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More left in the cold
Hillside Court residents are plagued by same problem facing Creighton Court — no heat
Kanya N. Nash thinks its fine that some Creighton Court residents have had a chance to stay at a hotel free of charge because the heat failed in their public housing units.
Baseball on the Boulevard? Mayor says ‘No’
Should baseball remain on the Boulevard? For Mayor Dwight C. Jones, the answer is a ringing “No,” not if Richmond wants a bigger return from the prime property that The Diamond baseball stadium occupies. It needs to go, he believes.
City registrar to seek $1.2M for new voting machines
Richmond is close to resolving its voting machine problem. Less than two weeks after the state banned the touch-screen machines Richmond and 29 other localities have used for 10 years, the city’s Electoral Board has selected replacement equipment.
Special education troubles continue for Virginia
VDOE labeled ‘deficient’ in its efforts to curtail learning loss
The Virginia Department of Education continues to shirk its responsibility to ensure students with mental and emotional disabilities secure a free, appropriate public education, or FAPE in educational jargon, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Woman raises concern over fees charged by court
In the world of local courts that seems to have an endless list of fees and costs, one thing has always been free: Subpoenas and summonses for witnesses in a criminal case. However, a recent incident has left a Richmond woman concerned that the policy has changed in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Brenda Howlett Melvin, retired educator, dies at 76
Brenda Eulalia Howlett Melvin, a retired educator described by her family as “a ray of sunshine” and a person “who loved to celebrate everything and everyone,” died Monday, March 21, 2022, in a local hospital.
The need for food and shelter grows for city’s homeless
“The need has tripled,” Rhonda Sneed said. “More and more people are experiencing a crisis at this time, and so many with food insecurity. I am seeing more people seeking some form of nourishment from a trash receptacle.”
HumanKind’s direct cash funds may soon dry up
Concern is growing over the dwindling money in a family crisis fund that Richmond created to provide direct cash payments.
Plan for former Highland Park Catholic school building stalls
The plan to replace a vacant Catholic school on North Side with 80 affordable apartments is on hold as the nonprofit developer seeks to overcome opposition from neighborhood St. Elizabeth Catholic Church and nearby residents. The Free Press reported on the plan in early February, but the proposal has been stalled since an ordinance to support the work was sent to Richmond City Council for approval.
2020 early voting requiring city registrar to think outside the ballot box
Lines of voters wrapped around City Hall waiting to cast ballots? That’s a distinct possibility, according to Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter as she looks ahead to the 2020 presidential election.
Armed guards in the Richmond Public Library?
Frightening incidents spark the possibility
Are armed security guards needed in Richmond’s public libraries? Two recent unsettling incidents at the North Avenue Branch have convinced Richmond City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert that having an unarmed security guard is not enough at that branch to ensure that people “have a sense of safety and are safe.” On Oct. 28, a man with a rifle slung over his shoulder and a long knife strapped to his leg walked into the library as little children were engaged in a storytelling program, setting off alarms among the staff.
GOP at it again
Republican leaders seek to hold Va. governor in contempt for restoring voting rights of 13,000 former felons last week
Gov. Terry McAuliffe once again is under attack from Republican leaders in the General Assembly who are determined to halt his efforts to restore the voting and political rights of hundreds of thousands of felons who have served their time. In a new filing Wednesday, GOP leaders asked the Virginia Supreme Court to hold the Democratic governor in contempt for restoring the political rights of 13,000 felons last week and for trying to do so in coming months for more than 200,000 others who have completed their sentences.
State education official disputes findings of state inspector general
Virginia Inspector General Michael C. Westfall has reported that a top official in the state Department of Education set up a private consulting business that used resources developed through her state job and tweeted an announcement after setting up two websites to advertise her business.
An honest accounting
Richmond writer reveals story of her family’s interracial heritage that has been shrouded in history
Richmond novelist Ellen Glasgow gained fame for her realistic depictions of women, their relationships and their efforts to gain indepen- dence in a male-dominated world.
New year, new leadership
Michael Jones succeeds Cynthia Newbille as City Council president
City Council shook up its leadership Tuesday afternoon.
Feeding programs resume at Monroe Park
An estimated 150 people flowed into Monroe Park last Sunday afternoon for meals that students from a Richmond seminary offered, according to Alice M. Massie, president of the Monroe Park Conservancy, the park’s governing body.
‘Truth Tellers’ chronicles careers of 24 Black women journalists since 1960
A new book calls attention to the Black women editors, columnists and reporters who have brought change since the Civil Rights Movement to the previously mostly male and mostly white newsrooms of mainstream news outlets.
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.
Failure to deliver: Residents describe litany of problems hampering basic mail service
Jean Morris is tired of having the Forest Hill Post Office refusing to deliver packages to her South Side residence. Donna Royster is fed up with not receiving any of the letters her grandchildren keep sending her from Hawaii at her East End apartment.
Councilwoman to challenge Stoney for mayor, sources say
For months, City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, has been the only person mentioned as a possible opponent to Mayor Levar M. Stoney in his November re-election bid.
