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3 team up to find new home for Squirrels in Boulevard area
Public pressure to keep baseball on the Boulevard appears to be having an impact. In a new effort, Mayor Dwight C. Jones is teaming up with the Richmond Flying Squirrels and Virginia Commonwealth University to find a site for a new ballpark near The Diamond, but not on the 60 acres of public property the city wants to redevelop.
VSU facing possible $26M deficit, enrollment drop
Virginia State University has become a prime example of the financial hits historically black colleges and universities are taking because of the coronavirus.
City Council poised to scrap residency requirement for top officials
For nearly three decades, City Hall executives have been required to move into the city within a year of being hired.
McQuinn may be unseated from Slave Trail Commission
For 12 years, Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn has led the city’s Slave Trail Commission to bring attention to the history and legacy of slavery in Richmond.
County official chosen as new city auditor
Richmond City Council this week tapped a veteran of Chesterfield County government to make City Hall operations more efficient and track down waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Louis G. “Lou” Lassiter, deputy Chesterfield County administrator, was approved to be the new city auditor at a special council meeting at Free Press deadline Wednesday night.
Class action suit filed against BB&T for stop payment request violation
When Ronnie and Christine Gilliam told BB&T bank they were revoking the right of a payday lender to take electronic payments from their checking account, they allege the bank ignored the request.
Sources: Mayor Stoney to advance Coliseum project for Downtown
The grand, but still stalled $1.4 billion plan to replace the now-closed Richmond Coliseum and potentially create thousands of new jobs is supposed to include development of nearly 3,000 affordable and market- rate apartments.
Doris H. Causey among four African-Americans named to Virginia Court of Appeals
In a historic first, the Virginia Court of Appeals will have five Black members reviewing lower court decisions.
Legislators told to ‘buckle up’ for fast-paced session
Abortion, gun control and voting rights among top issues
A sharply divided General Assembly was gaveled back into session Wednesday for a potentially contentious 46 days.
Challenge to House districts dismissed
A three-judge federal court panel has dismissed a constitutional challenge to 12 majority-black districts in the Virginia House of Delegates.
GOP ups ante to block felons’ rights restoration
Gov. Terry McAuliffe is facing a new challenge from the Republican-dominated Virginia General Assembly to his authority to restore the rights of felons who have served their time — even on a case-by-case basis.
Special General Assembly session kicks off amid rallies calling for reform
Will evictions be halted until April 30, 2021, as Richmond Democratic state Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi has proposed?
Black community divided over whether Northam should resign
To condemn or to forgive? The Rev. Al Sharpton took center stage on the condemnation front Feb. 7 as he took part in a Virginia Union University program titled “Reflections on Faith, Community and Racial Reconciliation in the Commonwealth.”
Mayor introduces measure to ban guns from city buildings, parks
Mayor Levar M. Stoney wants to ban guns from city buildings, parks, recreation centers and other community facilities.
Unsheltered
Plans to house the homeless in Shockoe Valley disappear
Plans for a year-round shelter open around the clock for the homeless have suddenly evaporated seven months after being announced.
Faster legal sales of marijuana snuffed out; Black advocates cheer
The rush to start legal retail sales of marijuana next September has been snuffed out.
Too close to call
Casino outcome hinges on voter turnout
Will Richmond voters approve a resort and casino project? That’s the biggest question on the city ballot —– a repeat of 2021 when the proposal narrowly lost.
Petersburg facing shutdown because of money woes
Petersburg’s financial woes are even worse than previously disclosed. Interim City Manager Dironna Moore Belton warned the Petersburg City Council and a crowd of taxpayers Tuesday night that she is just a few weeks away from having to shut down all city operations except for police, fire and ambulance services because the city is running out of cash.
Private contractors costing city big $ for snow removal
When snow falls in Richmond, City Hall is forced to pay big bucks to private contractors to clear the streets. The reason: Up to half of the aging fleet of city dump trucks that double as snowplows are usually parked, awaiting repairs, according to a new report from the Department of Public Works.
Altria Theater lights up with new acoustics, amenities
Revamped acoustics — including a new sound system and sound-absorbing materials — are among the biggest changes in the grand venue once known as The Mosque and Richmond’s Landmark Theater.
