Morrissey strikes out in court
Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey is striking out on his own again to run as an independent in his bid to win a state Senate seat. On Tuesday, a Richmond judge rejected Mr. Morrissey’s request for court intervention to allow him to challenge his disqualification from the June 9 Democratic Party primary election in the 16th Senate District. that stretches from Richmond’s East End to Petersburg. Mr. Morrissey gave up his Henrico seat in the House of Delegates and moved into an apartment in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom with plans to challenge the 16th District’s current senator, Rosalyn R. Dance of Petersburg, for the party’s nomination.
$1.1M needed for new voting equipment
Richmond is hoping to borrow voting machines to use in the upcoming June 9 Democratic primaries. At the same time, the city voter registrar is seeking more than $1.1 million from the city government to buy new voting equipment to use in the November general election. The city is one of 30 localities facing an emergency situation involving voting machines. The upheaval is the result of Tuesday’s action by the state Board of Elections decertifying the WINVote touch-screen machines that the 30 localities have used in their elections for 10 years. The board’s action essentially bans the use of the WINVote machines in any future elections, including the June 9 primaries that will be held in Richmond and nine other localities.
Police chief to hold town hall meetings
Police chief to hold town hall meetings Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham is making a greater effort to hear from the public.
Teachers, police make impassioned plea for more $
Put more money into public education. Provide better pay for police officers. Advocates for both gave Richmond City Council members an earful at a public hearing Monday night as the governing body considers amendments to Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ two-year budget. Whether their appeals are successful remains to be seen, but the council may have little wiggle room. The budget plan council members are reviewing provides virtually no new revenue over the current year’s spending, limiting the governing body.
Jack Gravely new NAACP interim executive director
Jack Gravely last led the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP as executive director more than three decades ago. This week, Mr. Gravely began a second stint with the organization, this time as interim executive director. “I know this is a different era, but we still face some of the same issues along with some new ones, and I have the same passion to lead this organization to address them,” Mr. Gravely said Wednesday. He takes over from King Salim Khalfani, who was pushed out by the board in early 2014 after serving in the post for 15 years.
VUU’s Sheals reassigned
Virginia Union University is again searching for a head basketball coach. VUU Athletic Director Joe Taylor confirmed Wednesday that Tony Sheals, who was hired under a three-year contract, has been reassigned within the university following one season. Derek Thompson, a member of Sheals’ staff, has been named interim coach while VUU pursues a permanent replacement. Thompson is now handling day-to-day operations, Taylor says.
Black men still targets of police
Walter L. Scott shot 4 times in the back; cop charged with murder
Four bullets to the back and one in the ear. That’s the unimaginable pain an unarmed Walter L. Scott suffered as he was fatally gunned down by white police officer Michael T. Slager as he ran away following a routine traffic stop. The gruesome slaying was graphically recorded on the cellphone of a bystander Saturday morning in North Charleston, S.C. It is the latest in a string of highly publicized incidents across the nation — including Ferguson, Mo., New York City and Cleveland, Ohio — in which white police officers have killed unarmed black men. Each instance raises questions — and public consciousness — about disparate treatment by people of color by police and racial injustice in the United States. Mr. Slager was charged with murder Tuesday and fired from the police department after the video surfaced. He is being held without bond. If convicted, he could receive the death penalty or life in prison.
Natural gas price down again in city
Natural gas customers in Richmond are enjoying another plunge in the price of the fuel they use to heat their homes, cook and generate hot water. For the third time in eight months, the city is passing along savings to residents for the price it is paying to buy and bring the fuel to Richmond.
Fulton oral histories to be accessible on the Internet
Stone Brewery is unwittingly giving a helping hand to people who want to call attention to historic Fulton. The brewery’s decision to locate its East Coast home in Fulton is focusing public attention on the area and potentially raising interest in the once African-American community that was bulldozed into oblivion nearly 45 years ago in the name of urban renewal. That’s good news for those who are now engaged in posting on the Internet interviews with people who knew the area before the community was razed. The interviews with former residents are being digitized and soon will go online with help from the Valentine Richmond History Center and Virginia Commonwealth University’s library system, according to Spencer E. Jones III, chair of the Legacy Committee of Greater Fulton’s Future.
