Henrico sheriff may take on Rep. Brat for GOP nomination
U.S. Rep. David A. “Dave” Brat, R-Henrico, could face a Republican challenger in his bid for a second two-year term representing the 7th District. Fresh from winning re-election, Henrico Sheriff Michael L. “Mike” Wade filed paperwork before Christmas with the Federal Election Commission setting up a campaign committee.
Auditor: Top city administrator used city time to work on mayor’s church
Mayor Dwight C. Jones, who also serves as senior pastor of historic First Baptist Church of South Richmond, scrambled Wednesday to contain a potential scandal involving a top member of his administration who attends his church. The mayor’s goal: To quell any suggestion that First Baptist Church members who hold city jobs are allowed to conduct church business on city time.
27% Black-owned businesses gain from Stone Brewing project
Black contractors have quietly played a big role in the development of the Stone Brewing Co.’s new East Coast brewery off Williamsburg Avenue in Fulton, according to city records. For example, Glen Allen contractor Dwight Snead and his employees prepared the land for construction, the city Office of Minority Business Development (OMBD) report shows.
RRHA resident’s chilly 3-year ordeal
For the past three years, Tina Marie Shaw has had to rely on an electric space heater to keep the winter cold out of her public housing unit in Creighton Court. “I worry about the heater starting a fire,” said Ms. Shaw, who looks after her 9-year-old grandson, Xavia, her pride and joy and an honors student at a Richmond elementary school. To avoid risk to herself and the child, “I unplug (the heater) at night when I go upstairs to bed, and turn it on in the morning.”
City finishes with money loss on UCI bike race
Remember the world bike races that dominated Richmond for nine days in September? To Mayor Dwight C. Jones and other officials, the races were an unparalleled success, creating an economic boost for the region and putting the area in the world cycling spotlight.
$5.5M gift gives Dominion naming rights to CenterStage
Utility giant Dominion Resources soon will plant its flag on the downtown performing arts complex now known as Richmond CenterStage. With a $5.5 million gift from its charity arm, the Dominion Foundation, the company is to gain naming rights to the complex that includes the Carpenter Theatre, the Libby S. Gottwald Playhouse and other arts operations.
New Fulton housing development on drawing board
Richmond’s apartment boom is heading east into the Fulton community. The former Robert Fulton Elementary School, long a haven for artists, is proposed to be a centerpiece of a 266-unit, $38 million apartment complex to be called Studio Row.
CAO scraps plan to use energy savings for upgrades
Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ administration has killed a plan to use energy savings to finance critical improvements to more than 30 aging city buildings, the Free Press has learned. The city’s chief administrative officer, Selena Cuffee-Glenn, quietly made the decision in the past few weeks. She did so after Siemens, the company the city hired to provide a detailed proposal, offered to undertake $13 million in improvements to city buildings that would be repaid over time from savings the city achieved from cutbacks in electricity and natural gas use.
Church must boot Parson to clear bankruptcy
The future of an embattled South Side church may hinge on whether it can completely cut ties with its founding pastor. As part of a financial plan clearing the way for the once giant Richmond Christian Center to emerge from bankruptcy, the church had to agree to one stipulation — that Pastor Steven A. Parson Sr. “have no contact” with the worship center he founded in his living room more than 32 years ago.
Coffee shop reopens on Brookland Park Blvd.
The Streetcar Café on North Side is back in business under new management. The coffee shop at 10 E. Brookland Park Blvd. turned on the lights and began serving patrons again Dec. 14, two weeks after the previous operators departed.
Va. NAACP elections on hold in wake of national investigation
In a surprise move, the national NAACP has put the Oct. 31 election results for the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP on hold as it investigates claims of irregularities in the vote. Among other things, the national office is seeking to determine whether youth delegates were wrongly denied ballots in the vote for officers.
Strange fruit?
Critic: Oak evokes lynching image at Walker statue site
The fight over the tree in the planned Maggie L. Walker plaza isn’t over. Gary L. Flowers, a Richmond native and national political and civil rights operative living in Jackson Ward, has jumped into the fray with a petition drive opposing the live oak that now dominates the gateway into Jackson Ward where the monument to the great lady is to stand.
City election officials called on the carpet
The Virginia Department of Elections has a software upgrade that could have prevented voters in precincts split into two or more election districts from receiving the wrong ballots, the Free Press has learned. The finding comes at the same time the state Board of Elections, which oversees the department, has asked City of Richmond election officials to appear Jan. 8 before the state board to explain a series of problems that cropped up during the Nov. 3 election.
New VSU president shares vision, receives support at official introduction
Brimming with confidence and eager to get started, the new president of Virginia State University is promising to first listen to students, faculty and staff and then roll out a “strategic vision that will be bold and purposefully challenging.” Among other things, Dr. Makola M. Abdullah wants VSU to be known for providing “a quality education,” to invest in specialty academic areas that would make the university more attractive while continuing to be “an opportunity university” for students who might not be admitted elsewhere.
