
Double threat for the Yankees
The New York Yankees, nicknamed the “Bronx Bombers,” may pack more ammunition this year than ever before, and that’s saying something.

Monument Avenue 10K now a national championship
In case no one has noticed, the annual Monument Avenue 10K has changed dramatically. The event continues to draw more than 25,000 participants and ranks among Richmond’s best organized and most anticipated community activities.

President Carter talks ‘Faith’ in book
In his 32nd book, titled simply “Faith,” former President Jimmy Carter looks at how belief in God and others has shaped his 93 years.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush dies
A private funeral for former First Lady Barbara Bush, the only American woman to see her husband and son both sworn in as president, will be held on Saturday, April 21, at a Houston church where her family has been members since the 1950s, officials said.

Personality: Dr. Renata A. Hedrington Jones
Spotlight on Black Social Workers’ NIA Lifetime Achievement winner
Growing up in a strong, close-knit family with a hard-working, disciplined, kind and unconditionally loving mother and aunt are the ingredients that produced Dr. Renata A. Hedrington Jones, winner of the National Association of Black Social Workers’ most coveted award.

Henrico hotel pays workers with free lodging
An aging hotel in Henrico County has found a way to virtually eliminate wages. Instead of money, employees get a room in exchange for working 40 hours a week checking in guests, doing maintenance work, cleaning rooms or filling other needed roles.

Can Richmond afford 4 planned new schools?
One unanswered question hovers as the Richmond School Board and schools Superintendent Jason Kamras push the city to seek bids for new buildings to replace four aging schools: Can the city afford them?

Free Press wins 11 state journalism awards
The Richmond Free Press continues its 26-year tradition of award-winning excellence. The newspaper was recognized with 11 awards, including four first place awards, at the annual Virginia Press Association competition in writing, photography, news presentation and advertising.

New Capitol Square monument honors Virginia’s native tribes
Leaders of Virginia’s Native American tribes joined Gov. Ralph S. Northam, members of the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission, state legislators, dignitaries and state residents Tuesday morning to dedicate a new monument in Capitol Square honoring Virginia’s first inhabitants.

Area students expected to walk out Friday for gun violence rally
Thousands of high school students and their supporters are expected to ignore threats of discipline from their school divisions and pour into Downtown this Friday, April 20, to protest gun violence in schools and issue a fresh call to lawmakers to pass stronger gun control laws, according to police.

Starbucks to close 8,000 U.S. stores for racial bias training
Starbucks Corp. will close 8,000 company-owned U.S. cafés for the afternoon on Tuesday, May 29, to train nearly 175,000 to prevent racial discrimination in its stores.

Target settles claims it screened black people, Hispanics out of jobs
Target Corp. has agreed to review its policies for screening job applicants and pay $3.74 million to settle a lawsuit claiming its use of criminal background checks kept thousands of African-Americans and Hispanics from obtaining employment.

A heroine honored
April 23 now designated as Barbara Johns Day in Virginia to honor 1951 student activist who helped dismantle public school segregation
Today’s students need to continue to speak out when they see injustice. That was the message from Joan Johns Cobbs, the younger sister of the late Barbara Johns, and Mrs. Cobbs’ classmate, Joy Cabarrus Speakes, as Virginia prepares to celebrate the first Barbara Johns Day on Monday, April 23.

Kindergarten registration April 19
Registration for kindergarten is Thursday, April 19. That’s the registration date for 15 school divisions in the Richmond area covering 152 elementary schools. Children who will be 5 years old by Sept. 30 can start kindergarten in the fall, but they must be registered at the school they will attend.

VCU dean steps down after filing countersuit against L. Douglas Wilder
L. Douglas Wilder is proving he still has plenty of bite.

Health systems securing naming rights to GRTC’s Pulse
Richmond area taxpayers apparently will not have to spend as much to subsidize rides on GRTC’s new bus rapid transit service, also known as Pulse, thanks to two area health care giants, VCU Health System and Bon Secours Richmond Health System.

RRHA still fixing heating systems
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has restored heat to 318 apartments, but still has 93 units in various public housing communities to complete, according to an update released last week.

Rebuilding Together Richmond seeking volunteers for April 28 repair blitz
Want to help people stay in their homes?
Hear history from one who made it
In recent days, we’ve enjoyed some wonderful reflections about the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his colleagues during the mid-1960s peak of the Civil Rights Movement.
Double standard?
I usually do not send in my opinion concerning various issues, even though I may have one. But this time, I must respond.