The Richmond Free Press continues to expand, with two summer interns helping to cover some of the most important topics for the Richmond community and longtime contributors joining the staff in a full-time or extended capacity.

In addition, Free Press managing editor Bonnie Newman Davis received recognition during the recent National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Birmingham.

Darlene M. Johnson, who will graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University in December, began her internship with the Richmond Free Press in June.

Born and raised in Richmond, Ms. Johnson describes herself as a writer at heart, with a desire to master writing in its many forms, a passion for helping the marginalized and a desire to make an impact through her work.

Outside of her writing, Ms. Johnson helps the homeless and animals in need, and enjoys taking care of her plants, arts and crafts, learning new hairstyles and teaching herself new things in her free time.

As a VCU student in the Robertson School of Media and Culture, Ms. Johnson is majoring in mass communications, with a concentration in digital journalism and a minor in Spanish. She has beena VCU Capital News reporter, and is treasurer for the VCU Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Caroline Reinhart, who became a Free Press intern in July, is a recent graduate of Stanford University, where she earned a bachelor’s in science, technology and society. She will return to Stanford to work on her master’s in sustainability. Her work for other publications has focused on lead service pipelines, water reuse in California and military-related pollution.

Also born and raised in Richmond, Ms. Reinhart is happy and eager to connect her interests to the city, and has a passion for animals, water quality issues and environmental justice.

George Copeland Jr. has been hired as a full-time reporter after working as a freelance reporter for the newspaper for several years.

Born in Richmond and raised in the city and Henrico County, Mr.Copeland started working with the Free Press during the summer of 2019, shortly after graduating from VCU’s Robertson School with a bachelor’s in mass communications.

Mr. Copeland’s reporting in the years since has varied greatly, from housing to health to education and more, while also taking up whatever roles, stories and assignments are necessary for the paper.

In addition, Debora Timms joined the Richmond Free Press in July 2022 as a freelance contributor. Having earned her bachelor's degree in journalism

from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., she has written about current events, culture and politics for various publications. Born in New York, Ms. Timms grew up in Connecticut’s Naugatuck Valley. She moved to Australia in 1987 and lived in and around Sydney and Brisbane for 20 years. Since returning to the U.S., Ms. Timms has lived in the High Point, N.C., Granby, Conn., and currently in Frederick, Md. Married with four children, she also has two granddaughters.

Meanwhile, Ms. Davis, who joined the Free Press in May 2022, was part of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Authors Showcase for her book, “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960.” The book, which chronicles the careers and lives of 24 Black women journalists from throughout the United States, was published in November 2022.

The showcase took place during NABJ’s annual convention Aug. 2-6 in Birmingham, Ala. This year’s convention drew more than 3,100 journalists from throughout the U.S. Ms. Davis’ book was selected from a competitive entry process and, as a result, she was among 16 NABJ members/authors to earn the 43-year-old organization’s “Outstanding Book Award.”