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Overcharged? 4 Richmond School Board members question surging costs to build new schools in city
The projected cost of the three new schools that Richmond is preparing to build has jumped an average of $107 per square foot in just five months, adding tens of millions of dollars to the cost, according to four members of the Richmond School Board.
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11% tuition hike
NSU and U.Va. among state’s highest
Once again, the price tag to attend Virginia’s 15 state-supported colleges and universities is going up faster than inflation. In-state students can expect to pay at least 3 to 5 percent more in the fall, with a few schools going even higher. For example, Norfolk State University and the University of Virginia are posting a tuition-and-fees increase of 11 percent for incoming freshmen — among the largest tuition hikes in Virginia. U.Va. is imposing a $1,470 increase for new freshmen with the aim of raising money to reduce borrowing for students from lower-income families. The increase means new freshmen will pay $14,468 for the fall and spring semesters, not including room and board. Tuition for current students will rise only 3.9 percent from the current charge of $12,998.
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City Council votes to acquire more land for slave memorial
Despite objections from the landowner, Richmond City Council cleared the way for Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration to buy 1.75 acres of private property in Shockoe Bottom to provide extra space for a proposed Enslaved African Heritage Campus.
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High cost of defense
Everett L. Bolling Jr. tries to piece his life back together after winning in court but losing everything in a murder case
Eight months ago, Everett L. Bolling Jr., 37, seemed to have it all.
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Moving on up
Creighton Court developer’s $300M plan may cost $410,400 per unit
The most expensive housing development in Richmond is headed to a neighborhood in the East End that has ranked high in poverty.
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Altria Theater lights up with new acoustics, amenities
Revamped acoustics — including a new sound system and sound-absorbing materials — are among the biggest changes in the grand venue once known as The Mosque and Richmond’s Landmark Theater.
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School Board mounts effort to contain school construction costs
The Richmond School Board is taking a series of steps in seeking to get a handle on the soaring cost of school construction. The ballooning cost is undermining any hope of modernizing city schools for $800 million over 20 years — the amount the city has promised to provide.
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Room to grow
Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School seeks to expand with help from city
A private Episcopal school in the East End that currently offers a tuition-free education to l08 children mostly from low-income families living in public housing is working with the city to buy an acre of land for its first big expansion.
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Bank branch to close in Highland Park
The last Bank of America branch located in a majority African-American neighborhood of Richmond is scheduled to close in two months, according to the bank’s website.
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Another Barbara Johns?
Open High students plan citywide walkout to protest lack of funding
Imagine all 5,600 high school students in Richmond walking out to protest the physical conditions of their buildings. Then imagine them overflowing the Richmond City Council chambers a few hours later to bring their concerns to the nine-member governing body.
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‘Richmond 34’ student sit-in commemorated with state marker
Elizabeth Johnson Rice was among 34 Virginia Union University students who were arrested after they staged a sit-in at Thalhimers department store in 1960 for its refusal to serve African-Americans in its restaurants.
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Gun tragedies and inaction
We woke up the morning after the Florida high school tragedy hearing that 95 percent of the American people support stronger background checks before someone can buy a gun. That sounds like a no-brainer because only 4 percent of the people oppose these checks
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Second gun buyback program for city targeted
City Hall plans to continue to invest in gun buyback programs despite clear evidence that the program has not worked, which studies have shown is the case in virtually every locality offering to pay people to turn in their guns.
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People to see, places to go!
Looking for something to do or new experiences in the weeks ahead? Here are just a few of the upcoming fun events and adventures:
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Following directions
Dear Reader, This edition of the Richmond Free Press begins our 28th year of publishing. Our first edition — January 16-18,1992 — hit the streets with no internet, no smart phones and very few media outlets that populate today’s media landscape.
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Richmond Ambulance Authority sounds funding alarm
A sea of red ink. That is what the Richmond Ambulance Authority warns it is facing.
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Trump’s budget would hurt us
If you want to know how a president feels about your community, then all you need to do is look at his or her budget because it reflects their values — both what they value and what they don’t.
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War veterans wanted for writing project
The Mighty Pen Project teaches military veterans how to best write the stories of their wartime experiences. The class “is open to all Virginia veterans and civilians alike at no cost, and will focus on furthering the craft of writing about the experiences of war, the warrior’s life, the home front and the military family,” according to organizers.
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Kevin McCarthy, booted as House speaker 2 months ago, leaving Congress by year’s end
Two months after his historic ouster as U.S. House speaker, Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that he is resigning and will leave Congress by the end of the year.