Recount confirms Roscoe Cooper as School Board winner
It’s official. The Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III is confirmed as the winner of the Fairfield District seat on the Henrico School Board — by 42 votes.
City Council greenlights Maggie Walker statue at triangle
Forget Monument Avenue and Abner Clay Park. The future statue of Richmond’s great lady, Maggie L. Walker, will stand at the intersection of Brook Road and Broad and Adams streets, the gateway to historic Jackson Ward where Mrs. Walker lived and won acclaim for her entrepreneurial spirit. Richmond City Council voted 6-1, with two abstentions, Monday night to reconfirm that decision for the third time in 15 years, clearing the way for the project.
Voter supression or simple snafu?
City man given wrong ballot in Nov. election
Edward A. Adams went to the polls Nov. 3 eager to cast his ballot for Dan Gecker, the Democrat who ultimately lost in the hotly contested race in the 10th Senate District. But the 59-year-old postal worker wound up casting a ballot for unchallenged incumbent Sen. A. Donald McEachin in the 9th Senate District — even though Mr. Adams’ residence at 612 W. Franklin actually is listed on the poll books as being in the 10th Senate District.
School Board election recount set for Dec. 10
The Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III is expected to learn this week whether his 43-vote victory will stand for the Fairfield District seat on the Henrico County School Board. The Henrico Circuit Court has ordered a recount Thursday, Dec. 10, to formally settle the race, according to county election officials.
Library board tables decision on armed guards at branches
The board of the Richmond Public Library is not ready to approve armed guards at its branches. The issue of deploying guards with guns was discussed at the board meeting last week after two disturbing incidents at the North Avenue Branch recently shook up staff and patrons.
Accreditation sanction lifted from NSU; extended at VSU
Eddie N. Moore Jr. is wreathed in smiles, while Dr. Pamela V. Hammond is frowning. That’s how the interim presidents of Norfolk State and Virginia State universities, respectively, are greeting the latest word from the accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges (SACS) based in Decatur, Ga.
New president named at VSU
Dr. Makola M. Abdullah to face financial, academic challenges
Dr. Makola M. Abdullah to face financial, academic challenges
New Byrd Park site proposed for Richmond police memorial
A new location is to be announced Thursday for Richmond’s memorial statue to city police officers killed in the line of duty. The location: The intersection of Blanton Avenue and Trafford Road, according to Glenwood Burley, the retired police officer leading the relocation effort.
Feds to investigate advocate’s complaint against Chesterfield school system
The U.S. Office of Civil Rights has opened an investigation into whether Chesterfield County Public Schools retaliated against special needs advocate Kandise Lucas for her work on behalf of students with disabilities.
Coffee shop business grinds to a halt
A combination coffee and bike shop was supposed to be a first step in breathing fresh life into a neighborhood business strip in North Side. But four months after the ceremonial, high-profile ribbon-cutting, only the nonprofit bike shop remains in operation at 10 E. Brookland Park Blvd. — and just a few days a week.
Black History Museum project becomes a career changer
For Rickey Young and Teimon Phillips, the new Black History Museum and Cultural Center in Richmond’s Jackson Ward will always be a special place. Both men got their first experience in the construction field in working to transform the long vacant but historic Leigh Street Armory into the museum’s new home.
Mayor saves tree at planned Walker monument site
Yes, Richmond, that iconic Downtown tree is going to survive. That’s the word from Mayor Dwight C. Jones. He disclosed Wednesday that he is committed to saving the green-leafed live oak tree that dominates the triangular site earmarked for a proposed statue of renowned Richmonder Maggie L. Walker, the first African-American woman in the nation to establish and operate a bank.
Petersburg learns on free speech lesson
Linwood Christian and others in Petersburg no longer will be barred from addressing the Petersburg City Council because they owe taxes, fines or fees to the city.
Southside Ducks, Battery Park big winners in city rec league play
Sheyheim Harris ran over tacklers for five touchdowns and Kevin Gayles punched in four extra points to lead the undefeated Southside Ducks to victory last Saturday in the Richmond Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ Youth Tackle Football Championship.
Armed guards in the Richmond Public Library?
Frightening incidents spark the possibility
Are armed security guards needed in Richmond’s public libraries? Two recent unsettling incidents at the North Avenue Branch have convinced Richmond City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert that having an unarmed security guard is not enough at that branch to ensure that people “have a sense of safety and are safe.” On Oct. 28, a man with a rifle slung over his shoulder and a long knife strapped to his leg walked into the library as little children were engaged in a storytelling program, setting off alarms among the staff.
