Rev. Jeremiah Wright to speak March 31 at East End church
The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright is scheduled to speak at Faith Community Baptist Church in the East End at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31.
Lady Panthers’ heartbreaker
In her only basketball season for Virginia Union University, Kiana Johnson scored a jaw-dropping 905 points. If she somehow could have added points 906 or perhaps 907, the Panthers might still be playing.
Rams knocked out in round 2; next test in Battle4Atlantis
University of Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield is arguably the best college basketball player in America. If he were anything less, Virginia Commonwealth University likely would be headed to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 this weekend instead of packing for the offseason.
Pirates routed by U.Va. in first round
This wasn’t a banner year for NCAA Division I basketball champions from historically black colleges and universities. MEAC Tournament champion Hampton University was trounced 81-45 by the University of Virginia in a first-round NCAA game last Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
Cuba played role in Dodgers’ history
Cuba made headlines this week with President Obama’s historic trip to the largest Caribbean nation located just 90 miles south of Florida.
Rapper Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest dies at 45
Phife Dawg, a masterful lyricist whose witty wordplay was a linchpin of the groundbreaking hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, died Tuesday from complications resulting from diabetes, his family said in a statement on Wednesday. He was 45. Born Malik Isaac Taylor, he was known as the “Five Foot Assassin” because he was 5 feet 3 inches tall.
Personality: Dr. Leonard L. Edloe
Spotlight on American Pharmacists Association Foundation president
Dr. Leonard L. Edloe provided a vital service to residents of Richmond’s East End, South Side and Downtown communities as a pharmacist before closing his businesses, Edloe’s Professional Pharmacies, in 2012 after more than four decades. He also ministers to others as senior pastor at New Hope Fellowship in Middlesex County and hosts a weekly radio talk show on WCLM 1450 in Richmond. He also is an adjunct professor of Christian ethics at the John B. Leland Theological Center’s School of Ministry.
National ‘Player of the Year’
Kiana Johnson and “Player of the Year” are now officially synonymous. The Virginia Union University senior guard was named NCAA Division II National Player of the Year Monday by the Women’s Association of Basketball Coaches (WABC).
Richmond Christian Center to search for new pastor
The Richmond Christian Center is moving to replace its founding pastor, Steve Parson. Two months after emerging from bankruptcy, the fundamentalist South Side church announced Tuesday that it has begun a search for a new full-time pastor to be in place by July.
Movement afoot to remove Lee statue in Charlottesville
Charlottesville residents who are uncomfortable with a local park could affect a monumental change if renewed protest over a nearly 100-year-old statue gains enough support. On Tuesday, local community leaders called on the city’s elected officials to rename Lee Park and remove the statue of the park’s namesake, Gen. Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Computer science to be added to Va. education requirements
The three Rs of education are getting a new addition in Virginia — computer science. As part of education reforms approved in the recent session, the General Assembly unanimously passed legislation making the theory and practice of computer operations and the ability to write software code part of a well-rounded education on par with the traditional subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic.
Holiday schedule
City of Richmond government operations will be closed on Good Friday, March 25, it has been announced. The city, with a Baptist pastor as mayor, is one of the few area government operations to take an Easter break. The shutdown will affect City Hall and other city operations, including recreation centers and libraries. However, Richmond’s public schools will be open Friday, the last day before city schoolchildren begin a weeklong spring break beginning Monday, March 28.
Obama promotes democracy during historic visit to Cuba
Capping his remarkable visit to Cuba, President Obama on Tuesday declared an end to the “last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas” and openly urged the Cuban people to pursue a more democratic future for this communist nation 90 miles from the Florida coast.
‘Virtual school’ in Va.?
Advocates say it would boost educational choices; critics say it would strip students and money from public schools
Thousands of public school students in Virginia could have the option of taking all of their classes on a home computer in what is known as a “virtual school” — instead of making the daily trek to a building with bells and defined class times. Gov. Terry McAuliffe is mulling whether to sign House Bill 8, a largely Republican-backed piece of legislation that would allow Virginia to join Florida, Ohio and 28 other states in providing 12 years of public education in what enthusiasts describe as a “classroom without walls.”
Walker statue to be shorter than initial plan
Maggie Walker’s statue in Downtown could wind up at least 6 feet shorter than sculptor Antonio “Toby” Mendez first envisioned. Instead of a 14-foot tall statue standing on a 5-foot pedestal as the sculptor proposed, the bronze figure of the much-admired Richmond businesswoman and civil rights leader would be no more than 10 feet tall and stand on 3-foot,4-inch pedestal in the proposed plaza at Adams and Broad streets.
Rankine named new dean at UR
The University of Richmond School of Arts and Sciences will have a new dean June 1. He is Dr. Patrice Rankine, currently dean for Arts and Humanities at Hope College in Holland, Mich. “Dr. Rankine is an experienced and accomplished scholar and administrator who deeply appreciates the importance we, at Richmond, attach to our deans being student-focused and committed to faculty development,” University of Richmond Provost Jacquelyn S. Fetrow stated Tuesday in announcing the appointment.
Tentative design, sculptor chosen for Emancipation Monument
Plans for a Richmond monument that pays tribute to the Emancipation Proclamation and enslaved Africans are moving forward three years after it was first proposed, according to a state commission that is spearheading the effort. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission has tentatively selected the sculptor and a potential design for the Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument.
State senator launches bid for Congress
State Sen. A. Donald McEachin formally announced his candidacy for the open seat in the 4th Congressional District. Richmond and Eastern Henrico are now part of the 4th District, which has been represented by Republican Congressman J. Randy Forbes. However, Rep. Forbes announced he will give up the seat and run in the 2nd Congressional District. Sen. McEachin, a 54-year-old Democrat and personal injury attorney, was re-elected last year to a third term in the state Senate. He will not have to give up his General Assembly seat to run for Congress.
City juvenile detention center re-certified
The Richmond Juvenile Detention Center has passed its latest state review with flying colors. Richmond officials said the center was notified last month that it had been recertified to operate for another three years after receiving 100 percent passing grades on all elements of the audit.
Student advocate wins case in Chesterfield
Kandise Lucas, an advocate for disabled students and their parents, did not trespass at a Chesterfield County high school last year despite being banned from the property, a Chesterfield Circuit Court judge ruled Wednesday. Judge Timothy J. Hauler threw out the misdemeanor trespass charge the school system had brought after finding Ms. Lucas did not have the requisite intent.
