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Planning Commission rejects fire training facility
A controversial proposal to install a training facility for Richmond firefighters on a major section of lawn at the Hickory Hill Community Center again has been rejected.
Historic City Council celebration at Hippodrome
African-Americans took control of the levers of city political power almost 38 years ago and changed Richmond. It was 1977, and for the first time in the city’s history, five of the nine members of City Council were African-Americans. And as a result, the new majority was able to elect one member, Henry L. Marsh III, as Richmond’s first African-American mayor since the city’s founding in 1782.
$3M plus to former inmate
Stefan Woodson nearly died from a heat stroke in July 2012 while serving time in the old Richmond City Jail. Left mentally and physically disabled, the former Marine has agreed to accept more than $3 million from the City of Richmond and Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. to settle his federal lawsuit that charged the damage he suffered resulted from inadequate care that amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment.” The settlement disclosed by Mr. Woodson’s attorneys ranks among the largest ever in a Virginia case involving inmate health issues. The city has not issued any comment, nor has the Sheriff’s Office.
City Council green lights projects for 2nd Street, North Side, East End
New apartments finally could rise on the site of the former Eggleston Hotel at 2nd and Leigh streets in Jackson Ward. City Council gave a thumbs up Monday by voting 9-0 to allow the long-stalled project to receive a grant of $250,544 over seven years through the city’s Economic Development Authority. Developer Kelvin Hanson, who initially proposed Eggleston Plaza five years ago, said he hopes to have the $5.8 million project underway this summer.
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.
City rent and mortgage assistance program to get additional $8M in federal funds
City Hall will pump an additional $8 million into a rent and mortgage assistance program in a bid to help hundreds of strug- gling Richmond families avoid eviction.
Warning: Smoking may cause eviction
New smoke-free policy takes effect Aug.1 for all RRHA properties, including 4,000 public housing units in city
Residents of public housing in Richmond are facing a ban on smoking in three months.
Robert W. “Bob” Peay, longtime social work educator, dies at 75
Robert W. “Bob” Peay helped train two generations of social workers in the Richmond area and beyond during his 27 years as a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work.
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.
Coliseum referendum likely to make ballot
Richmond voters are likely to have a say on whether they want to make building new schools more of a priority than spending millions of dollars to replace the Richmond Coliseum in Downtown.
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.
Preschool transportation plan may be more extensive, expensive than RPS planned
The free bus service Richmond Public Schools will offer to get more low-income parents to enroll their 4-year-olds in a state- supported preschool program is likely to have to be more extensive and potentially more expensive than originally envisioned.
From hatred to hope
The 131-year old, 12-ton bronze symbol of white supremacy honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue is taken down as scores watch in person and online
An empty pedestal covered with colorful anti-racist slogans. That’s all that remains of the state’s greatest symbol of white supremacy – the statue of the traitorous Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee riding his horse, Traveller.
RAA warns service in jeopardy without greater city subsidy
Richmond has long boasted of having one of the best ambulance services in the country. But the Richmond Ambulance Authority is warning City Council that the ability to maintain quality emergency response is being jeopardized by Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s decision to limit the city’s financial support.
City Council wants South Side homeless shelter to remain open temporarily
Could there be a spike in homelessness in Richmond?
Rev. Kenneth E. Dennis Sr., pastor of Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, dies at 65
The Rev. Kenneth Eugene Dennis Sr., who led Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Jackson Ward for three decades, has died.
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).
Judge rules against Sa’ad El-Amin entering Lee statue lawsuit
“Black lives still don’t matter,” former Richmond City Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin said as he left a Richmond courtroom last Friday.
Gov. Northam alleged target of anti-government militia group
Gov. Ralph S. Northam is calling on President Trump to stop encouraging extremists after an FBI agent disclosed in a Grand Rapids, Mich., courtroom Tuesday that Virginia’s chief executive had been mentioned as a potential target for abduction by a paramilitary group under arrest for conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