Hammond’s contract extended at vsu
Dr. Pamela V. Hammond has agreed to spend an extra month as interim president of Virginia State University. The VSU Board of Visitors last week approved a one-month extension of Dr. Hammond’s contract that will keep her in place through Jan. 31.
VCU historian: Records show KKK spread across the U.S. like measles
At a time when some presidential candidates are gaining support and headlines for bashing African-Americans, Mexican immigrants, Muslims and other groups, a historian in Richmond is using records of the Ku Klux Klan to show the public how easily bigotry can spread to every corner of the country.
VCU now working on new children’s hospital
Virginia Commonwealth University plans to take the lead in developing a new inpatient children’s hospital in Richmond. After rebuffing a private group’s concept of an independent, freestanding hospital on the Boulevard, VCU is moving to create a plan for a dedicated hospital for children on its medical campus in Downtown.
First Baptist Chesterfield project lacks black participation
First Baptist Church of South Richmond has poured nearly $6 million into buying land and developing its long-planned satellite sanctuary in Chesterfield County.
‘Faith and Public Safety’ forum Sunday
By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Sunday services will be unusual at St. Peter Baptist Church in Henrico County. The pastor, Dr. Kirkland R. Walton, is replacing the traditional 11 a.m. service on Nov. 22 with a two-hour forum titled “Faith and Public Safety,” it has been announced.
RVA Reads gives a book a month to pre-schoolers
A city program is helping to put books into the hands of hundreds of Richmond’s youngest schoolchildren with the goal of exciting them about reading. Called RVA Reads, the program distributes a new book each month to 3- and 4-year-olds, according to Michael Wallace of the city’s press office.
Henrico School Board candidate seeks recount
Tara Adams has requested a recount in the Henrico County School Board race the PTA volunteer and financial services specialist appears to have lost by just 43 votes.
Voting opens Thursday for Brown Middle School to win STEM lab
Help Lucille Brown Middle School win a state-of the-art lab for STEM subjects, science, technology, engineering and math. That’s the appeal the Richmond school and its supporters are issuing to the community as the school competes for a $100,000 grant from the Northrop Grumman Foundation to install a lab that would give Brown Middle students access to the latest learning tools and technologies.
Locked out
Report: Fewer mortgages approved in predominately African-American, Latino areas
The greater the number of African-Americans and Latinos living in a Richmond neighborhood, the tougher it is for home buyers in the neighborhood to get a mortgage approved or for existing owners to get their home loans refinanced. That’s the rule of thumb that prevails among banks and online mortgage lenders, according to a new report from the Richmond-based fair housing watchdog group, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia.
Coalition to City Council: Slow your roll on rapid transit
Slow down the rush to install bus rapid transit (BRT) in Richmond and take the time to ensure that the service will not become an expensive boondoggle.
Richmond Christian Center sending up a prayer for $
Thursday, Dec. 17. That’s the deadline for the bankrupt Richmond Christian Center to pay $200,000 in back taxes and overdue legal and accounting bills.
NBA takes bite out of Big Apple Classic
Virginia Union University’s basketball team will be staying in Richmond this year to take on CIAA rival Virginia State University, rather than heading to New York.
New play highlights renowned Richmond actor Charles Gilpin
The name of renowned actor Charles S. Gilpin has long faded in Richmond and elsewhere. Here in his birthplace, the only recognition for the 1920s Broadway star is the public housing community that is named for him — Gilpin Court, located just north of Downtown.
Allegations dismissed against Armstrong music teacher
The Richmond School Board is expected to decide Monday, Nov. 16, whether to reinstate or dismiss Willie D. “Will” Griffin, a popular music teacher and choir director at Armstrong High School.
New program helps youths with jobs
Billie Brown knows about youth unemployment. As the founder and owner of a temporary staffing agency that she began almost 16 years ago, she regularly sees young adults who cannot get work because they lack skills, have a felony record or never earned a high school diploma. Dismayed at how little was being done to help them, Ms. Brown and her company, Excel Management Services, have teamed with Saint Paul’s Baptist Church to try to make a dent in the problem.
City Council Finance Committee recommends hold on property tax rate
Take the money. That’s the recommendation of Richmond City Council’s Finance Committee chaired by Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District.
VCU library expansion nearly complete
Virginia Commonwealth University has spent nearly $51 million to renovate and dramatically expand James Branch Cabell Library for student and public use.
Cooper wins in squeaker
48 votes propel minister to Henrico School Board seat
48 votes propel minister to Henrico School Board seat
Republicans retain control of Va. Senate
For more than two hours after the polls closed Tuesday, Democrat Daniel H. Gecker held a commanding 3,000-vote lead and appeared to be headed for victory in the 10th Senate District that includes a chunk of Richmond’s West End and South Side.
