Local players have helped NBA teams make it to the finals
If someone dusted the NBA playoff archives for fingerprints, they would discover ample evidence of Richmond area talent. Local players have played — and even been leading attractions — on NBA championship teams at least seven times. Make that nine times if you fudge the boundaries a tad. Here are a few highlights:
VUU’s Jackie Jackson of Harlem Globetrotters fame dies at 79
Jackie Jackson of the Harlem Globetrotters was a legendary fan favorite. It didn’t matter whether the basketball game was inside or out, serious or more for fun. Mr. Jackson, known to most as “Jumpin’ Jackie Jackson,” died Sunday, May 5, 2019, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was 79.
VSU women track and field competitors win top individual honors
Virginia State University women earned top individual honors at the CIAA Track and Field Championships on May 4 and 5 in Bowie, Md.
Richmond emergency communications earns accreditation
Richmond’s 911 emergency call center has secured national accreditation for the first time. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies awarded the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications the accreditation on May 4 in Huntsville, Ala.
Mayor announces free CPR classes for RPS teachers
Mayor Levar M. Stoney marked the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week on Monday by announcing a new partnership between Richmond Public Schools and Richmond Fire and Emergency Services.
VCU to replace old Franklin Street gym with new STEM building
The old gymnasium at Virginia Commonwealth University will be replaced with a $121 million, six-story building dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM subjects, it has been announced.
Richmond Crusade for Voters hosting candidates’ luncheon and voter registration drive
The Richmond Crusade for Voters is hosting a candidates’ luncheon and a major voter registration drive this month to help voters get ready for the June primary and November general elections. The candidates’ luncheon will be held noon to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Cedar Street Baptist Church Banquet Hall, 700 N. 23rd St.
USPS to collect food to help ‘Stamp Out Hunger’
Mail carriers in Richmond and across the country will be picking up paper bags with donations of boxed, canned and bottled food and beverages and cooking oils on Saturday, May 11, it has been announced.
Fulton bus service to improve with several changes planned by GRTC
Beginning Sunday, GRTC will usher in faster rush hour service in the Fulton area of the East End, the company has announced. The bus company also will tweak service to the Randolph community, extend nighttime service on the Bellemeade/Hopkins route serving McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center and make it easier for West End passengers to access the coming Whole Foods grocery store near Broad and Meadow streets.
Councilman Hilbert opposes Salvation Army move to North Side
“I am firmly against this.” That’s the not-in-my-backyard response from 3rd District City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert’s to a Free Press report last week that the Salvation Army is applying for a special use permit to move its combination headquarters and homeless shelter from Downtown to a church building in Mr. Hilbert’s North Side district.
Maternal mortality: Black women far more likely to die giving birth than Caucasians
Last fall, Tanca McCargo, a Chesterfield native, found out she was expecting her second child. Ms. McCargo, who already had a 3-year-old son, discovered early on that her second pregnancy would be different. Her complications began when she experienced light bleeding. “The morning after scheduling an appointment with my OB-GYN, I passed an actual blood clot,” Ms. McCargo said.
Council members concerned about latest utility rate hikes
Like a steady drip, drip, drip, the cost of utility services is continuing to rise in Richmond at a double-digit pace, outpacing inflation and raising concerns among some about affordability.
City Council to seek election to replace Agelasto
Richmond City Council set the stage this week for a special election on Nov. 5 to replace Councilman Parker C. Agelasto as the 5th District representative. The council voted Monday to petition Richmond Circuit Court to set the election to coincide with the November general election in which voters will select representatives to the General Assembly.
Tiger Woods receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
When Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament on April 14, President Trump declared he was going to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom and ordered his aides to schedule the event as soon as possible.
In what unique way did your mother show you she loved you?
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12. It’s a day for pampering mom with flowers and gifts and taking her to dinner to show her how much we love and appreciate her for all she has done for us.
Burkini to be featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue
This year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is going to feature trailblazer Halima Aden. Ms. Aden will be the first woman to sport a hijab and burkini in the magazine, which hit newsstands on Wednesday, SI revealed this week.
Widow of Mother Emanuel pastor: ‘Much prayer is needed’ four years after attack
Jennifer Pinckney had hoped to be in Bible study on the evening of June 17, 2015. But her 6-year-old daughter had other plans.
God’s gouda: Nuns in Albemarle County make cheese
Tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, down a lengthy stretch off U.S. 250, over a bridge, through the woods and at the end of a gravel road sits Our Lady of the Angels Monastery perched on a hillside. The 13 nuns who live there believe God has a plan for everyone.
Flying Squirrels pitcher hopes 100 mph throws get him to big leagues
Walking to the batter’s box to face Melvin Adon must feel like walking the plank. Few pitchers unleash a fastball with more fury and frightening velocity than the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ bullpen ace.
Shirley J. Logan, former RPS principal, succumbs at 81
Shirley Jefferson Logan was the kind of person who saw the best in everyone, her family said. Her positive approach was important to her work as a principal at the now-closed Clark Springs Elementary School and at Ginter Park Elementary in Richmond.
