Love Stories
The Free Press proudly presents its annual Valentine’s Day feature sharing the Love Stories of four Richmond area couples.
Neither of us attended graduate school with the intentions of finding a soulmate, but that’s the thing about love — it doesn’t much care about your plans.
Gridiron pioneer Willie Wood dies at 83
Willie Wood, the college quarterback who became an NFL Hall of Fame safety, died Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, at age 83.
VUU signs 20 to 2020-21 Panthers football team
The Richmond area is well represented on Virginia Union University’s list of football signees. Out of 20 recruits announced by Panthers Coach Alvin Parker, 13 are from Virginia and six from the 804 area code.
2 with area ties on 'watch list' for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar national award
Armando Bacot has made a big splash during his freshman season at the University of North Carolina. The former Trinity Episcopal School standout is one of 20 players on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List. The award is given to the top center in NCAA Division I.
From tribal college to VUU, Railey has growing power
It’s not where you come from, but how you play the game that counts. Tyriek Railey is making an impression at Virginia Union University despite having arrived from a school few Richmonders have ever heard of.
Sunday's NBA All-Star Game to have tributes to Kobe, daughter
You don’t need to be an NBA expert to predict someone wearing either No. 24 or No. 2 will be MVP of Sunday’s All-Star Game. In honor of the late Kobe Bryant, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who were killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif., players on LeBron James’ West team will wear No. 2 in honor of Gianna, while players on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s East team will wear No. 24 in honor of Kobe.
National religious leaders, scholars expected for symposium Feb. 19-21
Scholars from across the country are expected to attend a national symposium in Richmond exploring the politics of black religion through the legacy of Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, a civil rights icon, theologian and key aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The symposium, “Wyatt Tee Walker and the Politics of Black Religion,” will be held Feb. 19 through 21 starting at the University of Virginia and then moving for the final two days to the University of Richmond. All sessions are free and open to the public.
New research reconsiders writings of enslaved Muslim scholar
He was from Senegal, wrote in Arabic and was enslaved. Or was he an Arab prince? He was a scholar who memorized vast passages of the Quran and mastered numerous Islamic texts. Or were his writings unintelligible? He was a devout Muslim. Or did he convert to Christianity? These are just some of the conflicting narratives about Omar ibn Said (or more correctly Sayyid), a black Muslim scholar captured in Senegal in 1807 and taken by boat to Charleston, S.C.
Dr. Aaron L. Dixon, former principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, dies at 62
“Impact children’s lives today for tomorrow.” That slogan shaped the career of Dr. Aaron Lorenzo Dixon, his family said.
Longtime area photographer Waverly L. Williams Sr. succumbs at 76
Have camera, will travel. That was the motto of photographer Waverly Lee Williams Sr., who was always on the go to capture images of people, places and events, mostly in the Richmond area.
Personality: Robert M. Lester
Spotlight on president of Club 533
An invitation from a friend and fraternity brother brought Robert M. Lester to Club 533 in 2012, offering him the opportunity to meet and listen to members from across decades. That night sparked Mr. Lester’s interest and desire to be a part of the club, now 64 years old, that still brings together men of accomplishment dedicated to improving the social and civic welfare of the community.
Legal help offers children healthier futures
One silver lining for a parent with a child being treated at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University is access to free legal services.
RPS gets break on $3.32M city stormwater bill
Tear up that bill. That’s what Mayor Levar M. Stoney told the Richmond School Board to do with a $3.32 million bill for unpaid stormwater fees that has accumulated over 10 years.
Free GRTC bus service being eyed
Free rides on GRTC buses? That idea has begun to percolate as a proposal by Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn to create a regional transportation authority to provide new funding for roads and public transit moves through the General Assembly.
VUU surprised by $1M announcement on Founders Day
Virginia Union University President Hakim J. Lucas stood before an audience of more than 350 students, faculty, alumni, trustees and dignitaries last Friday to remember the past and mark the path to the future at the university’s 155th Anniversary Founders Day Convocation.
Confederate statues in State Capitol remain unaddressed
As the General Assembly wrestles over whether to give localities the right to control their Confederate monuments, their debate is being waged in the State Capitol — a virtual shrine to the Confederacy.
Investigation reopened into murder of Malcolm X
Who really killed Malcolm X? Nearly 55 years since his assassination on Feb. 21, 1965, in the Audubon Ballroom in New York, the human rights activist’s murder will be reinvestigated in the wake of new information uncovered in a Netflix documentary, prosecutors in New York said on Tuesday.
Lt. Gov. Fairfax's defamation suit against CBS News dismissed by federal judge
A federal judge on Tuesday tossed out a libel lawsuit filed by Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax against a television network he accused of slanted reporting on sexual assault allegations against him.
Begin Again
City Council majority strikes $1.5B Coliseum and Downtown development project, urging the administration to start over with public inclusion
Start over — and this time include the public. That’s the cry from the five members of Richmond City Council who followed through Monday night in eliminating the $1.5 billion Coliseum replacement and Downtown redevelopment plan, just as they said they would do when the nine-member governing body met last week as a committee.
Trump expands immigration ban to 4 African nations, 2 others
The Trump administration announced last Friday that it is curbing legal immigration from six additional countries that officials said did not meet security standards, as part of an election-year push to further restrict immigration.
