Petersburg shake-up nets new chief operating officer
Amid crumbling finances, the City of Petersburg has shaken up its government leadership. After firing City Manager William E. Johnson III last week, the seven-member Petersburg City Council handed executive authority to three of its members, including Mayor W. Howard Myers, Ward 5, the city’s titular leader. The shuffle is the City Council’s latest effort to deal with millions of dollars in unpaid bills, a multimillion-dollar revenue shortfall and a malfunctioning water billing system.
City facing grim budget choices
Parking at a Downtown meter could soon be more expensive. So could the annual city fee to register a vehicle and the cost of trash collection. Those are some of the fee increases Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones is proposing in the $709 million spending plan for fiscal year 2017 that begins July 1. He presented the plan last Friday to Richmond City Council. It would be up to the council to approve the fee increases as part of its work on the budget.
GOP surprise
Cuccinelli then McCullough poised for Va. high court
Ending a long-running dispute with the governor, the Republican majority in the General Assembly will cap the legislative session by filling a vacant state Supreme Court seat with their own choice. However, as has been traditional, the choice will be a seasoned jurist — Stephen R. McCullough of the Virginia Court of Appeals, GOP leaders in the House and Senate announced Wednesday.
Richmond sheriff sued for disability violation
Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. has been hit with a federal lawsuit for firing a deputy who became disabled by a heart condition.
Preliminary figures show $4.7M surplus for city in FY2015
City Hall could fill a big chunk of a projected $9.6 million deficit for the current fiscal year once outside auditors sign off on the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for fiscal year 2015 that ended June 30. Based on preliminary figures, the city finished fiscal year 2015 with a $4.7 million surplus.
Weldon Hill moves from VSU provost to professor
New Virginia State University President Makola M. Abdullah will soon be putting his stamp on the university’s administration.
Worker fired for doing mayor’s church work on the job
The Richmond Ambulance Authority quietly has terminated a high-ranking employee who was doing volunteer work for Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ church during business hours, the Free Press has learned. Pamela J. Branch, the authority’s chief human resources and legal officer for several years, was fired Feb. 24 after officials determined she spent time at the RAA doing work as clerk of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, where the mayor is senior pastor.
Henrico cop indicted
Kimberly McNeil made that plea to a Henrico County police officer who was firing into a car in which she was a passenger. Her plea went unanswered, a cousin recounted, as Officer Joel D. Greenway, continued shooting at her as her fiancé, Robert Davis, tried to drive away from the Exxon station where they had just purchased gas Dec. 15.
Telfair: I was never consulted on Petersburg water contract
Two years ago, cash-strapped Petersburg jumped at a deal that Johnson Controls Inc. was offering. As it has done across the country, the energy and industrial giant offered to pay for installing automated water meters to replace Petersburg’s 11,500 old and outdated meters. The new meters would transmit water usage data to a passing truck and eliminate the need to send staff to physically check meters every two months.
Pro-Confederate legislators make run to save symbols
Veto that bill, governor. That’s the cry from members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus after the Republican-dominated General Assembly approved a bill that would bar localities from removing Confederate hate symbols from public property. “I voted against it, but now we can only hope that that the governor will use his veto pen,” said Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan.
Clinton, Trump win Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday proved super for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. The two front-runners each won seven of the 11 state primary contests this week, including Virginia — putting each on course to win their party’s presidential nomination and face each other in a general election showdown.
Walker statue to rise above Downtown plaza
The bronze statue of Richmond businesswoman Maggie L. Walker is to be the centerpiece of a 3,000-square-foot circular plaza made of granite. The preliminary design was unveiled last Saturday to an audience of about 100 people at the Richmond Public Library’s Main Branch in Downtown.
Petersburg roils with turmoil
There’s trouble in Petersburg. Petitions are being circulated to remove Petersburg Mayor W. Howard Myers. Separately, a majority of the Petersburg City Council has voted to begin talks to remove Petersburg City Manager William E. Johnson III and City Attorney Brian K. Telfair, although some are questioning whether the action came at a legal meeting. All of this comes as residents are venting over the way the city is being managed, over sky-high water bills and about property tax bills that are arriving close to the deadline for payment.
Super Tuesday
Virginians to vote in presidential primaries March 1
Now it is up to the voters. Next week, Virginians will help pick the Democratic and Republican nominees for president. The presidential primary elections for both parties are scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, in the Old Dominion, with polls open from 6 a.m to 7 p.m. in Richmond and across the state.
Creighton Court residents still dealing with heating issues
Tina Shaw and residents of four other apartments in Creighton Court have sufficient heat, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority reports. RRHA conducted heat tests of the apartment Ms. Shaw occupies and those of other residents in response to complaints Ms. Shaw lodged with the Free Press about radiators in her apartment not functioning.
