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Hanover Branch NAACP, others file legal challenge to planned Wegmans distribution center
The battle over a proposed $175 million distribution center that Wegmans Food Markets Inc. wants to build in Hanover County is headed to court.

Virginia War Memorial, Navy League commemorate Pearl Harbor
The Virginia War Memorial and the Navy League of the United States, Richmond Chapter, will co-host the 82nd Commonwealth’s Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony on Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be outdoors in the Memorial’s Shrine of Memory — 20th Century at 621 S. Belvidere St. The public is invited and should dress accordingly.

Average White Band headlines this year’s 2nd Street Festival
Beloved festival celebrates 35 years in Historic Jackson Ward
The 2nd Street Festival will marks its 35th anniversary when it returns Oct. 7-8 to historic Jackson Ward.

‘It’s not really over. It’s ongoing’
D.C., Capitol police officers recount horror, tragedy of Jan. 6, 2021
Two years ago, D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Danny Hodges was nearly crushed to death after being attacked during a riot by election deniers at the U.S. Capitol building.

Richmond area will host numerous events for Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African-Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African-Americans.

Henrico Hitters win Black World Series
The Henrico Hitters are the champions of the 2014 Black World Series.

Richmond Folk Festival returns with fun for everyone
The Richmond Folk Festival returns for its 19th year to downtown Richmond with six stages and over 30 performers from Friday, Oct. 13, to Sunday, Oct. 15.

Former employee files lawsuit against City of Richmond
The City of Richmond’s former FOIA officer has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the city alleging she was fired in retaliation for refusing to violate state law, according to various news reports. The suit, filed by Connie Clay, alleges that city officials attempted to withhold information that should be public by delaying or ignoring requests, and sometimes quoting exorbitant fees to deter the requester.

Trump inaugurated amid hail of protests
Republican Donald J. Trump launched his presidency with a blunt inaugural address, a fist pump and promises to give power to the people and put “America first.”

Honorary street signs for Davis, Dennis and Hamilton
Over the coming weeks, three Richmonders will receive posthumous recognition for their contributions to the civic, religious and business life of the city.

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations increase
COVID-19 hospitalization rates have risen 77% in Virginia so far this month amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country, according to Axios. COVID diagnoses in Virginia emergency rooms have risen every week since the end of June, per data released by the Virginia Department of Health yesterday.

City officials unveil ‘The Shockoe Project’
10-acre site to tell ‘a more complete story of Richmond’s history’
Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, members of the Richmond City Council and representatives from the Shockoe Institute yesterday unveiled “The Shockoe Project,” a 10-acre site in Shockoe Valley that they say is “dedicated to telling the full history of the Richmond slave trade and its national and global significance to the growth of our country.”

Gov. Northam announces plan to reopen schools in the fall
Richmond Public Schools teachers and students are to return to in-person classes after a long summer break, but with strict new social distancing guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Salvation Army gains new leadership
A new couple is in charge of Salvation Army Central Virginia, based at 2 W. Grace St.

Desirée Roots, Weldon Hill to perform at VMHC
Desirée Roots and the Weldon Hill Ensemble will headline the 7th Annual National Day of Racial Healing on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Holy Rosary celebrates 50th year for Knights of Columbus 6457
Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the oldest African-American Catholic congregation in Richmond, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Father Charles G. O’Leary Knights of Columbus Council 6457 on Saturday, April 29, beginning at 4 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by a dinner and program.

Hanover County bans books in schools
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Wicked” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” are among the 75 books Hanover County school administrators directed teachers and librarians to remove from their schools last Friday, according to various news reports.

DPU struggling with customer service
April Bingham is proud of the progress the Richmond Department of Public Utilities has made in clearing a backlog of customer service issues.

Study: Teachers quicker to label black students as ‘troublemakers’
A new study suggests that racial stereotyping by teachers could be a root cause for harsher discipline imposed on black students. Two Stanford University psychologists, Dr. Jennifer L. Eberhardt and doctoral candidate Jason Okonofua, conducted the study to determine if hidden bias could explain government data showing that misbehaving black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled from public schools than their misbehaving white peers. The psychologists’ research found that teachers are quicker to label black students as troublemakers and to consider more severe penalties for them, compared with white students who misbehave.