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City receives excellent credit ratings from Standard & Poor’s
S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings have affirmed the City of Richmond’s ratings at AA+, Aa1, and AA+, respectively, according to City officials. The rating agencies commended Richmond for its very strong economic growth, attention to increasing reserves, and sound and conservative financial management and policies.
Former astronaut Mae Jemison celebrates silver anniversary of historic space flight
Twenty-five years ago, astronaut Mae Jemison was the first woman of color to travel into space. The Alabama native who was raised in Chicago entered Stanford University at age 16, earning a degree in chemical engineering before going to Cornell University Medical School. She worked as a medical officer in the Peace Corps in Liberia and Sierra Leone before joining NASA and the space program in 1987.
Virginia Reads One Book kicks off Friday in city elementary schools
Richmond elementary schools are joining Virginia Reads One Book, a program designed to help schools and communities build reading habits, increase student and family literacy and family financial literacy.
Juneteenth celebrations planned around Metro Richmond
The first official Juneteenth celebration in Virginia will be recognized with a variety of events throughout the area sponsored by a range of organizations, groups and churches.
Actor Hill Harper to launch Black-owned digital wallet
Richmond will be a stop on a national tour seeking to pump up interest in a new Black-owned financial app for cell phones that is to go live June 1.
Mustang Club revs engines to mark classic car’s 57th birthday, service award
Thomas Victory and the Victory 7 Mustang Club are celebrating a birthday on April 17 — the 57th birthday of the Ford Mustang.
Henrico CARES aims to strengthen youth mental health services
Henrico County and Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) are implementing the Henrico CARES plan with the goal to increase availability of mental health services in schools and to expand efforts of prevention, support, and early and intensive intervention for youth mental health, substance abuse and violence.
Early voting begins April 23 for Democratic primary
Early voting for the June 8 Democratic primary will get underway this Friday, April 23 – 45 days ahead of primary day.
Menaced by Florence
Changing forecast for hurricane keeps Virginians on alert
More than 1 million people along the Virginia and Carolina coast fled toward higher ground this week in a mass evacuation ordered just days before the expected arrival of Hurricane Florence, a Category 3 storm and the most powerful to menace the region in nearly three decades.
Honoring a civil rights pioneer
More than 100 people were present last Saturday for the dedication of a state historical marker in Gloucester County’s Hayes community honoring the late Irene A. Morgan and her actions to battle racial segregation.
Emancipation Proclamation Day service to take place online
With a stroke of a pen, President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in the warring South 158 years ago.
Judge Damon J. Keith, civil rights and judicial icon, dies at 96
U.S. Appeals Court Judge Damon J. Keith, who decided many of the nation’s most important school desegregation, employment discrimination and government surveillance cases during his more than 50 years on the federal bench, died Sunday, April 28, 2019, at his home in Detroit surrounded by family.
’Relentless racism’: Probe ordered of VMI after news report of racist incidents
State officials have ordered an outside investigation into the Virginia Military Institute following a report in The Washington Post that described Black cadets and alumni as facing “relentless racism.”
Serena ties the knot!
Glitter and glamour were served up at the fairy tale-inspired nuptials last week of tennis star Serena Williams and her new husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
VMI superintendent resigns after probe ordered of ‘ongoing structural racism’
The superintendent of Virginia Military Institute resigned Mon- day, a week after Gov. Ralph S. Northam and other state officials ordered an investigation into what they characterized as a culture of “ongoing structural racism” at the college.
Cornell Brooks out as head of national NAACP
“We’ll continue to move forward, we’ll continue to organize and we’ll continue to seek to recruit young people to carry on the work, ” said James E. “J.J.” Minor III president of the Richmond Branch NAACP.
Lawyer contends no justification for U.Va. student’s arrest
State ABC agents charged University of Virginia honor student Martese Johnson with public intoxication even though the agents did not believe he was drunk, according to their statements. Instead, they believed he might be using a false ID.
Almanac, coin found in Lee monument time capsule
A rust-colored 1875 almanac, a cloth envelope and a silver coin were found Wednesday in a time capsule that had been buried beneath a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue for more than 130 years.
Obama wept
His executive order aims to halt gun killings
Wiping back tears as he remembered children killed in a mass shooting, President Obama on Tuesday ordered stricter gun rules that he can impose without Congress and urged American voters to reject pro-gun candidates.
Voter registration deadline extended through Oct. 15
Virginians have until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 to register to vote because of a 48- hour extension negotiated in court after the state’s online voter registration system went down Tuesday because of an accidentally severed cable.
