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Elkhardt school to close for good
Elkhardt Middle School may be converted to apartments or offices one day. But the building is finished providing classroom space for public school students. The end came Feb. 12 when the final bell sounded dismissal. With help from 50 volunteers, teachers packed up the next day, beginning the move of students to Clark Springs Elementary School to finish the year. Clark Springs will open as the new Elkhardt as soon as the snow emergency passes. Leaky steam pipes have allowed health-threatening mold to infest the Elkhardt building. But the cost of making the building usable again is too great,space use.
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Hammond’s contract extended at vsu
Dr. Pamela V. Hammond has agreed to spend an extra month as interim president of Virginia State University. The VSU Board of Visitors last week approved a one-month extension of Dr. Hammond’s contract that will keep her in place through Jan. 31.
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Marsh courthouse dedication on hold
Nine months ago, Mayor Dwight C. Jones won City Council approval to officially rename the Manchester Courthouse for Richmond’s first African-American mayor, Henry L. Marsh III, and his late brother, Harold M. Marsh Sr. However, a date for the ceremony to officially rename the building has yet to be announced.
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Henrico School Board candidate seeks recount
Tara Adams has requested a recount in the Henrico County School Board race the PTA volunteer and financial services specialist appears to have lost by just 43 votes.
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Plans moving ahead for Church Hill North
Richmond is moving ahead with plans to raze the former Armstrong High School building and fill the 22-acre site in the East End with 300 apartments and new homes.
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Candidates lining up for June 9 primary
Three candidates have jumped into the race to replace Delegate Joseph E. Preston in the 63rd House District now that he is running for the state Senate. The Rev. Larry D. Brown Sr. of Dinwiddie County, Petersburg School Board member Atiba Muse and Petersburg businesswoman Gerry Rawlinson all have announced bids.
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Holiday ‘miracle’ may save South Side church
The Richmond Christian Center might not have to sell its sanctuary after all.
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Burrs named to Venture Richmond post
For the past four years, Stacy L. Burrs has led efforts to transform the historic Leigh Street Armory in Jackson Ward into the new home of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
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Two Richmond properties being eyed for redevelopment
GRTC is shopping for a buyer for its former headquarters in the Fan District — five years after the bus company moved to South Side.
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Lecture on “Obama Effect” at VUU’s Wilder Library
What kind of impact has President Obama had on politics since his historic election in 2008? One surprise: He may have affected Republicans most, paving the way for more African-Americans like Dr. Ben Carson and other minority candidates to run for office under the GOP banner, according to political scientist Dr. Columba Ahamefule Nnorom.
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VEC ruling sets precedent
Richmond Public Schools and other employers who fail to follow their agency’s own drug policy cannot prevent alleged violators from collecting unemployment benefits, the Virginia Employment Commission has ruled.
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Chesterfield NAACP president acquitted; Lucas arrested for stalking
The president of the Chesterfield County Branch NAACP has been found not guilty of assaulting an NAACP member and advocate for special needs children. LaSalle J. McCoy Jr., who also serves as secretary of the state NAACP, was acquitted last week at a hearing in Chesterfield General District Court.
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Mayor’s inaugural events
Mayor Levar Stoney is planning to keep his public inaugural events simple — no lavish dinners and no fancy balls.
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NAACP aids education advocate in Henrico trespass case
With help from the Henrico Branch NAACP, education advocate Kandise Lucas no longer is facing a charge of trespassing at Glen Allen High School. She also can go to other Henrico County schools without fear of arrest after a ban on entering school property was lifted.
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Councilman-elect Jones not interested in leadership post
The Rev. Michael J. Jones says he is not campaigning to become vice president of Richmond City Council when the governing body begins a new term and selects new officers at its organizational meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The incoming 9th District City Council member said Monday that he is not interested in a leadership post in response to a Free Press report last week.
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School Board chairman eyes run for House of Delegates
Jeff M. Bourne just won a second term on the Richmond School Board. But his tenure might turn out to be far shorter than four years.
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For shame
Just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.
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McEachin endorses McClellan to replace him in state Senate
Richmond Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan appears to be on a glide path to the state Senate to succeed A. Donald McEachin, who is headed to Washington to represent the 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Six Points Innovation Center to hold grand opening June 6
An empty storefront on Meadowbridge Road in Highland Park is about to open as a creative space where young people can learn advocacy, develop leadership skills and explore career opportunities.
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Dr. Henderson to retire as pastor of 102-year-old church
After 10 years in the pulpit, Dr. Morris G. Henderson is preparing to retire as pastor of Thirty-first Street Baptist Church. Last month, he notified the congregation that he would step down in December as the sixth pastor in the history of the 102-year-old church at 823 N. 31st St. in Church Hill.
