Samuels to run for mayor?
Is Charles R. Samuels adding his name to the list of City Council members and others eyeing a run for mayor in 2016? While the six-year council representative insists that’s not the case, others are less certain about his intentions as potential candidates begin to line up. That includes council members Jonathan T. Baliles and Chris A. Hilbert, who both have indicated they are making plans to run. There also is talk that Council President Michelle Mosby also is interested. Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn and state Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar M. Stoney also are being mentioned as potential candidates.
Henrico to replace voting machines
Henrico County is joining Richmond in replacing its voting machines to comply with new state requirements. Ahead of the June 9 primary, the county inked a deal this week to pay $1.2 million to buy new optical scan machines, Voter Registrar Mark J. Coakley announced.
City Council green lights projects for 2nd Street, North Side, East End
New apartments finally could rise on the site of the former Eggleston Hotel at 2nd and Leigh streets in Jackson Ward. City Council gave a thumbs up Monday by voting 9-0 to allow the long-stalled project to receive a grant of $250,544 over seven years through the city’s Economic Development Authority. Developer Kelvin Hanson, who initially proposed Eggleston Plaza five years ago, said he hopes to have the $5.8 million project underway this summer.
Grace Street changing to two-way in Downtown
Traffic alert: Expect disruption on East Grace Street from 4th Street to 9th Street in Downtown for two months. The reason: Five blocks of Grace Street are being transformed from a one-way street to two-way, the Department of Public Works announced this week.
City registrar to seek $1.2M for new voting machines
Richmond is close to resolving its voting machine problem. Less than two weeks after the state banned the touch-screen machines Richmond and 29 other localities have used for 10 years, the city’s Electoral Board has selected replacement equipment.
Nation of Islam moves mosque to Downtown
The Nation of Islam has quietly settled its Richmond mosque into a new home in Downtown. Forced to give up its large, steepled space on South Side, Muhammad Mosque No. 24 currently is operating out of leased space at 408 E. Main St.
Short-term fix restores power to Fay Towers residents
Elderly and disabled residents of Fay Towers can once again turn on the lights and enjoy a hot shower in their units. A big generator is temporarily providing electricity to the 200 units in the 11-story high rise in Gilpin Court while permanent repairs are made. Squirrels are being blamed for knocking out power to most of the building Sunday. The pesky rodents chewed up a main line into the building, according to Carol Jones-Gilbert, acting chief operating officer for the building’s landlord, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Lawsuit over disabled access to apartments ruled premature
A federal judge has thrown out a high-profile lawsuit seeking to force a new apartment complex going up in Church Hill to be altered to accommodate persons with disabilities. Senior U.S. Judge James R. Spencer ruled the suit was premature because the 151-unit Shockoe Valley View Apartments is still under construction in the 1900 block of Cedar Street.
Prison officials can be held liable for prisoner safety
Prison officials can be liable for damages if they ignore obvious risks to the health and safety of a prisoner who ends up being harmed, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled. On a 2-1 split, a panel of the court issued that decision in a Virginia case that could shake up the monitoring of prisoners in state facilities.
City’s new CAO
In her seven years of managing the City of Suffolk, Selena Cuffee-Glenn has garnered serious attention for turning the once nearly bankrupt city into a job magnet with a triple A bond rating. Mayor Dwight C. Jones hopes that she will be equally successful in Richmond.
Morrissey strikes out in court
Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey is striking out on his own again to run as an independent in his bid to win a state Senate seat. On Tuesday, a Richmond judge rejected Mr. Morrissey’s request for court intervention to allow him to challenge his disqualification from the June 9 Democratic Party primary election in the 16th Senate District. that stretches from Richmond’s East End to Petersburg. Mr. Morrissey gave up his Henrico seat in the House of Delegates and moved into an apartment in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom with plans to challenge the 16th District’s current senator, Rosalyn R. Dance of Petersburg, for the party’s nomination.
