Former City Councilman Chuck Richardson tells all in new book, ‘Cease Fire! Cease Fire!’
He was the man called Chuck when he served on Richmond City Council.
3 City Council districts likely to see boundary changes
Redistricting could end up being a breeze for Richmond City Council.
Va. redistricting commission fails to agree on boundary changes for state legislative districts
The Virginia Supreme Court will do it. The state’s highest court has been handed the constitutional task of redesigning the boundaries of the 100 state House of Delegates and 40 state Senate districts.
School Board members introduce teacher collective bargaining resolution
Is collective bargaining coming to Richmond Public Schools?
$22.3M: The amount the city expects the surplus to be from 2020-21 fiscal year
A $22.3 million surplus, equal to $96 for every man, woman and child in Richmond.
Wrinkle in process means RPS doesn’t have access to city-managed school construction money
Richmond Public Schools has hit an unexpected roadblock on its way to hiring an architectural team to design a replacement for decaying George Wythe High School.
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.
Doubling down
Alfred C. Liggins III and Urban One go all in to win voter approval of the $565M casino project proposed for South Side. The referendum is Nov. 2, with early voting going on now.
Do you want a gambling casino built on a 100-acre commercial property in the South Side?
City Council signals support for plans for American Rescue Plan money
As Mayor Levar M. Stoney proposed, four community recreation centers will get a major chunk of the $155 million flowing into Richmond’s treasury from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
David N. Smith, former banking executive and state official, dies at 66
David Nathaniel Smith wanted to be a journal- ist but found his road to success in commercial sales and banking.
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 price hike expected with Oct. bills
Richmonders who cook and heat with natural gas are about to be hit with a sharp jump in the cost of the fuel heading into winter.
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.
School Board, administration thwarted own tenets set up for RPS food service
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras appeared to have undermined a key tenet of the School Board’s approved three-year-old school improvement plan, Dreams4RPS, with decisions about the cafeteria operation and the delivery of food that were made before schools reopened earlier this month.
Hickory Hill and City Hall now open for early voting
In-person early voting is now being offered at City Hall in Downtown and at the Hickory Hill Community Center in South Side, as well as the city Voter Registrar’s Office in North Side.
New ‘Emancipation and Freedom Monument’ unveiling draws crowds, tears
“Overwhelming!” “Excited!” “Proud!” Those were some of the comments from onlookers as they viewed the state’s new “Emancipation and Freedom Monument” that was unveiled Wednesday on Brown’s Island on the James River in Richmond’s Downtown.
BlackTop youth program loses gym space
A private South Side youth program that won plaudits and a $500,000 city grant for its virtual school operation that served more than 80 students daily during the 2020-21 school year has been evicted from its home in a church gymnasium and is scrambling to find a new location for its operations.
Local screenwriter hopes next stop will be Academy Awards
Henry K. Myers is realizing the dream of every amateur screenwriter – to see his words turned into a film.
Commonwealth Catholic Charities to lead city’s winter overflow shelter efforts
Homeless people needing shelter in Richmond beginning Friday, Oct. 1, through mid-April will have a place to stay if the private shelters are full during cold weather.
City registrar takes heat for delay in opening satellite voting locations
Keith G. Balmer, Richmond’s new voter registrar, was rushing to start early in-person voting next week at two satellite locations—City Hall in Downtown and the Hickory Hill Community Center in South Side.
City Addresses problems in three new school buildings
City Hall is blaming manufacturing defects for flaws in three new school buildings that opened for in-person classes on Sept. 8.
Driver, mechanic shortages could lead to GRTC service cuts
Offering bonuses of $5,000 to $8,500, GRTC is seeking to lure more drivers to its ranks and avoid cutting service.
Mayor Stoney details plans for using $155M in American Rescue Plan funds
Mayor Levar M. Stoney on Monday called for using the $155 million inAmerican Rescue Plan funds pouring into City Hall coffers to increase the inventory of homes and apartments that are more affordable for lower-income residents; beef up recreation facilities and improve access to the James River; invest in child care programs and in health programs; improve public safety; and provide $3,000 bonuses for first re- sponders.
Confederate A.P. Hill statue may be headed to Culpeper
The last city-owned Confederate statue is on its way out of Richmond, though the process will not be swift because a grave is involved, according to Mayor Levar M. Stoney.
Early voting begins Sept. 17 for Virginia’s top posts
The future direction of Virginia’s government is now in the hands of voters, with early voting cranking up on Friday, Sept. 17 – 45 days ahead of the official Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Tough love
Task force recommends subpoena powers for police oversight board
A recommendation for creating a powerful new city office to police the police has been sent to Richmond City Council for review.
