Story
Rift grows between School Board and City Council over Wythe replacement
A Richmond city councilwoman is calling on the School Board to halt its effort to retake control of school construction and to come to the table with city officials “to create a process that everyone can support.”
Story
Without federal, state dollars, city residents may pay higher sewer bills
Richmond residents could potentially see their bill for sending wastewater to the city’s treatment plant skyrocket to $170 a month or more in the coming years, officials with the city’s Department of Public Utilities are warning.
Story
Mayor Stoney details plans for using $155M in American Rescue Plan funds
Mayor Levar M. Stoney on Monday called for using the $155 million inAmerican Rescue Plan funds pouring into City Hall coffers to increase the inventory of homes and apartments that are more affordable for lower-income residents; beef up recreation facilities and improve access to the James River; invest in child care programs and in health programs; improve public safety; and provide $3,000 bonuses for first re- sponders.
Story
City worker unionization efforts begin as police coalition calls for Chief Smith’s ouster
Should City Hall follow the lead of the Richmond School Board and authorize its employees to organize and collectively bargain over wages and working conditions?
Story
Dems defeated
In a nail-biting race, Republicans sweep Tuesday’s election for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, and flip the Democratic-controlled House of Delegates from blue to red
So much for Virginia turning blue.
Story
Legal or not?
Texas Hold ‘em poker games taking place in South Side at Pop’s Bar & Grill, whose co-founder is chairman of the Virginia Charitable Gaming Board
Casino-style gaming is still going strong in Richmond even after voters turned down an actual casino-resort in the Nov. 2 referendum.
Story
School Board, administration thwarted own tenets set up for RPS food service
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras appeared to have undermined a key tenet of the School Board’s approved three-year-old school improvement plan, Dreams4RPS, with decisions about the cafeteria operation and the delivery of food that were made before schools reopened earlier this month.
Story
RPS lists 5.5 percent fewer students since 2019
Enrollment in Richmond Public Schools continues to decline amid population growth in the larger community.
Story
It’s complicated
Beleaguered foundation’s last member determined to maintain Black cemeteries, despite ongoing obstacles
The last board member of the collapsed Enrichmond Foundation is working to turn over to City Hall control of two historic Black cemeteries as well as other properties and assets still in the foundation’s name.
Story
Voters reject casino bid a second time
No way. No how. That was Richmond voters’ resounding response to the question of whether a $562 million casino-resort should be developed in South Side.
Story
Casino vote aftermath
Stoney, Spanberger declare bids for governor; Paul Goldman proposes charter change
Mayor Levar M. Stoney is brushing himself off after Richmond voters for the second time rejected the $562 million casino-resort plan he fully backed and gearing up to run for governor in 2025. Separately, Paul Goldman, who led both successful no casino campaigns, is now focusing on securing public support for a change to the City Charter or constitution that would require the mayor and the City Council to put the city’s children first when it comes to spending tax dollars.
Story
Absence of motion?
Center City and Diamond District development proposals show little movement
Slow going. That appears to be the situation for the two largest development projects that involve City Hall.
Story
Staying the course while steadying church’s finances is Rev. James’ mission
The Rev. A. Lincoln James Jr. still isn’t ready to use the “R” word. Rev. James still has a spring to his step, an energetic approach and plenty of words to share with the Trinity Baptist Church congregation he has led for 43 years, or most of his 53-year ministry career.
Story
Eureka!
FDA approves milestone treatments for sickle cell disease
Two breakthrough gene therapies can now be used to treat and possibly cure sickle cell anemia, the genetic blood disorder that afflicts 100,000 mostly Black Americans and 20 million people worldwide. But the announcement from the Food and Drug Administration of approval of the treatments — the first use of medicines to address an inherited disease — drew cheers and caution flags from those in the field.
Story
Despite defendants’ inability to pay court fees, many still incur costs
“Anyone charged with a crime that can result in jail or prison time is entitled to legal representation. In the familiar line from the Miranda warning, “You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.”
Story
Janet Rainey retires after 47 years of keeping records vital
Keeping records of the births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Virginia may seem like dull work. Don’t tell that to Janet M. Rainey.
Story
Helen Harris, a leading voice for Henrico County’s Black residents, remembered
‘Her leadership and tireless advocacy made the county a more inclusive and equitable place’
Thanks to Helen Virginia Epps Harris, Henrico County annually celebrates the holiday in honor of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and also has dramatically increased its hiring of Black employees. Her impact on public policy is just part of the influence she wielded during a life that her family said was devoted to service to others and fueled by a desire to see Black people advance and thrive. Mrs. Harris’ multiple contributions to community betterment are being remembered following her death on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at age 83.
Story
Public safety on front burner in mayor’s budget plan
Mayor Dwight C. Jones is proposing to pour millions of dollars into wage increases for city employees, most notably police officers and firefighters. He also wants to equip the police with body cameras and modernize the 911 emergency communications system at a cost of more $50 million.
Story
Ticket in N.C. leads to license suspension in Va.
Horace G. Dodd has a warning for Richmond motorists heading South: Do not get a traffic ticket in North Carolina. The 68-year-old South Side resident found out the hard way that North Carolina has turned traffic tickets into a major source of revenue.
Story
Petersburg jail closure to cost taxpayers $
Instead of saving money, the closure of the Petersburg Jail will cost city taxpayers at least $1.2 million extra each year, a Free Press analysis has determined. Figures from Petersburg’s government confirm the newspaper’s finding that closing the jail is more expensive than keeping it open, belying claims from Mayor W. Howard Myers and three other council members who supported the jail’s shutdown. That extra cost is embedded in the proposed budget that Petersburg City Manager William E. Johnson III presented recently to the seven-member Petersburg City Council. His proposed budget also provides no raises for city employees and no increase in city contributions to the public schools.
