All results / Stories / Jeremy M. Lazarus
NSU’s former president remembered
Dr. Marie McDemmond’s vision boosted university’s technology focus
Marie Valentine McDemmond, the first female president of Norfolk State Univer- sity and the first African-American woman to lead a four-year college in Virginia, is being remembered as a history-maker and educational visionary. Dr. McDemmond, who led NSU from 1997 to 2005 before illness led to her retire- ment, succumbed to cancer on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at her retirement home in Florida. She was 76. Her groundbreaking service to NSU and higher education was celebrated at a memorial service Saturday, Aug. 13, in Fort
Martha Norris Gilbert, who led the former Virginia Department for Children, dies at 82
Martha Norris Gilbert, who led the first Virginia agency that focused on children and was involved in expanding pre-school programming in public school divisions across the state, has died.
Victoria S. Oakley, former RPS educator, dies at age 63
Victoria Stender “Vickie” Oakley, a former principal and instructional leader for Richmond Public Schools, has died.
Richmond mom takes action after teen deaths
Candice Walker, like many people in Richmond, was appalled and outraged by the recent slayings of five teenagers.
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.
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.
Troubled Essex Village apartments sold, renamed
Essex Village, once labeled Henrico County’s worst apartment complex, is now in the hands of a successful African-American property investment and development firm based in Baltimore.
Free Press founder among honorees at Richmond NAACP
The event, held last Friday at a Downtown hotel, included the posthumous presentation of the organization’s Civil Rights Award to Raymond H. Boone, the late founder, publisher and editor of the Richmond Free Press.
Re-entry training program locked out of former school building
The shutdown has come for a Richmond-based program that linked people released from jails and prisons to training for construction jobs.
City Council approves design funds for a new George Wythe
Full speed ahead for a new George Wythe High School.
Hospital donates $30K to Friends of the Homeless
36-year-old food distribution program among city’s largest
Shawnee Hansen knew she had to do something after watching a boy happily eating the meat off a turkey carcass two men had pulled from a trash can to feed him. “I couldn’t bear it,” said Ms. Hansen.
RPS students show minimal progress with math, reading scores
Richmond public school students in the third to eighth grades continue to struggle with reading comprehension and with understanding math concepts, according to results from the state-mandated Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA).
Council says ‘no’ to ‘warehouse creep’ proposal
City Council on Monday night rejected a nonprofit housing group’s plan to build a warehouse in South Side to assemble affordable modular replacements for worn-out mobile homes that mostly Latino residents occupy in the city.
A race to the finish
4th Congressional District voters will choose McClellan or Benjamin on Feb. 21
Jennifer L. McClellan’s campaign to become the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress will culminate next week in a special election she is heavily favored to win — and most aptly during Black History Month.
COGIC church gets whopping tax bill after city revokes tax-exempt status
A Richmond church that has been in operation for 112 years has been hit with a surprise $46,128 property tax bill from City Hall after its tax-exempt status was revoked.
Pressure mounts on city voter registrar to resign or be fired
J. Kirk Showalter continues to lead the voter registration operation in Richmond, just as she has for 25 years.
Historic site review slows rail lines planned over historic Black cemetery
Could a long-hidden Black cemetery impact plans to improve rail service between Richmond’s Main Street Station and Union Station in Washington, D.C.?
Woman seeks to visit deceased son’s daughter as holidays near
All that 69-year-old Richmonder Yolanda D. Fox wants for Christmas is to see her granddaughter, Mariah.
VUU sports information director creates a top internet podcast
Four years ago, James S. “Jim” Junot said he was just testing some new software to see if it would improve the sports information operation he runs at Virginia Union University.
Mayor Stoney jumps into governor’s race
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney, after months of hinting, this week made it official that he will be in the race for governor in 2025 and quickly began picking up endorsements.
