A swollen James River flows by the railroad bridge near Brown’s Island. Fueled by recent heavy rains upstream, the river rose above flood stage running through Richmond. Data show the river crested at 15.4 feet Monday at the Westham gauge, or about 3 feet above flood stage. A kayaker who got stuck Monday in the rapids nearly drowned before he was rescued by city emergency personnel. On Tuesday, when this photo was taken, the river was still running above 11 feet at the City Locks near Shockoe Bottom, also 3 feet above flood stage. The river fell below flood stage Wednesday. The U.S. Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey are forecasting that the river will drop to a less treacherous 7 feet by Friday.

In remembrance and protest // Fast food workers show their support for higher wages and union rights during a lunch hour protest Monday on West Broad Street near the Boulevard in Richmond, marking the 50th anniversary of the historic Memphis sanitation workers strike. On Feb. 12, 1968, hundreds of African-American sanitation workers went on strike to decry harsh working conditions and to demand a raise to $2 an hour. Their action, triggered by the deaths of two men on the job, prompted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to travel to Memphis twice in support of the strikers. His last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” was delivered there on April 3, 1968; he was assassinated the next day. On Monday, protests were

On Monday, protests were held across the nation marking the anniversary of the Memphis strike and calling for higher wages for workers. Bernadette Brown, left, holds a sign outside a Richmond fast food restaurant, while Daniel Henegar, right, and others show their support. The protests were organized by Fight for $15 and the New Poor People’s Campaign, which is led by the Rev. William J. Barber II of North Carolina.

Mardi Gras style // Dogtown Dance Theatre in South Side gets the fun going during the 7th Annual Mardi Gras RVA celebration last Saturday. Members of Claves Unidos dance group kicked off the festivities with a Mardi Gras parade along five blocks in Manchester. Bringing the New Orleans style are, from left, Shalandis Wheeler Smith, Carolyn Jackson and Christina Irby.

After donning a mask and feather boa, 4-year-old Marshall Howard gets a henna tattoo during the main event inside the center on West 15th Street. Music, performances by several groups and Cajun-style food were featured, along with a King Cake.

Celebrating the Year of the Earth Dog // Members of The Pride: Lion Dance at UVA perform Saturday at 2018 ChinaFest, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ celebration of the Chinese New Year and the welcoming of the Year of the Earth Dog. The event also featured colorful performances and demonstrations by kung fu experts and Yu Dance Arts, which used a fusion dance style to present a new look at traditional Chinese dances.

A giant papier-mâché dog’s head sits on a workbench, a symbol of the year that is to usher in a time of fairness and equality.