All results / Stories / Jeremy M. Lazarus
RRHA board leadership turnover may be in the works
Veronica G. Blount appears to be on her way out as the chair of the RRHA Board of Commissioners, the Free Press has learned.
Richmond Bandits leave it on the field
Three youth football teams from the city-based Richmond Bandits made it to title games in their age brackets, but none came away with a title.
Mayor-elect Stoney to take oath of office Dec. 31
Richmond’s Mayor-elect Levar Stoney is to take the oath of office at City Hall on New Year’s Eve, according to his staff, with a public inauguration expected two weeks later. Mr. Stoney is scheduled to take the oath at noon Saturday, Dec. 31, in the City Council chambers, according to his press secretary, Jim Nolan.
Hot and unhoused
Councilwoman urges city to open shelter for disabled people, families and children; Efforts to ‘expand the safety net’ for homeless coming early September, says official
Staying outdoors in the summer heat “is no fun,” said Thomas Bateman, a disabled factory worker. The bedraggled 63-year-old Richmonder hasn’t been able to find an affordable place to stay in the city, and his only income, a government disability check, allows him to pay for a motel stay just one night a month.
Senate race may prove crucial in chamber control
Richmond will be in the center of the high-profile political fight to replace retiring Republican state Sen. John Watkins in the General Assembly. Both major political parties are expected to go all out to capture the 10th Senate District seat that appears to be the key to control of the closely divided state Senate where Republicans now hold sway. The GOP already has selected its candidate, Glen H. Sturtevant Jr., an attorney and a member of the Richmond School Board since 2013.
‘When is enough enough?’
Slaying of Va. State Police Special Agent Michael T. Walter grips Mosby Court
At an April community meeting, residents of Mosby Court pleaded with Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham for a crackdown to end the violence in the section of the public housing community located off Accommodation Street in the East End.
Sisters act to save home
Nuns rally support to block sale of historic St. Emma’s, St. Francis property
Defying their superiors, four nuns are fighting to save the historic 2,265-acre property in Powhatan County that was once home to two Catholic boarding schools for African-American youths.
Coliseum’s success raises new questions about need to replace it
The 13,500-seat Richmond Coliseum has been the busiest arena in Virginia during the past six years, according to a Chicago-based consulting company that was paid $500,000 by the city to review a proposal to replace the facility.
City Councilwoman says rumors of eminent domain in North Side ‘not true’
A hoax that created a small uproar over the Richmond leg of the $266 million regional Fall Line Trail is being dispelled.
Trammell, Spinks and Lambert squeeze out victories in City Council races
Tavarris J. Spinks, a specialist in information technology for health care, appears to have eked out a 26-vote victory to claim the vacant 2nd District City Council seat, according to unofficial results released Wednesday.
Gravely still in at state NAACP
Jack Gravely is still the interim executive director of the 16,000-member Virginia State Conference of the NAACP. “I am not planning to resign this week,” Mr. Gravely said Monday, denying a Free Press report published in the June 23-25 edition in which a source indicated Mr. Gravely was poised to depart.
Judge rules against Coliseum referendum
Any lingering hopes that a referendum to allow Richmond voters to weigh in on the Coliseum replacement project have been swept away by Judge Joi Jeter Taylor, chief judge of the Richmond Circuit Court.
William C. Smith named interim police chief in Richmond
For now, William C. Smith is in charge of the Richmond Police Department. The 23-year department veteran took over as interim chief on Tuesday, New Year’s Day, following the official retirement of former Chief Alfred Durham.
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.
Double down
City Council's yes vote is still a gamble for South Side casino
If at first you don’t succeed, ...
Chief Smith embraces police reform, but wants to control it from the catbird seat
New Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith is raising a yellow caution flag for those pushing to reform the department and support budget cuts to “defund the police.”
RRHA tenants to get refunds in lawsuit settlement
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which is the landlord for Richmond’s public housing, has agreed to refund nearly $1 million to current and former tenants who were overcharged for electricity over four years. In addition, the RRHA plans to return nearly $80,000 to tenants as it implements new utility allowances that will increase the amount of power tenants can use before they must pay.
Skipping school
Data show that 40% to 60% of Richmond area teachers are absent from the classroom 11 or more business days a year
Students always seem to be the focus of concern when the discussion centers on the ill effects of class-cutting, truancy and chronic absenteeism on education.
Adele C. Johnson, Black History Museum executive director, succumbs at 70
Adele C. Johnson pushed to ensure the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia lived up to its name during her four-year tenure as executive director.
City Council votes for tax rebate, other spending
Richmond property owners will receive a 4.2 percent rebate on the real estate taxes they paid earlier this year, equal to $50 for each $100,000 of property value.
