
Levar M. Stoney for mayor
Richmond is at a crossroads — brought to this point by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the summer of protests calling for racial justice after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis and capped by the removal of the racist Confederate statues that have weighed our city down for far too long.

Joe Biden for president and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris for vice president
Competent. It’s not a flashy word or a flashy concept. But it best describes Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

’Empire’ star Taraji P. Henson hailed for mental health work
“Empire” star Taraji P. Henson has enjoyed wealth, celebrity, a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination. But behind the scenes, she has battled anxiety and depression.

Juneteenth now officially a state holiday
Juneteenth officially has become a state holiday after lawmakers unanimously approved legislation during the Virginia General Assembly’s special session.

Chester’s Chris Tyree making big plays as Notre Dame’s featured tailback
Chris Tyree is a local athlete earning a national reputation.

Willie Lanier launches ‘Honey Bear Project’ to upgrade athletic fields at HBCUs
NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Wil- lie Lanier, a graduate of Maggie L. Walker High School, has launched an initiative to install modern artifi- cial playing surfaces at nearly three dozen HBCUs.

Stacey Abrams’ zeal for activism began with preacher parents
Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House minority leader who lost a razor-thin race for governor in 2018, voted on Oct. 15, driving her ballot to a local drop box.

NFL Hall of Famer Fred Dean dies at 68
Fred Dean, the relentless defensive end who helped the San Francisco 49ers win two Super Bowl titles, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, of complications from the coronavirus. He was 68.

Impact of attending Million Man March 25 years ago still felt today
Twenty-five years ago on Oct. 16, 1995, an estimated 1 million African-American men from across the United States descended on the Washington Mall for the historic Million Man March.

World Series gets underway with L.A. Dodgers-Tampa Bay Rays matchup
Entering this postseason, Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers was an established marquee attrac- tion, a leading man if ever there was one.

Online sessions to highlight Weekend of Mourning on Oct. 23 and 24
With gun violence occurring regularly in Richmond, members of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, or RISC, are collaborating with Temple Beth-El for a two-day Weekend of Mourning to reflect on the lives lost, pray for those affected and to call for meaningful action by city leaders.

Lawyer who successfully argued Loving case legalizing interracial marriage dies
Bernard S. Cohen, who won a landmark case that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of laws forbidding interracial marriage and later went on to a successful political career as a state legislator, has died. He was 86.

Dr. Irving P. McPhail, president of St. Augustine’s University, dies from COVID-19 complications
Dr. Irving P. McPhail, president of St. Augustine’s University, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, of complications from COVID-19, just three months after taking the helm of the historically Black university in Raleigh, N.C.

Personality: Deborah D. Jackson
Spotlight on treasurer of Sisters Network Central Virginia
In 2008, Deborah D. Jackson was part of a door-to-door campaign to help educate women in the city’s underserved neighborhoods about breast health. That was part of the annual Gift for Life Block Walk conducted by the Sisters Network Central Virginia, a breast cancer survivorship organization of African-American women.

More Virginia colleges scrap traditional spring break
A growing number of Virginia colleges are announcing that spring break will be canceled or modified in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary opens in Bristol
Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary has officially opened to patients.

Franklin County elementary schoolteacher named Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year
Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year credits his fourth-grade teacher for helping him through the trauma of being put into foster care as a child and remaining a mentor to him throughout his childhood in Danville.

Richmond Police revise details on time, location of incident in which detectives indicted
The Richmond Police Department has revised its official statement about the time and location of the incident that led to the indictment of two detectives after the Richmond Free Press raised questions about the initial statement.

Signs honoring Dr. Charles K. Price to be unveiled Oct. 23
The Cannon Creek Greenway, a cycling and pedestrian trail runs along the Richmond-Henrico Turnpike in North Side, will have new signs to honor Dr. Charles K. Price for the major role the retired educator played in the trail’s creation.