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Attorney general opinion says Richmond statues may be moved
Richmond apparently could remove four of the five Confederate statues on Monument Avenue without violating a state law protecting them, according to an opinion from Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring.
Petersburg schools superintendent retiring June 30
Dr. Marcus J. Newsome is retiring as superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools at the end June with his school improvement plan only half completed.
REAL LIFE Community Center extends jail program into the city
Amid his preparations to leave office, Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. opened a new nonprofit center in Downtown this week aimed at helping people address addiction, anger and other challenges to enable them to stay out of jail.
Annie Giles, community activist, dies at 81
As a minister’s daughter, Annie Marie Turner Giles felt driven to help others overcome problems and challenges in the Whitcomb Court public housing community in the city’s East End.
Columbus Day is now Indigenous People’s Day
Richmond officially wiped out the Columbus Day name from the October holiday and also saluted a Black sorority that is preparing to mark its 100th birthday.
Work stopped on planned Downtown hotel
For a decade, an eight-story building at 5th and Franklin streets was a city-backed nursery for small businesses.
CoStar expansion a shining example
Tuesday was a banner day for Richmond as ground was broken on one of the biggest single private developments in city history.
GRTC to reduce service on some bus routes beginning Dec. 19
GRTC will play the Grinch just before Christmas and cut service as it struggles with a shortfall of about 50 full- and part-time drivers and shortages in the maintenance staff of mechanics and body shop personnel.
Outdoor concert venue booked for council approval
A 7,500-seat outdoor concert venue that will feature 25 to 30 concerts each season is likely headed to the Richmond riverfront.
Gravely resigns NAACP post
After three weeks of mulling the decision, Jack Gravely is stepping down as interim executive director of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP. He delivered his resignation Monday via email to state NAACP President Linda Thomas and other members of the executive board.
Rep. McEachin handily wins Democratic primary contest
Richmond voters joined others in the 4th Congressional District in supporting Rep. A. Donald McEachin for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
VSU outlines cuts to absorb $26M deficit
Financially troubled Virginia State University appears to be on track to fill a $26 million hole in the 2020-21 budget, although at least half of the solution appears to be temporary patches that will last only one year.
City doesn’t publicize exemption from trash fees for elderly, disabled renters
City Hall is quietly blocking elderly and disabled renters from receiving free trash and recycling services, the Free Press has learned — a benefit the city has offered for nearly 14 years and which currently is worth $23.79 a month or $285.48 a year.
Goldman to pursue new City Charter change
Should Richmond’s top priority be modernizing obsolete public school buildings or replacing the 47-year-old Richmond Coliseum? Veteran political strategist Paul Goldman wants to give city voters the opportunity to weigh in on that issue.
Budget blowup splits mayor, City Council
Relations between Mayor Levar M. Stoney and City Council disintegrated Wednesday as council poised to make a modest cut in departmental spending and reject his proposed 9-cent increase in the property tax rate.
Federal commission approved for 400th commemoration of Africans, African-Americans in U.S.
In late August 1619, a storm-tossed English warship flying a Dutch flag stopped at one of the earliest English settlements in Virginia and changed the future of America and the world.
Federal appeals court strikes down state’s ‘habitual drunkard’ law
An 85-year-old Virginia law that allows alcoholics to be labeled “habitual drunkards” and locked up if found with liquor is unconstitutional, a Richmond-based federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Booted out
After days of protests and videos of police tear-gassing and pepper-spraying peaceful crowds, Richmond Police Chief Will Smith was asked to resign Tuesday by Mayor Levar M. Stoney
A year ago, new Richmond Police Chief Will Smith was extolled as the best thing since sliced bread when it came to leading 754 sworn officers in the fight against crime.
80¢ cigarette tax goes up in smoke at City Council
Richmond smokers will not have to pay an extra 80 cents for a pack of cigarette. After hearing from more than 50 speakers and nearly an hour of debate, Richmond City Council, with a 6-3 vote, killed a proposal to impose a city tax on cigarettes that Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District, had spearheaded.
New development, residents behind city’s housing value jump
The value of property is climbing in Richmond, most notably in areas such as Church Hill, Blackwell and Highland Park that were once stigmatized as less desirable because they were predominantly African-American and low income.
