News in 5: Yorktown’s fall concert lineup announced

Here are the week’s top stories.

Yorktown’s fall concert series lineup has been announced.

The summer concert season is winding down, but local music fans still have plenty to look forward to. The lineup for Yorktown’s 2023 fall concert series has been announced, and it features a diverse range of musical genres, including country, rhythms & blues, jazz, Motown and bluegrass. 

Rhythms on the Riverwalk will be held on Thursday evenings, September 7 through October 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All concerts are free.

Here’s the lineup:

September 7: HM Johnson Band

• Hailing from various hometowns and brought together by their love of country music, each member of this four-piece country act brings powerful energy and uniqueness to the band. They call it “Rage Country,” but you might call it country with a lot of swagger. Either way, you’re in for a good time!

September 14: Runnin’ Shine

• Local favorites who blend powerful vocal and tight musical arrangements often into the same song. Whether honoring the original rendition of a classic number or performing an original tune, the music is presented in the band’s own funky style!

September 21: The Michael Clark Band 

• Heralded as one of “Hampton Roads’ best bands,” this group has opened for well-known country musicians like Brett Eldridge, Kane Brown, Sam Hunt, and Gretchen Wilson. The band covers a wide variety of top country songs as well as classic and southern rock favorites. They’ll keep you dancing from the first beat to the last note!

September 28: The Heather Edwards Band

• Heralded as one of “Hampton Roads’ best bands,” this group has opened for well-known country musicians like Brett Eldridge, Kane Brown, Sam Hunt, and Gretchen Wilson. The band covers a wide variety of top country songs as well as classic and southern rock favorites. They’ll keep you dancing from the first beat to the last note!

October 5: County Seat Band

• This seven-piece, high-energy ensemble from Virginia converges traditional bluegrass instruments with stunning vocal harmonies. They’ll captivate you with their Dixieland renditions and leave you feeling as fit as a fiddle!

October 12:Good Shot Judy

• This talented group plays some of the best songs written in the last hundred years—in a way that’s all their own. They put on a stellar performance every time they play in Yorktown, filling the Riverwalk with the smooth sounds of jazz, a little swing, and even some big band favorites!  Good Shot Judy has opened for national acts like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.

More details: Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating. Coolers and alcohol are permitted in designated areas at Riverwalk Landing. Rotating food trucks will be onsite, and many Historic Yorktown restaurants will also be open for dine-in and takeout options. Additional parking can be found at York Hall, the County Administration Building, York-Poquoson Court Complex, and other designated lots throughout town. The Yorktown Trolley will run until 9 p.m. on concert nights with a modified route that still includes some stops on the outskirts of town. For more information, visit visityorktown.org.

Good Shot Judy will perform in Yorktown on October 12. (Photo courtesy of York County)

New Town will also kick off a fall concert series in September.

In Williamsburg, the New Town Tunes Fall Concert Series will be held on Wednesday evenings, September 13 – October 4. All concerts are free.

Here’s the lineup:

• September 13: Soul Expressions (Motown and current R&B)
• September 20: Blood, Sweat and Years (tribute to Blood, Sweat and Tears)
• September 27: Wilder Horses (tribute to the Rolling Stones)
• October 4: Brasswind (entertaining the mass with all things brass)

More details: Gates open at 5 p.m., and shows start at 5:30 p.m.. All concerts will be held at Sullivan Square (4301 New Town Ave.) Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Dogs are welcome. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local food trucks, New Town Restaurants and breweries. For more information, visit newtownwilliamsburg.com.

Yankee Candle is returning to Williamsburg.

• Williamsburg’s iconic Yankee Candle Village closed two years ago to the disappointment of locals and tourists alike. Now, the company is planning to return to Williamsburg, but in a much smaller location, according to the Virginia Gazette.
• A new Yankee Candle store is slated to open at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets in October. The shop will occupy the space between The North Face and The Children’s Place.
• Some background: The Yankee Candle Village opened on Richmond Road during the holiday season of 2005. The sprawling, 42,000 square-foot-space stood out for its village theme, which included a large Christmas Store with its own Santa Claus. The store also featured a wide variety of unique items, including candles, specialty gifts and home decor. In April, Uptown Alley, LLC, a family entertainment center, announced it had completed a $4 million purchase of the former Yankee Candle site. Uptown Alley said it’s planning a spring 2024 opening for the new location.
• Yankee Candle initially returned to Williamsburg last October by opening a popup location at Williamsburg Premium Outlets, but the store was only open temporarily until the end of the holiday season. This time, its arrival will reportedly be permanent.

Portions of the Colonial Parkway are now closed amid construction.

