No charges for officer who pepper-sprayed Army lieutenant
A former police officer in Virginia should not be criminally charged but should be investigated for potential civil rights violations after he pepper-sprayed, struck and handcuffed a Black U.S. Army lieutenant during a 2020 traffic stop, a special prosecutor has determined.
Virginia Court of Appeals denies Terrence Richardson’s innocence petition
An effort to free two Sussex County men sentenced to life in jail following the 1998 murder of a Waverly police officer continues to face major obstacles after a petition to exonerate one of the convicted men was rejected after months of legal deliberation.
Jackson Ward Collective hosts business conference
The term “Black Wall Street” is often associated with the prosperous residential and business community that was destroyed in the Tulsa, Okla., massacre 101 years ago. But there were similar places of prosperity in Black communities throughout the United States, including Richmond’s Jackson Ward.
From the Free Press to the front office
From the Free Press to the front office St. Joe’s student-athlete flexes writing skills as summer news intern
Most journalists will tell you that nothing beats seeing your name in print or having something tangible that says to family, friends and future employers, “I did this.”
RPS receives award for fighting hunger
Richmond Public Schools is one of six school districts in the state to receive a 2022 Food for Thought Award from the Virginia School Boards Association.
Cities face crisis as fewer kids enroll and schools shrink
On a recent morning inside Chalmers School of Excellence on Chicago’s West Side, five preschool and kindergarten students finished up drawings. Four staffers, including a teacher and a tutor, chatted with them about colors and shapes. The summer program offers the kind of one-on-one support parents love. But behind the scenes, Principal Romian Crockett worries the school is becoming precariously small.
Property owners given more time to apply for tax exemptions
Elderly and totally disabled property owners in Richmond will have the whole year to apply for exemptions from real estate taxes, beginning in January 2023.
Judge, after slow process, tosses lawsuit seeking new Virginia elections
Members of the Virginia House of Delegates can continue to represent unconstitutional districts that the state Supreme Court abolished in December.
City to exchange gift cards for rifles, handguns, broken weapons
Richmond’s first gun buyback program — largely regarded by experts as a publicity stunt — is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Liberation Church, 5501 Midlothian Turnpike, Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced Tuesday.
Conflict of interest sparks tense discussion for RPS School Board
The Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center arose as a topic of discussion during the Richmond School Board meeting Monday night.
Appreciation: Bill Russell lived a life like very few others
Bill Russell hated autographs. Saw no point to them. If he was out din- ing and got approached by someone asking for his signature, Mr. Russell’s usual response was to instead ask the person to join him at the table to have
City jail inmate charged for attacking deputy
It took three weeks, but a Richmond City Justice Center inmate with a long rap sheet has been charged with the malicious wounding July 7 of a female deputy whose jaw was shattered and who suffered other serious facial injuries in a brutal attack.
The NMAAHC celebrates hip-hop with block party
The National Museum of African American History and Culture will host its first Hip- Hop Block Party on Saturday, Aug. 13 at the Washington, D.C. museum.
Basketball icon Bill Russell dies
William Felton “Bill” Russell, the greatest team sports champion of all time and the NBA’s first Black superstar, died Sunday, July 31, 2022.
James William Cheagle, who fought discrimination in law enforcement, dies at 79
Retired Richmond Police Capt. James William Cheagle, who was a leader in fighting racial bigotry within the department, has died.
Personality: Vanessa Evans
Spotlight on president of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Sorority life is a point of pride for Vanessa Evans.
Harris cites climate ‘crisis,’ pushes $1B for floods, storms
Vice President Kamala Harris called climate change an “immediate” and “urgent” crisis on Aug. 1 as she detailed more than $1 billion in federal spending to respond to disasters such as deadly flooding in Kentucky and wildfires ravaging her home state of California.
Big mistake
Tear gas released on Lee statue protesters was in error
Twenty-five minutes before an 8 p.m. curfew was to go into effect, Richmond Police officers began firing tear gas and other noxious chemical agents to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who had gathered around the now removed Robert E. Lee statue in the city’s West End.
City housing director, church leaders discuss shelter options
$3M on the table for homeless
Ninth District City Councilman Michael J. Jones hopes a network of churches can be developed to provide shelter for the homeless during inclement weather, particularly during winter cold.
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ dies at 89
Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.