State to city: $31.2M available for jail
Up to $31.2 million. That’s how much money cash-strapped Richmond could soon gain from the state. The money would provide reimbursement for costs related to the construction of the new $134.6 million Richmond Justice Center, or city jail, in Shockoe Bottom.
11% tuition hike
NSU and U.Va. among state’s highest
Once again, the price tag to attend Virginia’s 15 state-supported colleges and universities is going up faster than inflation. In-state students can expect to pay at least 3 to 5 percent more in the fall, with a few schools going even higher. For example, Norfolk State University and the University of Virginia are posting a tuition-and-fees increase of 11 percent for incoming freshmen — among the largest tuition hikes in Virginia. U.Va. is imposing a $1,470 increase for new freshmen with the aim of raising money to reduce borrowing for students from lower-income families. The increase means new freshmen will pay $14,468 for the fall and spring semesters, not including room and board. Tuition for current students will rise only 3.9 percent from the current charge of $12,998.
Hicks touts improvement in city social services
Reports of child abuse and neglect in Richmond are being addressed more quickly. City children in foster care are spending less time in temporary homes. And applicants for Medicaid and food stamps are receiving faster service.
Comedy show to highlight anniversary
Fifth Street Baptist Church on North Side is presenting a comedy show this weekend as part of its 20th anniversary celebration for its pastor, the Rev. F. Todd Gray, the church has announced. “The Captain’s Comedy Hour” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Grace Center at 1302 Victor St. The center is adjacent to the church at 2800 Third Ave.
When Freedom Came, Part 3
The Free Press presents a series chronicling the black experience during the liberation of Richmond in April 1865 and the end of the Civil War.
Flying Squirrels start season with fireworks at The Diamond
Play Ball!
“And the rocket’s red glare; the bombs bursting in air ...” Those are lyrics in “The Star Spangled Banner,” played before every Richmond Flying Squirrels game. The words also describe the postgame fireworks planned at The Diamond this season. The Flying Squirrels’ home opener Thursday, April 9, against the Bowie Baysox will conclude with “dueling fireworks,” pyrotechnics launched from two locations.
Rev. Graham ignores racism
Easter was last Sunday, but the Rev. Franklin Graham is still wiping egg off his face. In an unintentionally insensitive Facebook post on March 12, the hugely influential white evangelist ignored the existence of racial bias by law enforcement in the United States by suggesting the easy solution to police shootings is to teach our children to obey authority.
Tests cheat students out of education
Eleven Atlanta teachers have been convicted of altering student test scores on standardized tests. They are charged with racketeering and conspiracy. The much-celebrated superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, the late Beverly L. Hall, was among the indicted but was too ill to stand trial. She died March 2.
The game
We congratulate and offer wishes for much success to Coach Shaka Smart and his family, who have relocated to Austin, Texas, where he just became the new basketball coach for the University of Texas Longhorns. In the six years Coach Smart led the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams, he showed his players, the Richmond community and the entire nation that discipline and hard work, coupled with genuine caring, can bring great rewards.
The lion’s tale
The lion’s tale “Until the lion tells the story of the hunt, the tale will always glorify the hunter.” We evoke this African proverb in reflecting on last weekend’s wonderful events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the liberation of Richmond and its significance in bringing the Civil War to a close. We believe the events were planned with good intentions, and that they brought an overall feeling of uplift and joy while recalling this important period in our nation’s history.
Smart trades Rams horns for Texas Longhorns
When Shaka Smart was hired as Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball coach in 2009, he was a little known, much traveled assistant, with a name that puzzled people. Since then, his name and fame — and that of his signature game style, “Havoc” — spread. Last week, Smart traded his Rams horns for the Texas Longhorns. He leaves Richmond as one of the hottest commodities in the sport, practically a household name among hoops enthusiasts.