$1.1M needed for new voting equipment
Richmond is hoping to borrow voting machines to use in the upcoming June 9 Democratic primaries. At the same time, the city voter registrar is seeking more than $1.1 million from the city government to buy new voting equipment to use in the November general election. The city is one of 30 localities facing an emergency situation involving voting machines. The upheaval is the result of Tuesday’s action by the state Board of Elections decertifying the WINVote touch-screen machines that the 30 localities have used in their elections for 10 years. The board’s action essentially bans the use of the WINVote machines in any future elections, including the June 9 primaries that will be held in Richmond and nine other localities.
Police chief to hold town hall meetings
Police chief to hold town hall meetings Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham is making a greater effort to hear from the public.
Fulton oral histories to be accessible on the Internet
Stone Brewery is unwittingly giving a helping hand to people who want to call attention to historic Fulton. The brewery’s decision to locate its East Coast home in Fulton is focusing public attention on the area and potentially raising interest in the once African-American community that was bulldozed into oblivion nearly 45 years ago in the name of urban renewal. That’s good news for those who are now engaged in posting on the Internet interviews with people who knew the area before the community was razed. The interviews with former residents are being digitized and soon will go online with help from the Valentine Richmond History Center and Virginia Commonwealth University’s library system, according to Spencer E. Jones III, chair of the Legacy Committee of Greater Fulton’s Future.
11% tuition hike
NSU and U.Va. among state’s highest
Once again, the price tag to attend Virginia’s 15 state-supported colleges and universities is going up faster than inflation. In-state students can expect to pay at least 3 to 5 percent more in the fall, with a few schools going even higher. For example, Norfolk State University and the University of Virginia are posting a tuition-and-fees increase of 11 percent for incoming freshmen — among the largest tuition hikes in Virginia. U.Va. is imposing a $1,470 increase for new freshmen with the aim of raising money to reduce borrowing for students from lower-income families. The increase means new freshmen will pay $14,468 for the fall and spring semesters, not including room and board. Tuition for current students will rise only 3.9 percent from the current charge of $12,998.
Hicks touts improvement in city social services
Reports of child abuse and neglect in Richmond are being addressed more quickly. City children in foster care are spending less time in temporary homes. And applicants for Medicaid and food stamps are receiving faster service.
State may force city to replace voting machines
Richmond, Henrico County and 27 other localities might be forced to immediately buy new voting machines for use in upcoming elections. The reason: The state Board of Elections is considering banning the wireless touch-screen machines the city and the other localities successfully have used for 10 years.
Morrissey seeks to stop printing of primary ballot
Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey is not giving up on his bid to challenge Petersburg state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance in the June 9 Democratic primary in the 16th Senate District. This week, he asked a Richmond court to block the state Board of Elections from printing primary ballots and to grant him an opportunity to prove the state Democratic Party wrongly disqualified him. As of Free Press deadline Wednesday, the Richmond Circuit Court had yet to set a hearing on his emergency request for an injunction.
Petersburg jail closure to cost taxpayers $
Instead of saving money, the closure of the Petersburg Jail will cost city taxpayers at least $1.2 million extra each year, a Free Press analysis has determined. Figures from Petersburg’s government confirm the newspaper’s finding that closing the jail is more expensive than keeping it open, belying claims from Mayor W. Howard Myers and three other council members who supported the jail’s shutdown. That extra cost is embedded in the proposed budget that Petersburg City Manager William E. Johnson III presented recently to the seven-member Petersburg City Council. His proposed budget also provides no raises for city employees and no increase in city contributions to the public schools.
Governor ‘bans the box’ for state job applications
A small change that Gov. Terry McAuliffe just made in the state’s job application form could have a big impact on thousands of job seekers like Genevieve Carter of Richmond. As a result of the governor’s executive order, Ms. Carter no longer will have to disclose she has been convicted of a crime in filling out an application for a state position.
Senate race may prove crucial in chamber control
Richmond will be in the center of the high-profile political fight to replace retiring Republican state Sen. John Watkins in the General Assembly. Both major political parties are expected to go all out to capture the 10th Senate District seat that appears to be the key to control of the closely divided state Senate where Republicans now hold sway. The GOP already has selected its candidate, Glen H. Sturtevant Jr., an attorney and a member of the Richmond School Board since 2013.
