
Henrico County breaks ground for first large community park since 1982
A ground-breaking ceremony for the 99-acre Taylor Farm Park in Henrico County’s Sandston district took place Feb. 27 at 200 Whiteside Road, off East Williamsburg Road.

DHR to administer preservation easement over Drexel-Morrell Center property
A permanent preservation and open-space easement has been established for the Drexel- Morrell Center, a historic property in Powhatan County that highlights the role of African-Americans in that area, and the life and contributions of American Catholic St. Katharine Drexel, founder of two now defunct African-American academies that were located nearby.

John Marshall High School basketball didn’t just get good; it’s been good for years
There has been a lot of talk about John Marshall High School lately. Some good and some bad. I stayed away because outsiders love opinions and never base things on facts. What lies behind those walls of a poorly unkept building and below that building is a strong foundation.

Courage, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
War is inhumane! War is madness! In a world of ra- tional thinkers, war should be unnecessary! Historically, war has been the exercise of national power, authority and autonomy in the circumstance of irreconcilable difference — or the reaction to it. As with many other past conflicts, the world’s current war is the result of an irreconcilable difference conceived in the mind of an ego-stricken madman — “Fighting to be Heard” Vladimir Putin.

Florida is latest battleground for war on education, by Svante Myrick
It’s been a few weeks since a mess started boiling over in Florida with the rollout of the new AP African-American Studies course, and no one involved is looking good: not the state Department of Education, not the College Board, and definitely not Gov. Ron DeSantis, who blasted the course publicly and pressured the College Board to water it down.

Full-time lawmakers?
Is it time for Virginia to drop the pretense that a part-time legislature can keep up with the pace of change?

Warner, Kaine announce $9.7M to expand broadband at Va. HBCUs
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $9,685,734 in federal funding to support the expansion of broadband at three Virginia Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

After campus shootings, safety is a priority for students, police
Recent murders at universities across the country have campus officials and students more cautious about campus safety.

Encore puts Henrico government retirees back to work
Henrico is launching a program to entice dozens of its retired county government employees to return to temporary, part-time positions to address critical staffing needs in public safety and mental health.

Council raises percentage of vehicle tax owners must pay
Richmond vehicle owners can expect to see bigger personal property tax bills for their cars and trucks this year.

Emergency communications graduates 13 dispatchers to improve services
More dispatchers have joined Richmond’s 911 staff, reducing vacancies in a critical element of public safety.

Youngkin’s schools chief resigns after department missteps
Jillian Balow, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s superintendent of public instruction, announced her resignation Wednesday in a letter to the governor that did not offer a specific reason for her departure.

Embattled RPS employee continues fight for her job
A 14-year Richmond Public Schools teacher and social worker is battling a second attempt to fire her — this time for failing to show up to work in a position that apparently never was offered to her.

Virginia Supreme Court approves ‘Waverly Two’ appeal
The Supreme Court of Virginia has approved a hearing for an appeal that could lead to the exoneration of a Sussex County man sentenced to life in jail for a murder he was acquitted of decades earlier.

Mr. & Mrs. Stoney
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and Brandy Washington were married last week, according to various news sources.

Bagby wins ‘firehouse’ primary in quest for Senate seat
Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby has made a fast start in his quest to succeed Jennifer L. McClellan in the state Senate.

RPS superintendent’s chief of staff resigns
Michelle Hudacsko, chief of staff for Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, has resigned.

Art meets dance in Carpenter Theatre ballet
Expect to see art in a whole new way when the James River Valley Chapter of The Links brings Columbia City Ballet’s “Off the Wall and Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Green” to Richmond’s Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center on March 10.