Rev. Billy Graham, evangelist, presidential confidante and supporter of Dr. King, to be laid to rest March 2
Thousands of people from all walks of life filed slowly past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham on Monday to pay their final respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Personality: Amy ‘MiMi’ Wentz
Spotlight on co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience
Amy “MiMi” Wentz believes Richmond should be on the map for its dynamic and diverse dining scene. “We (Richmonders) also must make sure that everyone knows that we have some amazing minority-owned businesses — an important part of that big picture — that deserve to be highlighted, supported and celebrated,” she continues.
City Council OKs expensive NFL training center refinancing
Taxpayers cannot escape paying for the Washington pro football team’s summer training camp, a reluctant Richmond City Council has decided.
Petersburg youths treated to ‘Black Panther’ courtesy of Trey Songz
Grammy nominated R&B singer Trey Songz and his Angels with Heart Foundation treated 100 Petersburg youngsters to the smash hit “Black Panther” last week at the movie theater at Southpark Mall Park.
New street sign to honor Free Press founder
A new street sign is being put in place at 5th and Franklin streets to honor Raymond H. Boone Sr., the late founder and publisher of the Richmond Free Press.
Public meeting March 1 on Henrico schools superintendent search
The public will have an opportunity to tell Henrico officials what they want to see in a new Henrico schools superintendent at a meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at L. Douglas Wilder Middle School, 6900 Wilkinson Road.
RRHA heating problems, repairs continue
Three steps forward and one step back. That’s how it seems to be going for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority in dealing with the heating problems afflicting nearly 10 percent of its 4,000 public housing units.
City Council votes to expand bulk and brush pickup
Richmond residents can now dispose of used mattresses, old sofas, broken chairs and worn-out kitchen tables, along with brush and tree limbs from their yards, at no additional charge. A divided Richmond City Council voted 5-4 Monday night to expand the bulk and brush program to include items that previously were banned.
Inequality persists 50 years after landmark Kerner Commission report
Barriers to equality are posing threats to democracy in the United States as the country remains segregated along racial lines and child poverty worsens, according to a study examining the nation 50 years after the release of the landmark 1968 Kerner Report.
‘Becoming Kareem’ coming to a city near you
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been a best-selling author, civil rights activist, actor, historian and one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived.
City apparently losing money on vehicle registration fees
Last year, the City of Richmond charged city vehicle owners a $33 annual registration fee for each of their cars, a $38 fee for each pickup or heavy-duty truck and $18 for each motorcycle.
Dance club sold to VCU for $3.5M
For years, Nathaniel Dance III battled Virginia Commonwealth University to keep the popular dance club he established at 534 N. Harrison St.
Application deadline March 18 for Governor’s Fellows Program
College and graduate students have a little less than a month to apply to the Governor’s Fellows Program, an opportunity to learn firsthand about the workings of Virginia state government.
Va. MLK Commission kicks off community meetings March 1 at VUU
The state’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission will observe the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination through 12 “Community Conversations” beginning in March, each one at a location the Rev. King visited in Virginia.
Where does it end?
Here we go again with this gun violence. Another 17 young lives lost and 15 injured in the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla. There were 26 people killed in the church in Texas, nine people in the church in South Carolina, 25 children in Sandy Hook, 32 at Virginia Tech, 19 people at Columbine, 58 people in Las Vegas.
Passing along history
February is Black History Month, with plays, programs and famous songs sung like “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” As black Americans, we are free to do wonderful things to make contributions to our community and our world.
U.S. lawmakers part of dream or nightmare?
I, too, am a dreamer. I dream of a time when we have a government that works for the average American — and not just for corporate America — without working at the expense of the average American. Most of our politicians on both sides of the aisle are continuing to give us a steady diet of nightmares while pretending to care about us.
New idea for old schools problem
Re “Feeding schools’ budget: City Council approves 1.5% meals tax hike for schools construction,” Free Press Feb. 15-17 edition:
Gun tragedies and inaction
We woke up the morning after the Florida high school tragedy hearing that 95 percent of the American people support stronger background checks before someone can buy a gun. That sounds like a no-brainer because only 4 percent of the people oppose these checks
‘Black Panther’ claws away racism
“The film serves as a breath of fresh intellectual air, especially amid today’s sociopolitical climate.
