4 Friday,June 16,2017 LOCAL NEWS DAILY PRESS hits Peninsula scene New Hampton store brings out bargain hunters for 8 a.m. opening, giveaways

By Tara Bozick [email protected]

Curiosity and low prices at- tracted hundreds of shoppers in Hampton to the opening of one of the first U.S. Lidl grocery stores on Thursday morning. The German-

based European After the ribbon-cutting, Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck helps hand out JUDITH LOWERY/DAILY PRESS PHOTOS grocery giant shopping bags to the customers; here, he greets Stacey Cummings on Rhonda Miller, hearing that the wine was pretty good, stocks up for her opened its first her way into the new Lidle store on Mercury Boulevard. July Fourth party. Lidl’s Amberlyn Fletcher assists with checkout. 10 U.S. stores HAMPTON Thursday, in- The Littles had been shopping at frozen items around the pe- options for his diet, although he private-label items, announced it cluding stores at Lidl’s rival, German discount gro- rimeter and 11 checkout lanes. was lured in to find fresh fruits would be lowering prices on about 2000 W. Mer- cer . The bakery, fresh produce and and vegetables at low prices. 3,000 items for stores in . cury Blvd. and at 6196 Providence Like the Littles, other early bird flowers greet shoppers at the The Hampton Lidl opened next During the ribbon-cutting cere- Road in Virginia Beach. Another shoppers were price-conscious entrance while personal care, to Interstate 64 down the road mony, Mayor Donnie Tuck said nine Lidl stores are expected to consumers who studied the household and garden items are in from Peninsula Town Center at the Lidl opening fits with Hamp- open in Virginia this summer, weekly salesad. Theresa Brooks of the middle near the “surprises” the former site of a Hampton Bay ton being a “city of firsts.” including a store at 11076 Warwick Hampton is willing to try Lidl’s section of limited-time nongro- Plaza and Suites. Competitor Aldi “This is historic for Hampton,” Blvd. near Harpersville Road in private-label items, which com- cery items including headphones, is planning to open a store a mile Tuck said. Newport News. prise about 90 percentof the store, exercise accessories or inflatable away down Mercury Boulevard Lidl is planning grand opening “I'm loving it,” shopper Joyce for a deal. kayaks. off Saville Road this summer. activities and specials all week- Little of Hampton said. “I wanted to see what it was all While Lidl offers an affordable The arrival of Lidl is likely to end. The store is open daily from 8 She and her husband Doug about,” Brooks said. “I want to wine and beer section, gluten-free shake up discount grocers that a.m. to 9 p.m. were the first in line at 4:45 a.m. shop in Hampton.” options and organic items, the attract customers on price, such as for the8a.m.grand opening.Their Lidl’s building in Hampton fea- store doesn’t have as much selec- Wal-Mart, Food Lion, Aldi and Bozick can be reached by phone at dedication won them a $100 gift tures about 20,000 square feet of tion as big-box competitors. Greg- Dollar stores, Food World pub- 757-247-4741. Sign up for a free card and they had a nearly full retail space with a simple layout of ory Bicheler of Hampton wished lisher Jeff Metzger has said. weekday business news email at shopping cart within 20 minutes. six aisles with refrigerated and the store had more low-sodium In May, , which also sells TidewaterBiz.com.

NEWPORT NEWS

CAROLYN ROGERS/DAILY PRESS

Tom Rumely demonstrates the natural gas fueling processat Thursday’s checkpoint rally at Virginia Natural It’s a gas Gas public fueling station. The rally is a part of the transcontinental “Sea-to-Shining Sea” program, and is intended to inform the public about the benefits of natural gas vehicles. See more photos from our staff pho- tographers at dailypress.com/visuals, or visit their photo blog at fullframe.dailypress.com. Mathews County officials address heroin, opioid use

Law enforcement leaders say, ‘you can’t one who may have a problem. arrest your way out of’ the problem The Ma- thews County By Frances Hubbard “This is not a new issue. This is Sheriff’s Office [email protected] an issue that has been going on,” has a box for Barrick said, recalling his days as a safe disposal of MATHEWS — Four people die patrol officer in Newport News in medication in each day in Virginia from an the 1990s. “We are dealing with MATHEWS its lobby at overdose of heroin or opioid what was not an understood 10622 Buckley prescription painkillers. problem which is now coming Hall Road. Last year, 1,133 deaths were around to being more under- “This is a long-term problem reported in the state from heroin stood.” that is going to exist,” Barrick said. or opioids. That’s more people On Thursday, Barrick, Prince, “You cannot arrest your way out dying from overdoses than in car and Bowen presented statistics FRANCES HUBBARD/DAILY PRESS of it.” crashes, said Valerie Prince, with and information on drug use Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Bowen speaks Thursday at a meeting “This is an ever-growing epi- the Three Rivers Medical Reserve specifically geared toward Ma- on heroin and opioid usage held by the Mathews County Resources demic and we are way behind Corps. thews County at a two-part Council at the Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad building in Hudgins. where we should be,” Bowen said. Statistics on Virginia are “hor- community meeting held by the “It’s a prevention, public educa- rendous,” Prince said. “I’m sure Mathews County Resources grandparents. That’s the problem thetic drug up to 100 times more tion, public health and law en- we probably are not the worst Council. The meeting started that we have now. It’s not on the potent than heroin. The drug is forcement issue. You can’t just say state in the nation, but we are in with a screening of “Heroin: The street where everybody can drive sometimes added to heroin, caus- it’s one or the other; we all have to the running.” Hardest Hit,” a documentary from by and see it. It’s in somebody’s ing an overdose, and can be be more active and we have to Mathews County has seen five the attorney general’s office. living room. dangerous to law enforcement if mirror those together.” overdose deaths since 2007 from According to the film, heroin “That’s a hard battle to fight, found at a crime scene. The Mathews County Re- heroin while use of the drug has abuse often starts with a depend- especially in a community like Some law enforcement and all sources Council will hold a risen. Three of those deaths were ency on prescription painkillers Mathews because it’s so small and first responders now have the second meeting on Sept. 21 at the in 2014 alone, Sheriff Mark Bar- such as oxycodone, hydrocodone everyone knows everyone,” Bar- ability to administrator naloxene Mathews Volunteer Rescue rick said. The increased drug use and morphine. Hampton Roads is rick said. “Drug work is particu- or narcan, which can reverse the Squad building in Hudgins to has contributed to a rise in certain particularly vulnerable to the larly hard here for the simple fact effects of an overdose and cause discuss how the community is crimes. spread of the drug because of people don’t want to talk. They immediate withdrawal symp- dealing with increased drug use, Commonwealth’s Attorney access at its ports. don’t want to rat out someone toms. focusing on the medical, psychol- Tom Bowen said 60 to 70 percent Heroin is not just “an urban they know. They are afraid of the At the meeting Thursday, ogical and legal aspects. of cases in the court system are drug,” Barrick said. It affects all consequences.” Prince urged people to remember drug-related, including theft and types of people and all ages. Barrick said he is highly con- to dispose of leftover prescription Hubbard can be reached by phone driving under the influence. “It’s our kids, parents, and cerned about fentanyl — a syn- medicine and reach out to some- at 757-298-5834.