Trial set for Oct. 12 in Fourth Baptist Church dispute
A Richmond Circuit Court judge on Tuesday refused to throw out a case in which some members of historic Fourth Baptist Church have sought protection for their voting rights in church affairs, clearing the way for a trial scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 12.
Funeral service Sept. 21 for Dr. Clifton Whitaker Jr., pastor emeritus of Grayland Baptist Church
Dr. Clifton Whitaker Jr. set out to be a career Richmond police officer, but injury after 17 years on the force opened the door to a new career in ministry.
Friends throw fundraiser for singer Carlton Blount
Carlton V. Blount’s voice has taken him to New York, Los Angeles and a host of other places he could only dream about when he was growing up in Richmond.
City may wind up with surplus from 2020-21 budget year
City Hall appears to have weathered the financial storm caused by the pandemic and could wind up reporting a surplus for the 2020-21 fiscal year that ended June 30 after the final numbers are in.
From hatred to hope
The 131-year old, 12-ton bronze symbol of white supremacy honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue is taken down as scores watch in person and online
An empty pedestal covered with colorful anti-racist slogans. That’s all that remains of the state’s greatest symbol of white supremacy – the statue of the traitorous Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee riding his horse, Traveller.
Alan G. Reese Sr., accountant, dies at 64
Alan Gerard Reese, a veteran accountant who also was involved in the revival of Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood, has died.
Dr. Walton M. Belle, longtime Richmond surgeon and team doctor for VUU Panthers, dies at 91
Dr. Walton McNeil Belle Sr. combined surgery with a flair for business.
Eviction protections still in place for Va. renters
Eviction protections are still in place for struggling Virginia renters despite last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that appears to open the floodgates for landlords to go to court to remove tenants who have fallen far behind.
Perry L. Briggs Sr., member of the Walker Sports Hall of Fame, dies at 92
Perry Lee Briggs Sr., a former football star at Maggie Walker High School and Virginia Union University, has died.
450 goal reached in campaign for new Richmond Planet license plate
Coming soon: A new license plate bearing the Black power logo of a historic newspaper that fought lynching and other forms of oppression in Richmond and Virginia.
Snafu puts warehouse donated to RPS on path for auction
In a surprise move, City Hall appears to be pushing to sell at auction for unpaid taxes a tobacco factory that was donated to Richmond Public Schools, which plans to convert it into a career and technical education high school, but is now owned by a for-profit entity.
Actor Tony D. Cosby, who portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in area productions for decades, dies at 66
For more than 35 years, Tony Darnell Cosby portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for audiences in the Richmond area and beyond.
Armstrong coach, educator, counselor Moses Norrell dies at 83
Moses Alphonso “Sporty” Norrell III, a football coach, educator and guidance counselor for 42 years at his alma mater Armstrong High School, has died.
Former principal alleged to have defrauded renters
For at least five years, Dr. Carl S. Vaughan appeared to offer a lifeline to people facing barriers to securing a place to live.
Former Richmond businessman Jon C. King Sr. dies at 75
Jon C. “Sugar” King Sr. was an influential force in Richmond in opening doors to ensure Black participation in business and the arts.
Re-igniting a classic
Mayor Stoney announces revival of the Armstrong-Walker Classic, with the help of a 15-member committee and others to plan parade, peewee football game and tailgate party for Nov. 27
A fresh attempt is being made to revive the biggest sporting event in Richmond — the Armstrong-Walker Classic.
Charles A. Gill Sr., who shared a big lottery win to help the Richmond community, succumbs at 63
Struggling to make ends meet for his family, Charles Allen Gill Sr. sought to change his luck and became an instant millionaire in the process.
Vacancies hurting Richmond’s emergency operations
Every element of public safety in Richmond is under stress due to manpower shortages.
Dr. Leonard L. Edloe installed as president-elect of Virginia Pharmacists Association
Dr. Leonard L. Edloe, the former owner of a small chain of pharmacies in Richmond, has been installed as the first Black president-elect of the 140-year-old Virginia Pharmacists Association, the same group that once barred his late pharmacist father from joining the organization because of the color of his skin.
Waiver sought for RPS student-athletes to continue playing sports
Student-athletes in Richmond whose grades suffered when schools went virtual could still play football or participate in other fall sports.
Who are we?
Richmond’s population grew by 11 percent, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. But the number of city residents who identify solely as Black slides, while the white population rises slightly.
The 2020 U.S. Census did not surprise anyone when it confirmed what everyone can see with their own eyes— Richmond’s population is on the grow.
Ulysses Kirksey, longtime music director and conductor of the Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, succumbs after illness
Ulysses Kirksey grew up in Richmond, traveled the world with his cello and landed back in Petersburg, where he led the community’s symphony orchestra for 32 years.
Area teen spreads anti-bullying message
Adults forbid it and impose rules against it, but bullying continues to take place in schools.
