VB Oceanfront parking, NOODLE tickets free, USS Truxtun dodges Iranian threats: Sunrise Brief

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Top stories: VB Oceanfront parking, NOODLE tickets free, USS Truxtun dodges Iranian threats

1. More than a month after paid parking began at the Oceanfront, thousands of residents have applied for the city’s free parking voucher program, though many still aren’t aware it exists.

   9,000 apply in first month of Virginia Beach $50 parking voucher program

   The city now offers Virginia Beach residents up to $50 in free parking through a voucher system, but participation is still growing. Brent Mills, a Virginia Beach resident who visits the Oceanfront several times a month, said paying to park is his biggest frustration. Mills said he often comes to ride his Onewheel near the boardwalk and grab lunch, but parking costs can add up quickly. “Today I’ve had $18.50 — it gives me five hours,” he said.

   Parking rates remain relatively unchanged for stays up to three hours, costing about $6. In the past, residents were limited to three hours of on-street parking. That limit has been removed this year, allowing for longer stays at a higher rate. City officials say higher parking rates for longer-term parking are meant to encourage drivers to move their cars off street parking and into garages or lots, where rates can be lower.

   According to City Parking Administrator John Crawford, more than 9,000 people have applied for the program so far, with about 4,000 applicants approved. The applications are processed through HONK. Once approved, applicants receive an email with a link to accept the voucher. Crawford said about 2,000 people have accepted their vouchers so far, but he expects participation to grow. “I think you’ll see that more and more as people use it and like it, they’re going to talk to more people about it, so the word will spread,” he said.

2. NOODLE — The Thinkers Convention will be free for all attendees, according to an announcement made on Tuesday.

   NOODLE — The Thinkers Convention to be free for attendees

   The convention is scheduled to run from May 22 to 23 at Victory Landing Park. Click here to register for free tickets for the event. Any ticket previously purchased will remain valid — refunds will be automatically distributed.

   The convention will feature panel discussions and a music festival. Chance The Rapper, CeeLo Green and Aloe Blacc are among the performers slated for this event. The event will also feature speakers such as Youtubers Rhett & Link, FUBU CEO Daymond John and aerospace engineer/entrepreneur Aisha Bowe. Hampton Roads native Nathaniel "FamLay" Johnson is the creative mind behind the convention through his company, Global Music Touring.

   "By removing the cost barrier, in partnership with Entrepreneur Daymond John, we are ensuring that everyone in the community can benefit from this exceptional learning and networking experience," a press release sent to News 3 reads.

   Organizers and city leaders say the impact will not stop after one weekend, focusing on a long-term vision centered on innovation beyond just entertainment. "This is not for 2026, this is for the next 10 years of Newport News," Mayor Philip Jones said.

3. The Norfolk-based USS Truxtun and the Mayport-based USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of coordinated threats through the Strait of Hormuz, defense officials said to CBS News.

   Norfolk-based USS Truxtun dodges Iranian onslaught while transiting Strait of Hormuz

   Iran launched small boats, missiles and drones against them in what officials described as a sustained barrage. Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither U.S. vessel was struck, CBS News reports. Military officials said that defensive measures, bolstered by air support, successfully intercepted or deterred each incoming threat. They added that no projectiles that were launched reached the ships, CBS News reports.

   President Trump said Tuesday he had paused Project Freedom — a U.S. effort announced over the weekend to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz — to see if the United States can strike a deal with Iran. The president posted on social media that the project is on hold "for a short period of time" because the U.S. and Iran have made "Great Progress…toward a Complete and Final Agreement." He said he made the decision at the request of Pakistan, which has helped mediate negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The United States' blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place, Trump said. 

   It's not clear where U.S.-Iran talks currently stand. Iran's efforts to control and charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz have drawn stiff pushback from the U.S., and the American blockade of Iranian ports has angered Iran. Longer-term disagreements also appear to linger, including the fate of Iran's nuclear program.
   

This morning's weather: A few showers today, More rain and much cooler tomorrow

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says warm and windy again day with highs near 80 and a SW wind at 10 to 20 with gusts to 30 mph. Look for partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered showers possible, mainly around midday.

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

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