City Hall to state auditor: No way city on brink of $ distress
No way could this be correct. That is City Hall’s response to a finding by the state auditor of public accounts that Richmond is one of five localities — including Bristol, Petersburg and two unidentified counties — that are facing the most severe financial stress. The Free Press disclosed the finding in the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 edition.
Hurricanes and public policy
Hurricane Harvey did everything people said it would do and more. It either drowned or swallowed everything it touched in Corpus Christi, Houston and Beaumont, Texas, the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and a bunch of other places. Already, estimates say that Harvey may be our nation’s costliest disaster to date, costing at least $190 billion, or about 1 percent of our gross domestic product.
Blackballing Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, is being blackballed — itself a revealing phrase — by the National Football League with the collusion of the all-white owners. He is being ostracized because a year ago he exercised his First Amendment right to free speech by taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem.
What to do?
Our media colleagues should stop their mewling over the absence of Democratic candidates Ralph S. Northam, Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring from the annual Labor Day parade in Buena Vista.
Trump and the Dreamers
President Trump continues to show us just what type of person he is.
Young writer has winning way with words
After reading Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, “Hidden Figures,” about African-American women mathematicians at NASA who did many of the calculations to put astronauts in space, 11-year-old Isla Rodriguez of Richmond now wants to be an astronaut.
Howard takes on ‘Mission Impossible’ and scores big
Mike London’s University of Virginia football coaching tenure couldn’t have ended much worse. His coaching career at Howard University couldn’t have started much better. In his first game on sidelines for the Washington school, Coach London directed a head-spinning 43-40 upset victory last Saturday at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
VUU loses season opener; faces another tough competitor Saturday at Hovey Field
Virginia Union University’s season opening football loss wasn’t without a silver lining. The Panthers seem to have found a bruising ball carrier—Tabyus Taylor—to plug the considerable void left by the departure of William Stanback.
VSU wins Labor Day Classic before crowd of 10,000-plus in Norfolk
Virginia State University continues knocking out its football opponents — even those in a larger division. Under Coach Reggie Barlow, the Trojans beat Norfolk State University 14-10 last Saturday before a crowd of 10,221 fans at the Labor Day Classic in damp Dick Price Stadium.
Huguenot Falcons fly high with win despite storm
There are signs Huguenot High School football has weathered the storm, and not just because the team’s latest victory was achieved in drenching conditions.
Diversity takes the field with Washington Nationals
Like the cosmopolitan city they represent on the baseball diamond, the Washington Nationals are rich in diversity. The District of Columbia becomes truly international on game days at Nationals Park, with players linked to five foreign countries and three continents.
Megapastor tries to defend himself after Hurricane Harvey
Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston is helping Texans cope in the wake of Hurricane Harvey — and trying to counter a flood of comments on social media accusing the church of turning its back on storm victims. The church took in about 400 people from the overflow at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, a Red Cross shelter, church spokesman Don Iloff said last week.
Personality: Stephen M. Levinson
Spotlight on board president of the ACLU of Virginia
Stephen M. Levinson has worked for civil rights and social justice for almost a half century. And like many in his field, he has endured death threats in writing and in person.
School Board member resigns
The Richmond School Board now has eight members following the unexpected resignation of Nadine Marsh-Carter. Ms. Marsh-Carter, who represented the 7th District that includes Church Hill, East End and Fulton, submitted her resignation in a letter the board received on Tuesday.
RPS opens with shortage of 54 teachers
Richmond Public Schools started the new school year short 54 full-time teachers, including 23 special education teachers, according to interim Superintendent Thomas E. “Tommy” Kranz.
Richmond Crusade to hold candidates forums
Want to learn more about the Richmond candidates on the November ballot? The Richmond Crusade for Voters is hosting free public forums next week to allow voters to get to know the candidates seeking office in the city, it has been announced.
Norrell gym open again for recreation
Recreation programs are again taking place in the former A.V. Norrell Elementary School on North Side. The building is used now mostly as office space for Richmond Public School’s security department and drivers’ education program.
It’s a girl for Serena!
Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, the first child for the former world No. 1 tennis player and her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Trump scraps program protecting young undocumented immigrants
President Trump on Tuesday scrapped an Obama era program that protects from deportation immigrants brought illegally into the United States as children, delaying implementation until March and giving a gridlocked Congress six months to decide the fate of almost 800,000 young people.
Fresh start for first day
Improved George Mason Elementary rolls out red carpet for its students
Before the first students arrived Tuesday at George Mason Elementary School, Principal Rose Ferguson walked the halls and the playground in Church Hill, and then checked with teachers and support staff to make sure everything was ready. More than 400 energetic youngsters were expected to bound in for the new 2017-18 school year.
