
Stacey Abrams’ zeal for activism began with preacher parents
Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House minority leader who lost a razor-thin race for governor in 2018, voted on Oct. 15, driving her ballot to a local drop box.

NFL Hall of Famer Fred Dean dies at 68
Fred Dean, the relentless defensive end who helped the San Francisco 49ers win two Super Bowl titles, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, of complications from the coronavirus. He was 68.

Impact of attending Million Man March 25 years ago still felt today
Twenty-five years ago on Oct. 16, 1995, an estimated 1 million African-American men from across the United States descended on the Washington Mall for the historic Million Man March.

World Series gets underway with L.A. Dodgers-Tampa Bay Rays matchup
Entering this postseason, Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers was an established marquee attrac- tion, a leading man if ever there was one.

Online sessions to highlight Weekend of Mourning on Oct. 23 and 24
With gun violence occurring regularly in Richmond, members of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, or RISC, are collaborating with Temple Beth-El for a two-day Weekend of Mourning to reflect on the lives lost, pray for those affected and to call for meaningful action by city leaders.

Lawyer who successfully argued Loving case legalizing interracial marriage dies
Bernard S. Cohen, who won a landmark case that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of laws forbidding interracial marriage and later went on to a successful political career as a state legislator, has died. He was 86.

Dr. Irving P. McPhail, president of St. Augustine’s University, dies from COVID-19 complications
Dr. Irving P. McPhail, president of St. Augustine’s University, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, of complications from COVID-19, just three months after taking the helm of the historically Black university in Raleigh, N.C.

Personality: Deborah D. Jackson
Spotlight on treasurer of Sisters Network Central Virginia
In 2008, Deborah D. Jackson was part of a door-to-door campaign to help educate women in the city’s underserved neighborhoods about breast health. That was part of the annual Gift for Life Block Walk conducted by the Sisters Network Central Virginia, a breast cancer survivorship organization of African-American women.

More Virginia colleges scrap traditional spring break
A growing number of Virginia colleges are announcing that spring break will be canceled or modified in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary opens in Bristol
Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary has officially opened to patients.

Franklin County elementary schoolteacher named Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year
Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year credits his fourth-grade teacher for helping him through the trauma of being put into foster care as a child and remaining a mentor to him throughout his childhood in Danville.

Richmond Police revise details on time, location of incident in which detectives indicted
The Richmond Police Department has revised its official statement about the time and location of the incident that led to the indictment of two detectives after the Richmond Free Press raised questions about the initial statement.

Signs honoring Dr. Charles K. Price to be unveiled Oct. 23
The Cannon Creek Greenway, a cycling and pedestrian trail runs along the Richmond-Henrico Turnpike in North Side, will have new signs to honor Dr. Charles K. Price for the major role the retired educator played in the trail’s creation.

City Council committee blocks mayor’s dedicated fund plan for affordable housing
A City Council committee has quietly blocked Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s plan to earmark millions of dollars flowing into the general fund to aid development of lower-cost apartments and homes.

50 homeless people aided under city’s new shelter plan during weekend cold snap
City Hall appears to have succeeded in sheltering the homeless in the first test of its new model to assist people when the temperature plunges.

Catholic Diocese of Richmond to pay $6.2M to sexual abuse victims
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced last week that it is paying $6.3 million to 51 people who experienced sexual abuse as minors by clergy.

George Wythe High School replacement may get new life with expected announcement
City Hall is poised to move faster to replace George Wythe High School in South Side, the Free Press has learned.

General Assembly completes work on budget, criminal justice reform
Fairer sentencing for people convicted of crimes and a Marcus crisis alert system to improve the response to mental health emergencies are among the criminal justice reforms that have emerged from the General Assembly’s special session.

Confederate Avenue to be renamed
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, soon will no longer live on Confederate Avenue.

Richmond judge during hearing to remove Lee statue: ‘It’s a very difficult case’
The General Assembly appears to have torn away the foundation of a lawsuit seeking to stop Gov. Ralph S. Northam from removing the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue — the giant symbol of white supremacy that has loomed over the city since 1890.