NORFOLK A Virginia Beach car crash that left two teenage girls dead and led to cries for immigration reform helped spur an international conference that will begin Tuesday at Norfolk State University.

CURRITUCK, N.C. James McClain wants to be a nurse, but he worries about the burden of college costs on his family. So when he learned that a new high school in Currituck would offer two years of college credits, he applied immediately. Last week, the 16-year-old sophomore cracked jokes during a g eneral psychology class worth three credits from College of The Albemarle.

By Jaedda Armstrong VIRGINIA BEACH Erma Brown stared at a picture of her late grandfather Friday. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she explained how in 1926, he and other parents purchased land at Witchduck Road and Cleveland Street to help build Princess Anne County Training School for the area's black students.

NORFOLK The search for Norfolk State University's next president will begin soon, Board of Visitors rector Ed Hamm said Friday. But the board doesn't expect to have the job filled until July 2011.

NORFOL

NORFOLK

Norfolk State University will soon begin the search for its new president by organizing a committee to get community suggestions on what the school needs in a leader, said Board of Visitors Rector Ed Hamm during a meeting today.

The school's current president, Carolyn Meyers, is resigning and will leave the post at the end of June.

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C.

A full-scale emergency mock drill will be held at Elizabeth City State University today from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

PORTSMOUTH The School Board passed a proposed budget Thursday that avoids layoffs but calls for cutting 109 positions through attrition. The positions eliminated would be 22 teachers, a total of 15 administrative and clerical workers, 33 custodians and 39 general paraprofessionals. Board members Mark Whitaker and Keith Nance Sr. voted against the proposed budget.

PORTSMOUTH Norcom guard DeCarlos Anderson held on tight to his shiny partners - his team's trophies - as he swayed before TV and newspaper cameras Wednesday afternoon. The fancy moves were performed at Norcom High's pep rally, held to celebrate the Greyhounds' boys basketball team's historic state championship, won last Friday.

VIRGINIA BEACH Budget cuts this year could have negative implications for Virginia schools for years to come, members of the State Board of Education said Thursday.