Churches, payday loans and the Bible
I think it is a positive concept that a church is dispensing micro loans to community members. It is obvious that payday lenders target the minority community, and black people in particular. Most of the customers I have seen are African-American.
Kudos Free Press on City Hall coverage
Re “Council committee blocks entry of medical transport company into Richmond market” and “Coliseum’s success raises new questions about need to replace it,” Free Press Nov. 29-Dec. 1 edition:
The Bush legacy
We believe that one’s life is like a scorecard or balance sheet — filled with both positives and negatives. And when one dies, others (perhaps even God) will look at the ledger and add up both sides.
Bush 41: ‘The closer’
Could former President George H.W. Bush have defeated current President Donald Trump? In a way, it already happened — in 1992, although nobody would have known it at the time.
The new voter suppression
“Georgia elections officials deployed a known strategy of voter suppression: closing and relocating polling places. Despite projections of record turnout, elections officials closed or moved approximately 305 locations, many in neighborhoods with numerous voters of color.
Nationwide talent bring boost to VCU Rams
Virginia Commonwealth University searches near and far for basketball talent, but lately the emphasis has been on far. Of Coach Mike Rhoades’ 14 players, just two are Virginians and only one has Richmond ties.
Freshman Pitts making big splash at VUU
Demarius Pitts saw no need to meekly dip his toes in the water to get a feel for college basketball. Boldly, he dove in head first instead.
Legend of NFL’s ‘Fearsome Foursome’ remains
The Los Angeles Rams, 10-1, are riding high these days with one of the NFL’s most historically explosive offenses — 36 points and 449 yards per game. It was much different in the 1960s, when the Los Angeles team rose to prominence with an intimidating defense featuring its famed “Fearsome Foursome.”
Some ‘Legacy Vendors’ to have spot at renovated 17th Street Farmers’ Market
Evelyn “Luceal” Allen and Rosa Fleming will be coming back to the 17th Street Farmers’ Market, while Timothy “Tim” Christian likely will not. For now, he will remain by Main Street Station.
Mayor uses ‘fake news’ moniker for media reports on Coliseum project
Is Richmond’s mayor adopting President Trump’s habit of labeling media reports he dislikes as “fake news”?
Pressure mounts for councilman to resign
Richmond City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto could soon face fresh pressure to resign from his 5th District seat following his admission last week that he and his family now live in a West Franklin Street house located in the 1st District.
Carver Elementary loses national Blue Ribbon award
Richmond’s George W. Carver Elementary School is no longer a national Blue Ribbon school. The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that it was stripping the school of the national award given to the school in 2016 for academic achievement.
Trump and scandal
For several years, many of us were consumed by the night on which the popular television show “Scandal,” starring Kerry Washington, was broadcast. Well, it seems that the program was our preparation for what’s going on in our country today.
Is this really environmental justice?
The Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative condemns Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s decision to suddenly replace two members of the state Air Pollution Control Board in the midst of the crucial permitting process for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline proposed compressor station in Buckingham County.
Step aside
Richmond City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto no longer lives in the district that he represents. He has acknowledged that he moved out of the 5th District in July into a house on West Franklin Street in the city’s 1st District with his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter, saying he needed larger accommodations for a growing family.
Teaching while black
We have read with disgust report after report from around the nation of incidents of white people calling the cops on African-Americans who are engaged in nothing more than the normal activities of daily living — barbecuing while black, going to the pool while black, waiting at Starbucks while black, going into your apartment building while black, vacationing at an airbnb while black, selling Girl Scout cookies while black and campaigning for public office while black.
Kudos to Evergreen volunteer
Every once in a while, you come across a person who is willing to put the community ahead of all things. They do this day in and day out. George Nixon is such a person. He has volunteered to help correct the overgrowth at Evergreen Cemetery. He has worked tirelessly since March 2016, helping to clear about 18 of approximately 60 acres.
Why I don’t go to church
I don’t go to church because I find it irrelevant. When I went to church, even good ones with a message and an active congregation, I found serious issues were omitted.
Free HIV testing Dec.1 for World AIDS Day
In honor of World AIDS Day, free HIV testing will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at The Valentine, 1015 E. Clay St.
Coliseum’s success raises new questions about need to replace it
The 13,500-seat Richmond Coliseum has been the busiest arena in Virginia during the past six years, according to a Chicago-based consulting company that was paid $500,000 by the city to review a proposal to replace the facility.
