U.S. Supreme Court hears Muslim travel ban arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald Trump’s time as president, even as the nation has moved from one Trump controversy to another. That’s about to change.
Historian doesn’t want Civil War soldier’s story lost
It’s such a small, unremarkable headstone for such a remarkable life. In an age when the average male life expectancy barely topped 40, 56-year-old Peter Williams enlisted with the 29th Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry, to fight for the Union in the Civil War.
Yvonne Staples of Staple Singers fame dies at 80
Yvonne Staples, whose voice and business acumen powered the success of the Staple Singers, her family’s hit-making gospel group that topped the charts in the early 1970s with the song “I’ll Take You There,” has died. She was 80.
Personality: Adolph White
Spotlight on volunteer caretaker for purple martin nesting at Bryan Park
Every spring, there is a great migration that one Bryan Park volunteer anticipates and anxiously looks forward to.
City eliminates $240,000 admissions tax debt of Richmond Jazz Festival
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration has quietly eliminated the estimated $240,000 in admissions taxes that the popular Richmond Jazz Festival owed the city, three highly placed sources have told the Free Press.
80¢ cigarette tax goes up in smoke at City Council
Richmond smokers will not have to pay an extra 80 cents for a pack of cigarette. After hearing from more than 50 speakers and nearly an hour of debate, Richmond City Council, with a 6-3 vote, killed a proposal to impose a city tax on cigarettes that Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District, had spearheaded.
Tree problems go unanswered by city
Editor’s note: Just before the Free Press Wednesday deadline, Spencer Turner sent a text message to a Free Press reporter stating: “Thanks for help. They are cutting tree down Friday. The power of a free press.” As of deadline, the Free Press had not been able to confirm Mr. Turner’s statement with city officials. By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Henrico schools hosts Family Learning series summit April 28
Henrico County Public Schools is hosting a Family Learning Series Summit, featuring workshops and activities on topics such as parenting, literacy, diversity, study skills, mental health and exceptional education. The summit is free and will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Hermitage High School, 8301 Hungary Spring Road.
William & Mary board apologizes for role in slavery
The College of William & Mary formally apologized for its role in slavery and Jim Crow at its Board of Visitors meeting last Friday.
Williams sisters join Billie Jean King in equal pay push
A day before playing in the 2005 final at the All England Club, Venus Williams addressed a meeting of the Grand Slam Board, urging Wimbledon and the French Open to offer equal pay to male and female players.
Memorial to nation’s lynching victims opens
Elmore Bolling defied the odds against black men and built several successful businesses during the harsh era of Jim Crow segregation in the South. He had more money than a lot of white people, which his descendants believe was all it took to get him lynched in 1947.
Pulse driving businesses down
Transit construction has hurt Downtown establishments
By Jeremy M. Lazarus Richmond City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray has been getting an earful from restaurants and businesses along Broad Street that have seen customer numbers fall and revenues shrink during the 20-month construction of Pulse, GRTC’s new bus rapid transit system
Deadline May 11 to apply for lead water line replacement grants
Richmond homeowners could receive a $2,500 grant to replace lead water lines from the city’s meter into their homes, the city Department of Public Utilities has announced.
A worthy state holiday
We are pleased by Virginia’s inaugural Barbara Johns Day, which will be observed on Monday, April 23. That is the day in 1951 that the 16-year-old activist led her fellow students on a walkout to protest the deplorable conditions at the all-black Moton School in Prince Edward County.
VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art embraces community with grand opening block party Saturday
For more than a year, curious eyes in Richmond and across the nation have watched an angularly shaped structure rise at the corner of Broad and Belvidere streets, the newest offering in the country’s array of contemporary art museums and spaces.
A Taste of Brookland Park food festival April 21
A North Side residential and commercial corridor that dates back to the 1920s will be the toast of the town this weekend with tasty experiences.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer for music
California rapper Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music Monday for his album “DAMN.,” organizers announced. Mr. Lamar, 30, is the first rapper to win the prestigious award. The Pulitzer follows the five Grammy awards won by Mr. Lamar in January for the album.
Bey blows up at Coachella, boosts HBCU scholarships
On the back of wide praise for her two-hour performance at the Coachella music festival, Beyoncé on Monday said she was offering $100,000 in scholarship money to students at four historically black colleges and universities.
VUU banking on talent of Tabyus Taylor this fall
Virginia Union University football fans were treated last season to what amounted to a teaser of what Tabyus Taylor can do with a football under his arm.
VUU to host CIAA golf championship
Virginia Union University will partner with Richmond Region Tourism to host the CIAA Golf Championships on April 19 and 20 at the Club at Viniterra in New Kent County.
