Story
Sheriff sanctioned over loss of videotape in jail inmate’s death
Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. describes the 500 video cameras that record inside the Richmond Justice Center “as a sort of a truth serum,” a way to show “what really happened” when inmates complain or there is a disagreement about events. Those words have come back to haunt him as he seeks to defend himself and the jail against a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the death of Erin Jenkins, 29, just five days after the new jail opened in 2014.
Story
Budget dispute may slow plans to redevelop Boulevard
A little noticed budget dispute in the General Assembly could slow Richmond’s rush to transform 61 acres of largely vacant city property on North Boulevard into retail stores, a hotel, offices and apartments. The House of Delegates and the Senate appear to be split over approving Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to authorize the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to spend up to $105 million to buy land and develop a new headquarters and warehouse complex.
Story
‘Checkered past’ tanks Petersburg’s top pick
Petersburg Mayor W. Howard Myers expected to introduce Rochelle Small-Toney as the new city manager Wednesday evening
Story
A. Donald McEachin now headed to Congress
Henrico state Sen. A. Donald McEachin soon will be heading to Washington. The 55-year-old attorney who carried the Democratic banner claimed the revamped 4th Congressional District seat Tuesday to cap a hard-fought contest with his Republican rival, veteran Henrico County Sheriff Michael L. Wade. Sen. McEachin’s victory will change the state’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, which now will have four Democrats and seven Republicans. It also will trigger competition to fill his state Senate seat.
Story
Proposals to build 2 schools, redo George Wythe under review
Richmond Public Schools might provide incoming Mayor Levar Stoney with a potential blueprint for addressing the problem of outdated and increasingly worn-out school buildings.
Story
Mayor-elect Stoney plans to be ‘hands-on, visible, transparent’
As he looks forward to becoming Richmond’s next mayor, Levar Stoney is planning to be more visible after he takes office. As he puts it, he wants to be a “hands-on, visible and transparent mayor who can be a champion for accountability, measure outputs and inputs and, at the end of the day, say that the buck stops with me.”
Story
Federal appeals court upholds right of city employees to express opinions on social media
Police officers and other government employees do not completely surrender their First Amendment rights when they go to work.
Story
Evergreen Cemetery sold to Enrichmond Foundation
Unkempt, but historic Evergreen Cemetery has a new owner eager to preserve and protect the burial ground for banker Maggie L. Walker, crusading journalist John Mitchell Jr. and as many as 50,000 other African-Americans. After months of talks, Enrichmond Foundation, the nonprofit support arm for city parks and recreation, completed the purchase of the 60-acre cemetery from a private family corporation.
Story
$400,000 severance for former city auditor
Former City Auditor Umesh Dalal seems to have been as adept in negotiating his own exit package as he was in examining the practices of city departments.
Story
What really happened?
New details change initial police report of Mosby Court events surrounding special agent’s death
Travis A. Ball initially was portrayed as a depraved killer who fatally shot Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael T. Walter in the head without provocation.
Story
RRHA to sell 26 homes to highest bidders
A major opportunity to create affordable homes for families with below average incomes in Richmond is going by the wayside.
Story
Activist claims no signs banning interstate hitchhiking invalidates his arrest
The Virginia Department of Transportation appears to be flouting a state law. That law, section 46.2-808 of the state code, requires the agency to post signs on entryways to the interstates stating that pedestrians, horseback riders, farm tractors, cyclists and mopeds are banned from using high-speed, controlled-access highways.
Story
City attorney rules $226,000 in severance payments legal
The controversial award of $226,000 in severance packages to four people who worked for former Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones was legal, according to City Attorney Allen L. Jackson.
Story
City quietly pumps $833,569 more into Monroe Park renovation
The renovation of Monroe Park is a prime example of why Richmond City Council is becoming more aggressive in overseeing city spending.
Story
New program to create jobs, new homes and opportunity
Buy vacant lots in depressed sections of Richmond. Then have small, black-owned construction firms fill the lots with modern, affordable homes that can sell quickly while creating jobs for nearby residents.
Story
Support builds for more fiscal controls over Mayor Stoney
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney is doing all he can to avoid the fiscal handcuffs that City Council is poised to slap on him.
Story
Chief: Crime up, but not out of control
There’s bad news and good news in Richmond’s crime story. First the bad news: Richmond is suffering its first spike in violent and property crimes after years of decline, according to Police Chief Alfred Durham.
Story
Petersburg facing service cutoffs from unpaid vendors
Despite paying a monthly fee, Petersburg residents might not get their trash collected or their recycling materials picked up.
Story
A Zika virus cure?
Research at VCU supports claims of new antiviral drug
When he first published a paper 18 months ago detailing a kind of “miracle” drug that could destroy every virus and bacteria that plagues mankind, Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Paul Dent found his work derided as too good to be true.
Story
27,952 registered in 2 days
Voters flood state online registration system during deadline extension
Tens of thousands of Virginians registered to vote last week after a federal judge ordered the state to reopen the voter rolls for two extra days.
