J. Elias O'Neal

DAILY PRESS, July 14, 2015: Caked with mud and fresh concrete, Daniel Francis stood in the middle of a hollowed-out shell that seemed more like a mine shaft than the region’s newest tunnel connection.

Crews place the final piece of the Midtown Tunnel into place in the Elizabeth river in Norfolk. Photo by Daily Press

As workers zipped and zoomed under the dim glow of lights in the humid haze, encapsulated by the concrete walls keeping the murky Elizabeth River at bay, Francis marveled at the structure that took nearly two years to construct.

“It’s very difficult,” Francis said of the new tunnel construction. “I have to remind myself that it’s a very good project to be on sometimes. Sometimes the day-to-day may get you down, but it’s a very exciting project.”

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DAILY PRESS, Sept. 3, 2015: A New York real estate firm specializing in Section 8 housing has snapped up more than 250 low-income units in Hampton.

Spring Valley, N.Y-based Capital Realty Group closed on the 19.8-acre Langley Square I and II apartment community at 100-130 Doolittle Road on Aug. 24 for $14.6 million. Photo Courtsey of Berkadia

Sam Horowitz with Spring Valley, N.Y.-based Capital Realty Group said Thursday his firm closed on the 19.8-acre Langley Square I and II apartment community at 100-130 Doolittle Road on Aug. 24 for $14.6 million.

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DAILY PRESS, June 16, 2015: A lawsuit that could have cost York County taxpayers almost $10 million has been dismissed by a circuit court judge – although further legal action by the plaintiff could be pending.

The dispute between York County and Western Refining, the former owners of the Yorktown oil refinery now used as a transfer terminal by Plains All American Pipeline, dates to December 2012. Photo by Daily Press

Substitute Circuit Judge John Clarkson denied a request by Western Refining Yorktown Inc. for a refund of its machinery and tools tax for the years 2010 and 2011, York County Attorney James E. Barnett said Tuesday.

Western was seeking $6.5 million in taxes plus 10 percent interest from the county – an amount that could have placed a strain on the county’s budget, Barnett said.

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DAILY PRESS, July 8, 2015: A Wednesday technical glitch that suspended trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had minimal effects on local companies that trade and sell shares daily on the global exchange.

The NYSE came to a halt in July, but its stoppage had very little impact on Peninsula area companies. Photo by the Associated Press

“It really wasn’t that big of a deal,” said Andrew Cohen, a finance instructor and manager of the Gregory A. Lumsden Trading Room and Research Lab at Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business. “The New York Stock Exchange is one of 11 exchanges, and one of 50 private venues where stocks trade hands.”

A number of Hampton Roads firms, including many located on the Peninsula, have stock traded on the NYSE.

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DAILY PRESS, June 5, 2015: Sitting with her classmates along the waterfront, eighth grade Yorktown Middle School student Claire Gordon was one of hundreds preparing for Hermione’s visit to Yorktown.

Hermione, or L’Hermione, docked in Yorktown in June. Photo by Daily Press

As the historic vessel’s mast began to peek from behind the heavy fog and mist in the York River on Friday morning, it became clear to Gordon, and her classmates, that the subject of their yearlong French II class project was finally within reach.

Click here to read my coverage of the event, and to view photo galleries and videos taken during the Hermione visit.

DAILY PRESS, Aug. 13, 2015: A plan to alleviate traffic along a narrow stretch of roadway between Hampton and Poquoson appears to be gaining traction.

Poquoson and Hampton residents streamed into Poquoson High School’s cafeteria to view plans to widen Wythe Creek Road between Hampton and Poquoson. Photo by J. Elias O’Neal

The Virginia Department of Transportation laid out its plan Thursday during a public hearing at Poquoson High School to tackle chronic rush hour traffic congestion along a nearly 2-mile stretch of Wythe Creek Road — a thoroughfare thousands of Poquoson residents use daily to commute to NASA Langley, or to major employment centers in Hampton.

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DAILY PRESS, Aug. 14, 2015: Home sales across the Peninsula showed no signs of slowing last month.

Virginia Beach-based Real Estate Information Network Inc., which tracks and researches housing trends across Hampton Roads, reported 684 new and existing home sales across the Peninsula in July.

That’s a 17.5 percent increase from 582 homes sold in July 2014. In June, 685 new and existing homes sold across the Peninsula, a 28.8 percent increase from 532 homes sold in June 2014.

Click here to read more about July home sales on the Peninsula.

DAILY PRESS, June 23, 2015: A surge in vehicle units has pushed ro-ro operations at the Newport News Marine Terminal — that’s “roll on, roll off” — to levels not seen since January 1988.

The Virginia Port Authority, which operates terminals in Portsmouth, Newport News and Norfolk, recently reported that 230,511 standard 20-foot containers, or TEUs, moved through the port last month. That’s a 12.9 percent increase from 204,232 container units posted in May 2014.

But it was the port authority’s vehicle ro-ro operation that outpaced all other port segments, including rail and truck volumes.

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DAILY PRESS, Aug. 12, 2015: While Smithfield Foods is still bringing home the bacon, it’s not smoking the whole hog, according to its quarterly report released by the firm Wednesday.

The Smithfield-based pork producing powerhouse, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of China-based WH Group Limited, recorded $3.49 billion in sales during the second quarter of 2015, according to a report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Click here to learn more about Smithfield Foods’ second quarter results.

DAILY PRESS, Aug. 13, 2015: Keurig Green Mountain, which operates a roasting, grinding and packaging facility in Isle of Wight County, posted soft fiscal quarter earnings as its brewer and pod portion pack sales weakened.

Click here to read more on Keurig’s disappointing third quarter results.