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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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Faith leaders, elected officials call for calm, respect for Muslims
Imam Ammar Amonette said he and the 2,000 members of his congregation at the Islamic Center of Virginia in Bon Air have seen the ugly face of hate in the wake of the recent terror attacks by Muslim extremists in San Bernadino, Calif., and Paris.
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Reva rebels
Councilwoman gives out city officials’ cell phone numbers
City Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell registered her protest against new restrictions on City Council members directly contacting city administrative staff by publicly announcing the cell phone numbers of Mayor Levar M. Stoney and other top officials.
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Judge, after slow process, tosses lawsuit seeking new Virginia elections
Members of the Virginia House of Delegates can continue to represent unconstitutional districts that the state Supreme Court abolished in December.
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New law hopes to quiet loud music, noise
Artist and composer Paul Rucker long has been frustrated by the loud music that blasts into his Downtown residence from nearby clubs. He is among those thrilled that City Council on Monday unanimously approved a major overhaul of the city’s noise ordinance that will allow police officers armed with sound meters to start issuing costly tickets to businesses and residents that are disturbingly loud.
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Report: AME Church suspends payments to retirees, investigates missing pension funds
One of the nation’s largest Black Protestant denominations has stopped making payments to retired ministers on its pension plan, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
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City builds Confederate shrine for sole citizen’s use
A resident asked for it. That’s why the Richmond Department of Public Utilities spent upward of $16,000 to create a shrine to Confederate soldiers on the grounds of a utility substation located in the 2400 block of Wise Street in South Side, according to City Hall’s No. 2 official.
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City Hall to be draped in 16-story art project ‘Freedom Constellations’
Huge, dramatic banners soon will cover two sides of City Hall.
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School Board to start work on Kamras’ proposed $341M budget
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras presented to the School Board Tuesday night a $341 million proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
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Giving and receiving
When a Richmond area grocery retailer failed to provide a local nonprofit turkeys advertised for 39 cents per pound, another grocer with deeper roots in the region stepped in to save the day.
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Funds available for groups hurt by Enrichmond’s collapse
A promised $250,000 bailout fund for more than 80 community groups that lost most of their money in the 2022 collapse of the Enrichmond Foundation is finally available.
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Lighted boat parade, carriage rides, holiday open houses on tap in Richmond
Boats lighted and decorated for the holidays will cruise down the James River this weekend at the 24th Annual James River Parade of Lights.
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Better Housing Coalition advances plans for apartments on former St. Elizabeth’s School site
A fresh attempt is being made to create affordable apartments on the site of a long closed Catholic school in North Side. The nonprofit Better Housing Coalition is advancing the latest proposal.
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10 groups interested in leading Boulevard redevelopment project
At least 10 groups have responded to Richmond’s call for companies to redevelop the 60 acres of mostly cleared city property that includes The Diamond baseball stadium and the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center on North Boulevard. “This is the kind of response that we wanted,” Lee Downey, the city’s chief development officer, said as the city begins the process of selecting a master developer to transform the area into a potential $300 million complex of offices, retail stores and residential units.
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Petersburg official involved in water meter problems put on leave
A Petersburg official who played a key role in the city’s water meter snafu has been placed on administrative leave, the Free Press has learned.
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Richmond Police to revive Midnight Basketball
The once popular Midnight Basketball League is about to be revived in Richmond. The city police department is bringing back the program as a softer element of its crime-fighting strategy.
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Free Press wins VPA awards
The Richmond Free Press continues its award-winning tradition. The newspaper was recognized with six awards at the annual Virginia Press Association competition in writing, photography, news presentation and advertising.
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Petersburg’s interim city manager back on her transit job
Robert C. Bobb took control of the Petersburg city government Tuesday after being handed an opportunity to turn around the municipality that is drowning in unpaid bills.
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Crusade weighs charter change to help replace decrepit city schools
The Richmond Crusade for Voters, the city’s oldest and largest African-American political group, is considering putting the city’s failure to overhaul its decaying public school buildings on the front burner.
