All results / Stories / George Copeland Jr.
VCU Vaccination Corps has cadre of volunteers rolling up their sleeves and getting to work during pandemic
The opportunity to help end the COVID-19 pandemic and to dispel vaccine mistrust and hesitancy among marginalized communities inspired Aliyah Simmons to become a part of the Virginia Commonwealth University Vaccination Corps.
Richmond ramps up efforts for coronavirus testing, small business assistance
The City of Richmond will be working during the next week to expand COVID-19 testing for highly vulnerable residents and helping small businesses in a major way, even as surrounding counties and most of the state continue to reopen businesses and non-essential services under limited rules.
City public defenders launch pay parity campaign
Public defenders who represent nearly half of the people facing criminal charges in Richmond’s court system are tired of being underpaid state employees.
VSU Trojan Explosion Marching Band suspended amid hazing allegations
All perfomances of the Virginia State University’s marching band have been suspended following allegations of hazing by band members, university officials said Monday.
RPS aims to limit exits with hiring bonuses
Richmond Public Schools leadership is continuing efforts to address an ongoing shortage of teachers and support staff throughout the city’s school system.
Life interrupted
Coronavirus pandemic disrupts work, study and play as the number of cases rises throughout the state
Coronavirus has been uncovered in Virginia’s capital city, adding to the anxiety and concern about the illness.
'Black history in Virginia is Virginia’s story'
Museum exhibit explores freedom, justice, equality
From a weathered slave auction block used in 19th Century South Carolina, to the military attire, documents and scientific tools of soldiers, teachers and doctors, each item in Jackson Ward’s Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia tells a story.
Richmond Police chief says he will no longer discuss alleged July 4 mass shooting
Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith, suffering from a credibility gap, has shut down any further comment on the alleged terrorist plot to shoot up the Dogwood Dell amphitheater during the Independence Day celebration last month that led to two arrests.
Historic hospital tops endangered sites list
Preservation group deems Richmond Community Hospital at risk
A key part of Richmond’s African-American history. A criticalvresource at a time of medical segregation. A place where many who worked, were born, or said goodbye to loved ones. And now, one of Virginia’s many endangered historical sites.
Monument rally peaceful as neo-Confederates met by counterprotesters
“Tear these racist statues down!” Those words, shouted by about 40 counterprotesters on Monument Avenue, drowned out attempts by about 15 neo-Confederates on Sunday to speak in support of keeping the statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the tree-lined street.
’Just get it done so we can get back to normal’
Thanksgiving 2020 was tough for the Spearman family.
Concerns about RPS mold, safety issues continue to spread
Complaints about mold in several Richmond Public Schools have persisted since the beginning of the current school year.
Time capsule with items from a new Virginia buried at former Lee site
The streets of Monument Avenue were filled with sounds of construction equipment last Thursday as more than a dozen workers searched from sunrise to sunset, and through sporadic rainfall, for a 134-year-old time capsule believed to be hidden in the base of the pedestal that until Sept. 8 held the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
City officials tout efforts, framework to prevent gun violence
Richmond officials have recommended investing more than $140 million in federal and local funds for a multi-pronged approach to intervening in the lives of those affected by gun violence, tackling the root causes behind the violence and preventing further injury and death.
Answers to COVID-19 questions
With eligibility for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine expanded to children ages 12 to 15, and updates to mask mandates nationally and statewide, the Free Press has gathered answers from experts to common questions about these new developments:
Ambition, urgency at Democrats’ gala
It was a night of big plans and high stakes last Saturday as nearly 1,800 Virginia and national Democrats, including two presidential hopefuls, gathered at Richmond’s Main Street Station for the political party’s annual Blue Commonwealth Gala fundraiser.
Rally calls on Gov. Northam to remove Lee statue from Monument Ave.
More than two dozen people called on Gov. Ralph S. Northam to remove the statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue during a recent rally in Richmond. The contingent, which included members of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, held a protest June 1 to counter a band of about 25 neo-Confederates who staged their own rally in support of the Lee statue.
VSU recognizes 700 grads in first in-person commencement since 2019
It was a day of celebration last Sunday at Virginia State University, as three classes of graduates marched and were recognized during the first in-person commencement held at the university since 2019 because of the pandemic.
Servant leader Gregory A. Cummings dies at 67
Former MEGA Mentors president assisted thousands of area youths
Gregory A. Cummings, a role model for Chesterfield County and Petersburg youths, was memorialized Tuesday at Second Baptist Church in South Side Richmond. He died Saturday, May 20, 2023, at age 67.
