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Cityscape // A family walks on the frozen edge of the James River on Sunday, evidence of the frigid conditions that gripped the city over …
Published on January 13, 2018
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‘Raise the wage’ rally Naomi Isaac, right, of the People’s Justice Alliance addresses a crowd seeking an increase in the state’s minimum wage during a …
Published on December 27, 2019
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A sign of support or a statement? This homemade “Black Lives Matter” banner was spotted on a brick wall in front of a Monument Avenue …
Published on October 8, 2020
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As Black History Month gets underway, this dramatic mural provides an artistic celebration of the people and events who represent protest, progress and achievement. Location: …
Published on February 4, 2021
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Museum of the Bible, funded by conservatives, avoids contentious issues
Eight years ago, Hobby Lobby president Steve Green found a new way to express his Christian faith. His family’s $4 billion arts and craft chain was already known for closing stores on Sundays, waging a U.S. Supreme Court fight over birth control and donating tens of millions of dollars to religious groups.
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VUU pulls out a win in last 21 seconds
The Virginia Union University Panthers have played like Houdini in their last two outings, escaping disaster on their home field. This Saturday, Oct. 5, the Panthers hope to take that magic to Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C., in a battle of CIAA championship contenders. In sports jargon, there’s winning by a nose, by a hair, even by a split second. In defeating Winston-Salem State University last Saturday, VUU won by an instep — that of soccer-style kicker Jefferson Souza. The final score: 16-15. The Brazilian born Souza booted three field goals during the game at Hovey Field, most dramatically a game-winning 25-yard field goal with a mere 21 seconds left. VUU fans are getting accustomed to being nervous. The week before, the heavily favored Panthers weren’t assured victory over Johnson C. Smith University until Sterling Hammond’s interception and touchdown return in the game’s closing minute. Jarrett Sumiel was the Panthers’ late-game defensive savior against Winston-Salem State. The defensive back from Westmoreland blocked a Rams punt with 1:52 to go and recovered on the Winston-Salem State 19-yard line. That set up Souza’s decisive kick that pushed VUU’s record to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the CIAA. Tabyus Taylor led the Panthers’ ground-and-pound running game with 76 bullish yards. The junior from Hopewell also caught two passes for 30 yards and returned a kickoff for 58 yards. Panthers quarterback Khalid Morris hit 11 of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown to former Highland Springs High star Jaiden Reavis. Tyrone Glanton and Hammond spearheaded the Panthers’ defense against Winston-Salem State. Glanton, a graduate student from Miami, was in on eight tackles and has 31 stops for the year. Hammond, arguably the CIAA’s top NFL prospect in years, had seven tackles against the Rams and has 40 for the season. Like VUU, upcoming opponent Livingstone College also is enjoying life on the gridiron. The Blue Bears are 4-0, with wins over Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Allen University of Columbia, S.C., and most recently a 35-19 victory over Lincoln University. Livingstone travels best by the arm of quarterback Miles Hayes. The Miami native has hit 68 percent of his passes. He averages 204 yards through the air with eight touchdowns. Livingstone appears to be on the uptick under fifth-year Coach Daryl Williams. The Blue Bears were 0-10 in 2017 and 3-6 a year ago, including a 52-19 loss to VUU at Hovey Field. Livingstone’s only CIAA titles came back to back in 1997 and1998, while VUU has won 11 CIAA crowns, most recently in 2001. This is a pivotal game for both teams. With tough schedules looming, both need a victory to remain viable candidates for the CIAA cham- pionship game in Salem.
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End of the road for free rides on GRTC?
