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Board asks to throw out schools lawsuit
The Richmond School Board is seeking to dispel a legal cloud hanging over the collective heads of its nine members.
VCU cuts university-wide commencement ceremony in 2019
Virginia Commonwealth University is the latest customer to be affected by a still largely undisclosed plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum. VCU officials announced Tuesday that the university-wide spring graduation ceremony held in early May at the 13,000-seat Coliseum since 1972 is off for 2019.
A boulevard named Arthur Ashe
City Council approves street to honor Richmond legend
From now on, it will be Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
City receives grants for lead paint abatement, workforce development
Richmond has been awarded grants totaling $4.6 million that will enable the city Health District to do more to reduce lead poisoning of children and to beef up the city’s workforce programs that seek to reduce poverty. The biggest grant, $2.7 million, is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Signs of 2019 shutdown for Coliseum
The 47-year-old Richmond Coliseum could go dark next year even in the face of continuing uncertainty about a private group’s proposal to tear it down and replace it with a new $220 million arena.
Free Press founder among honorees at Richmond NAACP
The event, held last Friday at a Downtown hotel, included the posthumous presentation of the organization’s Civil Rights Award to Raymond H. Boone, the late founder, publisher and editor of the Richmond Free Press.
Richmond area toy drives and distribution
Christmas drives are underway to try to ensure that children in struggling families receive gifts.
27% Black-owned businesses gain from Stone Brewing project
Black contractors have quietly played a big role in the development of the Stone Brewing Co.’s new East Coast brewery off Williamsburg Avenue in Fulton, according to city records. For example, Glen Allen contractor Dwight Snead and his employees prepared the land for construction, the city Office of Minority Business Development (OMBD) report shows.
Black patrons turned away from Fan restaurant
Is a Richmond restaurant using a “dress code” to bar African-American patrons? To Amanda Whitlow, it seemed that way when she went to District 5 restaurant in The Fan for Sunday brunch with her boyfriend, her brother and friends to celebrate her 23rd birthday.
Changes at 2 North Side funeral homes
They may deal with death, but two venerable, African-American-owned funeral homes in North Side are getting new life. The former W.S. Watkins & Son Funeral Home at 2700 North Ave. has new owners who vow to rebuild the 84-year-old business.
Petersburg police chief ousted
Dironna Moore Belton may carry the title of interim Petersburg city manager, but she’s using her authority to shake up the city government.
New VUU president
Dr. Hakim J. Lucas of Bethune-Cookman tapped as school’s 13th president
They’ve been rivals forever, but Virginia Union and Virginia State universities soon will have one thing in common — a first-time president with executive credentials honed at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Twenty months after VSU hired Bethune-Cookman Provost Makola M. Abdullah as its 14th president, VUU announced that the Florida university’s chief fundraiser, Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, would become its 13th president, effective Sept. 1. Dr. Lucas’ appointment was announced Tuesday by Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, VUU’s board chairman, following a 14-month search to replace former President Claude G. Perkins, who stepped down in June 2016, first taking a sabbatical and then retiring.
Confusion, communication gaps adding to Henrico Branch NAACP problems
Even as it imposed sanctions on the president of the Henrico Branch NAACP, the national office of the civil rights group has allowed other officers who complained about Frank J. Thornton to flout its rules, the Free Press has learned.
Mayor says Coliseum plan on hold for now
The $1.4 billion plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum and build new offices, hotels, retail stores and more than 2,800 apartments in 10 blocks near City Hall has been moved off the fast track.
Thumbs down
City Council-appointed advisory commission rejects $1.5B Coliseum and Downtown redevelopment plan after 3-month review
Don’t do it. Don’t invest hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to replace the vacant Richmond Coliseum with a new 17,500-seat arena.
New names recommended for Fort Lee, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Pickett Army bases
The names of slavery-defending Confederate military leaders who fought to destroy the U.S. government could finally start disappearing from military installations.
Trailblazer
Bettie Elizabeth Boyers Cooper’s actions spurred City’s full school desegregation
Bettie Elizabeth Boyers Cooper, who helped end Richmond and Virginia’s determined efforts in the 1950s to maintain racially segregated public schools, has died.
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.
License plate campaign pays homage to Richmond Planet
Reginald L. Carter is within striking distance of scoring another victory for his campaign for Black history and racial justice.
'16 Bars' documentary from the Richmond Justice Center opens Nov. 14
It already has been seen in Charlottesville, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Now, a 94-minute documentary is finally set to debut in Richmond about four current and former inmates and their personal stories told through music at the Richmond Justice Center with the help of Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Todd “Speech” Thomas.
