All results / Stories / Jeremy M. Lazarus

Conservancy buys New Market segment where Black troops attacked Confederates
Another 49-acre parcel of a Civil War battlefield in Eastern Henrico County in which Black troops played a major role is now protected from development.

Giving sanctuary?
Mayor Stoney stops short of designating Richmond a ‘sanctuary city’
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney is taking a cautious centrist approach in addressing the uproar over national immigration policy.

Shift in city procurement practice hurt black-owned businesses
After nearly a decade of using its own pricing list to purchase supplies from local companies and save money, Richmond City Hall last year shifted to using the state’s electronic purchasing system, known as eVA, after Mayor Levar M. Stoney took office.

Energy numbers shed light on RPS spending, savings
Richmond expects to spend $8 million to $10 million to ensure three new schools meet the standard of a national energy conservation program, according to the Joint Construction Team that is overseeing the work.

Petersburg City Council raises taxes, cuts funding to keep city afloat
Smokers will pay an extra 80 cents in tax for each pack of cigarettes they buy inside the city limits of Petersburg beginning Oct. 1 — a move the city officials hope will generate $900,000 a year in much needed revenue.

Veteran church keyboard artist presents gospel show, despite health setback
One of Richmond’s biggest gospel shows ever is headed to Trinity Baptist Church in North Side to showcase Richmond’s best known performers.

School Board taking control of new building construction
The Richmond School Board is taking back control of the design, development and construction of new schools, potentially blocking a City Hall plan to fast-track design and development of a replacement building for worn-out George Wythe High School.

Head of Monroe Park Conservancy charged with assault; VCU students may face discipline in case
The volunteer president and director of the group that operates Monroe Park has been charged with assault stemming from a confrontation Sunday, Oct. 31, with two Virginia Commonwealth University students.

City Council poised to scrap residency requirement for top officials
For nearly three decades, City Hall executives have been required to move into the city within a year of being hired.

Class action suit filed against BB&T for stop payment request violation
When Ronnie and Christine Gilliam told BB&T bank they were revoking the right of a payday lender to take electronic payments from their checking account, they allege the bank ignored the request.

Gun buyback is on track
Richmond is on track to sponsor its first gun buyback program — despite substantial evidence that such programs are largely public relations gimmicks that do not affect gun violence.

City may wind up with surplus from 2020-21 budget year
City Hall appears to have weathered the financial storm caused by the pandemic and could wind up reporting a surplus for the 2020-21 fiscal year that ended June 30 after the final numbers are in.

GRTC board OKs service expansion to Short Pump, airport and Amtrak station
GRTC is promising faster daily service on the Pulse bus rapid transit line, new service to Short Pump and more service to Richmond International Airport effective Sunday, Sept. 16.

Rev. Curtis W. Harris, civil rights activist, 1st black Hopewell mayor, dies at 93
The Rev. Curtis W. Harris Sr. devoted his life to battling the racism and bigotry that oppressed African-Americans in Hopewell and across Virginia.

Pulse of the city
Ridership, confusion up as GRTC’s new bus rapid transit line starts
Mayor Levar M. Stoney calls it “progress” and “one of the most exciting and progressive public transportation projects in Richmond history.”

Record number of Black candidates enter statewide races
A record 11 Black candidates are competing for the Democratic or Republican nomination for statewide office.

Doubling down
Alfred C. Liggins III and Urban One go all in to win voter approval of the $565M casino project proposed for South Side. The referendum is Nov. 2, with early voting going on now.
Do you want a gambling casino built on a 100-acre commercial property in the South Side?

Local chef-caterer turns empty church kitchen into a busy business
On weekdays, the kitchen at Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond’s East End is a beehive of activity six hours a day.

Questions raised as council shifts money to help departments get through June 30
Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving has gained the $2.13 million she needs this month to issue paychecks every two weeks to her deputies.

State grant helps keep GRTC rides free
A new $8 million state grant could help GRTC keep fares at no cost to riders for at least another three years.