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Broad winged hawk over North Side
Published on September 1, 2022
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Council poised to launch charter review commission
Would Richmond be better off returning to a City Council-manager form of government? Or would the city operate better if the elected mayor were a member of the council as is the case in Norfolk? Should members of the governing body receive higher salaries so they could serve full time rather than juggling full-time jobs along with their government service?
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Housing units’ new CEO
Steven Bernard Nesmith, former HUD official, has known poverty and prosperity, but considers RRHA role his dream job
Steven Bernard Nesmith is returning to public housing more than 40 years after leaving the Philadelphia projects where he grew up.
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Abrams, Georgia Dems call midterms ‘unfinished business’
Four years ago, Georgia Democrats had a contested primary for governor because the party’s old guard didn’t believe in Stacey Abrams. She routed their alternative and, in a close general election loss, established herself as de facto party boss in a newfound battleground state.
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Personality: Maureen Jules-Perez
Spotlight on Girls For A Change board president
Girls For A Change, a nonprofit youth development organization, empowers Black girls ages 9 to 18 in Central Virginia with experiences and resources that help shape their future. Maureen Jules-Perez became board president of the 20-year-old organization in the spring of 2021.
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Petersburg’s pioneering educator and mayor, Dr. Florence Saunders Farley, dies at 94
Dr. Florence Saunders Farley, a trailblazing psychologist who also served as Petersburg’s first Black female mayor, has died.
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Boushall Middle teacher is Region 1 Teacher of the Year
When Henrico County native Kiara Thompson began her college career, teaching was not what she had in mind.
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Dr. Tinina Cade retires after 35 years at University of Richmond
Longtime educator praised for building an infrastructure of support for students
As a new semester begins at the University of Richmond, there is one familiar face that students, faculty and staff will not see on campus this year.
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City packs heat with little impact
Gun buyback nets 126 broken weapons, 227 handguns, 117 rifles and shotguns
City Hall touted Richmond’s first gun buyback program as an “overwhelming success” despite evidence that the event is unlikely to have any impact on violence or gun ownership.
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Va. Executive Mansion open to public again
After being closed for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Mansion, located in Capitol Square in Downtown, will reopen to the public Sept. 2.
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City rejects South Side church bid for abandoned school
A church that has competed to buy the long vacant Oak Grove Elementary School property in South Side has been eliminated from contention — leaving an apartment developer as the only bidder with an offer still under review.
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VUU and MBL receive Sports Illustrated funds
Virginia Union University, Hampton University and the Metropolitan Business League are among several Virginia-based minority organizations to receive $175,000 from Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The funds are part of an agreement with Virtual Entertainment Partners in exchange for a partnership and access into Virginia’s sports betting market. The following universities and organizations received:
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Like Black families, HBCUs are financially short-changed
As college students settle into campus life, many Black Americans remember the multigenerational sacrifices that have established higher education as a bridge to a better life.
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After much labor, city workers can bargain for better wages
Labor Day has mostly marked the end of summer in Richmond, a day off for most best known for pool parties and retail shopping sales. But this year, the national holiday celebrating worker contributions to American progress will have new meaning, particularly among City Hall and School Board employees, when it arrives Monday, Sept. 5.
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Teacher shortage is a symptom, by Julianne Malveaux
The teacher shortage is a symptom of a greater challenge.
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Biden’s student loan plan needs more reforms, by Marc H. Morial
“By forgiving up to $20,000 in burdensome student loan debt, President Biden is giving working and middle class families the financial breathing room the desperately need. Buying a home, founding a business, starting a family, and so much more will now be a financial possibility for millions more Americans. But we cannot stop there. The Congressional Black Caucus remains committed to achieving additional reforms to ensure current, and future borrowers are not subjected to this cycle of burdensome debt.” – Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty
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VCU’s 2022 ‘Common Book’ further exposes Richmond’s racist past, by Chip Jones
Parking in front of a massive stone clubhouse, I was ready to enjoy an evening visit with a book club in the suburbs.
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Organizations call for Black people to fight in midterm elections
'Everything we love is on the line’
As the summer vacation season winds down and the fall political season is about to heat up, the nation’s premier national Black voter organization is calling on Black America to start fighting now to elect the candidates that positively impact the Black community during midterm elections Nov. 8.
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Serena Williams not done yet; wins 1st match at U.S. Open
Serena Williams is not ready to say goodbye just yet. Nor, clearly, are her fans.