Charges dismissed against officers in Freddie Gray death
None of the six Baltimore police officers accused in the death of Freddie Gray will end up behind bars. Wednesday, Baltimore’s top prosecutor, Marilyn J. Mosby, who had vowed to hold the officers accountable, dropped all charges against the three remaining Baltimore police officers facing trial in connection with Mr. Gray’s death.
Va. Supreme Court turns back clock on restoration of felons’ rights
David Mosby, 46, had tears in his eyes when he registered to vote for the first time in his life. That was three months ago.
‘Black and blue’
African-American police officers straddle uncomfortable worlds
The ambivalent emotions that black police officers experience are as old as the first time an African-American put on a badge and walked a beat in the black community. But they seldom have been expressed with the clarity and force of the words that Baton Rouge, La., Police Cpl. Montrell Jackson posted on Facebook on July 8.
City’s economic promises with NFL training camp have yet to materialize
Richmond has yet to receive a big chunk of the promised payoff from the much touted economic deal that resulted in Washington’s pro football team holding its summer training camp in the city, according to a Richmond City Council member.
National Night Out slated for Aug. 2
“National Night Out” returns next week to promote community connections and ties with law enforcement.
CVWMA expands recycling materials
Richmond residents can now recycle a greater range of bottles and food containers, the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority has announced.
That’s the ticket
Hillary Clinton shatters glass ceiling with historic presidential nod
Hillary Rodham Clinton swept into history Tuesday as Democrats, eager to present a face of unity to a national television audience, chose her to be the party’s standard-bearer in the Nov. 8 presidential election.
GRTC seeks public’s ideas at four meetings
Imagine GRTC buses arriving every 15 minutes on major city thoroughfares such as Chamberlayne Avenue and Hull Street? That’s the idea the bus company and the City of Richmond are considering as officials ponder ways to improve public transit in Richmond.
VSU organizations recognized by HBCU Digest
Virginia State University has been named “the best” in two categories by HBCU Digest. The Ettrick university’s latest wins came during an awards ceremony last Friday in Washington.
City health department offering free sports physicals
The Richmond City Health District will provide free sports physicals to high school and middle school youths ages 13 and older at the Gilpin and Hillside Community Resource centers.
Boulevard RFQ on hold
Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ administration has tem- porarily pulled back from seeking development teams for the redevelopment of the 60 acres of land the city owns on North Boulevard around The Diamond.
Kudos to Free Press
Re “Church fashion show to benefit victims of domestic violence,” June 2-4 edition:
Don’t be afraid to look in your own house
I have a problem with parents who are afraid to go into their children’s bedrooms or sleeping quarters. The shooter of the five police officers in Dallas lived at home. The shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., lived at home.
Sometimes ‘dangerous’ people haven’t been diagnosed with a mental illness
Re Editorial, “One recipe for change,” July 14-16 edition:
The status quo
Like millions, I am shocked and appalled by the needless killing of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, five Dallas police officers, and three Baton Rouge police officers. Respect for humanity requires that we reject, in the strongest terms, the unwarranted and unjustified taking of life. I search earnestly for answers to the “why?” of their executions and the reason that, after 240 years, our nation still sustains a level of racial hatred and intolerance that fuels these acts of violence. Anyone giving an honest look at our national tragedy of racial violence, especially the epidemic of cop-on-citizen homicide, will agree that we, as a nation, have a conflict of major proportion that must be addressed and resolved if any of us are to live with the assurance of even a modicum of peace. The back and forth response of violence and retaliation can only lead to our mutual destruction.
Gun violence demands action
As the Republican Party holds its national convention in Cleveland, Americans remain shaken by the shootings of police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., following the police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights, Minn. I spoke at the funeral of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, weeping with his family and friends as they remembered and mourned their loved one who was slain on July 5 by police officers.
Stolen culture, stolen words
First it was Elvis taking our music. Then it was Bo Derek co-opting our cornrows.
A clear reason to vote
If ever we need a good reason or motivation to vote, it’s here. Look no further than the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Gordon Parks exhibit opens Saturday at VMFA
An exhibit featuring works by the noted late photographer Gordon Parks opens Saturday at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibit, “Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott,” will be on view through Oct. 30 at the museum, 200 N. Boulevard. It features 42 photographs that examine life during segregation in 1950s America.
Richmond area dancer wins bronze medal in National ACT-SO Competition
A Richmond area student won a bronze medal in dance at the national NAACP ACT-SO Competition. Keola Jones, a rising junior at Henrico High School’s Center for the Arts, was the lone member of the Richmond Branch NAACP team to win a medal in the ACT-SO events held during the NAACP’s annual convention in Cincinnati.
