
Kanye West sounds off on slavery, his opioid addiction and Trump
Rapper Kanye West on Tuesday described slavery as a choice, praised President Trump for doing “the impossible” by becoming president, and attributed his 2016 mental breakdown to opioid addiction.

Virginia State’s Trenton Cannon drafted by New York Jets
Virginia State University’s Trenton Cannon has shown the CIAA the special talents he has on a football field. Now he hopes to show the NFL.

VT’s Edmunds brothers make NFL draft history
Lots of brothers have made it to the NFL. Some have played on the same team or been selected in the same draft. But siblings Tremaine and Terrell Edmunds of Danville made history April 26 as the first brothers selected in the same opening round.

Washington NFL team picks 2 in draft to fill holes
The Washington NFL team finished dead last — 32nd — in defense against the run during the 2017 NFL season. Da’Ron Payne has been chosen to help plug the sieve.

Flying Squirrels, other San Fran affiliates, have few or no African-American players
While baseball has become overwhelmingly white in the United States, it remains popular among aspiring hitters and pitchers of color from the Caribbean and South America.

John Marshall standout Isaiah Todd transferring
Isaiah Todd, arguably the area’s top college prospect since Moses Malone, is changing basketball addresses. After leading Richmond’s John Marshall High School to the State 3A title this past winter as a sophomore, the 6-foot-10 Todd is transferring to Trinity Academy, a Christian-based private school in Raleigh, N.C.

Golf club apologizes for calling cops on black women members
A golf club in Pennsylvania has apologized for calling police on a group of black women after the co-owner and his father said they were playing too slowly and refused requests to leave the course.

Assemblies of God elects first woman executive in more than a century
The top U.S. board of the Assemblies of God has unanimously elected its first woman general secretary in the Pentecostal denomination’s more than 100-year history.

House Speaker Paul Ryan forces out chaplain
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan forced out the Jesuit priest who had served as chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011 because he said in a prayer during deliberations on tax cuts that lawmakers should be “fair to all Americans,” a news report stated last week.

Jean L. Fountain, longtime educator, civic leader, dies at 75
Jean Lankford Fountain wore different hats as an educator, but always under the banner of Richmond Public Schools.

Lillie L. Taylor, longtime RPS administrator, succumbs at 88
The life and faith of Lillie Lipscomb Taylor, a former teacher and longtime supervisor of business and economic education programs for Richmond Public Schools, was celebrated during a funeral service Thursday, April 26, 2018, at Great Hope Baptist Church.

Blanche A.B. Washington, retired teacher, musician dies at 86
Blanche Amanda Barcroft Washington spent 36 years teaching elementary students reading, writing and the rudiments of science.

Rita J.T. Williams, former teacher, Head Start instructor, dies at 66
Carver Elementary School is mourning the loss of one of staff members, Rita Jane Taylor Williams, who succumbed to illness on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. She was 66.

Personality: Christopher J. Woody Sr.
Spotlight on founder of The Woody Foundation
Christopher J. Woody Sr. is a very happy man with an enormous giving heart.

No more money for school maintenance
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras is alarmed. He just found out that, as of March 31, RPS has only $881,143 left through June 30 to spend on school maintenance needs.

Pulse to start service June 24
That’s the day GRTC will launch the biggest overhaul of bus service in generations, one the company hopes that regular riders will cheer and that will bring new people to use public transit.

City developing policy, procedure for admissions tax
The director of the Richmond Finance Department will not seek legislation to reform the assessment and collection of admissions taxes.

Henrico School Board member Roscoe D. Cooper III arrested for misdemeanor assault
Henrico School Board member Roscoe D. Cooper III is once again the subject of a criminal court action, but this time the county police are on his side.

Community forum on gun safety and violence set for May 5
Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn will host a town hall meeting on school and community safety 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St. in the East End.

RPS to host Healthy Family Expo this Saturday
Get a child registered for preschool. Sign up for summer school. Get the booster vaccination needed to enter sixth grade. And enjoy some entertainment.