
Richmond pastor to talk about ‘Black Suffering’ at weeklong conference in South Africa
The Rev. James H. Harris, pastor of Second Baptist Church in the West End, is scheduled to speak at a weeklong conference on black theology in Johannesburg, South Africa, this month, the church has announced.

Another South Side church files bankruptcy
Serious financial troubles have hit another church in Richmond. Following in the footsteps of the Richmond Christian Center, Southside Baptist Ministries has filed for bankruptcy in a bid to ward off foreclosure.

Richmond teams play, place in MJBL annual tournament
Three teams representing the Richmond Metropolitan Junior Baseball League faced stiff competition in the 25th Annual Inner City Classic from July 28 through Aug. 2 in Orlando, Fla. They also faced hurdles to get to the tournament that annually attracts dozens of teams and hundreds of youths from across the country.

$87.6M
Wilson inks contract extension with Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has millions of reasons to be wearing one of the biggest smiles in the team’s training camp this week in Renton, Wash.

‘Pot Roast’ beefs up Washington’s defense
Terrance Knighton came to a crossroads as a 270-pound nose tackle and tight end at Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y. Knighton’s coach, Bill Chaplick, suggested these options for his future: He could pass up second helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy, slim down to 250 pounds and concentrate on being a tight end.

Benefit golf tournament set for Aug. 29
The Richmond Metropolitan Area Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. is organizing its first “Advocacy Golf Tournament.”

Personality: Rita H. Willis
Spotlight on founder of New Shoes For Back To School
Rita Hayes Willis reflects back to when she was a child eagerly leaving for her first day of school each year. She was properly outfitted from head to toe. “There is something about a new pair of shoes for the first day of school,” she recalls.

Church Hill roundabout opens
The $1.1 million Church Hill traffic circle is now open at 25th Street, Nine Mile Road, Fairmount Avenue and S Street. The landscaped circle or roundabout opened Wednesday after several months of construction.

GRTC workers strike deal on new contract
GRTC bus drivers and mechanics have approved a new contract that will boost their pay $1.10 an hour over the three-year life of the agreement, or an average of 2.2 percent. Both the transit company’s management and the union representing about 285 hourly workers are hailing the agreement that followed 10 months of quiet, but tough negotiations.

Ticket in N.C. leads to license suspension in Va.
Horace G. Dodd has a warning for Richmond motorists heading South: Do not get a traffic ticket in North Carolina. The 68-year-old South Side resident found out the hard way that North Carolina has turned traffic tickets into a major source of revenue.

Confederate flag removed from Va. license plates
Virginia no longer has to issue license plates that bear the Confederate battle flag, a federal judge has ruled.

City cop shot, man killed in gunfight Wednesday
A Richmond Police officer was wounded and an armed man was killed during a gunfight Wednesday evening near South Meadow and West Cary streets in the West End, police reported.
Family discord mars memorial service for Bobbi Kristina
Bobbi Kristina Brown was buried early Monday afternoon next to her iconic mother, Whitney Houston, at a cemetery in New Jersey.

50th anniversary: Obama to call for restoration of 1965 Voting Rights Act
With the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, congressional Democrats are commemorating the landmark law with events across the country — from the steps of the U.S. Capitol to the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama.

‘Golden Girl’ returns an Olympic hero in bocce
Mary Davis is Richmond’s newest “Golden Girl.” At 72, she proves it’s never too late to shine athletically.

Confidentiality breach: Teacher’s file contains personal info on others
If you teach or have taught for Richmond Public Schools, your colleagues may have access to your personal information. The disclosure that the RPS Human Resources Department is failing to guard confidential records came from a former teacher who found her personnel file contained information it should not have, including Social Security numbers of other teachers.

Plans moving ahead for Church Hill North
Richmond is moving ahead with plans to raze the former Armstrong High School building and fill the 22-acre site in the East End with 300 apartments and new homes.

Former governor appeals conviction to full 4th Circuit
Former Gov. Bob McDonnell remains free on bond after filing a request for the entire 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond to review and throw out his conviction. At least eight of the court’s 15 judges must agree to hear his case. Such a review by the full court is considered rare.

National Night Out slated for Aug. 4
Residents of Richmond and surrounding counties will gather Tuesday, Aug. 4, with their neighbors and members of law enforcement to cook out, dance, socialize, host activities for youngsters and hold anti-crime rallies.