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Starting as a pastor in the midst of a pandemic
“I never imagined I would start my ministry in the midst of a pandemic,” Dr. Joshua L. Mitchell said.
Councilman Jones: Anxious residents want the vaccine
Across the country, polls continue to find a share of the population continues to be hesitant or outright opposed to getting a COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Roadblock: Mayor’s $1.4B Coliseum plan hits a financing snag
The plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum with a new arena in Downtown appears to be running afoul of the Virginia Public Finance Act.
Church members to return to court June 1 in Fourth Baptist conflict
A Richmond judge again is being asked to step into the fight for control of a divided Fourth Baptist Church and stop the pastor and its deacons from trying anew to oust their opponents — six trustees, the chair of the Finance Committee and the church treasurer.
Documents show letter carriers’ pay reduced
At least three supervisors in Richmond’s Main Post Office appear to routinely change the time cards of letter carriers — without the carriers’ knowledge or permission — in order to reduce their pay.
Newport News House race still up in the air
Control of the Virginia House of Delegates remains unsettled. At the last minute, the state Board of Elections postponed Wednesday’s drawing to decide the winner of a Newport News House seat.
$4M grant enables Legal Aid to hire new attorneys to help curb evictions
Legal Services Corp. of Virginia, also known as Legal Aid, has received a $4 million grant from the state that could allow the organization to hire an additional 20 attorneys to support tenants facing court action from landlords seeking to evict them for nonpayment.
Owners seek return of Maggie Walker papers
Eight years ago, curious students from the College of William & Mary stumbled across a treasure trove of documents hidden in the attic of a vacant building in Gilpin Court.
Price of first class stamp drops by 2¢
A postage stamp now costs 47 cents — a drop of 2 cents for a first class letter.
Long-serving CARITAS CEO announces her retirement
Karen Stanley’s leadership has formed hundreds of partnerships that serve thousands
The leader of CARITAS, the Richmond area’s largest provider of homeless and addiction recovery services, is stepping down. Karen Stanley, president and CEO, has notified her board she would retire Dec. 31 after 22 years.
Chesterfield teen receives $10,000 grant to kick-start home-school academy
Watching her younger brother struggle as he started high school through a home-school program, Nasiyah Isra-Ul went online to try to find resources to help.
Former President Obama, First Lady Jill Biden, other big-name Dems to stump for McAuliffe
Former President Obama and other prominent Democrats are headed to Virginia in a bid to rally voters for the party’s candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe.
Judge rules pastor improperly fired church trustees, finance committee chair
A Richmond judge ruled Tuesday that the pastor of historic but embattled Fourth Baptist Church in Church Hill acted without proper authority when he fired six members of the church’s Trustee Board and the chair of the Finance Committee 19 months ago.
Richmond Circuit Court clears way for ballot initiative on schools vs. Coliseum
The Richmond Circuit Court this week cleared the way for political strategist Paul Goldman to launch a challenge to a brewing $1.2 billion proposal to replace the 47-year-old Richmond Coliseum.
Commonwealth Catholic Charities to lead city’s winter overflow shelter efforts
Homeless people needing shelter in Richmond beginning Friday, Oct. 1, through mid-April will have a place to stay if the private shelters are full during cold weather.
Wrinkle in removal: City doesn’t own Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill’s statue
The City of Richmond apparently never has owned one of the Confederate monuments it is trying to get rid of, and that could add a new complication to its removal.
Conservancy buys New Market segment where Black troops attacked Confederates
Another 49-acre parcel of a Civil War battlefield in Eastern Henrico County in which Black troops played a major role is now protected from development.
Big mistake
Tear gas released on Lee statue protesters was in error
Twenty-five minutes before an 8 p.m. curfew was to go into effect, Richmond Police officers began firing tear gas and other noxious chemical agents to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who had gathered around the now removed Robert E. Lee statue in the city’s West End.
On the way out
Gov. Ralph S. Northam orders removal of 40-foot granite pedestal that held Confederate Robert E. Lee’s statue on Monument Avenue, and for the land to be turned over to the city
When the giant monument of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee went up 131 years ago, fiery Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell Jr. described it as monument that would hand down to future generations “a legacy of treason and blood.”
Councilwoman hopes proposed changes to City Charter find support
Under proposed changes to the City Charter or constitution, City Council would gain new authority over housing subsidies and real estate tax relief to residents with low to moderate incomes, in addition to setting its own compensation and modi- fying zoning. Fifth District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch hopes to gain unanimous support from her eight colleagues at the Monday, Dec. 11, council meeting for the changes she has negotiated with Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration. If passed by the council, the package would be sent to the General Assembly for approval in the upcoming 2024 session. Many of the changes follow recommenda- tions that a council-created Richmond City Charter Review Commission submitted Aug. 2 after a year of study. As the most significant package of charter changes proposed since the 2004 creation of a mayor elected citywide, the amend- ments do not address the current relationship between the council and the mayor ahead of the 2024 elections for the governing body and chief executive. The biggest proposed change could well be the tax and housing initiatives that the charter review commission did not address. The proposed Section 2.09 amendment would allow the city to defer property taxes and tax increases for qualifying low or moderate income property owners, using the definition of such individuals established by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, now known as Virginia Housing. Such a program could allow the taxes to accumulate over time to be paid off from proceeds after the property is sold. In addition, the proposed charter change would authorize the city to create a program that could help such qualifying individu- als buy a home or receive rental subsidies. The city also could use state or federal funds to advance such initiatives. The charter amendment also would declare the creation of programs that could provide funds directly to individuals for housing to be “in the furtherance of a public interest” to get
