Welcome Home
Following a 12-game road trip, the Squirrels returned to the Diamond this week for a six-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies affiliate). Remaining games: Thursday, May 26 - 6:35 p.m. Friday, May 27 - 6:35 p.m. Saturday, May 28 - 6:05 p.m. (Fireworks) Sunday, May 29 - 1:35 p.m. (Bucket Hat Giveaway) --- Armani Smith enjoys playing in Richmond, but the outfielder left his heart in San Francisco. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander grew up in Walnut Creek, Calif., just a long fly ball from the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park. Smith was a passionate Giants fan as a youngster, with Barry Bonds being his favorite player.
VCU Reaches Scholarship Allowance
After much traffic coming and going, there is finally a “no vacancy” sign on the VCU basketball roster.
Two years after George Floyd’s murder, racial trauma permeates Black Americans
Black Men Heal co-founder Zakia Williams was deeply moved as she watched a young Black man become emotional while speaking about the mental health toll the past few years have taken on him. “He said, ‘I just want to play basketball without fear of getting shot, I just want to live. I just want to be,’” Ms. Wil- liams recalled the young man saying at a virtual group therapy session, Kings Corner, that her Philadelphia-based group holds weekly for Black men across the U.S. and internationally. “A lot of our men report being overwhelmed, tired and feeling like they’re being at- tacked. They see themselves in George Floyd. Each one of them says, ‘That could have been me.’” Wednesday, May 25, marks the second anniversary of Mr. Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer, which sparked a global protest movement and calls for a racial reckoning to address structural racism that has created long-standing in- equities impacting generations of Black Americans. Mr. Floyd’s slaying, along with a series of killings of other Black Americans, has wrought a heavy toll on the emotional and mental health of Black communities burdened by centuries of oppressive systems and racist practices. Mental health experts say the racism that causes the trauma is embedded in the country’s fabric and can be directly linked to the mental duress many experience today. “Black mental health has always been a topic of concern,” said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Continuously seeing these images of Black people being killed ... can elicit trauma-like symptoms in Black people and others who feel somehow con- nected to what is going on,” she said. This “impact of vicarious
Plurax’s COO Denise Fields has died
Denise I. Fields of Williamsburg, and formerly of Richmond and Norfolk, died Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
New names recommended for Fort Lee, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Pickett Army bases
The names of slavery-defending Confederate military leaders who fought to destroy the U.S. government could finally start disappearing from military installations.
Jackson Ward residents question plans for their community
Improved infrastructure, redeveloped housing and better health care are some of the goals city planners are crafting for Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward.
Memorial Day 2022 holiday closings
In observance of Memorial Day, Monday May 30, please note the following:
Local health clinic pauses services
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have stopped clinical operations at the Southwood Resource Center due to maintenance issues, bringing a temporary halt to health screenings, exams and other medical services that have been provided to the public there since 2018. The center is located at 1754 Clarkson Road. RHHD officials said patients with scheduled appointments at the site are being contacted to reschedule for other dates and locations until RHHD and Southwood management resolve problems at the site. Information about when the center will reopen has not been released. “This is an emerging and evolving situation,” said Margo Webb, director of community programs, in a statement. “Our clinical and community teams remain dedicated to serving the health needs of Southwood residents and are exploring options to prevent a gap in services.” The Southwood pool house will remain open and active for services and scheduled appointments, including COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, and other outreach efforts.
City swimming pools open in time for holiday
For the second year, Richmond will open four of its public outdoor pools for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday – kicking off summer swimming just like private pools in the suburbs.
City council greenlights coliseum’s replacement
The vacant and closed Richmond Coliseum is headed for redevelopment.
New stable for police horses
Richmond’s four police horses, Aslan, Samson, Scooter and Toby, are finally getting a new home.
She’s coming!
Michelle Obama to discuss free speech at the Richmond Forum
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will make a long-awaited appearance at the Richmond Forum on June 7.
2 artistic directors join Virginia Repertory Theatre
Todd D. Norris and Rick Hammerly will join Desirée Roots, a Richmond-based jazz singer and actress, as artistic directors for the Virginia Repertory Theatre.
A salute to Richmond’s notable basketball stars
Robert L. “Bobby” Dandridge, aka “Greyhound,” “Bismarck,” and “Pick,” was born in Richmond on Nov. 15, 1947. He became a headliner at Maggie L. Walker High (Stretch Gardner) and Norfolk State (Ernie Fears), and was drafted in the fourth round by Milwaukee in 1969.
Buffalo supermarket victim Kat Massey, 72, laid to rest
In the late 1980s, Katherine “Kat” Massey was tired of the perpetually overgrown lot on state property on her street, so she sent a letter on “Cherry Street Block Club” letterhead to the governor, which led to it being cleaned up.
Personality: The Rev. Shay W. Auerbach
Sacred Heart Center’s board president says the pandemic has been especially hard for Latino communities
From the doors of the church to the streets of Richmond and beyond, the Rev. Shay W. Auerbach has been a tireless advocate for the city’s Latino community for more than a decade.
VUU, VSU join public schools to retain Black and Latino male teachers
Richmond Public Schools’ RVA Men Teach program has partnered with Virginia Union and Virginia State universities to create a Teacher Residency program for male minority teachers.
Governor: Texas gunman said he was going to ‘shoot up school’
The gunman who massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas warned in online messages sent minutes before the attack that he had shot his grandmother and was going to shoot up a school, the governor said Wednesday.
School Board questions its role in Ashe Center’s site plans
Another battle appears to be looming between City Hall and the School Board.
