Hiring one, firing one among NFL black coaching ranks
The Cleveland Browns have turned to journeyman Hue Jackson to jumpstart the stalled franchise. The 50-year-old Jackson, most recently offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, is accepting what has been the NFL’s version of mission impossible. Since 1999 when the “new” Browns were born in Northeast Ohio, the franchise has gone 87-185, with just two playoff games (losses in 2002 and 2007). Coach Mike Pettine, after two years on the sidelines, was fired after going 3-13 this last season as the latest casualty on the coaching merry-go-round.
Seek solutions to today’s problems in working to realize Dr. King’s dream
“I came to help keep his memory and his dream alive. This is the least I can do after what he did for us,” said Barbara Moon after attending the 38th Annual Mass Meeting on Monday that honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The retired Richmond Public Schools teacher was among a few hundred people who braved sub-freezing temperatures to attend the inspiring community gathering at Cedar Street Baptist Church of God in the East End on the national holiday honoring Dr. King.
Sheriff Woody gives final salute to deceased veterans
Two soldiers and a sailor who died in Richmond will be buried next week with full military honors thanks to help from Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr.
Petersburg bomb dog remembered in service
The Petersburg Sheriff’s Office paid a final tribute this week to a faithful deputy — Tex, a bomb detection dog. The German shepherd was fondly remembered by his colleagues at a memorial service Wednesday afternoon in the office of Petersburg Sheriff Vanessa Crawford.
Pulpit to politics, remembering Leonidas B. Young II
The Rev. Leonidas B. Young II rose from the pulpit of historic Fourth Baptist Church in the East End to the pinnacle of Richmond political power, serving as the city’s mayor from 1994 to 1996. Elected to Richmond City Council representing the East End’s 7th District from 1992 to 1999, he was considered a rising political star by many at the time.
Personality: Lillie A. Estes
Spotlight on Mothers of Courage Award winner
Lillie A. Estes first got involved in efforts to improve the community as a high school student in Newport News. Friends urged her to join the NAACP Youth Council.
Bus Rapid Transit
Can Richmond afford to maintain proposed expensive bus service?
Can Richmond afford to operate the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system that promises speedier travel and is described as the biggest revamp in public bus service in the city in at least 50 years?
Private money dries up for Kanawha Plaza project
Last July, Richmond City Council gave Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ administration the green light to overhaul 35-year-old Kanawha Plaza, the three-acre park that sits across from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The council acted after being assured that virtually all of the $6 million cost would come from gifts from big corporations and law firms located near the park.
Richmond Public Schools losing budget director during critical season
Richmond Public Schools is losing one of its chief budget architects as the School Board and Superintendent Dana T. Bedden prepare to kick off their budget negotiations for fiscal year 2017 with Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Richmond City Council. Betsy Drewry, RPS director of budget and planning, will leave her position Friday, Feb. 5, to become director of budget and finance for Prince George County, she told the Free Press at Monday’s School Board meeting at City Hall. Ms. Drewry is exiting after 18 months in the position. She was the Prince George school system’s budget chief for 14 years prior to coming to Richmond.
Health care enrollment event rescheduled for Jan. 30
With snow expected this weekend, Celebrate Health- care has changed the date for its Richmond Enrollfest to Saturday, Jan. 30, for people to enroll in health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act’s Federal Health Insurance Marketplace. The event originally was scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23.
Source: City Hall knew Adediran was managing church project
It was no secret at Richmond City Hall that city Public Works Director Emmanuel O. Adediran was doubling as project manager for a new $5.3 million sanctuary that First Baptist Church of South Richmond is building in Chesterfield County, the Free Press has learned. According to a highly knowledgeable source, “everyone knew (Mr. Adediran) had been asked by the mayor to help with the church project.”
Tree not sole obstacle at Maggie Walker site
Too small and too congested with traffic. That reality is starting to clash with the vision of creating a $600,000 to $800,000 plaza and statue celebrating Maggie L. Walker at the intersection of Broad and Adams streets and Brook Road in Downtown.
Challenger seeks to overturn results of postal union election
One of Richmond’s oldest labor organizations — the Old Dominion Branch Local 496 of the National Association of Letter Carriers — is engulfed in an election fight. The fight is over the election of Thelma J. Hunt as the first female president in the branch’s history, which dates back to 1893.
Losing vacation time ‘is not severe enough punishment’
Re “Auditor: Top city administrator used city time to work on mayor’s church,” Jan. 7-9 edition: This story has the potential to give the city a negative rating by outsiders as well as our own residents. My question is did any other top officials know he was doing this?
Dr. King’s principles and voice will guide future generations
On March 25, 1968, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, among the leading theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century, spoke what many historians believe to have been prophetic words about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Only 10 days before he was assassinated, Dr. King was keynote speaker at a birthday celebration honoring Rabbi Heschel. The rabbi introduced him to an audience of at least 500 other rabbis with the following words:
Remove the shame
We are ready to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s state and federal holiday Monday, Jan. 18, with a day of activities intended to inspire, uplift and encourage people everywhere to continue working toward the ideals of equality preached by the late civil rights leader.
Salvation needed
Like most of us, Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones has a lot to pray about. Unfortunately for him, it’s about his church, First Baptist Church of South Richmond, and the city. Unfortunately for us, the Richmond taxpayers, it’s about his church and the city — and the intersection of the two apparently without transparency or accountability.
Freedom Classic comes to Coliseum Sunday
It’s fitting that someone from historic Yorktown has helped spark a basketball revolution at Virginia State University. The reasons are numerous why VSU has vaulted from the bottom to the top of the CIAA standings. You can start the list with versatile 6-foot-8 junior Elijah R. Moore, aka “ERM,” from Yorktown’s Grafton High School.
Praying to put an end to ‘senseless acts of violence’
Kenneth Williams said he was compelled to take a leap of faith to stem the city’s homicides after he attended the funeral last month of 12-year-old shooting victim Amiya Moses. “It was the saddest thing I witnessed in my life,” said Mr. Williams, a trustee at First Baptist Church Centralia in Chesterfield County and CEO and director of the Richmond-based Adult Alternative Program to help ex-offenders re-integrate into society. “I was so angry about her senseless death.”
