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$4M grant enables Legal Aid to hire new attorneys to help curb evictions
Legal Services Corp. of Virginia, also known as Legal Aid, has received a $4 million grant from the state that could allow the organization to hire an additional 20 attorneys to support tenants facing court action from landlords seeking to evict them for nonpayment.
Credit union members’ participation in governance hampered by rules
Credit unions are supposed to be owned by the members who have opened accounts.
Organizers claim success in schools petition drive
The petition drive to put the issue of modernizing Richmond’s dilapidated public schools before city voters has succeeded, according to the leader of the campaign
Sen. Morrissey in legal trouble again
Richmond Democratic state Sen. Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey confirms that when he was running for office in November 2019, he gave out doughnuts to election staff inside the polling place at the Powhatan Community Center on Fulton Hill on Election Day and also took pictures with some of them.
RPS Chromebooks missing?
A major share of the estimated 20,000 Chromebooks that were distributed to Richmond students last year to help them connect to virtual classes have yet to be recovered or accounted for, the Free Press has been told.
Natural gas getting cheaper in Richmond
Heating and cooking with natural gas just got a little cheaper in Richmond. Effective with February’s bills, the cost of the fuel is being lowered again, saving the average residential customer about $6 a month, the city Department of Public Utilities just announced. It’s more good news for consumers who also are enjoying cheaper gasoline prices to fuel their vehicles.
RRHA transfers 204 apartment units to private company
The city’s housing authority is launching a new phase of its plan to turn over all of its public housing to private ownership.
Confederate rally in Richmond exceeds $500,000 in police spending
“The cost of monitoring First Amendment assemblies is not cheap.” That’s the view of Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham. And that certainly proved true for Richmond, which spent $570,000 on crowd control and other services on the Sept. 16 protest over the city’s Confederate statues, according to figures the city reported last Friday. Chief Durham was the biggest spender.
Source: City Hall knew Adediran was managing church project
It was no secret at Richmond City Hall that city Public Works Director Emmanuel O. Adediran was doubling as project manager for a new $5.3 million sanctuary that First Baptist Church of South Richmond is building in Chesterfield County, the Free Press has learned. According to a highly knowledgeable source, “everyone knew (Mr. Adediran) had been asked by the mayor to help with the church project.”
Police officers, city settle overtime lawsuit
City Hall has agreed to pay a bit more than $27,000 to four police officers who claimed they were denied overtime pay while assigned to former Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ security detail.
Gov. Northam releases progressive 2020-22 budget plan
Smokers might have to shell out an extra 30 cents in tax for a pack of cigarettes to help offset the cost of tobacco-related illnesses that the state must pick up through Medicaid and other health care programs.
Church Hill Academy student selected for weeklong leadership academy in Greece
Scholar-athlete Javon A. Brooks will spend a summer week in Athens, Greece, building his leadership skills.
RPS students testing positive for COVID-19 told to quarantine for 21 days
Richmond students who have tested positive for COVID-19 are being kept away from in-person learning for up to 21 days – at least a week longer than the 14 days that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, the Free Press has been told.
Trammell to introduce collective bargaining ordinance at next City Council meeting
Richmond is poised to consider expanding collective bargaining to city employees.
Former owner of WCLM radio settles, withdraws lawsuit
Preston T. Brown is ending his legal fight with his partners who bought the former WCLM-1450 AM radio station he co-owned and operated for 21 years.
Members to decide fate of Fourth Baptist Church’s funds, trustees
The battle for control of Fourth Baptist Church will come down to an in-person congregational meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19.
Crusade weighs charter change to help replace decrepit city schools
The Richmond Crusade for Voters, the city’s oldest and largest African-American political group, is considering putting the city’s failure to overhaul its decaying public school buildings on the front burner.
Dr. Danny Avula to now run city and Henrico health districts
Public health programs in Richmond and Henrico County are expected to work more closely together now that they have the same director, Dr. Danny Avula.
Va. loses a freedom fighter
Jack W. Gravely, who led the fight for civil rights as head of the Va. NAACP, dies at 72
Jack W. Gravely was the definition of outspoken. He never hesitated to speak his mind about issues affecting the African-American community. The son of a coal miner, he led the charge for civil rights during two separate stints as executive director of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, most recently in the past year.
Construction of new city schools didn’t meet deadline, goal for minority participation
Richmond has built three new school buildings, but can teachers and students use them if the School Board decides to restart in-person learning?