3 Dems knocked out of primary races
Three potential contenders for Richmond area seats in the General Assembly have been knocked out at the starting gate — at least temporarily. Former Delegate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey and Dr. Derik E. Jones, son of Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, are among the disqualified. Both were blocked from challenging state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance in a Democratic primary in the 16th Senate District that stretches from Richmond to Petersburg.
Judge throws out felony charges against Morrissey
Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey no longer has four felony charges hanging over his head. Judge Alfred D. Swersky threw out the indictments facing the former General Assembly member Wednesday at a hearing in Henrico County Circuit Court. Judge Swersky, who was appointed to hear the case, agreed with defense attorney Anthony Troy that a previous plea deal that resulted in Mr. Morrissey serving 90 days in jail included a grant of immunity that blocked prosecutors from bringing any new charges related to that case.
VSU receives big money gifts at Founder’s Day
Virginia State University has received a $100,000 gift from an alumnus to create an endowed scholarship honoring his late wife, Annase Wilks Hill. Charlie W. Hill, a 1966 graduate now living in Hampton, is the donor for the scholarship that will benefit young women seeking a career involving STEM fields — science, math, engineering and technology. The gift was announced March 18 during VSU’s Founder’s Day celebrating the 133rd anniversary of the university’s founding in 1882.
Aird to seek 63rd House District seat
A protégé of state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance has jumped into the race for the 63rd House of Delegates District seat. Lashrecse Aird, 28, announced that she would compete with three other announced candidates for the Petersburg area seat that Sen. Dance previously held. The current delegate, Joseph E. Preston, is giving up the seat to challenge Sen. Dance in the June 9 Democratic primary.
Three candidates vying for 74th House District nomination
A three-way race is shaping up to replace former Henrico Delegate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey in the General Assembly. David Lambert, son of the late Benjamin J. Lambert, a former state senator, officially became a candidate this week. He announced Tuesday that he would challenge two other contenders — Henrico School Board member Lamont Bagby and the Rev. Leonidas B. “Lee” Young II.
Morrissey announces Senate bid as G.A. officials close his House office
Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey once again is injecting drama into staid Virginia politics. In a fresh twist to his political career, the combative legislator quit the House of Delegates this week to begin his quest to replace incumbent Rosalyn R. Dance of Petersburg in the state Senate. His move comes barely two months after he defied Democratic and Republican House leaders and won a special election as an independent to keep his seat in the 74th House District after being convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor. That conviction forced him to commute to the legislature from jail on work release, the first Virginia delegate ever to do so.
Petersburg jail closing April 1
The Petersburg City Jail will be closing April 1. A final attempt by City Council foes to reverse the decision failed on a 4-3 vote Tuesday night.
Public safety on front burner in mayor’s budget plan
Mayor Dwight C. Jones is proposing to pour millions of dollars into wage increases for city employees, most notably police officers and firefighters. He also wants to equip the police with body cameras and modernize the 911 emergency communications system at a cost of more $50 million.
Local input sought on Shockoe Bottom
Wanted: Community involvement in creating a new development plan for Shockoe Bottom. An activist group is seeking public input now that Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ plan for a new baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom appears to be going nowhere. The mayor’s combo baseball-development plan has been on hold for 10 months after failing to win City Council support. The Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, which battled the mayor’s plan as an effort to erase the history of slavery in Richmond, announced it would hold several brainstorming sessions in the next few days to solicit public suggestions for the historical and commercial development of Shockoe Bottom, an epicenter of the slave trade before the Civil War.
Prospects dim on third city charter school
Plenty of words are expected to be spilled next week when supporters and foes of a proposed boys-only charter school appear before the Richmond School Board to speak about the combination middle-high school. But the public hearing that the Richmond School Board has scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, March 16, could be an exercise in futility for charter school organizers such as Tunya Bingham, a corporate tax expert who has spent three years trying to get the Metropolitan Preparatory Academy open.
