Council approves new housing, shelter policies
Overshadowed by the debate over renaming the Boulevard, Richmond City Council Monday night unanimously approved policy changes that will impact affordable housing and the use of city property for cold weather shelters.
City to get new children’s hospital
Construction is set to start in a few months on a $350 million, 92-bed hospital for children on the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Catholic dioceses release list of 58 clergy accused of sexually abusing children
Virginia’s two Roman Catholic dioceses on Wednesday published lists of 58 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, joining other dioceses around the country in answering calls to make public the names of abusive clergy.
RRHA poised to name Duncan as new CEO
Damon E. Duncan, a public and affordable housing veteran with 26 years of experience, is to be named the next chief executive officer of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the Free Press has learned.
Virginia expresses ‘profound regret’ for history of lynchings
Outlining a “dark and shameful chapter of American history,” state legislators unanimously passed resolutions to “acknowledge with profound regret the existence and acceptance of lynching” in Virginia, where more than 80 people — mostly African-American men — were killed by mobs in the decades after the Civil War.
A boulevard named Arthur Ashe
City Council approves street to honor Richmond legend
From now on, it will be Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
Possible funding increase for city schools?
Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration is hinting that it might propose a $5 million increase in support for Richmond Public Schools’ operations in the new 2020 budget it will present next month to Richmond City Council.
What’s the path forward?
The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, is hosting a discussion on race and reconciliation at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Allix B. James Chapel in Coburn Hall on Virginia Union University’s campus, 1500 N. Lombardy St.
‘It’s a real tragedy’
Virginia political icon Dr. William Ferguson Reid reacts
Dr. William Ferguson Reid Sr. may have stepped down from the ranks of Virginia’s political leaders, but the retired surgeon and pioneer in modern Virginia politics has his attention glued to the controversies surrounding the state’s governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
EVMS dean, who shut down yearbook in 2013, launches investigation into racist photos
As Gov. Ralph S. Northam weighed his political future after a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page surfaced last week, Eastern Virginia Medical School officials held a press conference Tuesday in Norfolk to address the school’s investigation surrounding that photo and others that have since been brought to light.
STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL MARK R. HERRING
"The very bright light that is shining on Virginia right now is sparking a painful but, I think we all hope, important conversation. The stakes are high, and our spirits are low.
What next?
Virginians shaken as the top 3 officials are embroiled in controversy
In the suddenly topsy-turvy world of Virginia politics, one fact is certain: Ralph S. Northam is still Virginia’s governor. He also has no immediate plans to resign, despite the uproar and the torrent of calls for him to quit the office some believe he is no longer fit to hold.
Kamras delivers first State of the Schools address
Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras delivered his first State of the Schools address Tuesday night to a packed house of more than 300 people at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.
Mayor Stoney highlights new eviction prevention program
Good things are happening in Richmond, Mayor Levar M. Stoney said as he used his State of the City speech last week to tout the city’s progress during his first two years.
Reactions to Lt. Gov. Fairfax
“The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus takes all allegations of sexual assault or misconduct with the utmost seriousness. Given the recent allegations regarding Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, the VLBC will continue to assess this developing situation as more details become available.”
Fairfax battles sexual assault allegation
Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax, a 39-year-old rising star in the state Democratic Party, is battling to save his political career after being hit with a shocking allegation of sexual assault that dates back 15 years.
Statement of Dr. Vanessa Tyson
Released Wednesday, Feb. 6
On the night of Friday, February 1, 2019, I read multiple news accounts indicating that Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax would likely be elevated to Governor as an immediate result of a scandal involving Governor Ralph Northam.
Sen. Booker launches 2020 presidential bid
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker declared his bid for the presidency in 2020 with a sweeping call to unite a deeply polarized nation around a “common purpose.” Announcing his run on Friday, Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, the New Jersey Democrat is the second African-American candidate in a primary field that’s already historically diverse. He delivered his message of unity amid an era marked by bitter political division.
Free Press readers speak on Gov. Ralph S. Northam
Does Gov. Ralph S. Northam have no human decency? The blackface and the Ku Klux Klan outfit each alone speak of racism. Shown together, they speak clearly of racist intent. This was in 1984.
Lifting workers with wages
Nowhere in the country can a full-time worker earning the federal or state minimum wage afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent. One in nine U.S. workers are paid wages that can leave them in poverty, even when working full time.
