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Scott co-leader of bipartisan effort to curb federal prison spending

From Virginia to California, states are pushing change to cut their ballooning prison costs that collectively approach $60 billion. Instead of automatically locking up people, 32 states have put in place reforms during the past five years that have reduced the numbers of people imprisoned without increasing crime rates. The efforts have saved at least $4 billion. That includes reserving prison cells for the most serous offenders and doing more to divert lower-level offenders to supervised support programs outside prison.

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Petersburg group petitions court to boot mayor, councilman

Furious over the financial crisis that grips Petersburg, a faction of city voters has taken the rare step of asking a judge to remove two members of Petersburg City Council they blame for the city’s condition, Mayor Samuel Parham, 3rd Ward, and his predecessor, Councilman and former Mayor W. Howard Myers, 5th Ward.

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Health care cutback?

Bon Secours to close Richmond Community Hospital’s ICU, sources say

Is Bon Secours planning to close the small intensive care unit later this month at its 104-bed Richmond Community Hospital facility in the East End?

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Petersburg City Council chooses new leader

W. Howard Myers is out and Samuel Parham is in as the mayor of Petersburg. Foiled in his effort to gain a second term, 5th Ward Councilman Myers nominated Mr. Parham to be Petersburg City Council’s presiding officer at a time when the city continues to face severe financial challenges.

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Mayor-elect Stoney appoints 2 to key positions

On the campaign trail, Levar Stoney promised to be a “visionary, forward-thinking” leader who would restore confidence in Richmond City Hall.

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Sheriff sanctioned over loss of videotape in jail inmate’s death

Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. describes the 500 video cameras that record inside the Richmond Justice Center “as a sort of a truth serum,” a way to show “what really happened” when inmates complain or there is a disagreement about events.
 Those words have come back to haunt him as he seeks to defend himself and the jail against a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the death of Erin Jenkins, 29, just five days after the new jail opened in 2014.

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Budget dispute may slow plans to redevelop Boulevard

A little noticed budget dispute in the General Assembly could slow Richmond’s rush to transform 61 acres of largely vacant city property on North Boulevard into retail stores, a hotel, offices and apartments. The House of Delegates and the Senate appear to be split over approving Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to authorize the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to spend up to $105 million to buy land and develop a new headquarters and warehouse complex.

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‘Checkered past’ tanks Petersburg’s top pick

Petersburg Mayor W. Howard Myers expected to introduce Rochelle Small-Toney as the new city manager Wednesday evening

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A. Donald McEachin now headed to Congress

Henrico state Sen. A. Donald McEachin soon will be heading to Washington. The 55-year-old attorney who carried the Democratic banner claimed the revamped 4th Congressional District seat Tuesday to cap a hard-fought contest with his Republican rival, veteran Henrico County Sheriff Michael L. Wade. Sen. McEachin’s victory will change the state’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, which now will have four Democrats and seven Republicans. It also will trigger competition to fill his state Senate seat.

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Proposals to build 2 schools, redo George Wythe under review

Richmond Public Schools might provide incoming Mayor Levar Stoney with a potential blueprint for addressing the problem of outdated and increasingly worn-out school buildings.

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Mayor-elect Stoney plans to be ‘hands-on, visible, transparent’

As he looks forward to becoming Richmond’s next mayor, Levar Stoney is planning to be more visible after he takes office. As he puts it, he wants to be a “hands-on, visible and transparent mayor who can be a champion for accountability, measure outputs and inputs and, at the end of the day, say that the buck stops with me.”

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Federal appeals court upholds right of city employees to express opinions on social media

Police officers and other government employees do not completely surrender their First Amendment rights when they go to work.

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Evergreen Cemetery sold to Enrichmond Foundation

Unkempt, but historic Evergreen Cemetery has a new owner eager to preserve and protect the burial ground for banker Maggie L. Walker, crusading journalist John Mitchell Jr. and as many as 50,000 other African-Americans. After months of talks, Enrichmond Foundation, the nonprofit support arm for city parks and recreation, completed the purchase of the 60-acre cemetery from a private family corporation.

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$400,000 severance for former city auditor

Former City Auditor Umesh Dalal seems to have been as adept in negotiating his own exit package as he was in examining the practices of city departments.

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What really happened?

New details change initial police report of Mosby Court events surrounding special agent’s death

Travis A. Ball initially was portrayed as a depraved killer who fatally shot Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael T. Walter in the head without provocation.

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RRHA to sell 26 homes to highest bidders

A major opportunity to create affordable homes for families with below average incomes in Richmond is going by the wayside.

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Activist claims no signs banning interstate hitchhiking invalidates his arrest

The Virginia Department of Transportation appears to be flouting a state law. That law, section 46.2-808 of the state code, requires the agency to post signs on entryways to the interstates stating that pedestrians, horseback riders, farm tractors, cyclists and mopeds are banned from using high-speed, controlled-access highways.

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City attorney rules $226,000 in severance payments legal

The controversial award of $226,000 in severance packages to four people who worked for former Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones was legal, according to City Attorney Allen L. Jackson.

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City quietly pumps $833,569 more into Monroe Park renovation

The renovation of Monroe Park is a prime example of why Richmond City Council is becoming more aggressive in overseeing city spending.

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New program to create jobs, new homes and opportunity

Buy vacant lots in depressed sections of Richmond. Then have small, black-owned construction firms fill the lots with modern, affordable homes that can sell quickly while creating jobs for nearby residents.