Deacon Charles Williams named interim head of Office for Black Catholics
Deacon Charles Williams has been appointed interim director of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond’s Office for Black Catholics. The appointment was made by Bishop Barry C. Knestout, effective Dec. 1.
William Lomax, longtime barber in Jackson Ward, dies at 87
Longtime Richmond barber and NAACP stalwart William Lomax has died. Mr. Lomax, who was best known for his barbershop in Jackson Ward, succumbed to illness Friday, Dec. 21, in hospice in Henrico County. He was 87.
Jeffrey A. Goode, area wedding and funeral singer and member of Bak ’n Da Day, dies at 57
Jeffrey Antoine Goode regularly sang at funerals, weddings and other family and community events and was a tenor for 18 years with the popular Richmond a cappella quintet Bak ’n Da Day that serves up Motown, R&B and Broadway show tunes.
Personality: Herbert H. Southall Jr.
Spotlight on 2018 Astorian of the Year
Herbert H. Southall Jr. is proud to carry on the legacy of his father and to uphold the traditions of the Astoria Beneficial Club, a Richmond men’s club started 117 years ago to help eliminate the barriers to full citizenship for African-Americans.
City tackling polluted water
Richmond’s most heavily polluted watersheds that drain into the James River will get some extra attention, thanks to a $1 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, it has been announced.
Medicaid enrollment jumps
More than 182,000 Virginia adults — or nearly half of the 400,000 projected to be eligible — have enrolled in Medicaid health care coverage that will begin Jan. 1, Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced.
Information blackout in new city ambulance permit case?
The Richmond Ambulance Authority has, for now, avoided competition for non-emergency transports that help financially support its crucial emergency service.
Criminal justice reform bill signed into law
The widespread unhappiness across the nation over President Trump’s partial federal government shutdown at Christmas may have all but overshadowed the guarded praise surrounding a bipartisan victory for Congress and the president.
Contractors claim they are left out of city lead removal contracts
Small African-American contractors like Anson Bell and Nathan Beyah claim they are being locked out of work to remove from 150 Richmond homes and apartments toxic lead paint that yearly damages the developing brains of dozens of young children.
New Year’s holiday closings
In observance of New Year’s Day, Tuesday Jan. 1, please note the following:
In observance of New Year’s Day, Tuesday Jan. 1, please note the following:
Chief Durham reflects on his tenure in Richmond
Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham is done. He wrapped up Dec. 20 by issuing promotions to 12 officers, including naming three deputy chiefs and tapping one, William C. Smith, to serve as acting chief.
Gentrification: The ‘Negro Removal’ program displacing black people, culture
Gentrification has emerged as a major threat to black communities that have been centers for black business and economic development, cultural and civic life for generations.
Councilwoman to seek state help on Agelasto residency issue
Parker C. Agelasto’s future as the 5th District representative on City Council apparently will depend on whether the General Assembly or another state entity gets involved.
National NAACP suspends Frank J. Thornton, Henrico Branch president
In an extraordinary action, national NAACP President Derrick Johnson has suspended for a year the membership of Frank J. Thornton, president of the Henrico Branch NAACP and son of Frank Thornton, chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors.
$ for schools
Mayor Levar M. Stoney announces $800M plan to fully fund school construction over next 20 years
The mayor announced a plan on Dec. 20 to provide the $800 million that Richmond Public Schools wants to improve and modernize schools, a majority of which are 60 or more years old and seven of which are 100 years old.
VUU spokesperson blasts claims by doctoral student as ‘false, ill-advised, arbitrary and capricious’
Virginia Union University is pushing back against a student-written letter and online petition calling for an investigation and the removal of VUU President Hakim J. Lucas and Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, chair of the VUU Board of Trustees.
‘Young, gifted and dead’
The gregarious 9-year-old Alabama girl was just that, a girl, a little girl, a brown-skinned baby girl with braids or, in one picture, a side ponytail. Her family described her as “bubbly,” but bubbles burst, sometimes in the worst way.
Rep. Karen Bass new CBC chair
In January, the most ethnically and culturally diverse Congress in United States history will be seated. Among the historic “firsts,” the Congressional Black Caucus will exceed 50 members for the first time in its 47-year history and Rep. Karen Bass of California has been elected its chair.
What the world needs now
May all of us remember that God sent his son to show us how to make the world a better place.
