Editor’s note: This is the fifth of six installments of our Year in Review 2018, where we will look at the good and bad news of 2018, two months at a time. The date listed is the date of the edition in which the story ran.

 

Sept. 4 — The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile visited town and visited some Food Lion stores handing out stickers, coupons and hot-dog-shaped whistles.

 

Sept. 4 — Popular downtown eatery That Good BBQ announced it would close effectively immediately due to unforeseen events.

 

Sept. 5 — Michael J. Barakey was announced as the city’s new fire chief.

 

Sept. 5 — Thousands of students went back to school in Suffolk Public Schools, including hundreds attending at two new buildings, Florence Bowser Elementary School and Col. Fred Cherry Middle School.

 

Sept. 9 — East Coast residents began keeping an eye on Hurricane Florence, which appeared to have its sights set on Virginia.

 

Sept. 11 — Cancellations began rolling in and residents began stocking up on hurricane needs as Florence continued to approach the coast.

 

Sept. 12 — A federal disaster declaration was issued ahead of Hurricane Florence, which still appeared headed for Virginia.

 

Sept. 13 — The outlook for Hurricane Florence improved for Virginia, as the storm began to veer south.

 

Sept. 14 — Residents and businesses were still prepared for Hurricane Florence as it came ashore with wind and rain for Virginia.

 

Sept. 16 — Hurricane Florence largely spared Suffolk from any significant effects. Many residents and businesses collected donations for victims in North Carolina.

 

Sept. 20 — Suffolk city leaders and family of Andy Damiani dedicated a plaque in his honor at Damiani Square at the corner of Main and Washington streets.

 

Oct. 2 — Florence Bowser Elementary School and Col. Fred Cherry Middle School were dedicated in separate ceremonies on Sunday.

 

Oct. 4 — The Nansemond Indian Tribe, along with other Virginia tribes that recently gained federal recognition, were officially recognized at a ceremony at Werowocomoco, the Gloucester County site that was the historic seat of the Powhatan Nation.

 

Oct. 9 — For the second time in a month, Suffolk had a hurricane to watch. Hurricane Michael was projected to hit the Gulf Coast and then curve across the country toward the East Coast.

 

Oct. 12 — Hurricane Michael hit Suffolk on Thursday afternoon and evening after devastating parts of the Gulf Coast. The area suffered widespread power outages and tornado warnings, but no tornadoes touched down in Suffolk.

 

Oct. 17 — Huey Edward Boswell was charged in an assault on a couple that occurred after a car accident in August.

 

Oct. 19 — Suffolk residents bought lots of lottery tickets as a historically large jackpot loomed. The jackpot was anticipated to be $970 million.

 

Oct. 26 — Karl Alexander Hill, 61, of Norfolk, died when the dump truck he was driving was struck by an Amtrak train at the East Washington Street Crossing near Hall Avenue.