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Getting to root cause of racism
Columnists
It’s amazing how often the news media give big play to an academic report that tells us something black mothers already knew.
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Invest in Richmond’s schoolchildren, not Coliseum
Letters to the Editor
Re “Moving on up or out? Mayor Stoney submits to City Council $1.5B Coliseum replacement and Downtown development plan,” Free Press Aug. 8-10 edition: Richmond is in the process of approving spending $1.5 billion for city infrastructure development, including a new Coliseum and the area around it.
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The musicians draw cheers and loud applause from an appreciative crowd that enjoyed the music over the two days at the 10th Annual Richmond Jazz …
Published on August 16, 2019
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City Council spars over voter advisory referendum on $1.5B Coliseum plan
Richmond residents were lining up Wednesday to speak their minds on Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s $1.5 billion Coliseum replacement and development plan for Downtown at the second of two special City Council meetings in two days.
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Down again: Student achievement drops again for Richmond Public Schools, according to 2018-19 SOL test results
Richmond Public Schools student achievement continues to decline, according to state Standards of Learning test results released this week by the Virginia Department of Education.
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Hampton University turns to eSports for creating entrepreneurs
Students at Hampton University soon will be playing video games as part of their studies. The university is building an eSports lab, thanks to a $340,658 technology grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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Commentary: Virginia voters can be certain their votes count
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee concluded in late July that election systems in all 50 states were targeted by Russia in the 2016 presidential election. While the report concluded that no votes were changed in voting machines at the time, the committee’s report warned that the United States remains vulnerable to attack in upcoming elections. In the wake of the report, the Richmond Free Press invited Christopher E. “Chris” Piper, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, to address the question of just how secure is Virginia’s election apparatus. Here is his response, penned with Michael Watson, chief information security officer with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency.
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City Police Capt. Bender named LGBTQ community liaison
Richmond Police Capt. Michael Bender has been named the department’s new liaison to the LGBTQ community.
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VSU to host AgFest Field Day on Aug. 28
Virginia State University is hosting AgFest Field Day 2019 for anyone interested in agriculture, fish farming, hydroponics, farming, urban gardening, and learning about agriculture production in Virginia.
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Personality: Gabrielle E. Wilks
Spotlight on Miss Black Virginia USA 2020
The 2020 Miss Black Virginia crown goes to Gabrielle E. Wilks.
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Washington NFL training camp ends
Seven down and one to go. The Washington NFL team concluded its preseason workouts last Sunday at the Bon Secours Training Center in Richmond.
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A clearer vision needed
Editorials
We are not convinced of the need or the benefits of the costly plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum and divert millions of tax dollars that ordinarily would go to the city’s general fund to pay for the project.
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Why I visited the border
Letter to the Editor
As I ventured to the southern border near Laredo, Texas, I could not help but think about the tragic shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, which are stark reminders of the dangers that plague our communities under the resurgence of white nationalism, domestic terrorism, intolerance and racial hatred germinating from the White House.
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Moving on up or out? Mayor Stoney submits to City Council $1.5B Coliseum replacement and Downtown development plan
Five months ago, Mayor Levar M. Stoney was singing the revenue blues as he introduced his latest budget. He told city residents that revenue was growing too slowly to keep up with the overwhelming demand for resources, and without a major increase in the property tax, the city couldn’t adequately address major challenges ranging from fixing city streets to funding public education and replacing worn-out police cars and fire trucks. Mayor Stoney now has changed his tune as he introduces his long-awaited grand development plan for Downtown.
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Protesters call for tougher gun laws; blame Trump for deaths of 31 in latest mass shootings
Protesters greeted President Trump’s arrival in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, blaming his incendiary rhetoric for inflaming political and racial tensions in the country, as he visited survivors of last weekend’s mass shootings and saluted first responders.
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School Board member Jonathan Young springs open enrollment attendance plan on colleagues
Richmond School Board members were blindsided Monday night when board member Jonathan Young, who represents the 4th District, proposed that Richmond Public Schools allow students to choose which school they want to attend, with a lottery ultimately deciding where students would enroll.
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$6M: Richmond spending much more than Chesterfield on new schools
Richmond apparently will spend at least $6 million more on building two new elementary schools than Chesterfield County is having to pay, according an update report the Joint Construction Team provided to the city School Board Monday night.
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Coliseum referendum hearing slated for Aug. 15
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Joi Jeter Taylor will determine next week if Richmond voters will have a say on the proposed $1.5 billion Coliseum project that Mayor Levar M. Stoney is asking Richmond City Council to approve.
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Historian works to humanize the enslaved who built Monroe
A trove of historical re- cords tells that Fort Monroe in Hampton was built on the backs of thousands of enslaved Africans.
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Huguenot wins RPS Alumni Basketball Showdown
There’s still plenty of twinkle left in Huguenot High School’s former basketball stars. The Falcons rule the roost today as champion of the inaugural Richmond Public Schools Alumni Basketball Showdown.