Proposed 9 p.m. Oceanfront curfew, pop-up event zone bill, U.S. blockades Hormuz: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: Proposed 9 p.m. Oceanfront curfew, pop-up event zone bill, U.S. blockades Hormuz

1. During a closed door meeting held Tuesday, city leaders discussed possible plans to curb crime at the Oceanfront amid Spring Break season.

   VB leaders may set 9 p.m. curfew for all ages at Oceanfront for two weekends

   One proposal would be implementing a 9 p.m. curfew from Rudees Loop to 31st Street for the next two weekends. This curfew would be applicable to everyone, not just those under 18. Leaders say exceptions would be carved out for those staying at hotels, eating at restaurants, going to or from work, on emergency errands or attending designated events in the area.

   City leaders will hold a public hearing to further discuss this issue on Thursday. A vote will follow the hearing. If approved, this new curfew would go into effect on Friday. This consideration comes days after eight people were injured during a shooting at the Oceanfront.

   Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said the incident happened despite increased staffing at the Oceanfront since early March. He added that while additional staffing is expected in this area each year, it usually isn’t necessary this early in the season. “Historically that is not something we’ve had to do as a police department,” Neudigate said.
   

2. Virginia Beach city leaders are pushing for a General Assembly bill to help police manage large, unpermitted gatherings.

   VB City leaders push for pop-up event zones after Oceanfront shooting

   A proposed bill, sponsored by Hampton Delegate Virgil Thornton, would allow police to create pop-up event zones. Within these zones, police could increase enforcement by making areas gun-free, reducing speed limits with increased fines, and implementing curfews for minors. Police would be required to notify the community of their plans in advance.

   The legislation could also address issues in neighboring cities. Hampton's mayor pointed out this type of enforcement could have helped a few weeks ago when a large, unpermitted crowd gathered at Buckroe Beach following posts on social media. "Hopefully we can get some legislation to help us be able to address these in a quicker and more efficient manner," Mayor Jimmy Gray said.

   The bill was shelved this year, but there are plans to bring it back next year. "There is additional work that needs to be done to the bill we do plan to reintroduce it," Thornton said. Virginia Beach leaders believe the legislation would be beneficial. "We have to get the tools for the police to be able to identify the people that are carrying the guns and preemptively get them away before a terrible accident happens," Mayor Bobby Dyer said.

3. The first 24 hours of a U.S. blockade in the Persian Gulf has successfully stopped all traffic from Iranian ports, the U.S. military claims.

   According to information released by U.S. Central Command, "no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman." The blockade applies to the entire Iranian coastline and all Iranian ports. There are at least 12 U.S. warships and more than 100 U.S. aircraft enforcing the action.

   Vessels elsewhere in the Gulf and bound to or from non-Iranian ports in the region are not affected by the blockade. CENTCOM says U.S. forces are continuing to support freedom of navigation for any such vessels.

   The Strait of Hormuz, which is the sole access point for the Persian Gulf, remains effectively closed. Experts say global supply chains and domestic prices for energy and other inputs are likely to see continued disruption as long as the strait remains closed. One-fifth of global oil traffic and roughly 30% of global fertilizer stocks move through the waterway during peacetime.

This morning's weather: Near 90 degrees today, Tracking rain for the weekend

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says mild again this morning with temperatures in the upper 60s. Another step warmer today with highs near 90 degrees, close to our record high temperatures for this date. Expect mostly sunny skies with a bit of a SW breeze.

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

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