VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — High school students in the environmental studies program in Virginia Beach City Public Schools have combined a lot of math with their science in recent weeks, in the form of counting — marking and providing an inventory all of the more-than-5,000 trees on Pleasure House Point, where it's transforming from woods to wetlands.

Trees are on the move as Virginia Beach site turns from woods to wetlands

The trees they counted ended up as a map on the city's website. It gave these environmental studies students a chance to leave the classroom and branch out.

"This project has really differed from all the other projects that we've done," said Riley Brown, a senior at Ocean Lakes High School, "because we've gotten to partner with public works and the city arborists."

A tree would be relocated if the trunk was two inches or smaller in diameter. Ocean Lakes senior Caylin Szilagi now uses that new measuring skill whenever she sees any trees.

"If we're out walking, it's kind of like a fun guessing game to see how our skills have improved, and I'm actually pretty good at guessing," she said.

These students see beyond the trees to the greater impact of environmental issues.

"So while we might focus on issues here at Pleasure House Point, me and my classmates also like to look from a world-focused view of issues around us, and I feel like that's really meaningful," said Reese Longwater, an Ocean Lakes junior.

They worked in partnership with the city, and with conservation groups such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Lynnhaven River Now and Friends of Live Oaks.

"We're giving a benefit to the city, and the city, by honoring this youthful voice, is helping the students," said Chris Freeman, environmental studies coordinator. "They'll have a legacy project right here in Virginia Beach to become the next environmental leaders."

Students also learned the skill of advocacy — getting someone to see the value in their mission.

Ocean Lakes junior Kaydyn Ismail said it was rewarding to see the students' work leverage a real-life cause-and-effect.

"The city responded really well, seeing, for example, with our data, they were able to change the construction entrance to preserve the oldest and largest trees in the area," she said. "Seeing their direct response [to] our advocacy has been really special to me."

And for some, this project is another step in their career path.

"Environmental policy or environmental management," said Salem High School senior Gavin Wehr, when asked what he'd like to pursue in college. "It really depends on where I go to college and what I decide to do. It's a great passion of mine. I love science."

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A man facing six felony charges in connection with shots fired at a police car in Chesapeake denies all the charges.

Dominique Vaughan, 33, who was arrested in December after police alleged he fired at an occupied police car two weeks earlier, said in an exclusive interview from jail Tuesday morning that the car involved is, indeed, his, but he wasn't driving it.

"I was in the car earlier that day," he said when asked to explain his prints on the Charger. "I rent it out. I run an illegitimate car rental service. It's not documented. All my cars, I rent out to a lot of people, but I don't have a business for it."

Previously: Chesapeake man arrested in connection to shooting at officer

On Nov. 24, an officer was responding to a shots fired call in the Holly Point neighborhood when he alleged three shots came from a passing Dodge Charger — striking the hood, windshield and a side door, according to court documents.

Police arrested Vaughan Dec. 6 based on car, fingerprint and video evidence that they say implicates him.

When asked if the two men in the car that day were renters, Vaughan said, "absolutely."

Vaughan refused to identify them Tuesday, and said his refusal to name names is the reason why he's being held responsible.

Vaughan has been charged with attempted aggravated murder of a law enforcement officer and other felonies relating to guns, shooting and eluding police.

Vaughan denies the charges, denies even having a gun, and founded a community program in 2019 known as Gloves Up Guns Down that teaches teens to resolve disputes in the boxing ring instead of shooting people.

"Firearms will never be a part of who I am," Vaughan said.

Regardless of the outcome of the charges he currently faces, 10 On Your Side asked whether they will affect his community activism.

"The community engagement is only getting more influence because my community knows me," Vaughan said. "The organization is going to gain more momentum."

Vaughan had a hearing scheduled for Feb. 12, but said it would be continued to give his attorney a chance to review nearly 60 clips of police video.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Trees are on the move near Shore Drive in Virginia Beach as part of a transformation of land near Pleasure House Creek from woods to wetlands. Various environmental groups were taking part in the project Friday to relocate hundreds of trees.

