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Actor Keith David challenges NSU graduates to be, do and give back
Emmy Award-winning actor Keith David reminded Norfolk State University graduates that they stand on the shoulders of giants, including their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and civil rights pioneers, in earning their degrees.
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Retiring HU president offers advice to graduates
Hampton University’s 152nd annual commencement celebrated graduates as well as the 44-year tenure of HU President William R. “Bill” Harvey, who is retiring on June 30. Dr. Harvey, 81, served as the keynote speaker for the commencement, which was held on Mother’s Day at the Hampton University Convocation Center on campus. Dr. Harvey highlighted a long list of accomplishments made by the university under his stewardship, such as the creation of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute to treat cancer and increasing the university’s endowment from $29 million to more than $400 million today. Dr. Harvey told the graduates, “Don’t settle with being the employee; I want you to be the employer. Don’t settle with representing the firm or corporation; I want you to own the firm or corporation. See the horizon as not a limit, but an invitation….” He offered grandfatherly advice to graduates, ranging from the financial -- “Pay yourself first. Save something from every single paycheck. Buy some property”– to the social – “Stay away from drugs and drug dealers. They will destroy your life or make it miserable.” Dr. Harvey went on to tell graduates to “fight racism every time it arises” and to “be positive role models. Be somebody.” He closed out his address by telling graduates to support Hampton University with their money. During the ceremony, Rashida Jones, who became the first Black woman to lead a cable news network when she was named president of MSNBC in February 2021, received the Outstanding 20-Year Alumna Award. The Henrico High School graduate earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media arts from Hampton University in 2002. Earlier this year, she launched the Rashida Jones Scholarship Fund for journalism students at the university. Thomas Hasty III, senior executive vice president and chief regulatory risk officer of TowneBank, received the Outstanding Alumnus-at-Large Award. He graduated from HU in 1977 with a degree in business. Honorary degrees were awarded to former Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas, who was the first Black named to the state’s highest court in 1983, and Christopher Newport University President Paul S. Trible Jr., who represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate from 1983 to 1989.
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Activist, therapist, author, designer and prosecutor among this year’s commencement speakers
Area colleges and universities are returning to in-person commencements this year after two years of relying on virtual ceremonies because of COVID-19.
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School Board reverses course, approves River City Middle rezoning
The Richmond School Board approved a rezoning plan for River City Middle School that will alleviate the overcrowding that has occurred in the first year of the school’s opening for in-person learning.
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Portsmouth lawmaker led successful ouster of Filler-Corn; seeks to replace her as House minority leader
Delegate Don L. “Scotty” Scott Jr. of Portsmouth, an attorney and former Navy officer who once served time in prison, took a first step to becoming the Democratic leader in the House of Delegates.
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Speak out on transportation funding
The funding decisions local leaders make today impact our collective future. That’s why the Central Virginia Transportation Authority would like to hear from the public about a new proposed funding scenario that includes $276.4 million to improve the region’s bike, pedestrian, bridge and highway infrastructure.
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Displaced Fox Elementary students to start classes May 9 in Clark Springs building
Fox Elementary School students, teachers and staff will move into Clark Springs Elementary School in early May for the remainder of the school year.
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Vice President Kamala Harris tests positive for COVID-19
Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the White House announced, underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus even as the United States eases restrictions in a bid to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
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Women and minorities entrepreneurs conference slated for April 27-28
The Women’s Business Center of Richmond at Virginia Union University is sponsoring an inaugural Winning with Women and Minorities Entrepreneurs Conference Wednesday, April 27, and Thursday, April 28, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
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PROC Foundation to host Derby Day Party fundraiser May 7
A huge tent will rise on the football field at the Bon Secours Training Camp for the return of the Derby Day Party, it has been announced.
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New lease on life
Wize Shahid, aka Robert Henry ‘Wize’ Green, still seeks to help other inmates following his release from the Virginia prison system after more than two decades
It was in early January that the man formerly known as Robert Henry “Wize” Green learned he would be released from prison after serving more than 20 years behind bars.
