
Coliseum referendum initiative progressing
The plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum remains stalled inside City Hall.

Preschool transportation plan may be more extensive, expensive than RPS planned
The free bus service Richmond Public Schools will offer to get more low-income parents to enroll their 4-year-olds in a state- supported preschool program is likely to have to be more extensive and potentially more expensive than originally envisioned.

Volunteers sought for city school cleanup blitz RPS Shines 2019
Wanted: Volunteers to spruce up city schools. Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras has issued a call for volunteer help to parents, students, RPS staff and community supporters in launching RPS Shines 2019.

Delegate McQuinn to host gun control rally July 7
Gun control supporters are invited to an East End church Sunday, July 7, to rally for legislation aimed at reducing gun violence ahead of a special session of the General Assembly to address the issue.

Walker wall tribute
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
This dramatic mural graces the back entrance of Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School at Lombardy and Leigh streets.

Fireworks to light up skies on Fourth of July
Looking for a festive way to spend the Fourth of July holiday? Fireworks and festivities will be featured at area events on Thursday, July 4, to cel- ebrate Independence Day and the 243rd anniversary of the United States declaring independence from British rule.

RRHA issues request for developer interest in public housing transformation
Damon E. Duncan promised to move “expeditiously” to transform public housing in the city after taking over as chief executive officer of the Richmond Redevelopment Development and Housing Authority two months ago.

FBI joins investigation, offers $20K reward in 9-year-old’s death
The FBI has announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the shooting death of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson, who was shot and killed May 26 as she played at a Memorial Day Weekend community cookout at Carter Jones Park in South Side.

Tulsa's Greenwood District residents fear being pushed out
Standing on the corner of Detroit Avenue and M.B. Brady Street on a warm, spring eve- ning holding a smartphone to his ear, Ricco Wright laments about no longer recognizing the location on the northern leg of the Inner Dispersal Loop.

Hampton University studying cancer risks, testing for black women
Luisel Ricks-Santi keeps the medical family tree of one of the participants in her study taped to the door of her office in her lab at Hampton University.

Support grows for new hate crime reporting bill
Nearly three years ago, Khalid Jabara, an immigrant from Lebanon, died on his own doorstep in Tulsa, Okla., when his neighbor gunned him down.

White supremacist gets life sentence in Charlottesville rally death
An avowed white supremacist who deliberately drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring dozens, apologized to his victims before being sentenced on June 28 to life in prison on federal hate crime charges.

Councilman Agelasto asks for taxpayer money to pay his legal bills
Parker C. Agelasto has run up a hefty legal tab fending off lawsuits seek- ing to immediately remove him from his 5th District City Council seat now that he and his family have moved out of the district.

And they're off: More than 1,200 race into Rosie's Richmond Gaming Emporium for the first day of betting
Slot machines are illegal in Virginia. But don’t tell that to Shannon Bratson, 52, or many of the 1,200 others who piled into the new Rosie’s Richmond Gaming Emporium in South Side Monday morning to try out the 700 new machines following speeches and a ribbon cutting.

Forum focuses on how to keep progress going after Ashe street renaming
“Richmond, stand up!” Those opening words from Dontrese Brown of the Arthur Ashe Boulevard Initiative were the backbone of the Arthur Ashe Social Justice Forum last Thursday as more than a hundred people talked about how to bring the energy generated by the renaming of the new Arthur Ashe Boulevard to other important issues in the Richmond.

New police chief promoted from the ranks
Six police chiefs have come and gone since William C. “Will” Smith joined the Richmond Police Department as a patrolman in 1995.

‘We already have reparations’
Letters to the Editor
Re “Lawmakers hear the case for reparations,” Free Press June 20-22 edition: There are no block grant monies that have or will be solely targeted to the African-American community in an attempt to make amends for the wrong the government and others have done.

Gov. Northam’s agenda will ‘disarm honest, law-abiding populace’
Letters to the Editor
Re “ ‘Votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers’: Gov. Northam calls for special General Assembly session to deal with gun violence,” Free Press June 6-8 edition: Gov. Ralph S. Northam, in an attempt to divert the public’s attention from his administration’s scandals and incompetency, has called a special session of the General Assembly for July 9.

Why won't Fairfax’s accusers talk with police?
Letters to the Editor
For months now, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax has asked that police open investigations into allegations that he sexually assaulted two women – one 15 years ago and the other 20 years ago.