By creating wetlands here, the city gets credits with the Army Corps of Engineers, and those credits offset disturbance to wetlands elsewhere in the city, especially flood mitigation projects.

The larger stately live oaks are not going anywhere, including one that greets you next to Marlin Bay Drive with its expansive branches.

Clay Bernick is quick to point out "the live oak tree is Virginia Beach's official tree and has been since 2004," and well he should, as director of the organization Friends of Live Oaks.

Cristin Pullman of Lynnhaven River Now coordinated dozens of volunteers.

"It's been about 500 trees, so it's a lot of trees moving around," she said. "We're focused on the grasses today for the shoreline projects, and then looking at what other natives are left. There's still a lot of Yaupon Hollies, Red Cedars."

The relocation will move only trees two inches or less in diameter to sites in Pungo and Virginia Tech's Agricultural Research and Extension Center on Diamond Springs Road.

The area used to be wetlands a long time ago before dredging began in Lynnhaven Inlet.

"A lot of sand was placed here," said Christy Everett, Hampton Roads Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "That was for dredging Lynnhaven Inlet and other dredging needs. And so it filled the land."

"Some wetlands areas on Pleasure House Point are very degraded from past disposal activity and they're really in poor condition as marsh," Bernick said. "So improving those will be helpful."

The wetlands credits the city gains enable it to complete flood mitigation work such as Windsor Woods, Bow Creek and Shore Drive.

Construction crews will create a creek system around this land so that it becomes wetlands and that means big trucks.

"They'll be removing trees, removing sediment," Everett said.

Just this week the city agreed to modify the construction entrance to avoid impacting significant trees designated for protection.

Students from Virginia Beach City Public Schools also played an important part in this project. 10 On Your Side will have more on that part of the story next week.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Wanda Davis waits to fulfill her husband's final wish, ready but unable.

Samuel Sneed spent 21 years in the Navy, retiring as a chief petty officer. In recent years, he met Davis and let her know that when the time came, he wanted to be buried at sea.

By late December 2023, he was in a Raleigh hospital with liver cancer.

"We got married in the hospital," Davis said in a Wednesday interview. "We had a very lovely wedding. I miss him dearly. He was my all. We were supposed to grow together."

Davis then set out looking for a funeral home that would not only handle a burial at sea, but one involving a full body casket. Neither Sneed nor Davis wanted cremation.

Davis found that Sturtevant Funeral Home on Portsmouth Boulevard has handled numerous burials at sea, and started the arrangements in January 2024. But Sneed's remains are still there because the Navy has been unable for the past 13 months to accommodate the burial.

Funeral Director Robie Gardner said he can't understand the delay.

"It's been a year and he's still here," he said. "I think that's hard for anybody to think that their loved one is just sitting here in our facility, not going out to sea like he requested."

When Navy families come to Sturtevant these days, Gardner makes sure they look at the process of burial at sea with open eyes.

"I would discourage them from doing that," Gardner said. "I don't think that my refrigeration is very dignified for veterans choosing to be buried at sea."

"It's been horrible because there's no closure," Davis said. "It's not fair."

Cmdr. Dawn Stakus, the public affairs officer for Naval Air Force Atlantic, responded to WAVY Wednesday afternoon.

"The Navy acknowledges the long waiting period and the backlog," she said, adding that the Navy is working to find time in ships' schedules.

Stakus said a full-casket burial at sea requires either an aircraft carrier or a large-deck amphibious assault ship.

"The Navy considers the burials at sea very, very important," she said. "Our hearts go out to the families."

According to Military One Source, cremation ceremonies at sea far outnumber casket ceremonies.

Davis is hoping to hear an update soon.

"How much longer? We thought it would be a couple of months," Davis said, "and now they tell me 18 months, and then they say they don't know when."