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Creighton Court redevelopment project seeks $4.9M city bailout
The project to transform the poverty-stricken Creighton Court public housing area in the East End into a mixed-income development has run into a glitch — the master developer can’t raise all the money needed to construct the first 105 apartments.
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Saint Paul’s College property sold
The former Saint Paul’s College might one day welcome students again to its campus in Brunswick County — but possibly under a different name. Xinhua Education Investment Corp., a Chinese-backed group, purchased the remaining property of the historically black college on Nov. 27, according to county court records.
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Task force: Charlottesville officials failed to act on intelligence that rally would be violent
Virginia Public Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Brian J. Moran said last week that state officials had intelligence indicating that the rally of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville would become violent, and shared that information with local officials in advance of the Aug. 12 event. But Charlottesville officials failed to heed recommendations made by state authorities that may have stemmed the violence and bloodshed that resulted in the death of one person and injuries to dozens more.
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City employees expected to receive 2.5% bonus
City employees are about to be awarded a 2.5 percent Christmas bonus. Richmond City Council is expected to unanimously vote Monday, Dec. 11, to approve the bonus payments. Mayor Levar M. Stoney and his administration also support the bonuses to be paid Friday, Dec.15.
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Former Trump official pleads guilty in special prosecutor’s probe
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty last Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia, and he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors delving into the actions of President Trump’s inner circle before he took office.
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Rep. Conyers resigns amid allegations of sexual misconduct
Democratic Rep. John Conyers resigned from Congress on Tuesday after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job in the torrent of sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the nation’s workplaces.
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GOP holds 51-49 edge over Dems in House after election certification
Democrat Joshua Cole fell just 82 votes short of becoming the first African-American delegate to represent Stafford County and end outright Republican control of the House of Delegates, according to the state Board of Elections.
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Larus Park water sale on track for approval
A controversial City Hall plan to sell more water to Chesterfield County appears to be on track to win Richmond City Council approval now that a key member is supportive.
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Joseph F. Thekkekara is sworn in as Richmond’s new postmaster Wednesday in the Old House Chamber at the State Capitol. Previously a postmaster in Texas, …
Published on December 1, 2017
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Keeping hope alive
As you may have heard, I have hard news to share. After a battery of tests, my physicians have informed me that I am suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the very disease that bested my father.
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No cakewalk
We are impressed by the résumé and remarks of Jason Kamras, the 43-year-old Washington public schools administrator and 2005 National Teacher of the Year who received the unanimous backing of the Richmond School Board to become Richmond’s next public schools superintendent.
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VUU leaning on big men for big success on the basketball court
In keeping with its storied basketball past, big men abound at Virginia Union University. Coach Jay Butler is blessed with multiple low-post options in his third season on the Lombardy Street campus. Three have taken turns sharing accolades thus far, and a promising fourth will be debuting soon.
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Virginia Commonwealth University guard Malik Crowfield hands off the ball during the Rams’ 83-69 victory on Nov. 21 over the University of California, Berkeley during …
Published on December 1, 2017
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VCU Rams return from Maui Invitational to face a ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of opponents
Virginia Commonwealth University is one of only eight schools to have reached the NCAA basketball tournament at least seven consecutive seasons.
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Priest aids in Mugabe relinquishing power
Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe knew it was “the end of the road” days before he quit, and appeared relieved when he signed his resignation letter after 37 years in power, said a Catholic priest who mediated talks leading to his removal from office.
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Racial disparity in health care
Recognizing problem is Rx for change
The headlines about health problems plaguing the African-American community are frequent and alarming. From diabetes to hypertension and heart disease, to asthma and certain types of cancer, the statistics are clear: Black people suffer from a multitude of chronic health conditions and at a rate higher than other racial and ethnic groups.
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Opponents fear Main Street Station plans will run over slave memorial
Hopes of creating a memorial park in Shockoe Bottom recalling Richmond’s role as a center of the slave trade appear to conflict with efforts to make Main Street Station a more significant passenger rail stop.
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Neo-Confederates to return for second Richmond rally
A neo-Confederate group plans to return to Richmond next month for a second “Heritage Not Hate” rally on Monument Avenue, despite new state regulations restricting firearms and the number of people allowed at rallies at the Gen. Robert E. Lee monument. CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, a Tennessee-based group, “will hold their rally on Richmond City property outside of the traffic circle surrounding the Lee monument in the same location of the Sept. 16 rally,” Thomas Crompton, a rally organizer, told the Free Press on Wednesday.
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Wedding bells for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
It looks like a fairy tale ending for Meghan Markle, the American actress best known for her role in the television legal drama “Suits.” Ms. Markle and Britain’s Prince Harry announced on Monday they are getting married next year, saying their relationship had blossomed “incredibly quickly” after meeting on a blind date.
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City welcomes new schools chief
Jason Kamras from D.C. to become next Richmond superintendent
They campaigned on a platform of change for a school system that continues to rank high in dropouts and suspensions and low in student academic achievement.
