It’s Black Friday and the National Retail Federation expects it to be a record-breaking year for shopping this weekend. The doors at JCPenney open at 5 a.m. with customers lining up to get doorbuster deals. It’s one of the earliest opening times for a department store for Black Friday. JCPenney’s clothes, jewelry, shoes and home items are marked way down, while Bath and Body Works stores are giving customers an extra 20% off and a buy three get three free deal. The National Retail Federation estimates more than 166 million people are going to shop through Cyber Monday.

The federation reports 60% of holiday shoppers started looking and buying early this month.

Walmart stores have a lot of rollbacks and started planning for the rush of customers a while back, according to spokesperson Jessica Martello.

“This year, to prepare for the holidays, Walmart has hired about 40,000 associates to help out with just the influx of all the shopping and that includes in-store associates, distribution centers, fleet drivers and more. So, we’re definitely prepared for a busy holiday season,” she told 8News.

Gift cards are still a favorite item this year. Experts say spending on them is expected to reach more than $28 billion.

As of Monday, The Giving Heart said they had already reached capacity -- 2,600 -- for senior deliveries.

LOWERING VOTING AGE

Millions of Americans receiving opioid use disorder treatment through telehealth services may lose that help if action isn’t taken soon.

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — After about two years of construction, Petersburg’s St. Andrews Street Bridge is open to traffic.

According to Petersburg residents, this small bridge is fixing big problems. Tracy Stewart has lived in the community since she was a little girl. She was used to using St. Andrews Street Bridge for travel.

“I’m just glad they finally opened access to this road so we can get to where we need to go,” she said.

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/the-tri-cities/st-andrews-street-bridge-reopening-helps-speed-up-petersburg-residents-commutes/

Virginia students may soon have to put their biological sex on a form to try out for any sports team.

The requirement is part of a proposed bill that would require public school sports teams to have designated genders, such as girls and boys.

The bill, proposed by Del. Karen Greenhalgh's (R-Virginia Beach), would ban transgender students at Virginia schools K-12 and college from joining sports teams that align with their gender identity.

https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/proposed-bill-seeks-to-ban-transgender-students-from-sports-teams-aligning-with-their-gender-identity/

At a board meeting Wednesday night, an expert hired by Chesterfield County said transforming Southside Speedway into a viable racetrack again could cost up to $15 million.

Governor Glenn Youngkin's administration has proposed some changes to history and social science standards in Virginia schools.

It's a 400-page draft that has gained support from some, but others aren't happy about the proposed changes.

https://www.wric.com/news/education/virginia-board-of-education-to-discuss-proposed-changes-to-history-standards/

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) — University of Virginia Athletics held a news conference at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 regarding the shooting that took place on campus over the weekend.

Just before 11 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, UVA football players Lavel Davis, Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were shot and killed on a bus after it returned to campus from a field trip. The suspect, a former member of the team by the name of Christopher Darnell Jones, was arrested in Henrico County the next day.

https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/uva-athletics-holding-news-conference-after-charlottesville-campus-deadly-shooting/

U.Va. Athletics held a news conference on Sunday night's shooting that killed three football players and injured two other students.

RICHMOND, Va (WRIC) – A Richmond-based nonprofit is turning running shoes into living shoes.

Shood partners with local businesses to collect, clean and repair old running shoes and donate them to folks in need. The shoes the members of the John Marshall track team are wearing are just a fraction of the thousands of shoes the nonprofit gives away every year.

https://www.wric.com/community/positively-richmond/richmond-nonprofit-puts-shoes-on-the-feet-of-those-in-need/

Henrico Police have arrested a second teenager in connection to the shooting death of a teenager in mid-September.