Bond blocks eviction appeal
Janice Wiggins was eager to appeal to Richmond Circuit Court when a General District Court judge sided with her landlord and approved her eviction for nonpayment of December’s rent. Ms. Wiggins believed she could win her case if another judge heard it. She said she had presented a receipt, acknowledged by the landlord, that showed she had paid the rent and late fees before the Jan. 21 court hearing. She wanted a chance to prove Judge Barbara J. Gaden was in error when she ruled the payment was for January’s rent, rather than for the missing December rent.
Woman raises concern over fees charged by court
In the world of local courts that seems to have an endless list of fees and costs, one thing has always been free: Subpoenas and summonses for witnesses in a criminal case. However, a recent incident has left a Richmond woman concerned that the policy has changed in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Va. Tech scientist to Richmonders: use water filters for protection
Attach a $20 filter to each of the water taps you use for drinking or cooking. And regularly change the filter cartridges. That’s the only to way to ensure you aren’t getting poisonous lead in your water, according to Dr. Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech environmental scientist who has won hero status for proving people in Flint, Mich., were being poisoned by their drinking water.
A tale of two campaign offices:
Hillary and Bernie in Richmond
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton each have opened campaign offices in Richmond ahead of the upcoming Virginia presidential primary Tuesday, March 1.
Tree axed
Committee votes to remove oak from Walker statue site
The live oak tree will be axed from the site where the Maggie L. Walker statue will stand in Downtown. The tree’s fate was sealed Saturday when sculptor Antonio T. “Toby” Mendez met with the Richmond Public Art Commission’s Site Selection Team, led by architect Sarah Driggs.
City charter school flunks accreditation
A Richmond charter school has been denied accreditation, providing fresh ammunition to foes of a Republican push to open the floodgates to create such schools.
Stalking, trespass charges against child advocate absolved
The big case is still ahead. But two charges against an advocate for special needs children have been dismissed or absolved. Last month, Kandise N. Lucas was acquitted of trespassing at Falling Creek Middle School.
Snowstorm plows through city budget
The winter storm that dumped 12 inches of snow on Richmond three weeks ago did more than snarl traffic, stall mail service and close schools.j
‘Mardi Bras’ party with a purpose to aid homeless women
It’s Mardi Bras time in Richmond. That’s the program a local ministry is spearheading to collect intimate items for homeless women, including underwear and feminine hygiene products.
Exhibit highlights early Chesterfield lawyer-activist
He was a pioneering lawyer who also built Chesterfield County roads and oversaw services to the county’s poor during his lifetime. But, today, Cornelius Mimms is largely forgotten. The only notable mention of him in the county are street names in the county’s government complex, Mimms Drive and Mimms Loop.
City Council on board with Bus Rapid Transit
Let’s roll on this project. That’s the message Richmond City Council sent this week on Bus Rapid Transit, also known as “Pulse.” Envisioning BRT as a start to creating a modern regional public transit system, council members voted 7-1, with one abstention, to give the green light to the $49 million project to speed up transit service primarily along the Broad Street corridor.
Tree decision expected Feb. 13 on Maggie Walker statue site
That controversial question is expected to be decided this weekend as plans move forward to create a statue of Richmond great Maggie L. Walker at Broad and Adams streets — the Downtown intersection now dominated by a rare live oak tree. The decision on whether to keep or remove the tree is to be made by the Richmond Public Arts Commission’s seven-member Site Selection Committee, the commission disclosed Tuesday.
Sen. Lucas flip-flops in Va. Supreme Court battle
Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. is still one Senate vote short of winning a General Assembly election that would move him from the Virginia Court of Appeals to the state Supreme Court.
Probe launched on city-church ties
Did anything illegal take place? Or is there merely a need for stronger policies covering city officials who engage in outside in endeavors on city time?
Mayor to seek referendum on school funding
Raise taxes or cut services. Those, said Mayor Dwight C. Jones, are about the only options Richmond has if it is to boost spending on public education by the tens of millions of dollars Richmond Public Schools is requesting. And he said he would explore with Richmond City Council “the idea of an advisory referendum on the November ballot to determine whether the public wishes to raise its taxes and by how much.”
Payday loan victim joins class action suit
Henrico resident Donald Garrett is joining a class action suit seeking to hold Advance ‘Til Payday loan company accountable for allegedly evading state law and charging up to 960 percent interest on small loans of $100 to $300.
Lead poisoning endangers Richmond children, too
Amid the public outcry over the lead-contaminated public water supply in Flint, Mich., it is easy to forget that lead poisoning remains a threat to children across the country — even in Richmond. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 500,000 young children nationally suffer from lead poisoning that can affect development of their mental capacity, their bones and their organs.