• Construction work to rehabilitate the Colonial Parkway officially began last week. The project marks the first effort of its kind since the parkway opened to traffic in 1957.
• In Historic Yorktown, the parkway is now closed from Ballard Street to Fusilliers Road, including the Route 17 access ramps. Work in the area will also include the replacement of the bridge deck over Route 17.
• In Williamsburg, the parkway is currently closed from Route 199 south of the Williamsburg Tunnel, up to and including the tunnel. The access ramp on North England Street will continue to be open to local traffic through the spring of 2024. Work on this segment will include the replacement of the exposed aggregate concrete roadway slabs.
• Construction is expected to last three years for the entire projectand will wrap up by June 30, 2026, ahead of the 250th anniversary of America in July 2026.
• For additional information about the project, including closures, detour routes and construction updates, click here.

Frozen vegetables sold at Food Lion and Kroger have been recalled due to potential listeria.

Frozen corn and mixed vegetables sold in retail bags have been recalled at both Food Lion and Kroger. The recall was issued on the products due to possible listeria monocytogenes contamination. All of the affected products were packaged by Twin City Foods, Inc. of Stanwood, WA.

Food Lion has recalled Food Lion mixed vegetables and Food Lion super sweet cut corn.

Affected products include:

• Food Lion mixed vegetables, 16-ounce
  • UPC 0003582600509
  • This product may have been purchased between Jan. 19 and Aug. 19
• Food Lion super sweet yellow cut corn, 16-ounce
  • UPC 0003582607985
  • Customers may have purchased these products between Nov. 7, 2022, and Aug. 19, 2023

Several varieties of Kroger frozen vegetables were also recalled. 

Affected products include:

• Kroger Mixed Vegetables Carrots, Super Sweet Corn, Green Beans & Green Peas, net wt. 12 oz.
  • UPCs 11110865854, 11110849625
  • The “best by” dates on these products range from February through June 2024.
• Signature Select Golden Corn Super Sweet, net wt. 12oz
  • UPC 21130090655
  • The “best by” dates on these products range from February 2024 through June 2024.
• Kroger Super Sweet Corn, net wt. 32 oz.
  • UPCs 11110865786, 11110849618
  • The “best by” dates range from February 2024 through July 2024.

No actual consumer reports of human illness or other complaints associated with these products have been filed to date, according to the FDA. The recall is based on a customer’s third-party lab results.

Customers who have purchased these products are advised not to eat them. They should be immediately returned to the store they were purchased from for a full refund. Food Lion customers will receive a refund equal to double the purchase price in keeping with the company’s “Double Your Money Back Guarantee.” For additional information, visit the FDA’s website. Customers with questions can also contact Twin City Foods at (360) 629-5678 Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Crime Recap

• A Newport News woman is facing a slew of charges after driving her car into a retention pond and leaving her three young children in the vehicle. The boys, ages 2, 4 and 7, were all uninjured, police say. (WTKR)
• A soldier at Joint Base Langley-Eustis was released from the hospital after reportedly being involved in a stabbing. The incident occurred early Monday and led to a lockdown of Riverside Regional Medical Center. The Army has not released additional details, but the incident is under investigation. (WAVY)
• A 16-year-old was shot and killed in Newport News while walking home from a store after getting a snack on 34th Street Sunday night.  The boy, Da’Traevieus Torian, was described as a “good kid” with a bright future. Police are still looking for the shooter. (13News Now)
• A 22-year-old man was killed in a shooting while inside a car near Christopher Newport University Monday afternoon, according to Newport News police. The suspect, who was a passenger at the time, was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder. Family members say the victim and suspect were friends who had known each other since the 8th grade. (WTKR) 

In the National News

• Pumpkin spice is back: Despite the lingering summer heat, pumpkin spice season has already arrived. Starbucks’ fall menu dropped today, and it includes variety of pumpkin and apple-flavored menu items, including the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte, a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and an Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato. Rumor also has it that Wendy’s could be gearing up to launch a pumpkin spice-flavored Frost and cold brew in the coming days. The news follows the launch of pumpkin spice products at Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme and 7-Eleven. (Axios) 
• Midwest grapples with extreme heat: Record-breaking heat is gripping a large swath of the central and southern U.S., with triple-digit temperatures straining water systems, threatening power grids and buckling roads. The heat will continue for several more days and is “dangerous to the average person” who doesn’t have air conditioning, according to the National Weather Service. (AP News)  
• Wagner group’s Prighozin presumed dead: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, is presumed dead after his plane crashed in Russia’s Tver region on Wednesday. (ABC News)