Chesterfield to stay in recycling program through Dec.
The Richmond region’s recycling program will remain intact at least through December. Chesterfield County is still mulling its future with the program and has agreed to participate for the rest of the year in the 10-year-old operation run by the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority.
Parent’s FOIA request shows more to RPS 2018 toilet paper debacle
Richmond Public Schools expects to finish the current school year with plenty of toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies at each of its buildings, according to Michelle Hudacsko, chief of staff to RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras.
School Board mounts effort to contain school construction costs
The Richmond School Board is taking a series of steps in seeking to get a handle on the soaring cost of school construction. The ballooning cost is undermining any hope of modernizing city schools for $800 million over 20 years — the amount the city has promised to provide.
RRHA negotiating plan to turn over 11 properties to private company
The city’s housing authority is on the verge of giving a New Jersey-based company control of 11 smaller apartment complexes that house families and the elderly as part of its larger plan to modernize public housing by turning over ownership to private companies.
Rental car scene blows up to jail time for city man
Arthur H. Majola went to pick up a rental car his insurance company was providing after his vehicle, which had been damaged in an accident, went into a repair shop. But he wound up spending 54 days in jail where he became celebrated for engaging in a hunger strike that nearly killed him but forced his release.
New legal effort launched to remove Agelasto from office
Parker C. Agelasto is facing a new legal attack seeking to remove him from his 5th District City Council seat since he moved his residence outside the district. Just two months after former City Councilman Henry W. “Chuck” Richardson filed a lawsuit in Richmond Circuit Court seeking Mr. Agelasto’s ouster, another former City Council member, Sa’ad El-Amin, is seeking a separate removal action in the same court.
Regional recycling program at risk with Chesterfield, others pulling out
Chesterfield County is poised to pull out of a regional curbside recycling program, which could require Richmond and Henrico County to boost their subsidies to maintain the program.
Richmond barber helping rebuild lives, homes in Haiti
Kenneth Barney makes his living cutting hair. But in his spare time, the longtime Richmond barber is on a mission to build solid, safe houses in a community in Haiti where thousands make their homes in tiny ramshackle spaces.
St. Luke Building to begin leasing in June
Two years after it was first announced, the renovation of the historic, but long-vacant St. Luke Building in Gilpin Court into upscale apartments is coming together.
Morrissey announces primary challenge to Sen. Rosalyn Dance
State Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance of Petersburg is facing a fight to keep her legislative seat for a second four-year term. Former Delegate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey of Richmond announced Wednesday that he is challenging Sen. Dance in the June 11 Democratic primary for the 16th Senate District seat.
ABC’s of costs
The administration of Mayor Levar M. Stoney insists that the contracts awarded to build three new city schools “are reflective of the best possible prices given the scope of the work and the current market conditions.”
Va. NAACP to be run by Tenn. official
The longtime president of the Tennessee NAACP has been handed control of the Virginia State Conference NAACP. Gloria Jean Sweet-Love, who has earned credit for turning around NAACP operations in her state during her 24-year tenure at the helm, was named administrator for the Virginia operations and given sweeping powers over state NAACP policies, programs and expenditures.
Kamras explains granting RPS employees vacation days with $1M price tag
The loss of one word from the official Richmond Public Schools calendar apparently will cost the city’s school system up to $1 million in extra vacation pay. The word: Designated.
City going all in for electric bikes
City Hall is trying to turn around its failing bike share program by adding battery-powered bikes to make it easier for riders to travel longer distances and get up the city’s hills.
Markers unveiled honoring the late Dorothy I. Height, with small error
The unveiling of a new historical marker saluting late Richmond native Dorothy I. Height for her role as a national civil rights leader was a gala affair. Sunday’s event drew a big crowd to the ceremony at First Baptist Church of South Richmond on Decatur Street that included several of Ms. Height’s relatives, Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax, Gov. Ralph S. Northam and other officials and admirers of the woman former President Obama called the “godmother of the Civil Rights Movement.”
City Council acts to reduce ‘drama’ during annual school funding debates
Richmond Public Schools each year would receive at least 55.4 percent of all real estate tax revenue City Hall collects under a policy unanimously approved Monday night by Richmond City Council.
Overcharged? 4 Richmond School Board members question surging costs to build new schools in city
The projected cost of the three new schools that Richmond is preparing to build has jumped an average of $107 per square foot in just five months, adding tens of millions of dollars to the cost, according to four members of the Richmond School Board.
Henrico woman wins settlement in $1M discrimination lawsuit against county
Jeanetta Lee appears to have secured a signal victory in her lawsuit claiming that Henrico County engaged in racial discrimination in bypassing her in 2017 to promote a less qualified white man to manage the county’s in-house insurance office known as the Risk Management Division.
No answers yet on why new Richmond schools costs to be higher than many other locales
Richmond is preparing to spend $140 million to build three new schools financed by an increase in the city’s meals tax — $30 million more than the school system first projected and far in excess of what most school divisions are paying for new buildings.
Markers to honor late city native Dorothy I. Height on March 24
Dorothy Irene Height left segregated Richmond at age 5 and went on to earn national recognition as a civil rights and women’s rights activist who devoted her life to uplifting people.
New $720,000 policy gives RPS employees a week off for spring break
For the first time, principals, maintenance workers and other 12-month public schools employees in Richmond will receive a week of paid leave during the upcoming spring break, even though it will cost more than $720,000.
New bridge named for longtime school volunteer
Robert S. “Bob” Argabright II is receiving special recognition for his volunteer service to Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School in South Side.
Federal appeals court rejects VSU professor’s claim on pay discrimination
Studies show that men make more money than women for doing the same work, but proving in court that gender bias is the reason a woman is receiving lower pay turns out to be very difficult.
New RRHA chief takes over March 25
The new chief executive officer of the 79-year-old Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority is scheduled to arrive Monday, March 25, to take charge of the independent agency that manages more the 4,000 public housing units.
Discrimination lawsuit against Henrico County to go to trial Monday
Jeanetta Lee is hoping a federal jury will agree with her that Henrico County engaged in racial discrimination in awarding a plum job promotion to a less qualified white man.
Fewer, higher paid school liaisons would replace RPS’ 17 attendance officers under Kamras plan
Jason Kamras is rejecting initial criticism of his plan to try a new approach to ensure Richmond students attend school daily.
Stand by your plan
Mayor Levar M. Stoney pushes his proposed tax hikes despite opposition and criticism
Mayor Levar M. Stoney plans to take his case for tax hikes to Richmond residents in coming weeks, even as his plan draws resistance and foes express gratitude to one of his outspoken opponents, 8th District City Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, by showering her with bouquets of flowers.
Problems prevent lead abatement program from advancing
Daniel Mouer has $2.7 million to spend on removing hazardous lead paint lingering in Richmond residences more than 40 years after it was banned.
Garden at MLK Middle School is part of new city Food Justice Corridor
Richmond’s new Food Justice Corridor is starting to take root. On Saturday, nine new raised garden beds were installed in an interior courtyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, building on fledging steps begun last year.
Artist wants money from city for damaged works, studio
S. Ross Browne was painting in his South Side studio at 4 a.m. Nov. 1 when he heard an explosion outside. The hydrant in front of his studio at 1100 Hull St. had burst. Water was gushing down the sidewalk and street as if the James River has suddenly flooded South Side.
RPS attendance officers’ jobs on chopping block despite crucial need, service
With little public attention, the Richmond delegation to the General Assembly joined most Democrats and Republicans last year in voting to dismantle most of the 20-year-old requirements imposed on Virginia public schools to prevent truancy.
Petersburg schools superintendent retiring June 30
Dr. Marcus J. Newsome is retiring as superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools at the end June with his school improvement plan only half completed.
No details released on meeting about Councilman Agelasto
Will he or won’t he? Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring remains mum about whether he will file for a special writ in Richmond Circuit Court to remove 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto.
Settlement reached in former city employee’s legal suit
A former city employee is moving to settle her federal lawsuit against the City of Richmond for wrongful termination and violations of federal laws regarding medical leave and overtime pay.
Mayor says Coliseum plan on hold for now
The $1.4 billion plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum and build new offices, hotels, retail stores and more than 2,800 apartments in 10 blocks near City Hall has been moved off the fast track.
More taxes
Mayor Stoney proposes tax hikes on real estate, cigarettes and utility rates to generate more money for city needs
More money, more money, more money.
School Board sends proposed $310.6M budget to mayor
The Richmond School Board voted 6-3 Monday night to send to Mayor Levar M. Stoney a proposed $310.6 million operating budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year that will begin July 1 — equaling a per pupil cost of $13,362 for each of the estimated 23,200 students expected to be enrolled in city schools next fall in preschool through 12th grade.
New study shows disparity in number of city police encounters with African-Americans
African-Americans in Richmond are involved in nearly two out of three civilian encounters with police officers, with lopsided contacts when police are checking out suspicious persons or activities, a new study finds.
Richmond woman files $30M lawsuit alleging rights violation in police traffic stop
An African-American resident of Richmond is seeking $30 million in damages from the City of Richmond and the white police officer who put her in handcuffs during a traffic stop for a defective headlight and tail light — a restraint practice the suit alleges affects mostly African-American drivers in violation of their constitutional rights.
Local chef-caterer turns empty church kitchen into a busy business
On weekdays, the kitchen at Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond’s East End is a beehive of activity six hours a day.
City’s first African-American fire chief Ronald C. Lewis dies at 84
Ronald Charles “Ron” Lewis led the modernization of Richmond’s Fire Department after being installed as the city’s first African-American fire chief in 1978.
Mayor names members of new city History and Culture Commission
Nine people, including a university president, three museum officials and an African-American history advocate, were named Tuesday to Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s new History and Culture Commission.
City Council approves expansion of real estate tax relief
Elderly and totally disabled homeowners won increased relief from real estate taxes beginning in January 2020.
Making moves
Legal battle to remove Parker Agelasto from City Council ramps up
The legal fight to remove 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto from office as the result of his move to the 1st District last year is gaining new energy.
Va. NAACP facing takeover by national?
Is the national NAACP about to take control of the Virginia State Conference of the civil rights group based on member complaints? So far, the national office has declined to comment on any action concerning the Virginia NAACP that was authorized at the Feb. 16 national board meeting in New York.
Authority of Virginia State Bar to discipline lawyers challenged
Veteran Richmond area attorney Rhetta M. Daniel is challenging the authority of the Virginia State Bar to consider misconduct charges against lawyers in a filing that, if upheld, could undermine decisions in hundreds of previous cases.
Judges continuing family tradition on local courts
Judge Randall G. Johnson Jr. is going to become a circuit court judge like his late father. And Brice E. Lambert also is headed to the bench where he will continue a family tradition of judicial service.
Duncan chosen to lead RRHA
The board of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority on Wednesday tapped Damon E. Duncan as the new chief executive officer as the agency continues to struggle to keep the heat on in a small portion of its nearly 4,000 public housing units.
City’s financial forecast projects deficits — even without a new Coliseum
Prospects that Mayor Levar M. Stoney will advance his grand plan to replace the now closed Richmond Coliseum to City Council appear to be dimming. Since November, the plan has remained in limbo, and City Hall remains mum on the plan’s future.
Who should investigate allegations against Fairfax?
Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax continues to preside over the state Senate despite the continuing ferment over decades-old sexual assault claims two women have publicly leveled against him.