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Richmond Virtual Academy may become its own school
The Richmond Virtual Academy is to become a new elementary school that could enroll between 400 and 500 students a year in online classes, the Richmond School Board decided Monday night. Instead of phasing out the program online learning program as Superintendent Jason Kamras proposed in February, the board, after hearing pleas from academy supporters, adopted a proposal by School Board member Kenya Gibson, 3rd District, to make RVA a school of record like other elementary schools, and eligible for annual state and local funding like other schools. While that decision must be approved by the state Department of Education, the vote to keep RVA as a functioning entity came as the board finalized its budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The board had a deadline on Wednesday to deliver a finished budget to City Council. Overall, the approved budget authorizes a record $548 million in total spending, or an expenditure of about $25,253 for each of the 21,700 students RPS estimated as enrolled in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Along with grants and one-time federal funds, the RPS budget provides $356.6 million in general fund spending, which mostly includes revenue from the city and state, or about $16,400 per student. The board, which cut $6 million from Mr. Kamras’ original general fund proposal, is relying on receiving a $15 million increase from the city in the fiscal year that begins July 1. That would boost total support from the city from $185.3 million this fiscal year to a new record of $200.3 million in 2022- 23. The increase from the city is largely designed to fund the local share of a 5 percent pay increase for teachers and other staff that the state plans to institute. Staff and teachers of the Richmond Virtual Academy, currently listed as a program and funded with federal CARES Act dollars, advocated for it to remain open and funded and rallied parents to lobby for the survival of the academy that adopted the owl as its mascot and bills itself as a space “where learning is a hoot.” The board’s vote was both a reaction to the lobbying and a rebuke to the adminis- tration, which had notified the academy’s entire staff that they would be laid off as of July 1 and would need to reapply for positions within RPS. Mr. Kamras initially proposed cutting the program from 70 to just 10 instructors, who would largely teach homebound students too sick or injured to come to school or students removed from in-person learning for discipline reasons. Cindi Robinson, the academy’s princi- pal, said the board’s action is good news for parents and students. “Virtual learning is not just a Band-Aid,” Ms. Robinson said, noting that numerous school divisions have found some students “actually thrive and do better” in an online program. Among them is Sheila Barlow’s 19-year- old son, Douglas. Ms. Barlow told the board that the virtual school has been a boon for her son and other students like him with serious disabilities who can now attend class from home in a safe environment. Her son has Down syndrome and can- not talk, she said. “He has a sign language interpreter for all of his classes,” Ms. Barlow told the Free Press. “If he goes back to in-person learning, my son would not have that service.” While the board’s action appears to have saved the virtual academy, the board’s funding will provide only for a reduced operation. Richmond’s virtual operation enrolls about 768 students, including 500 elementary school students, which is fewer students than Henrico and Chesterfield’s school systems. But that would shrink further. The board’s funding would allow for only 30 total staff, including a principal, counselors and other staff and about 23 instructional staff strictly for elementary programming. Currently, the school has at least 70 staff members, including a 43-member instructional staff. As part of the transition, the School Board agreed with the administration’s plan to end enrollment for middle and high school students who can move to the state’s online program, Virtual Virginia. The revamped Richmond Virtual Acad- emy also will oversee virtual educational programming for students who are home- bound for disciplinary or health reasons. According to board members, the ad- ministration is expected to drop the cur- rent homebound program that dispatches teachers to the homes of students to provide in-person instruction two hours a day. If it becomes a school of record as anticipated, RVA would not only have a budget, but would also report state Stan- dards of Learning test results. The board’s budget, meanwhile, cuts more deeply into the central office staff than Mr. Kamras proposed and largely eliminates contracts for consultants pro- viding curriculum training. Ms. Gibson also won approval for an audit of Mr. Kamras’ original budget plan after she turned up a significant discrepancy in total employee numbers compared with the current year. The board also provided funding for the first time to enable 400 students to take math, science and other required high school classes at the Richmond Technical Center along with their career and voca- tional training programs. Under the initiative advanced by Jona- than Young, 4th District, the students will no longer have to be shuttled back to their home schools for those courses. This change is seen as a harbinger of the proposed career and technical high school that RPS plans to create in a former tobacco plant in South Side. In addition, the board also provided funds to support an increase in the number of students during the next four years at two specialty high schools, Richmond Com- munity and Franklin Military Academy, and three regional high schools, Code RVA and the Maggie L. Walker and Appomattox regional governor’s schools.
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’Just Heal, Bro’ national mental health initiative targeting Black men slated for April 14 at VCU
A seminar aimed at fostering good mental health among Black men and featuring a former NFL player turned licensed therapist will be held 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Academic Learning Commons
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Finding the silver lining
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge to people and businesses during the last two years. But some Richmond area residents have been able to find a silver lining during the crisis.
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Free COVID-19 testing, vaccines
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are providing walk-up testing throughout the area.
