Photo

Altony “Tiger” Foote Jr., left, and his father, the Rev. Altony Foote Sr., pose in the WQCN radio studio inside Faith & Love Fellowship Church …
Published on February 22, 2018
Story

Divine sounds: Foote family celebrates gospel radio station's first anniversary
Foote family celebrates gospel radio station’s first anniversary
Richmond radio station WQCN is marking its first anniversary of delivering gospel to fans in the area on 105.3 FM. Better known as “The Choice,” the station is the growing broadcast arm of the 150-member Faith & Love Fellowship Church based on South Side.
Story

Dr. King’s legacy exploited
It is incredibly sad to watch how the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life and legacy inspired and changed the lives of millions, is being used to hawk trucks. The ad during the recent Super Bowl for Dodge Ram Trucks used words from one of his most inspiring speeches, “The Drum Major Instinct,” which he delivered on Feb. 4, 1968.
Story

Hustling backward in Richmond
Richmond City Council voted 7-2 on Monday night to increase the meals tax 1.5 percent, expecting annual revenue of $9 million. This will be leveraged to borrow $150 million over five years and earmarked for renovating and building new schools for Richmond Public Schools.
Story

DaVaughn Kelsie lights it up for Shaw Univ.
DaVaughn Kelsie is Shaw University’s spark from the arc. The Richmond native leads CIAA basketball in filling the cup from behind the 3-point arc.
Story

Smothering defense propels VSU against VUU and in CIAA
Virginia State University and the University of Virginia share more than just school colors. Wearing orange and blue, the University of Virginia has featured a smothering defense in rocketing to the top rank in college hoops.
Story

Justin Tillman leads Rams to overtime win over Dayton
Virginia Commonwealth University basketball Coach Mike Rhoades says the Rams’ motto this season is “it takes what it takes.”
Story

African dance company eyeing former Jackson Ward church building
Could the vacant former Sharon Baptist Church in Jackson Ward become a performing arts center for an African dance company and other arts groups?
Story

Flags at half-staff in memory, honor of Dr. Walker
Virginia’s state flag will be flown at half-staff over the Capitol and throughout the commonwealth in honor of the late civil rights icon Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker.
Story

Petersburg votes to rename Confederate schools
The Confederate names on three Petersburg public schools are coming down. The Petersburg School Board voted unanimously on Feb. 7 to rename the schools following a series of public meetings, a public hearing and survey of Petersburg teachers, students, families, school employees and the public.
Story

Salsa classes may offer wider lessons
Is salsa coming to Richmond Public Schools? Attorney Brent A. Jackson is pushing to make it happen.
Story

Virginia closer to legalizing marijuana for all medical uses
Virginia inched closer to greatly expanding medical marijuana use last week after legislation passed the state Senate with unanimous support — three days after its companion bill was approved by the House of Delegates. SB 726, which passed the Senate 38-0 on Feb. 5, would let doctors issue certifications for patients to use cannabis oil to treat the symptoms of diagnosed conditions or diseases. The measure is now before the House Courts of Justice Committee.
Story

From home, Virginians can keep an eye on legislators
It may not offer the drama of “House of Cards,” but an initiative at the Virginia Capitol is lifting the curtain on the workings of the General Assembly.
Story

Former owner of WCLM radio settles, withdraws lawsuit
Preston T. Brown is ending his legal fight with his partners who bought the former WCLM-1450 AM radio station he co-owned and operated for 21 years.
Story
Confederate on Virginia Women’s Monument ‘will diminish’ it
Once again, the state of Virginia has allowed some to dishonor, or fail to acknowledge, the vast accomplishments and the very existence of a marginalized people or population as it proceeds toward the erection of another Confederate statue, that of Confederate Capt. Sally Tompkins on the Virginia Women’s Monument.
Story

Unemployment and wage gap
President Trump keeps boasting about the low black unemployment rate, although African-Americans still suffer nearly twice the unemployment rate as white people do. What the president never mentions is the growing racial wealth gap — the economic disparity between white people and people of color that plagues this country.
Story

Meals tax increase is ‘a critical start’
I am a single man with no children. I strongly support Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s proposal to add a cent and a half increase to Richmond’s meals tax to fund the construction of new schools for our city’s children.
Story
A display of illness
Move over Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un. President Trump wants to show you up. Our ego-driven president wants to have a military parade showing off American might — tanks, planes, rockets, weapons and soldiers in step.
Story

Love stories
The Free Press proudly presents its annual Valentine’s Day feature. It shares the love stories of four Richmond area couples.
Story

Philadelphia flying high after Eagles claim victory in Super Bowl LII
Philadelphia counts among its top heroes Ben Franklin. And the most famous date in Philadelphia is July 4, 1776, the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.