NPS. State leadership is reviewing the issue with its legal team to determine how it occurred and how to resolve the issue.

   “We want to be clear that this is an administrative matter external to the district,” said School Board Chair Tiffany Moore-Buffaloe. “To maintain continuity and comply with state requirements, we have appointed Dr. Rose as Acting Superintendent while the matter is resolved.”
   

2. U.S. Forged Rings, a manufacturer of steel components, announced a major investment plan for Hertford County on Thursday.

   'Today is about progress:' $875M investment to bring steel facility, hundreds of jobs to Hertford Co.

   $875 million will be invested to create a large steel manufacturing facility, something U.S. Forged Rings said would be the largest economic development project in the county's history. The facility is planned to bring up to 625 jobs with an average annual wage of $80,000. The steel manufacturer went on to say this will boost Hertford County's employment by eight percent.

   The current plan is for the factory to be located along the Chowan River due to the facility needing water access. The steel components produced by U.S. Forged Rings are used across many different markets, including mining, defense, and power generation. As of Thursday, the company expected to break ground for the first two phases of the facility in summer 2026.

   “We have found, here, the intersection of all of the important factors that we believe are necessary, that are the foundation, for success," said USFR President & CEO Giacomo Sozzi. "We believe that there is great potential here for further development. We are very happy to hear that people want to work."
   

3. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she does not recall ever encountering Jeffrey Epstein.

   Hillary Clinton denies knowledge of Epstein’s crimes in deposition

   After more than six hours of closed-door deposition, Clinton told reporters that she repeatedly told lawmakers that she did not know Epstein and only knew his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, "as an acquaintance." Clinton also defended her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who is named and pictured multiple times in documents related to Epstein and is scheduled to testify before the same committee on Friday.

   "I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who had contact with him before his criminal pleas in 2008 were like most people — they did not know what he was doing, and I think that that is exactly what my husband will testify tomorrow," the former Secretary of State added.

   Clinton maintained that she has no information relevant to the committee’s investigation and suggested her testimony was being used as a distraction from other matters. Being named in the files is not, by itself, an allegation of wrongdoing. Bill Clinton has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and has said he ended his relationship with the financier before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea in Florida.

This morning's weather: Cloudy & cooler today, Warming to near 60 this weekend

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a gloomy morning with clouds, fog, and drizzle. Scattered showers are possible today, mainly in NC. Highs will struggle to reach 50 this afternoon.

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

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