
Elite runners from Kenya and Ethiopia win Richmond Marathon
Kenyan and Ethiopian runners make up a tiny percentage of the total number of participants in the annual Richmond Marathon. But they’re clearly at the head of the pack.

Stan Lee, Marvel Comics writer and creator of the ‘Black Panther,’ dies at 95
Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and made billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday, Nov. 12, 2018.

Erika E. Wheeler, musician and former outreach coordinator for the Richmond Symphony, dies at 63
Erika Eliza Wheeler combined a passion for music with a penchant for real estate.

Teen’s idea for Kindness Week comes to fruition in Richmond
This is a special week for Binford Middle School student Jalia Hardy. The 13-year-old won the statewide “If I Were Mayor” essay contest during the spring sponsored by the Virginia Municipal League that challenged seventh-graders to describe what they would do if they were mayor of their hometown.

Jones gets pushback on renaming South Side center
Ninth District City Councilman Michael J. Jones has put on hold his proposal to rename the Southside Community Center for Richmond area entertainer Lonnie Battle, a.k.a. DJ Lonnie B.

City Council members not embracing new location for Social Services building
A marketing campaign to sell the public on the $1.4 billion plan to reshape Downtown and develop a new Coliseum is in full swing, even though the legislation to support the plan is still incomplete and has not been sent to Richmond City Council.

Officials break ground for new off-track betting parlor in South Side
A vacant, former K-Mart store in South Side is being transformed into a $30 million center for betting on horse racing called Rosie’s.

Wallace ‘Wally’ Triplett, football pioneer, dies at 92
Wallace “Wally” Triplett, who set many “firsts” as a pioneering African-American football player, died Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, at his home in metropolitan Detroit. He was 92.

Richmond native and noted musician Melvin ‘Wah Wah Watson’ Ragin dies at 67
Melvin Marcellus Ragin learned to strum a guitar in Richmond and went on to become a legendary studio musician whose unique sound can be heard in more than 150 recordings that topped the charts at No. 1.

Personality: Darlene A. Scott
Spotlight on Women Heart Champion and volunteer health advocate
Darlene Anita Scott, an associate professor of composition and creative writing at Virginia Union University, is a long-distance runner and the image of great health and fitness.

City Council votes to sue opioid manufacturers
Richmond City Council Tuesday night declared a legal war on major manufacturers of addictive opioid pain medications that allegedly have made the city’s public safety costs balloon and resulted in the overdose deaths or hospitalization of thousands of city residents in the past 10 years.

Greater Gilpin launches
On Tuesday, Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring launched Greater Gilpin, a three-year initiative to engage residents of the Gilpin Court public housing community in crafting approaches to reduce gun violence and raise their life opportunities.

Blackwell development to continue with 96 available lots
It has taken 21 years, but the Hope VI redevelopment of Blackwell appears to be moving toward completion.

Director named for new VCU Health Hub in Church Hill
For more than 10 years, Natalie Pennywell led state Health Department outreach efforts to educate people about healthy eating and improved diets as a way to prevent and fight diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Chronic absenteeism declining among RPS students
This school year, the majority of Richmond Public Schools students are present and accounted for each school day. Harry Hughes, chief of schools, reported during the Nov. 5 Richmond School Board meeting that the rate of RPS students missing school has decreased since the beginning of the school year.

‘I’m done’: Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham announces his last day on the force will be Dec. 31
“I’m done. I don’t have another position waiting.” So said Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham after publicly announcing Tuesday he will retire effective Sunday, Dec. 31.

Thanksgiving food, fellowship at area events
Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and fellowship. But it also can be a stressful and lonely time for others.

Personality: Warrick F. Scott Sr.
Spotlight on founder of nonprofit Wendell Scott Foundation
Warrick F. Scott Sr. was inspired by his grandfather, Wendell Scott of Danville, the first African-American race car driver to win a Grand National race, NASCAR’s highest level. That was in 1963, when pervasive racial prejudice repeatedly thwarted his efforts.

‘PC’ and ignorance
Megyn Kelly is off the air at NBC. After her horridly vapid statement saying she didn’t see anything wrong with blackface, she apologized the next day and even invited journalist Roland Martin on to take her to school. Mr. Martin did a brilliant job in explaining the history of blackface and the way it demeans African-American people, and it was great that he had the opportunity to educate, not only his odious host, but also the millions who watch Ms. Kelly daily.

Dark times
These are dark times. Thirteen pipe bombs were sent to two former presidents and other political and cultural leaders.