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Personality: Gregory I. Darrisaw
Spotlight on leader of Hobson Lodge No. 23 Prince Hall Masons at 150th anniversary
Gregory Ian Darrisaw feels surrounded by history as the presiding officer of Hobson Lodge No. 23 F&A Prince Hall Masons, the largest Prince Hall Masonic lodge in the city’s South Side.
Richmond celebrates 150 years of emancipation
In the midst of the city that once served as a merciless marketplace for hundreds of thousands of enslaved black people, a diverse audience of thousands gathered Saturday at the State Capitol to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the liberation of Richmond from the slave-holding Confederacy. The ceremony was marked by re-enactors in period dress and uniforms, uplifting music and speeches looking toward the future.
Police, prosecutors rely on community
There's intensive and collaborative effort by prosecutors and other departments to curb violence in the city.
Children left behind
In 2002, only about half of students in Richmond Public Schools rated as proficient in reading and math.
How adults can avoid the summer slide
Most people are familiar with the summer slide, a term researchers use to describe what happens when grade-school students lose significant knowledge in reading and math over the summer break.
Supreme Court welcomes the public again, and a new justice
The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with a new justice on the bench, the public back in the courtroom and a spirited debate in a case that pits environmental protections against property rights.
Supply and demand
City’s ‘housing crisis’ calls for 23,000 affordable living spaces
Seeking to put fresh emphasis on an issue that has been on the agenda for at least a decade, City Council on Monday followed through and joined Mayor Levar M. Stoney in “declaring a housing crisis in the city of Richmond.”
Richmond Free Press founders receive City Hall honor and recognition
Black-owned weekly saluted for its ‘leadership, service, dedication and prominence in the community’
Jean P. Boone and the late Raymond H. Boone, founders and publishers of the Richmond Free Press newspaper, received recognition from City Council on Monday night to honor their journalistic contributions to the city.
City Council gives greenlight to casino project
Richmond easily leaped the first hurdle in its quest to become a casino city — City Council approval.
Mayor’s challengers go on the offense during candidates forum
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney was roundly criticized during a forum last week by four challengers seeking to unseat him for what they said is his administration’s lack of transparency.
Can Coach Deion Sanders help restore the HBCU-to-NFL pipeline?
An impressive total of 33 HBCU alumni have been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. But will there ever be another? Or even another first round draft choice? Or All-Pro?
First 2 years revealed President Biden’s generational ambition
WASHINGTON When he ran for the White House, Joe Biden told voters his presidency would be a bridge to the next generation. His first two years on the job have revealed it to be a much more ambitious venture. As he nears the halfway mark on his first term, President Biden is pointing to legacy-defining achievements on climate change, domestic manufacturing and prog- ress on the COVID-19 pandemic — all accomplished with razor-thin majorities on Capitol Hill and rather dim views from the public. President Biden’s legislative accom- plishments extend to nearly every aspect of American life — although their impact may take years to be felt in some cases — and his marshaling of a global coalition to back Ukraine’s defenses and of democra- cies against China’s growing influence will echo for decades. He defied history in the
Councilwoman hopes proposed changes to City Charter find support
Under proposed changes to the City Charter or constitution, City Council would gain new authority over housing subsidies and real estate tax relief to residents with low to moderate incomes, in addition to setting its own compensation and modi- fying zoning. Fifth District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch hopes to gain unanimous support from her eight colleagues at the Monday, Dec. 11, council meeting for the changes she has negotiated with Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration. If passed by the council, the package would be sent to the General Assembly for approval in the upcoming 2024 session. Many of the changes follow recommenda- tions that a council-created Richmond City Charter Review Commission submitted Aug. 2 after a year of study. As the most significant package of charter changes proposed since the 2004 creation of a mayor elected citywide, the amend- ments do not address the current relationship between the council and the mayor ahead of the 2024 elections for the governing body and chief executive. The biggest proposed change could well be the tax and housing initiatives that the charter review commission did not address. The proposed Section 2.09 amendment would allow the city to defer property taxes and tax increases for qualifying low or moderate income property owners, using the definition of such individuals established by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, now known as Virginia Housing. Such a program could allow the taxes to accumulate over time to be paid off from proceeds after the property is sold. In addition, the proposed charter change would authorize the city to create a program that could help such qualifying individu- als buy a home or receive rental subsidies. The city also could use state or federal funds to advance such initiatives. The charter amendment also would declare the creation of programs that could provide funds directly to individuals for housing to be “in the furtherance of a public interest” to get
Ferguson police created ‘toxic environment’
Federal probe reveals racial bias, injustices aimed at African-Americans; cop cleared in death of Michael Brown
WASHINGTON A U.S. Justice Department investigation found sweeping patterns of racial bias within the Ferguson, Mo., police department that targeted African-Americans and created a “toxic environment,” with officers routinely using excessive force, issuing petty citations and making baseless traffic stops against them. But even in the face of a plethora of problems, the federal probe cleared a former white police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager there, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday.
VUU playoff hopes end in first round
In a game pitting two highly explosive offenses against each other, Virginia Union University came up about a firecracker short. Penalties, turnovers and a failed golden opportunity on the 1-yard line were chief culprits in the season-ending loss. Competing in the NCAA Division II football playoffs for the first time since 1991, the Panthers fell 40-21 at cold, windy Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania during a first-round game for Super Region 1. Don’t be misled by the score.
RRHA leadership changes under cloak of silence
Adrienne E. Goolsby was described as a “proven leader ... with a remarkable track record” when she was lured from Chicago in 2012 to take over as the chief executive officer of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. But less than three years into her tenure, the 45-year-old Atlanta native is out and a retired Richmond development expert, T.K. Somanath, 69, has been installed temporarily as RRHA’s top official as the search for Ms. Goolsby’s successor begins.
ABA president-elect challenges ODBA for the future
The president-elect of the American Bar Association praised the trailblazing accomplishments of the historic Old Dominion Bar Association at its 75th anniversary commemorative gala banquet Saturday night at a Henrico County conference center. “Those individuals who founded the Old Dominion Bar Association are the giants that have led us to where we are today,” Paulette Brown told the audience of 150 people that included state and federal lawmakers, judges and attorneys. “We stand on their shoulders. They opened doors for us and let us know that we are capable of doing great things,” she added.
Federal court blocks Trump’s travel ban
The fate of President Trump’s order to ban travelers from six predominantly Muslim nations, blocked by federal courts, soon may be in the hands of the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, where the president’s appointee, Justice Neil Gorsuch, could help settle the matter.
Payback? Questions raised about charges against Sen. Lucas
State Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, a key power broker and one of the highest ranking African-Americans in the General Assembly, has been charged with conspiracy to damage a Confederate monument during protests in Portsmouth that also led to a demonstrator being critically injured when the statue was knocked down.
Pink and green, OK; but no AKA symbols around campaign of Kamala Harris
When U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris was announced as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate, social media was flush with the pink and green excitement of Sen. Harris’ sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
