All results / Stories / Jeremy M. Lazarus

Political newcomer Rae Cousins upsets opponents for House bid
Rae Cousins, a lawyer and fourth-generation Richmonder, handily won Tuesday’s primary in Richmond to become the Democratic nominee for the 79th House of Delegates District. Ms. Cousins, 43, bested 3rd District City Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert, 47, and criminal justice crusader Richard Walker, 65, in the their contest in the L-shaped district that is anchored in the East End and takes in portions of South Side and North Side. The district is one of three that includes portions of the city and the only one in which there was a party nomination contest. Incumbent Delegate Betsy B. Carr is unopposed in her bid for

Leroy Mason, a voice for prison reform, dies at age 83
Leroy Mason is being remembered for helping to change the Virginia prison system where he spent most of his adult life and for helping other prisoners make a successful transition after their release.

City Council authorizes use of $500,000 of $18.9M surplus for COVID-19 relief
Richmond City Council on Wednesday informally agreed to steer $500,000 from a ballooning surplus into a COVID-19 relief fund, with a potential for the money to provide emergency aid for city residents in desperate circumstances.

City CAO: Hold on; bonuses coming
Yes, we plan to award pandemic bonuses of up to $3,000 each to city employees who worked through the pandemic.

City to open new temporary shelter
Richmond will have a far bigger temporary shelter if another tropical storm hits or the weather plunges below freezing in the next two months.

Henrico woman’s invention provides clearer thermometer reads
Where do ideas for inventions come from? For Henrico County resident Casaundra L. Pugh, the eureka moment came during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policy issues involving machine games, guns and minors to greet General Assembly
Will Virginia continue to raise the minimum wage? Will the sale of marijuana through retail outlets gain approval? Will a ban on “skill” games be replaced by a taxing regime that would allow the machines to be turned on once more in bars and retail stores? Will gun owners be held criminally responsible if a minor takes their weapon and shoots someone?

Lawsuit over disabled access to apartments ruled premature
A federal judge has thrown out a high-profile lawsuit seeking to force a new apartment complex going up in Church Hill to be altered to accommodate persons with disabilities. Senior U.S. Judge James R. Spencer ruled the suit was premature because the 151-unit Shockoe Valley View Apartments is still under construction in the 1900 block of Cedar Street.

Nation of Islam moves mosque to Downtown
The Nation of Islam has quietly settled its Richmond mosque into a new home in Downtown. Forced to give up its large, steepled space on South Side, Muhammad Mosque No. 24 currently is operating out of leased space at 408 E. Main St.

Richmond contractor on Congressional Black Caucus re-entry panel
A Richmond contractor is headed to Washington to talk up his plan for helping released convicts rebuild their lives by getting involved in the building trades. Kenneth Williams, 66, has been invited to talk about the Adult Alternative Program that he is developing to train ex-convicts to renovate houses and qualify for Class C contractor licenses.

Manchester Courthouse to be renamed for Marsh brothers on May 20
It took 16 months, but the long-awaited public ceremony to rename the Manchester Courthouse for Richmond’s first African-American mayor, Henry L. Marsh III, and his late brother, Harold M. Marsh Sr., will take place Friday, May 20. Mayor Dwight C. Jones, who proposed the renaming, will lead the 4 p.m. rededication of the building at 920 Hull St. in South Side.

Energy savings could yield $18M to fix city schools
Energy savings could generate $18 million to fuel an overhaul of heating and cooling systems, windows, lighting and other systems in as many as 10 Richmond Public Schools buildings.

City Council approves ban of guns at protests, gatherings
Richmond Police gained a new tool to crack down on people carrying rifles, handguns or shotguns at protests or other gatherings, including during continuing racial justice and police brutality protests.

Guest preacher says he was stiffed by South Side church
The Rev. Ernest Blue Jr. of Richmond is often called to be a guest preacher.

Sen. Stanley, Mayor Stoney spar over to school maintenance
Maintenance of public school buildings is your responsibility, Mr. Mayor.

Local real estate firm helping anti-hunger efforts
A lot of canned goods get thrown away when people move away. Now moving companies and real estate firms in Richmond and other parts of the country are making an effort to collect nonperishable foods and give them to food banks and other distribution points to help fight hunger.

Saint Paul’s College property sold
The former Saint Paul’s College might one day welcome students again to its campus in Brunswick County — but possibly under a different name. Xinhua Education Investment Corp., a Chinese-backed group, purchased the remaining property of the historically black college on Nov. 27, according to county court records.

Broader vision called for in building new Wythe H.S.
How many new high school seats does Richmond need now and how many will it need in 20 years?

Preston to challenge Dance for Senate seat
In a surprise move, Joseph E. Preston announced this week he would give up the seat he recently won in the House of Delegates and challenge freshman Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance in the16th Senate District that stretches from Richmond’s East End to the Petersburg area. Delegate Preston’s decision comes barely two months after he replaced Sen. Dance as the representative for the 63rd House District. It also appears fueled, in part, by a dispute he and Sen. Dance have over the choice of the first African-American judge for the Petersburg Circuit Court.

‘Why is this happening?’
Newborn baby taken from mother in hospital
Newborn baby taken from mother in hospital