GRTC’s current free fare program was supposed to remain in place through June 2025, but now is at risk of ending far sooner. The regional bus company eliminated fares soon after the pandemic hit in March 2020 with the help of state and federal grants. That change has helped regular bus riders save thousands of dollars in transit costs. The program appeared on course to be extended for an ad- ditional three years after the state awarded GRTC an $8 million grant five months ago. Now transit advocates are raising alarm that the no fare program could end as soon January 2023 for lack of financial backing, most notably from City Hall. According to transit advocates, Mayor Levar M. Stoney, who has repeatedly stated he would keep GRTC fare-free through his term, has put the zero-fare initiative at risk by failing to keep his pledge to provide the required matching funds for the grant. Without notice, he rejected the request of his new internal Of- fice of Equitable Transit to include $1 million in local matching funds for the state grant in his proposed budget for 2022-23. Nor has he indicated any plans for the city alone, or in concert with its regional GRTC partners, Chesterfield and Henrico coun- ties, to provide the matching $3 million required in 2023-24 and the matching $5 million required in the 2024-25 fiscal year. At a news conference on Tuesday, Mayor Stoney defended his decision. He first told reporters that GRTC has “plenty of money” and can cover the match itself. He said the 2020 hike in the regional sales and gas tax to boost funding for transportation through the new Central Virginia Transit Authority, or CVTA, has increased regional support for public transit to record levels. Later in the news conference, the mayor asserted that his spending plan actually includes the $1 million, which was not broken out. That also was the statement given to the Free Press by the mayor’s press secretary, Jim Nolan. However, the only increase in subsidy his proposed budget plan provides to GRTC is $600,000. His proposal is to increase the current GRTC subsidy of $8 million to $8.6 million, still about half the $16 million the city provided GRTC yearly before the General Assembly created the CVTA two years ago. That $6 million increase, he stated in the budget message he delivered to City Council in early March, is needed to meet a state requirement that was part of the CVTA legislation. Under that requirement, localities in the authority must raise the transit subsidy yearly to reflect the increase in inflation recorded by the Consumer Price Index. Some of that increase in city subsidy also is earmarked for new bus shelters. The first warning that the zero-fare policy might not survive came in an April 18 post on the Greater Washington blog that was filed by Wyatt Gordon, a policy manager for land use and transportation at the Virginia Conservation Network. According to Mr. Gordon, the mayor and his administration rejected the request from the new internal Office of Equitable Transit to provide the $1 million in matching funds, putting the zero-fare initiative at risk. The Rev. Benjamin P. Campbell, GRTC board chairman, confirmed that the free fare service could end sooner than anticipated if additional funds are not provided. He noted that federal CARES Act money that has helped support the program is drying up and the continuation of free fares would require a financial commitment from the city and the two counties to cover the increasing cost. He said the big question for GRTC’s board is whether free fares are sustainable. The advocacy group RVA Rapid Transit is urging City Council to save the zero-fare program for at least another year by adding $1 million to the GRTC subsidy to protect riders — a majority of whom live well below the median income — from a major hit to their pocketbooks. In an email, Faith Walker, the group’s executive director, called on the council to embrace 1st District Councilman Andreas D. Addison’s amendment to add the $1 million when the governing body meets Friday, April 22, to complete its work on the city’s 2022-23 operating budget. That budget goes into effect July 1. Mr. Addison supports fare-free transit and believes the city can afford the cost, but it is not yet clear that he can muster a five-member majority to back the $1 million additional GRTC subsidy. Ms. Walker called it a matter of equity — a topic the mayor has preached about—noting that half the regular bus riders have incomes at or below $25,000 a year, with at least one in four hav- ing incomes of $10,000 a year or less. Removing transit fares has helped boost the standard of living for those riders, she stated. Council members have advanced more than $22 million in budget amendments, including the proposal to boost the GRTC subsidy. But the members have shown little appetite to date for making cuts in the mayor’s spending plan to pay for their proposals, and at this moment, have only about $2.7 million in additional funds to spend.
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$1.45M grant to assist VSU students with child care costs
Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine have announced that Virginia State University will receive $1.45 million to assist student-parents (students who are also parents) with child care costs. The funds, which will be distributed over the next four years, will be used to offer student-parents access to affordable child care services both on and off campus.
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VUU enrollment increases
Virginia Union University is experiencing a surge in freshmen enrollment to start the fall semester, joining other area universities in reporting an increase in first-time students.
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He breaks stereotypes at Arizona State
Jackson He is big, fast and strong, about what you’d expect of a football player at Arizona State University. But what makes him really special is his nationality. He is Chinese.
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2021: A football season to forget for Richmond high schools
This won’t be a football season to fondly remember for Richmond’s five comprehensive high schools.
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VUU’s Butler, Osborne heading to Houston
The basketball season isn’t over yet for Virginia Union Coach Jay Butler and senior standout Robert Osborne.
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Maggie Walker statue is 80 years overdue
I write with renewed disquiet over what appears to be the stalling of the Maggie Walker statue at the corner of Broad and Adams streets in Downtown.
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GOP ‘needs to cease their tireless efforts to deny and restrict folks’ from voting
I must take umbrage with the Republican majority of the General Assembly and its leadership. Once again, this partisan body of legislators has shown that it is more concerned with wasting taxpayers’ dollars in a frivolous lawsuit against Gov. Terry McAuliffe over restoration of voting rights for more than 200,000 individuals rather than providing for the medical care of 400,000 families in the Commonwealth.
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Muslim firefighter settles lawsuit
A Muslim firefighter who said he was subjected to firehouse harassment over his faith and race, including being fed pork in violation of his religious beliefs, has settled his lawsuit against New York City.
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Bishop Charles A. West starting new church in Henrico County
Bishop Charles A. West, who ran the Operation Streets youth basketball program in Richmond for more than 20 years, is starting over with a new church.
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VSU Trojan Explosion Marching Band suspended amid hazing allegations
All perfomances of the Virginia State University’s marching band have been suspended following allegations of hazing by band members, university officials said Monday.
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Personality: Dr. Kate Hoof
Spotlight on board president of Richmond Cycling Corps
Dr. Kate Hoof is helping Richmond kids put the pedal to the metal.
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ELECTION 2020: Incumbents for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives face challengers
I decided to become a candidate for U.S. Senate because:
