City attorney: City Council has no authority to remove Confederate statues
Does Richmond City Council have the legal authority to remove or relocate the Confederate statues from Monument Avenue?
Fish farming in Fairfield Court?
Nonprofit founder floats idea to improve lives of East End residents
Could fish farming be a way up for residents of public housing? Eric Samuelson believes it is a winning idea. And he’s hoping to find government officials who are willing to test it. “I get paid by private business to solve problems,” said Mr. Samuelson, a veteran management consultant. “I want to use my abilities to help solve the problems facing residents in public housing. And I think fish farming is one way to go.”
Mother, daughter reunited 50 years after adoption
Bonnie L. Davis grew up in an adoptive family, but always longed to find her biological mother. But the Richmond middle school English teacher, church musician and creative writer, found it nearly impossible, despite spending years seeking records in Louisville, Ky., where she was born.
Picketer seeks to challenge regulations in Capitol Square
Beatrice Downs is learning that sidewalks are not created equal when it comes to public demonstrations. The 69-year-old nurse found that out when she sought to picket outside the governor’s office in Capitol Square. The Henrico County resident is convinced that state officials have made it more difficult for her to work or to find a place to live, “and I wanted to bring this to the attention of the governor.”
NSU president stepping down
Eddie N. Moore Jr. is stepping down as president of Norfolk State University, a year after he was inaugurated as the university’s sixth president.
War continues over statues
The war of words over Confederate statues in Richmond appears to be just getting started. In the weeks and months ahead, Richmond City Council is poised to consider a nonbinding resolution from 9th District Councilman Michael J. Jones that aims to put the governing body on record as favoring removal.
Richmond wins national award for health efforts
Despite suffering a surge in violence and murders, Richmond is still considered a role model for the nation for its pursuit of ways to enable residents to live healthier lives.
School Board to fill 7th District seat Oct.16
The Richmond School Board plans to fill the vacant 7th District seat at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 16. The decision came Monday night as the eight-member board also voted to urge Congress to allow the use of historic tax credits as a tool to finance school improvements and learned that 50 people have applied to be the next superintendent. On the board appointment front, the group set up an aggressive schedule.
Opposition mounts to bike lanes
Jackson Ward residents and business owners are fighting back against city plans to allow bikes exclusive use of one lane of 1st and 2nd streets, which comprise the main commercial district for the historically African-American section of Downtown.
School Board under time crunch to fill 7th District seat
The Richmond School Board has yet to begin the process of replacing Nadine Marsh-Carter, but it will not be able to dawdle in filling the 7th District seat from which she resigned last week or in deciding when to hold a special election. State law gives the now eight-member board 45 days to appoint a temporary representative until a special election can be held to fill the remainder of Ms. Marsh-Carter’s four-year term.
VCU prof receives NIH grant for child asthma collaboration
Robin S. Everhart is seeking to prove that community collaboration can upgrade the health and well-being of Richmond children suffering from asthma, the chronic lung disease that makes if difficult to breathe. She’ll have her chance.
Maggie Small to dance in ‘Portrait of Billie’
Maggie Small is excited and honored to be portraying Billie Holiday in next week’s opening show of the Richmond Ballet’s new season.
18 out of 44
That’s how many city public schools are fully accredited
The good news: 18 of Richmond’s 44 public schools — 41 percent — are fully accredited based on relatively high student pass rates on state Standards of Learning tests. That’s an increase from last year’s 17 accredited schools, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The bad news: Richmond has 19 schools that have been denied accreditation because of low student pass rates on SOL tests.
Will Richmond be the next Charlottesville?
In defiance of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s ban on demonstrations at the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue, a little known Tennessee-based group of Confederate sympathizers is going ahead with a rally to promote protection of the statue.
City Hall to state auditor: No way city on brink of $ distress
No way could this be correct. That is City Hall’s response to a finding by the state auditor of public accounts that Richmond is one of five localities — including Bristol, Petersburg and two unidentified counties — that are facing the most severe financial stress. The Free Press disclosed the finding in the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 edition.
RPS opens with shortage of 54 teachers
Richmond Public Schools started the new school year short 54 full-time teachers, including 23 special education teachers, according to interim Superintendent Thomas E. “Tommy” Kranz.
Public comment sought on new location for police stables
Glenwood Burley once again is seeking the public’s help for Richmond Police. This time, the retired police officer wants people to offer their views on a site for a new regional stable for police horses. The new site would replace the city’s old stables on Brook Road near Gilpin Court in North Side.
Survey open on creating city Human Rights Commission
A four-member city task force is forging ahead on a study on creating a Human Rights Commission for Richmond. The chair, Riqia E. Taylor, announced Tuesday that the task force has set up an online survey through which city residents can provide their views on the proposal.
Attorney general opinion says Richmond statues may be moved
Richmond apparently could remove four of the five Confederate statues on Monument Avenue without violating a state law protecting them, according to an opinion from Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring.
State auditor: City may be on brink of financial distress
Richmond is usually portrayed as being in good financial health despite having one in four residents living in poverty. Coupled with a building boom, the city reports a balanced budget, $114 million in savings that it does not need to tap to pay its bills and budget surpluses in each of the past two fiscal years.
Bike sharing rolls into Richmond
By Jeremy M. LazarusNext week, Mayor Levar M. Stoney will launch the RVA Bike Share program that promotes cycling by allowing people to rent bikes for a few hours to a week or more.
City starts tax amnesty program
Have you failed to pay city taxes? Good news. The city is now offering a two-month amnesty program to allow residents and businesses to pay what they owe without the interest and penalties that boost the expense.
Richmond Christian Center gets 4-month reprieve from sale
The Richmond Christian Center has been given a four-month reprieve from the forced sale of its South Side sanctuary in the 200 block of Cowardin Avenue and other holdings.
Life Church RVA has new home
The former home of the bankrupt Southside Baptist Church is the new home of The Life Church RVA.
Warehouse owner left with waste collected by CVWMA
Warehouse 25 at Clopton SiteWorks on South Side is the best evidence that the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority has failed to keep its promise to properly dispose of old and broken TVs and computer monitors that are filled with toxic metals.
$7.43M
That’s the surplus city reports
Four months ago, top city administration financial officials told Richmond City Council to forget about a surplus. But for the second year in a row, there’s an August surprise.
Powerless over statues?
Who really can remove the Confederate traitors from Monument Avenue? According to the City Charter, it may not be the mayor or City Council
When it comes to the Confederate statues on Monument Avenue, Mayor Levar M. Stoney has been in the spotlight, along with members of Richmond City Council.
Organizers claim success in schools petition drive
The petition drive to put the issue of modernizing Richmond’s dilapidated public schools before city voters has succeeded, according to the leader of the campaign
GRTC Pulse service delays start
The new GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit no longer is expected to be completed, tested and operating by the end of October. GRTC had advertised on its weekly updates that Pulse would arrive in 2017, but that changed in recent updates to “arriving soon.”
New VUU president
Dr. Hakim J. Lucas of Bethune-Cookman tapped as school’s 13th president
They’ve been rivals forever, but Virginia Union and Virginia State universities soon will have one thing in common — a first-time president with executive credentials honed at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Twenty months after VSU hired Bethune-Cookman Provost Makola M. Abdullah as its 14th president, VUU announced that the Florida university’s chief fundraiser, Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, would become its 13th president, effective Sept. 1. Dr. Lucas’ appointment was announced Tuesday by Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, VUU’s board chairman, following a 14-month search to replace former President Claude G. Perkins, who stepped down in June 2016, first taking a sabbatical and then retiring.
Pay raise problems resolved
The salary snafu at City Hall has been resolved. Police officers and firefighters are to receive their delayed raises on Friday, Aug. 11, when the next city paychecks are issued, according to Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s press secretary, Jim Nolan.
