
Flying Squirrels open with big win
The Richmond Flying Squirrels’ eighth season at The Diamond opened in a big way — a big crowd, big winds, a big home run and a big victory.

New scoreboard lights up for teams at Thomas Jefferson High School
The good news comes twofold for Thomas Jefferson High School baseball. First, the West End school has its first-ever electronic scoreboard.

John Ross sets record for 40-yard dash
Olympic icon Usain Bolt remains the fastest man on earth, but John Ross is the newest fastest man on turf — football turf that is.

Larry Sanders released by Cleveland Cavaliers
Larry Sanders’ comeback has been put on hold. The former Virginia Commonwealth University center was released Wednesday by the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Stations of the Cross to be held Friday along Brookland Park Boulevard
A coalition of North Side churches is hosting Stations of the Cross along Brookland Park Boulevard from 3 to 4 p.m. on Good Friday, April 14.

Former JFK football standout dies
Richmond has lost one of its former football heroes. Randy L. Crawley, a member of the 1972 Central Region championship team for the John F. Kennedy High School Kougars, died Saturday, March 18, 2017, at age 62.

Comedian Charlie Murphy dead at 57
Charlie Murphy, stand-up comedian, actor and older brother of comedian Eddie Murphy, died at a New York hospital on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, at age 57.

Personality: Fattah Muhammad
Spotlight on community activist and founder of RACE
Fattah Muhammad began marching in the streets of several North Side and East End neighborhoods in 1980 to help end violence plaguing these communities and encourage cooperation with Richmond law enforcement.

Essex Village flunks HUD inspection
After years of complaints, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is finally reacting to the deteriorating condition of Essex Village, the largest subsidized housing complex in Henrico County.

Bedden staying put; ‘It’s an exciting time for RPS’
When Dr. Dana T. Bedden took over as superintendent of Richmond Public Schools in January 2014, the St. Petersburg, Fla., native faced faltering academic achievement, school buildings in severe disrepair and low staff morale.

Free Press wins VPA awards
The Richmond Free Press continues its award-winning tradition. The newspaper was recognized with six awards at the annual Virginia Press Association competition in writing, photography, news presentation and advertising.

Adediran lands provisional post in Petersburg
Dismissed from is job at Richmond’s City Hall, Emmanuel O. Adediran is headed to a job with the Petersburg city government, the Free Press learned Wednesday.

Rep. McEachin out of hospital
Rep. A. Donald McEachin of Henrico is back on his feet this week after becoming ill Tuesday, April 4, in Washington and being admitted to the hospital.
Artists’ entries sought for annual competition of Storm Drain Art
Artists and would-be artists still have time to enter the competition to decorate Richmond storm drains in the 2017 Storm Drain Art Project.

Dr. Sullivan to speak at UR
Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former U.S. secretary for health and human services and founding dean of the Morehouse College School of Medicine, will speak on the impact of faith on health care decisions and outcomes at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at the University of Richmond’s Jepson Alumni Center.

Gorsuch sworn in to high court
President Trump reveled in the biggest political victory of his presidency at a White House ceremony on Monday in which his U.S. Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch was sworn in, poised to make an instant impact on a court once again dominated by conservatives.

World map shows Africa in truthful light
In an age of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” authorities in the city of Boston believe their new school map offers something closer to the geographical truth than that of traditional maps, and hope it can serve as an example to schools across the nation and the globe.

Federal tax filing deadline: Tuesday, April 18
Taxpayers get three extra days to file their federal tax returns this year.

Mother Emanuel shooter gets 9 life sentences in S.C. state court
With Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof getting nine life sentences in state court on top of a federal death sentence, his prosecutions are finally over — and some relatives of the nine parishioners he killed at a historically black church say they can finally begin to heal.

Sessions wants to return to tough crime policies
For three decades, America got tough on crime. Police used aggressive tactics and arrest rates soared. Small-time drug cases clogged the courts. Vigorous gun prosecutions sent young men away from their communities and to faraway prisons for long terms.