CARE van drivers approve new contract
The third time worked. After rejecting two previous offers, union drivers with GRTC’s CARE paratransit service voted to approve the latest offer from the service’s operator, Cincinnati-based First Transit Inc.
Veterans ride free on GRTC Sunday, Nov. 11
GRTC will provide free rides to current and former members of the military on Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11, the transit company has announced.
Veterans Day observance
In observance of Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 12, please note the following:
Veterans Day ceremony and Armistice Day Festival Nov.11 at the Carillon
Gov. Ralph S. Northam will help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I as the speaker at the annual Commonwealth of Virginia Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at Dogwood Dell Amphitheater in Byrd Park, 600 S. Boulevard.
Medicaid expansion enrollment continues
Enrollment for Virginia’s Medicaid expansion program, Cover Virginia, is now open and will continue through Saturday, Dec. 15.
Mayor Stoney pushes $1.4B plan to revitalize Downtown
The grand plan to overhaul a big chunk of Downtown — including replacing the Richmond Coliseum with a new, larger arena — with a combination of taxpayer dollars and private investment funds is now headed to Richmond City Council for review.
President Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was fired on Wednesday after receiving unrelenting criticism from President Trump for recusing himself from an investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential race.
Hopes for an African-American governor dashed at the ballot box in 2 states
Highly energized contests in Florida, Georgia and Maryland in which African-Americans were candidates for governor drew thousands of voters to the polls, but not enough votes for any of the three to claim victory.
Dems take the House
Voter enthusiasm, coupled with rejection of Trump policies, results in Democrats regaining the U.S. House of Representatives in midterm election
Voters brought an end to one-party Republican rule in the nation’s capital in Tuesday’s election. Propelled by a surge of rank-and-file enthusiasm and widespread urban and suburban dissatisfaction with President Trump, Democrats took control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2011.
Cheryl Burke wins Richmond School Board seat
Cheryl L. Burke, who was appointed in 2017 as the interim 7th District representative to the Richmond School Board, was elected Tuesday night to fill the seat for the rest of the term through 2020.
Sen. Tim Kaine glides to big re-election victory
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine declared that Virginia rejected the “the politics of hatred and division … the politics of peddling lies to get ahead” after handily winning re-election to his second six-year term.
Newcomer Abigail Spanberger claims narrow win over GOP incumbent
Democratic newcomer Abigail Spanberger of Henrico defied conventional wisdom and upset U.S. Rep. Dave Brat to win Virginia’s 7th Congressional District seat in her first run for public office.
Kudos to Free Press, community volunteers
I would like to thank the Richmond Free Press profusely for its photos and story recognizing the actions of two generous individuals in our community who helped remedy a dangerous situation at George Washington Carver Elementary School.
Vote on Nov. 6
Last night, I finished reading “The Blood of Emmett Till” by Timothy B. Tyson. The 14-year-old was killed in 1955 because of who he was and where he was. On Saturday, it happened again in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Eleven Jewish parishioners were killed because of who they were and where they were.
Moving beyond tragedy
Something is clearly wrong in our nation when worshippers are gunned down at the Tree of Life Synagogue, as occurred last week, or at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015, or at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis., in 2012.
Free Press Endorsements 2018
Tuesday, Nov. 6, is Election Day. And we believe there is no starker contrast or more clear choice for Virginia voters than in the race for U.S. Senate and in contests for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 4th and 7th Districts.
‘Wall of Honor’ unveiled on new Virginia Women’s Monument
Virginia First Lady Pam Northam and former First Lady Susan Allen, wife of former Gov. George Allen, gathered Tuesday with a small crowd in Capitol Square to proclaim a milestone in making a dream a reality.
TJ’s Jahlin Russell works like a wrecking ball
It’s no surprise Jahlin Russell plays football. The Thomas Jefferson High School senior is quick, strong, aggressive and fearless. He doesn’t back down.
Puerto Rican native Alex Cora manages Red Sox to World Series win
Diversity in the dugout. That was a theme during the Boston Red Sox’s World Series triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Sunday night’s victory, the Red Sox beat the Dodgers 4-1 to win the series. For the first time in World Series annals, managers for both baseball teams — Alex Cora of the Red Sox and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts — are men of color.
Olympic ‘Black Power Salute’ rises 50 years later
Tommie Smith and John Carlos were among the fastest men of their generation. But it wasn’t what they did on the Olympic track that makes them most remembered. It’s what they did after their race — on the medals podium — that still resonates.