Preston to challenge Dance for Senate seat
In a surprise move, Joseph E. Preston announced this week he would give up the seat he recently won in the House of Delegates and challenge freshman Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance in the16th Senate District that stretches from Richmond’s East End to the Petersburg area. Delegate Preston’s decision comes barely two months after he replaced Sen. Dance as the representative for the 63rd House District. It also appears fueled, in part, by a dispute he and Sen. Dance have over the choice of the first African-American judge for the Petersburg Circuit Court.
Dreams deferred
Hopewell brothers jailed 72 days until charges dropped
At first, the story seems all too familiar. Two Hopewell teenagers rob two pedestrians at gunpoint near a private school, but are quickly caught when responding police officers scour the area and arrest them a few minutes later as they are buying sodas and pastries at a nearby convenience store. With police boasting about having strong evidence, the teenage brothers are kept in jail for two and a half months — twice refused bond because they are charged with a crime of violence involving a weapon. But just as suddenly, the case evaporates. The evidence does not stand up, and the brothers are freed to resume their lives.
Morrissey to endorse ex-mayor for delegate
Delegate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey is once again a free man, and he’s busy with political plans. The first Virginia legislator to serve while in jail, he turned in his ankle bracelet and ended his term at the Henrico County Jail-East in New Kent County at 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to Sheriff Michael Wade. He had been serving a six-month sentence on his misdemeanor conviction of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but jail rules cut that to 90 days. He spent his nights in jails, but was able to serve at the General Assembly and practice law during the day while on work release.
3 receive scholarships in Jail-VCU program
Three current and former inmates at the Richmond Justice Center have won the first scholarships awarded through the city jail’s unique college programs. Christian Brackett, Pinetta Fleming and William “Billy” Scruggs were awarded scholarships for a class at Virginia Commonwealth University, which partners with the jail in a college-level program called Open Minds.
RRHA reviewing new sites to relocate Fay Towers
The Frederic A. Fay Towers once again seem to be upholding the city housing authority’s reputation for slow-moving development projects. Instead of breaking ground last summer as promised, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority is still struggling to determine the site where it will build a replacement for the aging high-rise in Gilpin Court, just north of Downtown.
$3M plus to former inmate
Stefan Woodson nearly died from a heat stroke in July 2012 while serving time in the old Richmond City Jail. Left mentally and physically disabled, the former Marine has agreed to accept more than $3 million from the City of Richmond and Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. to settle his federal lawsuit that charged the damage he suffered resulted from inadequate care that amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment.” The settlement disclosed by Mr. Woodson’s attorneys ranks among the largest ever in a Virginia case involving inmate health issues. The city has not issued any comment, nor has the Sheriff’s Office.
FOIA request filed, possibly leading to Elkhardt suit
Did Richmond Public Schools officials ignore potential health dangers from mold at Elkhardt Middle School long before the South Side school was shut down and the students transferred to the former Clark Springs Elementary School? That’s what attorneys for a group of parents, teachers and staff members want to find out in laying the groundwork for a possible lawsuit.
Hicks to become city judge July 1
It’s official. David M. Hicks, Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ senior policy adviser, is going to be a judge in Richmond. The General Assembly elected him Feb. 25 to the Richmond General District Court bench, effective July 1, for a six-year term.
Crutcher hailed as new UR president
The historic nature of the appointment of Dr.Ronald A. Crutcher as the next president of the University of Richmond was not lost on people attending last Friday’s public ceremony at the Robins Center to welcome him to campus. Dr. Crutcher, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Betty Neal Crutcher, and their adult daughter, Sara, received a standing ovation from the audience of about 1,500. The Cincinnati native, renowned classical cellist and president emeritus of Wheaton College in Massachusetts is the 10th president and the first African-American selected to lead the private, liberal arts university, which was founded in 1830. He will succeed current President Edward L. Ayers on July 1.
City betting millions on brewery
In its California hometown, Stone Brewery is a standout in San Diego’s burgeoning craft beer market, with Stone’s two beer gardens ranking as important tourist lures. The company boasts that only the renowned San Diego Zoo and the LEGOLAND amusement park attract more visitors to the Navy port city with 4 million people in the metropolitan area or four times the population of metro Richmond.
