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New Church Hill grocery gets green light
Richmond City Council cleared the way Monday for a variety of new developments, including a new grocery store in Church Hill, after listening to activists lobby for expanding a slavery memorial site in Shockoe Bottom.
Several candidates support larger park plan
The small Lumpkin’s Jail site could be expanded into a larger memorial park remembering Richmond’s role in slavery after Mayor Dwight C. Jones leaves office, according to advocates for the expanded site.
Developer interest in Coliseum and Downtown persists despite claims
Developer interest in the vacant Richmond Coliseum and Downtown real estate near it appears to be alive and well.
City Council votes to expand bulk and brush pickup
Richmond residents can now dispose of used mattresses, old sofas, broken chairs and worn-out kitchen tables, along with brush and tree limbs from their yards, at no additional charge. A divided Richmond City Council voted 5-4 Monday night to expand the bulk and brush program to include items that previously were banned.
Nuns sell St. Emma and St. Frances property
A historic Powhatan County estate that was once home to two Catholic residential schools for African-Americans, including a military academy for boys, now belongs to a Petersburg area businessman.
New boss at VSU
Hampton provost to take reins
Pamela V. Hammond is on track to become the first woman to lead Virginia State University in the school’s 132-year history, the Free Press has learned.
Federal lawsuit filed over tear-gassing of inmates at Richmond Justice Center
In late August, during an outbreak of the coronavirus at the Richmond City Justice Center, deputies under the command of Sheriff Antionette V. Irving tear-gassed inmates who raised concerns about safety practices. Dozens of others in the same area also were impacted.
CARE van service eyed by City Council due to complaints
GRTC is acknowledging that its CARE van operation is providing “unacceptable” service to the hundreds of elderly and disabled people who rely on the specialty door-to-door transportation to get to dialysis or to work, see doctors, go shopping or handle other business.
Richmond casino gets boost
Richmond advocates for a casino gained a boost when talks between house and senate negotiators over an amended state budget collapsed last week, although public school and mental health advocates were left disappointed.
Housing units’ new CEO
Steven Bernard Nesmith, former HUD official, has known poverty and prosperity, but considers RRHA role his dream job
Steven Bernard Nesmith is returning to public housing more than 40 years after leaving the Philadelphia projects where he grew up.
Not so fast
Richmond City Council informed that planned ONE Casino + Resort opening will be delayed 9 months or more, with casino opening in late 2024 and hotel not opening until late 2025
The 2024 campaign for Richmond’s next mayor will be in full swing before the planned ONE Casino + Resort will welcome the first players to try their luck at the slot machines, roll the dice on a craps table or play blackjack.
3 area churches up for sale, auction block
The prominent Richmond Christian Center at 214 Cowardin Ave. is one of several sanctuaries that are on the market, including the former home of Second Baptist Church of South Richmond a few blocks away and Sharon Baptist Church in Jackson Ward.
Free van service helps public housing residents get to work
Myra Griffin has found the biggest problem placing people in jobs is transportation.
Scholarship aimed at helping former inmates
A new scholarship has been set up to help former inmates at Richmond’s jail gain work in the building trades, attend community college or secure a high school equivalency degree, or GED. Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. announced the program as part of a partnership with a Richmond area nonprofit that provides re-entry services to released offenders, OAR, which stands for Opportunity, Alliance, Re-Entry.
GRTC plans speedier service
Plans for speedier GRTC bus service that would slash 15 to 30 minutes from trips Downtown and other parts of the city were introduced to passengers and the public this week.
Free oral history workshop at Black History Museum
Historian Lauranett L. Lee has devoted her life to uncovering the lost stories of African-American women and men to help spotlight their contributions both locally and nationally. Now Dr. Lee wants to inspire people to preserve their own family histories to expand appreciation and knowledge of where they come from.
Equifax settles in security breach that affected more than 4M Virginians
Consumer credit information giant Equifax has agreed to pay up to $700 million for allowing hackers to breach its computers and grab the personal information of nearly 150 million people.
New name for Lee Bridge withdrawn
For now, the name of slavery-defending Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee will remain on the Route 1 bridge over the James River in Richmond.
Regional computer programming school proposed
Ten school districts, including Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico, are embarking on a bold educational experiment aimed at overhauling career training for area high school students, particularly those struggling in traditional classes. The first step: Creation of a regional school that would give students the skills to become computer programmers and open doors to careers in engineering, computer science and other technology fields, according to a grant application the alliance of schools submitted to the state Department of Education.
Pamunkey Tribe launches plan for $350M casino resort in South Side
A Virginia Indian tribe that includes Richmond as part of the territory where tribal ancestors lived and hunted before the English invasion is planning to make a splashy return to this modern city in the form of a $350 million resort hotel and casino.