GRTC to hold meetings on bus route changes
How will GRTC’s overhaul of its bus routes and bus stops affect you? Regular riders and potential transit users can find out at a series of information meetings that kick off Saturday, Aug. 5. The meetings will spell out the changes to be put in place when the new Pulse Bus Rapid Transit System begins operating.
More charges prompt hold on Morrissey bar hearing
Attorney Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey can still practice law — for now. A three-judge panel hit the pause button Wednesday on a scheduled two-day hearing to determine whether the former state delegate should keep his law license.
Virginia State Bar schedules Aug. 2 hearing on Morrissey’s law license
Next week, a three-judge panel will decide whether to again suspend or revoke the law license of former Delegate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey.
New customer service number for city public utilities
That is the new customer service phone number for the Richmond Department of Public Utilities, it has been announced. DPU is no longer connected to the city’s 311 call center, which routes calls to public works, animal control, tax offices and other city operations. The 311 center also gets calls through (804) 646-7000.
City Hall computers secure
City Hall’s computer defenses appear to be successful. The City of Richmond’s computer specialists, it turns out, have dealt with and overcome hacking attempts and other computer challenges that have made headlines elsewhere, officials said.
Siblings bring own organ donation experience to Minority Donor Awareness Week
Malcolm K. Bradford feels fortunate that he had a sister willing to donate a kidney when both of his failed. “People who were in dialysis with me are still on the waiting list” for an organ transplant, said the 47-year-old city employee, who is in good health since the operation two years ago.
Pay raises for police, firefighters held up
Pay raises for police officers and firefighters that Richmond City Council worked hard to provide are being held up and will not be included in city paychecks to be distributed Friday, the Free Press has been informed.
GRTC slated to start CARE-on-demand service Aug.1
Roderyck Bullock is gaining a new transportation option. Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 1, the Richmonder will be able to use a new Uber-style, on-demand service that GRTC is putting in place to upgrade service to the elderly and disabled who rely on the company’s CARE paratransit service.
Wells Fargo to give $4M to HOME to expand black home ownership
Five years ago, banking giant Wells Fargo paid more than $200 million to settle documented government allegations that it deliberately charged African-American borrowers higher fees and interest rates on home loans.
City Hall’s most feared man is out
For 11 years, he was considered the most feared man at Richmond City Hall as he led a staff of 14 in ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. But that time is over for City Auditor Umesh Dalal.
Broadcast legend ‘Tiger Tom’ Mitchell dies
“Tiger Tom” Mitchell built his life on the spoken and written word. For more than 30 years, the celebrated broadcaster entertained untold thousands of listeners with his radio show on long-gone WANT AM 990.
Death sentence?
Virginia inmate files federal class action lawsuit to make Hepatitis C treatment available to prisoners
Terry A. Riggleman went to prison as a convicted robber. But 11 years into his 20-year sentence, he is working to change an alleged state practice of withholding life-saving medicine from Virginia prison inmates like him who are afflicted with the liver-destroying viral infection known as Hepatitis C.
Candidates line up for Nov. 7 election for Richmond offices
She beat incumbent Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. in the June 13 Democratic primary.
Schools petition drive organizer files suit against Va. Department of Elections
Paul Goldman is taking the state Department of Elections to court. The former chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia is accusing the state agency of using a state law to undermine efforts to get a school improvement initiative on the Richmond ballot.
City receives grants for lead paint abatement, workforce development
Richmond has been awarded grants totaling $4.6 million that will enable the city Health District to do more to reduce lead poisoning of children and to beef up the city’s workforce programs that seek to reduce poverty. The biggest grant, $2.7 million, is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Autistic student back at TJ High
For six months, Stephanie Priddy has fought a Richmond Public Schools decision to remove her from Thomas Jefferson High School.
Richmond mom takes action after teen deaths
Candice Walker, like many people in Richmond, was appalled and outraged by the recent slayings of five teenagers.
Henrico County takes Essex Village owners to court
Henrico County officials are fed up with unfulfilled promises to fix Essex Village, a sprawling
RRHA steps up efforts to help residents find jobs
A Creighton Court community room packed with people seeking to learn about employment opportunities.