Federal appeals court upholds ban on prison ‘religion’
Freedom of religion goes only so far in prison — particularly when safety and security are involved. That’s why a Virginia prison inmate has lost a federal court battle to force prison officials to recognize Nation of Gods and Earths as a religion rather than as a gang. In a decision released Feb. 27, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond rejected Infinite Allah’s suit to overturn prison barriers to NGE as a violation of the federal religious freedom law covering prisoners. Instead, the appeals court upheld a lower court decision that the Virginia prison ban on NGE represents the “least restrictive means of furthering” the compelling government interest in preventing the prison disruption that NGE could cause.
Churchgoers have little love for Love Rox runs
Once again, Richmond Multisports staged its Love Rox half-marathon, 10K and 5K runs through Downtown at the same time that churches were seeking to hold services. And once again, the event created friction and upset for worshippers, though apparently a bit less disruption than last year. Fewer streets seem to have been closed this year to make way for the hundreds of participants who turned out to run in the chill.
Pastor gets the boot
Parson departs amid Richmond Christian Center’s move to survive
More than a year after filing for bankruptcy, the Richmond Christian Center is gaining a fresh shot at survival after seizing financial power from founding pastor Stephen A. Parson Sr. The pastor, who launched RCC in his living room more than 31 years ago, is no longer a member of the church’s ruling Board of Trustees and has been stripped of control of the church’s bank account.
Mayor to propose $35M to fix schools
Mayor Dwight C. Jones will propose spending $35 million to pay for major fixes for Richmond’s decaying school buildings when he delivers his two-year budget plan to City Council. While the mayor is keeping mum, Norman Butts, the city’s chief financial officer, disclosed at a City Council committee meeting Mayor Jones’ plan to address school maintenance in the budget he is scheduled to present Friday, March 13. Mr. Butts, who is involved in the budget preparation process, described the impending proposal as “a high priority” for the mayor.
Grassroots effort mounts to keep Bedden
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Dana T. Bedden interviewed Wednesday for the superintendent’s job in snow-covered Boston and prepared to meet Thursday with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. The Boston School Committee is expected to name its top choice for the job early next week, according to reports. Meanwhile, a growing number of Dr. Bedden’s supporters in Richmond are continuing their efforts to convince him to stay and lead the aggressive RPS turnaround effort he began after becoming the struggling school district’s superintendent in January 2014.
Elkhardt school to close for good
Elkhardt Middle School may be converted to apartments or offices one day. But the building is finished providing classroom space for public school students. The end came Feb. 12 when the final bell sounded dismissal. With help from 50 volunteers, teachers packed up the next day, beginning the move of students to Clark Springs Elementary School to finish the year. Clark Springs will open as the new Elkhardt as soon as the snow emergency passes. Leaky steam pipes have allowed health-threatening mold to infest the Elkhardt building. But the cost of making the building usable again is too great,space use.
Hicks to be interviewed Monday for judgeship
Also to be interviewed Monday, Judge Hairston has the backing of the Richmond delegation and is expected to have no trouble winning General Assembly votes to gain the seat that Circuit Court Judge Melvin R. Hughes is vacating after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Wronged
Retired factory worker Leonard Mc Millian had his home invaded by a police squad and spent more than an hour in handcuffs when police responded to calls about crimes at his home that proved bogus. Actor and songwriter Jerome Arrington spent a miserable seven weeks in jail after Richmond police arrested him for a street robbery he did not commit. Both men are African-American. Neither has received an apology for their ordeals, which appear to be relatively rare in a city where officers respond daily to dozens of calls. Still, their stories suggest that things can go dismayingly wrong even when police and prosecutors believe they are going by the book.
Historic City Council celebration at Hippodrome
African-Americans took control of the levers of city political power almost 38 years ago and changed Richmond. It was 1977, and for the first time in the city’s history, five of the nine members of City Council were African-Americans. And as a result, the new majority was able to elect one member, Henry L. Marsh III, as Richmond’s first African-American mayor since the city’s founding in 1782.
