Steel fabrication company to open in South Side
A York, Pa., company is creating 70 jobs for welders, machine operators, truck drivers and others in Richmond after re-opening a factory and warehouse in South Side that most recently was used to build large bridge components.
Grade snafu flunks ‘A’ student
Michael Donovan was surprised when his son brought home a report card for the first nine weeks at Lucille M. Brown Middle School that showed the sixth-grader had an F in Spanish.
VSU accredited for 10 years by SACS
Virginia State University, despite shrinking enrollment, has secured re-accreditation for a full 10 years, it was announced Tuesday. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmed VSU’s accreditation at its annual meeting Tuesday in New Orleans after finding the university complied with all of its standards.
New City Council chief of staff?
Richmond City Council soon could be looking for a new chief of staff. Lou Brown Ali, who has held the post since 2011, may be on her way out. Asked Tuesday, she confirmed that she might be resigning, “but I’ll learn more about that later.”
City Council to take up affordable housing and homeless issues at Dec. 17 meeting
Richmond’s governing body is planning to provide a $1 million increase to a City Hall loan pool that assists developers in generating affordable housing and to boost the city’s role in tackling the issue of homelessness.
City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto out of the woods?
Pressure appears to be lifting for Richmond City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto to resign his seat despite moving from the 5th District he represents to the city’s 1st District. Two key city officials, the Richmond voter registrar and the city attorney, have backed away from the issue of whether Mr. Agelasto’s move disqualifies him from remaining on City Council, leaving it uncertain whether any mechanism exists to enforce a requirement in the Virginia Constitution and state code that he, like other state and local officials, must live in the district he serves.
Letter to VUU board offers insight into theology school, university problems
Dr. Corey D.B. Walker may continue to teach after stepping down as vice president and dean of Virginia Union University’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at the end of December.
‘Fund our Future’
Ty Logan has his eyes set on a bright future and wants the State of Virginia to properly support it. “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. I want to be a lawyer. I want to be an astronaut,” the junior at Richmond Community High School said. “I want more investing into our education right now. I want the state to care about our learning, not test scores.”
Jury recommends neo-Nazi spend life behind bars for death at Charlottesville rally
A Charlottesville jury says the man who killed 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer and injured nearly 40 other people with his car during a neo-Nazi rally last year should spend the rest of his life in prison.
Gov. Northam announces plan to boost education spending
Just days after a major march in Richmond calling for more state dollars for public education, Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced Tuesday that his next proposed budget will include $268.7 million in additional school funding, including increased spending for new school construction, at-risk students and money to boost teachers’ pay.
Pushback: Individuals, coalitions raising questions, opposition to mayor’s $1.4B Coliseum development plan
As Mayor Levar M. Stoney and representatives of the Navy Hill District Corp. stump throughout the city to marshal support for the $1.4 billion plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum, resistance is beginning to appear.
Tears flow as Tyler Perry pays off layaway bills for 1,500 people in Atlanta
Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry knows how to wish his Atlanta neighbors a Merry Christmas — the filmmaker paid off all the customers’ items held on layaway at two local Walmart stores.
ICE deports undocumented immigrant who left church sanctuary
He left church sanctuary for what he hoped was a short appointment with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He never returned.
Prejudice also strikes ‘scruffy-looking’ white people
You do not have to be African-American to receive prejudicial treatment from Virginia Commonwealth University Police. You can be a scruffy-looking white person and receive roughly comparable treatment.
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.
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.
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.
‘River City Arts’ exhibit opens Dec. 7 at Pine Camp
A new exhibit, “River City Arts,” will open this week at Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center featuring the works of three Richmond area artists, it has been announced.
