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Paydazed in RVA
High-fee payday loan traps Henrico man
Running short of money to pay bills, Donald Garrett did what many people do — he turned to a payday lender. He borrowed $100 from a small loan company called Advance ‘Til Payday on Nine Mile Road near his Henrico County apartment in order to catch up. Four months later, he had wracked up $320 in fees and still was unable to pay off the original $100. Until a friend stepped in and paid off his debt, he faced paying $80 each month. To pay the loan off, $100 had to be added to the $80 payment.
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Congressional district change may cost city $60,000-plus
Call it an unexpected expense. Richmond might have to cough up between $60,000 and $80,000 to notify city voters that they have been moved from the 3rd Congressional District to the 4th Congressional District.
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Repaved areas of Chamberlayne Ave. uncover more defects
A repaved stretch of Chamberlayne Avenue already is falling apart, less than a year after being repaved for the world bike races held in Richmond last September. The problem pavement also undermines Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ claim that such paving for the races would last up to 10 years.
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Federal appeals court upholds $2M award
Thousands of women who suffered injuries from a transvaginal mesh product that was implanted to resolve pelvic problems could benefit from a federal court decision.
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Presidential candidates profess to love the Lord but ignore message
Re editorial “Fat Cat Tuesday,” Jan. 7-9 edition: Too many people who profess to love the Lord show by their actions that their true love is money when the CEO of Walmart has a salary 1,034 times that of the median employee salary. He is someone who doesn’t mind losing his soul so long as he can gain the whole world.
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Sheriff Woody gives final salute to deceased veterans
Two soldiers and a sailor who died in Richmond will be buried next week with full military honors thanks to help from Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr.
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Pulpit to politics, remembering Leonidas B. Young II
The Rev. Leonidas B. Young II rose from the pulpit of historic Fourth Baptist Church in the East End to the pinnacle of Richmond political power, serving as the city’s mayor from 1994 to 1996. Elected to Richmond City Council representing the East End’s 7th District from 1992 to 1999, he was considered a rising political star by many at the time.
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Bus Rapid Transit
Can Richmond afford to maintain proposed expensive bus service?
Can Richmond afford to operate the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system that promises speedier travel and is described as the biggest revamp in public bus service in the city in at least 50 years?
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Private money dries up for Kanawha Plaza project
Last July, Richmond City Council gave Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ administration the green light to overhaul 35-year-old Kanawha Plaza, the three-acre park that sits across from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The council acted after being assured that virtually all of the $6 million cost would come from gifts from big corporations and law firms located near the park.
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Source: City Hall knew Adediran was managing church project
It was no secret at Richmond City Hall that city Public Works Director Emmanuel O. Adediran was doubling as project manager for a new $5.3 million sanctuary that First Baptist Church of South Richmond is building in Chesterfield County, the Free Press has learned. According to a highly knowledgeable source, “everyone knew (Mr. Adediran) had been asked by the mayor to help with the church project.”
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Tree not sole obstacle at Maggie Walker site
Too small and too congested with traffic. That reality is starting to clash with the vision of creating a $600,000 to $800,000 plaza and statue celebrating Maggie L. Walker at the intersection of Broad and Adams streets and Brook Road in Downtown.
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Challenger seeks to overturn results of postal union election
One of Richmond’s oldest labor organizations — the Old Dominion Branch Local 496 of the National Association of Letter Carriers — is engulfed in an election fight. The fight is over the election of Thelma J. Hunt as the first female president in the branch’s history, which dates back to 1893.
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MJBL celebrates 50th anniversary with games in Ga., Fla.
When his son was banned from Richmond area Little League baseball programs because of the color of his skin, physician William M.T. Forrester Sr. took action.
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City booted from Rep. Scott’s 3rd District in judicial order
Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott no longer will represent Richmond in the U.S. House of Representatives if the decision of a three-judge panel sticks.
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Voter registrar explains plan to stop poll problems
Mistakes happen. That, Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter told the state Board of Elections, is the reason why some voters were given the wrong ballots and had trouble being checked in to vote during the Nov. 3 election. However, she said changes are being put in place to ensure that the problems that led to numerous complaints do not recur in upcoming elections.
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Henrico sheriff may take on Rep. Brat for GOP nomination
U.S. Rep. David A. “Dave” Brat, R-Henrico, could face a Republican challenger in his bid for a second two-year term representing the 7th District. Fresh from winning re-election, Henrico Sheriff Michael L. “Mike” Wade filed paperwork before Christmas with the Federal Election Commission setting up a campaign committee.
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Auditor: Top city administrator used city time to work on mayor’s church
Mayor Dwight C. Jones, who also serves as senior pastor of historic First Baptist Church of South Richmond, scrambled Wednesday to contain a potential scandal involving a top member of his administration who attends his church. The mayor’s goal: To quell any suggestion that First Baptist Church members who hold city jobs are allowed to conduct church business on city time.
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City becomes dumping ground again // “No city policies changed, and the dumping and accumulated bulk trash is rapidly taking place,” she continued in pointing …
Published on January 8, 2016
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27% Black-owned businesses gain from Stone Brewing project
Black contractors have quietly played a big role in the development of the Stone Brewing Co.’s new East Coast brewery off Williamsburg Avenue in Fulton, according to city records. For example, Glen Allen contractor Dwight Snead and his employees prepared the land for construction, the city Office of Minority Business Development (OMBD) report shows.
