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Willie O'Ree awarded Congressional Gold Medal

President Joe Biden on Monday signed legislation into law honoring Willie O’Ree, who became the first Black player to appear in a National Hockey League game, with a Congressional Gold Medal.

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VUU hopes to repeat 1952 Baltimore CIAA glory

The last time Virginia Union University traveled to Baltimore for the CIAA Tournament, the Panthers returned to Richmond hoisting the championship trophy.

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End of an era

Harvey’s Progressive Barber Shop to close Downtown

For hundreds of Richmonders, Harvey’s Progressive Barber Shop in Downtown has been their go-to place for a haircut. No more.

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Henrietta A. Morris, retired educator, succumbs at 86

Henrietta A. Morris was known for her faith, a warm smile, a deep passion for helping others and a dogged determination.

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Olympic champion and American hero Rafer Johnson dies

Rafer Johnson, widely regarded as among the greatest athletes of all time and the man who helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968, died Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He was 86.

To the quiet heroes

Our thoughts turn to Earl Lloyd, the Virginia native who, in October 1950, became the first African-American to play in the NBA. Mr. Lloyd died last week at age 86. Growing up in Alexandria, he played basketball in the run-down facilities of a segregated high school that had no gymnasium. Basketball was played in the auditorium. In college at West Virginia State, he played in the CIAA, helping his team to championships in 1948 and 1949.

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Petersburg jail closure to cost taxpayers $

Instead of saving money, the closure of the Petersburg Jail will cost city taxpayers at least $1.2 million extra each year, a Free Press analysis has determined. Figures from Petersburg’s government confirm the newspaper’s finding that closing the jail is more expensive than keeping it open, belying claims from Mayor W. Howard Myers and three other council members who supported the jail’s shutdown. That extra cost is embedded in the proposed budget that Petersburg City Manager William E. Johnson III presented recently to the seven-member Petersburg City Council. His proposed budget also provides no raises for city employees and no increase in city contributions to the public schools.

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Richmond Flying Squirrels end season, honor Joe Taylor

The Richmond Flying Squirrels have wrapped up their season. And while Richmond wasn’t the best team in the Eastern League, the Flying Squirrels were best at drawing fans.

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Readers and officials react to the leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion concerning the overturning of Roe v. Wade

People everywhere have silenced, discounted, disparaged and cursed women long enough. We are the ones who engender children. We are the ones who are so connected to those children that we suffer with them.

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Personality: Corey M. Nicholson

Spotlight on board chairman of Metropolitan Junior Baseball League

Corey M. Nicholson’s lifelong appreciation for baseball, its history and its impact, goes back to his childhood spent watching hours of New York Mets games on black and white television with his grandparents. Today Mr. Nicholson uses his passion and knowledge for the game to help guide the formative sports experiences of Richmond youths as board chairman for the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League.

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Gold rush

Urban One wins nod to operate a casino-resort in South Richmond with a contract based on high expectations and promises of payouts

As the Virginia General Assembly considered legislation in winter 2020 to authorize casino gambling in Richmond and four other cities, Alfred C. Liggins III spent time buttonholing House and Senate members.

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Personality: John W. Boyd Jr.

Spotlight on founder-president of the National Black Farmers Association

John Wesley Boyd Jr. is a man skilled in making waves, from the acres of crops in his fields to the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.

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Personality: Dr. Harold C. Sayles

Spotlight on the Veterans of Foreign Wars national chaplain

Thursday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, a time when the nation pauses to honor those who have served the nation. Dr. Harold C. Sayles, who was elected during the summer as the 122nd national chaplain of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, plans to commemorate the day by attending the 65th Annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial at 621 S. Belvidere St. in Downtown.

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Personality: Dr. Denise Lowe Walters

Spotlight on chair of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum of Virginia

Dr. Denise Lowe Walters strives to be a bridge builder and engine of progress in many of her endeavors. In October, she took on a whole new challenge, one that has the potential to broaden horizons for the Richmond community and thousands of Virginians.

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Black kids face racism before they even start school

To her students who need the most support, India Strother is rarely just “Ms. Strother” — she’s a family figure they call “Mom,” a trusted guide as they negotiate their teenage years.

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When Freedom Came, Part 3

The Free Press presents a series chronicling the black experience during the liberation of Richmond in April 1865 and the end of the Civil War.

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Personality: Lamar Antoine Greene

Spotlight on Richmond Public Schools’ highest achieving student

Lamar Antoine Greene draws his inspiration to be a classroom standout from his mother, Kimberly Greene, who is a dental assistant. “I am motivated to study because I have seen how hard my mother works to provide for me and it has made me so humble and independent,” he says. “I want to make a decent living for myself while utilizing my skills and talents to help others.” The goal-driven young man says he set his focus on being the top student in his class academically at Richmond Community High School on North Side “since my freshman year.”

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Personality: Elliott Eddie

Spotlight on Toastmasters International Top 10 public speaker

Ever since Elliott Eddie was a child, he could run his mouth like a steam engine, his cousin says. Mr. Eddie’s oratorical skills, refined through the years and sprinkled with inspiration, have earned him a top international award.

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Personality: Tani Washington

After four years of researching, writing and making oral presentations in high school forensics and debate competitions, Tani Washington has made history.

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Personality: Robert M. Lester

Spotlight on president of Club 533

An invitation from a friend and fraternity brother brought Robert M. Lester to Club 533 in 2012, offering him the opportunity to meet and listen to members from across decades. That night sparked Mr. Lester’s interest and desire to be a part of the club, now 64 years old, that still brings together men of accomplishment dedicated to improving the social and civic welfare of the community.