Phil Freelon, architect of the African-American history museum in D.C., dies at 66
Architect Phil Freelon, who designed buildings ranging from local libraries to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, died Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in Durham, N.C.
Jawad Abdu, co-founder of RVA League for Safer Streets, dies at 48
Jawad Abdu, co-founder of RVA League for Safer Streets, a basketball and mentorship program designed to help reduce crime and violence and elevate young men in Richmond’s public housing communities, died Friday, July 12, 2019, of a heart attack.
Boxing champ ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker killed in Virginia Beach accident
Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, a fourtime world champion boxer from Norfolk, died Sunday, July 14, 2019, after being struck by a car in Virginia Beach.
Lt. Gov. Fairfax again asks for criminal investigations into women’s allegations
An attorney for Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax said a witness can corroborate the lieutenant governor’s claim that he did not rape a woman while they were students at Duke University nearly 20 years ago.
Federal appeals court strikes down state’s ‘habitual drunkard’ law
An 85-year-old Virginia law that allows alcoholics to be labeled “habitual drunkards” and locked up if found with liquor is unconstitutional, a Richmond-based federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Hearing postponed in Agelasto case
Henry W. “Chuck” Richardson and his attorney, David Prince, were ready for a legal fight in Richmond Circuit Court.
City’s lawyers ask for Hosea Fox’s lawsuit to be dismissed
City Hall is firing back at a Richmond concert promoter who has sued for a refund of the 7 percent admissions tax he paid on his events after another promoter, JMI, formerly known as Johnson Inc., was excused from paying the tax.
Henrico Schools to hold mentor training
Henrico County Public Schools is holding a series of training sessions in August and September for people who want to be mentors in the fall to students in the third through fifth grades.
Randolph Pool to reopen July 23
Tuesday, July 23. That’s the date Randolph Pool’s main pool will reopen, the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities has announced.
Coliseum referendum likely to make ballot
Richmond voters are likely to have a say on whether they want to make building new schools more of a priority than spending millions of dollars to replace the Richmond Coliseum in Downtown.
Probe finds Wilder engaged in ‘nonconsensual sexual contact’ with 20-year-old student
Virginia Commonwealth University now finds itself in the embarrassing position of both supporting and attacking one of its highest paid and most prominent faculty members, L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first elected black governor.
RPS Shines volunteers add sparkle to Fairfield Court Elementary School
Richmond’s Fairfield Court Elementary School got a big boost on Wednesday. A cadre of 41 volunteers from Capital One’s leadership program flocked to the East End school from Richmond, Northern Virginia, Maryland and five other states, including Texas, to paint, scrub, landscape and generally spruce up the building and grounds as part of RPS Shines 2019.
More problems for RPS with undercount of ESL students
Richmond Public Schools has a history of undercounting students needing English as a Second Language assistance, creating a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding that could help provide more ESL teachers in the city, a schools official told members of the Richmond School Board on Monday.
Moon memories: Reflections on Apollo 11 on 50th anniversary of historic landing
Dr. Carroll H. Ellis Jr. remembers Apollo 11 vividly. Though he was only 14 years old on July 20, 1969, the geoscientist can still recall the excitement 50 years ago when American astronauts landed on the moon and took their first steps. The technical skill it took then is impressive even to this day.
Enough is enough from the GOP
Editorials
Insulting. That’s the treatment Republican lawmakers dished out to all Virginians on Tuesday when they shut down a special General Assembly on gun violence and public safety without any discussion, debate or action.
Gilpin goes Hollywood
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Production trucks line Calhoun Street in Richmond’s Gilpin Court Tuesday where NBA star Kevin Durant, formerly of the Golden State Warriors and who recently signed as a free agent with the Brooklyn Nets, is spending time this week for the filming of the pilot episode of a new streaming series for Apple TV+.
Use the right name for newly renamed boulevard
Letters to the Editor
Re ‘A true champion’: Thousands celebrate dedication of Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Free Press June 27-29 edition: His name is Arthur Ashe Jr. His father’s name is Arthur Ashe.
‘We must do better’
Letters to the editor
I had three, young African-American men murdered in my district just in the week leading up to the Fourth of July holiday.
Disparity continues in homeownership
Columnists
Nearly 90 years ago, Kelly Miller, a black sociologist and mathematician, said, “The Negro is up against the white man’s standard, without the white man’s opportunity.”
Running for exposure
Columnists
Twenty-four people are running for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. From where I sit, at least half of them are only running for exposure, for the vice presidential nod, for cabinet secretary, to push a platform or simply to be seen. Their ambitions have made the process turgid and impractical, often amusing and only sometimes illuminating.
