
MJBL, Hampton U. part of hurricane relief efforts for the Bahamas
People in Richmond and across the state are lending a hand to help residents of the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian settled over the islands, killing at least 44 people, leaving around 70,000 people homeless and causing billions of dollars in damage.

Gov. Northam appoints 'diversity czar,' boards in upholding promise after blackface scandal
Dr.Janice Underwood will be the state’s first “diversity czar.”

What color is love? Virginia couples challenge state law requiring race on marriage license application
Three couples planning to get married in Virginia have filed a federal lawsuit challeng- ing a state requirement that they disclose their race on their marriage application.

Life interrupted: Kitchen fire throws Richmond family into upheaval, uncertainty
Kitchen fire throws Richmond family into upheaval, uncertainty
It just took a small fire on the stove on Aug. 23 to upend the lives of sisters Celieto L. and Janice F. Lewis.

Coliseum review panel stalled after attempt to add VUU president
New twists occurred this week in the ongoing saga of the Navy Hill District Corp. proposal to replace the Richmond Coliseum.

Saving the past
Bradford family descendants, supporters work to protect old Sons and Daughters of Ham Cemetery
Dense woods fill much of a largely uncelebrated and essentially abandoned African-American burial ground in Henrico County that had been best known in recent years as a practice area for University of Richmond runners.

Cityscape
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
New plans are brewing for the historic Blues Armory at 6th and Marshall streets in Downtown as part of the Navy Hill District Corp.’s proposal to replace the closed Richmond Coliseum, located just north of the armory.

Michael Brown was a ‘sacrificial lamb’
Re Column “Recovering from Ferguson” and Letter to the Editor “Media responsible for racial tensions,” Free Press Aug. 29-31 edition:

Asthma and back to school
As summer winds down and talk in households around the country turns to back-to-school preparations, many parents and students are getting ready for another school year with the challenges of asthma.

School supplies donations versus making education a budget priority
Columnists
The event promised to be one of those last-gasp-of-summer events that would raise a little money for a good cause. The young woman who called to tell me about it promised that I’d meet interesting people, enjoy excellent wines and that the cost of attending was modest. “We aren’t charging anything this year,” she said rather breezily. “But please bring school supplies.”

Congressional reps rebuke delay of payday loan rule
Columnists
Anyone who struggles with the rising costs of living knows all too well how hard it is to try stretching dollars when there’s more month than money in the household.

The status quo is unacceptable
Editorials
Another weekend, another mass shooting — this time in Odessa, Texas, where a 36-year-old man, who had been fired from his oil services job earlier Saturday, initially shot a Texas state trooper during a routine traffic stop and then went on a 10-mile, hourlong shooting rampage, killing and wounding people in passing cars, in neighborhoods, at car dealerships and shopping plazas and killing a postal worker while hijacking her mail truck.

City council candidates to meet in back-to-back forums
The eight candidates running to replace 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto will have two chances next week to impress voters at candidate forums where they will respond to questions.

Hearing on Coliseum referendum petitions still up in the air
Richmond Circuit Court Chief Judge Joi Jeter Taylor so far has not set a new hearing to consider whether city Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter wrongly threw out more than 2,000 petition signatures and keeping a nonbinding advisory referendum on the Richmond Coliseum replacement project off the Nov. 5 ballot.

HOME to begin eviction diversion program
Richmond’s first ever program aimed at helping people avoid eviction is about to get a home base.

New Ebola drugs show promise
Two experimental treatments are raising hopes among medical personnel that a cure for the deadly Ebola virus has been found.

Robin Thede looks to build legacy in HBO comedy sketch show
Robin Thede knew plenty of talented African-American female comedians, but only a few were getting hired on popular TV comedy shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and “Mad TV.” So Ms. Thede decided to create her own show featuring some of the industry’s funniest black women. The comic-writer-producer-actress is breaking new ground with her HBO comedy series “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” which airs Friday nights.

Jepson Leadership Forum starts Sept. 17
Experts in the fields of technology, journalism, politics and education will examine leadership in the age of the internet during the annual Jepson Leadership Forum speaker series that kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the University of Richmond.

Crab Feast & Fish Fry fundraiser Saturday for Peter Paul Development Center
The Men of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will hold their annual benefit Crab Feast & Fish Fry 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at Peter Paul Development Center, 1708 N. 22nd St. in the East End.

World Heritage Festival, Festival of Kites this Saturday
A free international festival on Brown’s Island that will offer children an opportunity to showcase their kite-flying skills will highlight Richmond events this weekend.