
Personality: Harold Aquino-Guzman
Spotlight on Richmond Public Schools’ highest achieving student
Harold Aquino-Guzman has a lot to celebrate this month. The George Wythe High School senior class president is not only the valedictorian at the South Side school, he is the top achieving student in Richmond Public Schools with a GPA of 5.1392.

VP Kamala Harris announces $1.25B for community lenders
WASHINGTON Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that the Biden administration is distributing $1.25 billion to hundreds of community lenders in an effort to help boost the economic recovery from the coronavirus for small businesses in underserved and minority communities.

Plans proceed to put federal money toward homeless services, affordable housing
City Council is recommending that the administration pour $5.6 million in new federal dollars into homeless services and pump $7.1 million into a city fund to boost assistance to developers creating apartments and homes with reduced rents and price tags.

Michael Paul Williams wins Pulitzer Prize
Michael Paul Williams was at home writing his latest column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch when the newspaper’s managing editor called him with the stunning news: He had just been awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for commentary – journalism’s equivalent of an Oscar.

My’chael Jefferson-Reese to head new Chesterfield Public Defender’s Office
My’chael D. Jefferson-Reese relishes being a champion for people facing legal trouble.

GRTC free rides to continue for next 12 months
Free rides on GRTC buses, including Pulse and CARE vans, will continue for at least 12 more months, the bus company’s six-member board of directors agreed Tuesday.

Richmond’s banking desert grows
Outside of Downtown, the eastern half of Richmond – which tends to be largely African-American and Latino—has increasingly become a banking desert, bereft of branch banks that are more commonplace in the Downtown and western half of the city.

VUU launches new Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music with Juneteenth concert
VUU officials said the curriculum will “revolve around the study of sacred arts and their relation to African heritage. Furthermore, the center will explore music and worship traditions that promote the comprehension of biblical texts.”

VCU opens COVID-19 clinic for ‘long haulers’
The spread of COVID-19 has slowed significantly. But plenty of people who contracted the virus are still dealing with the effects.

City Council gives greenlight to casino project
Richmond easily leaped the first hurdle in its quest to become a casino city — City Council approval.

Mayor Stoney turns up the heat, orders RFP for new George Wythe to be issued
Mayor Levar M. Stoney is moving to hire an architectural firm to design the new George Wythe High School whether the Richmond School Board likes it or not – even as he acknowledged that City Hall would need the board’s consent to actually build the school.

Tops in their class
Richmond Public Schools valedictorians take the stage next week to speak at high school commencements
It’s graduation time — and time to celebrate.

Ambulance Authority struggling to keep up with calls
The Richmond Ambulance Authority has long boasted of being a role model in emergency response.

Kamras: New George Wythe won’t be completed until 2027
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras is insisting that it will take six years to produce a replacement for George Wythe High School, or three years longer than City Hall has insisted it would take if its personnel led the construction.

Black-owned beauty brands move into the retail spotlight
When Dr. Rose Ingleton launched her own namesake skincare line two years ago, she couldn’t break into the big chains and was forced to use her own funds and get financial help from family and friends.

Meghan and Harry welcome second child, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, welcomed their second child Friday, June 4, with the birth of a healthy girl, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Bamisile transferring from Va. Tech to GW
Joe Bamisile has taken his jump shot from Blacksburg to Washington, D.C.

Harrison names to baseball’s All-Prep League
Josiah Harrison capped an outstanding junior season at Trinity Episcopal School in South Side by being named All- Prep League and All-Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association.