Energy savings could yield $18M to fix city schools
Energy savings could generate $18 million to fuel an overhaul of heating and cooling systems, windows, lighting and other systems in as many as 10 Richmond Public Schools buildings.
Veterans’ burial postponed
The burial of three veterans who died in Richmond has been postponed due to the snowfall, the office of Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. has announced.
Heating woes continue to plague Creighton Court residents
Tina Marie Smith finally has a working radiator on the first floor of her Creighton Court apartment. The only problem: It doesn’t produce much heat. And it hasn’t, she said, since maintenance workers from the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority installed it three weeks ago.
GOP-controlled General Assembly bucks McAuliffe’s choice in court drama
The fate of Virginia Supreme Court Justice Jane Marum Roush is expected to be determined this week, with expectations that she will once again fail to win General Assembly election to remain on the state’s highest court. In the latest twist in this continuing drama surrounding a judicial appointment, the House of Delegates is to vote Thursday, Jan. 28, on whether Justice Roush is to receive a 12-year appointment on the state Supreme Court or be forced to step down by mid-February.
Bus Rapid Transit would cost $3.6M annually to operate
GRTC would need a larger city subsidy to keep the proposed Bus Rapid Transit service called Pulse in operation, but perhaps not as big as some critics have suggested, according to the company. In a report released Sunday, Greater Richmond Transit Co. estimates that Richmond taxpayers would need to provide between $345,000 to $775,000 a year to cover the city’s share of BRT operations. The actual amount depends on whether BRT is a hit with commuters and attracts additional daily riders.
Paydazed in RVA
High-fee payday loan traps Henrico man
Running short of money to pay bills, Donald Garrett did what many people do — he turned to a payday lender. He borrowed $100 from a small loan company called Advance ‘Til Payday on Nine Mile Road near his Henrico County apartment in order to catch up. Four months later, he had wracked up $320 in fees and still was unable to pay off the original $100. Until a friend stepped in and paid off his debt, he faced paying $80 each month. To pay the loan off, $100 had to be added to the $80 payment.
Congressional district change may cost city $60,000-plus
Call it an unexpected expense. Richmond might have to cough up between $60,000 and $80,000 to notify city voters that they have been moved from the 3rd Congressional District to the 4th Congressional District.
Repaved areas of Chamberlayne Ave. uncover more defects
A repaved stretch of Chamberlayne Avenue already is falling apart, less than a year after being repaved for the world bike races held in Richmond last September. The problem pavement also undermines Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ claim that such paving for the races would last up to 10 years.
Federal appeals court upholds $2M award
Thousands of women who suffered injuries from a transvaginal mesh product that was implanted to resolve pelvic problems could benefit from a federal court decision.
Sheriff Woody gives final salute to deceased veterans
Two soldiers and a sailor who died in Richmond will be buried next week with full military honors thanks to help from Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr.
Bus Rapid Transit
Can Richmond afford to maintain proposed expensive bus service?
Can Richmond afford to operate the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system that promises speedier travel and is described as the biggest revamp in public bus service in the city in at least 50 years?
Private money dries up for Kanawha Plaza project
Last July, Richmond City Council gave Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ administration the green light to overhaul 35-year-old Kanawha Plaza, the three-acre park that sits across from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The council acted after being assured that virtually all of the $6 million cost would come from gifts from big corporations and law firms located near the park.
Source: City Hall knew Adediran was managing church project
It was no secret at Richmond City Hall that city Public Works Director Emmanuel O. Adediran was doubling as project manager for a new $5.3 million sanctuary that First Baptist Church of South Richmond is building in Chesterfield County, the Free Press has learned. According to a highly knowledgeable source, “everyone knew (Mr. Adediran) had been asked by the mayor to help with the church project.”
Tree not sole obstacle at Maggie Walker site
Too small and too congested with traffic. That reality is starting to clash with the vision of creating a $600,000 to $800,000 plaza and statue celebrating Maggie L. Walker at the intersection of Broad and Adams streets and Brook Road in Downtown.
Challenger seeks to overturn results of postal union election
One of Richmond’s oldest labor organizations — the Old Dominion Branch Local 496 of the National Association of Letter Carriers — is engulfed in an election fight. The fight is over the election of Thelma J. Hunt as the first female president in the branch’s history, which dates back to 1893.
City booted from Rep. Scott’s 3rd District in judicial order
Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott no longer will represent Richmond in the U.S. House of Representatives if the decision of a three-judge panel sticks.
Voter registrar explains plan to stop poll problems
Mistakes happen. That, Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter told the state Board of Elections, is the reason why some voters were given the wrong ballots and had trouble being checked in to vote during the Nov. 3 election. However, she said changes are being put in place to ensure that the problems that led to numerous complaints do not recur in upcoming elections.
