
RPS rezoning plans with pairings criticized as too costly
Parents and community members voiced opposition to several proposals to rezone Richmond Public Schools attendance districts, saying the plans are too costly and diversity in schools can be achieved in other ways.

Parents back rezoning plan for greater diversity
Roughly 40 people voiced their over- whelming support for a Richmond Public Schools rezoning plan that would create more racial integration by pairing elementary schools that now have largely black or white student populations.

School Board backs resolution to protect school funding in Coliseum financing plan
The Richmond School Board approved a resolution Monday requesting that City Council allow them to opt out of the funding plan for the controversial Coliseum replacement and Downtown redevelopment proposal.

Hopewell assistant principal wins $25,000 Milken Educator Award
Ryan Sykes, an assistant principal at Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell, was surprised with the $25,000 Milken Educator Award during an assembly Nov. 6 at the school.

Hampton extends free tuition for second semester to Bahamian students
The 46 students from the Bahamas who were displaced from their colleges at home to Hampton University following Hurricane Dorian were given an unexpected Halloween treat.

Public hearings slated on 4 RPS rezoning plans
Rezoning plans for Richmond Public Schools are now in the city School Board’s court.

Incumbents sweep Henrico supervisor elections
Incumbents won the day Tuesday, with all five members of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors winning re-election.

2 men arrested, another sought in death of Markiya Dickson, 9
Two young South Side men have been arrested and charged in the murder of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson at Carter Jones Park during the Memorial Day weekend.

Col. Alisa A. Gregory to become first woman and first African-American sheriff in Henrico
Henrico voters made history Tuesday by electing Alisa A. Gregory as the county’s new sheriff.
Democrat, Republican and independent candidates looking to fill open Henrico sheriff position
Three candidates are vying to be- come Henrico County’s next sheriff, succeeding longtime GOP Sheriff Mike Wade, who is stepping down after serving in the position since January 2000.

Democratic Delegate Dawn Adams faces GOP's Garrison Coward in 68th District House race
Democratic Delegate Dawn Adams is running for re-election to keep her seat in the 68th House District, where she is facing a challenge by Republican Garrison Coward.

City School Board approves expansion of early childhood education programs
The Richmond School Board approved a plan to expand early childhood programs to cover more students and families.

'Girl power' electrifies RPS mentoring program
Fourteen eighth-grade girls came together at Richmond’s Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in a room set up in the round with self-esteem games, prizes, conversation and positive energy as the sounds of Alicia Keys’ “Superwoman” fueled the atmosphere.

It's about time
More than 1,500 people attended Monday's ceremony in Capitol Square for the dedication of 'Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women's Monument'
On a cloudy, yet cool fall Monday, Virginians celebrated women’s contributions to the advancement of the Commonwealth with the dedication of “Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women’s Monument.”

Bad for grads
Richmond Public Schools’ 70.6% on-time graduation rate is lowest in Virginia
Richmond Public Schools had the lowest graduation rate in Virginia last June.

20 out of 44: That is how many city schools are fully accredited
Richmond Public Schools has taken two steps forward and one step back when it comes to full accreditation of the city schools.

Hampton University welcomes students from the Bahamas
Hampton University’s drumline raised the roof with crisp cadences as students — victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Ba- hamas — arrived last week at Richmond International Airport to journey to their new academic “home by the sea.”

Layoffs, other challenges hit The Market@25th
A new Church Hill grocery store is facing challenges five months after opening.

VUU brings academic 'signing day' to Huguenot
Tuesday was a red-letter day for nine Huguenot High School ninth-graders. The stage in a school assembly hall was set with red and white balloons and logos for Richmond Public Schools and Virginia Union University.

4 city schools to get new names
The Richmond School Board has embraced renaming four city schools and approved, on an 8-1 vote Monday night, a process to make it happen.

Exonerated Five member stresses importance of knowing your rights in face of police questioning
As the credits rolled, the audience of more than 200 people fell silent with astonishment and anger after viewing “The Central Park Five,” a documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon about the 1989 case in which four African-American teens and a Puerto Rican teen were wrongfully convicted in the brutal assault and rape of a white investment banker as she jogged in New York’s Central Park.

RPS Board affirms rezoning plan will be finished by late Dec.
The Richmond School Board reaffirmed Monday night that it will complete school rezoning by late December.

Big back-to-school shoe giveaway on Monday
Many Richmond students will be well-heeled and ready with school supplies when classes start next week, thanks to donations by the community.

New school year, new principals at 14 Richmond schools
Fourteen new principals will lead public schools in Richmond when the school year starts next week.

Down again: Student achievement drops again for Richmond Public Schools, according to 2018-19 SOL test results
Richmond Public Schools student achievement continues to decline, according to state Standards of Learning test results released this week by the Virginia Department of Education.

School Board member Jonathan Young springs open enrollment attendance plan on colleagues
Richmond School Board members were blindsided Monday night when board member Jonathan Young, who represents the 4th District, proposed that Richmond Public Schools allow students to choose which school they want to attend, with a lottery ultimately deciding where students would enroll.

Perry Miller chosen to lead Richmond International Airport
The Richmond International Airport will get its first African- American president and chief executive officer on Aug. 19.

National Night Out Tuesday, Aug. 6
Community groups across the city are gearing up for the 36th Annual National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

NAACP, SCLC kick off statewide ‘Listening Tour’ Aug.1
The Virginia State Conference NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference are kicking off a “Listening Tour” across the state with a session on Thursday, Aug. 1, in Richmond.

Students fight the ‘summer slide’ with YMCA’s Power Scholars Academy
The excitement was tangible as more than 40 students from Richmond’s Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School, all wearing identical gray T-shirts, entered the Science Museum of Virginia’s cavernous lobby with its shiny marble floor and 50-foot ceilings as sunlight from big windows bathed the space.

More problems for RPS with undercount of ESL students
Richmond Public Schools has a history of undercounting students needing English as a Second Language assistance, creating a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding that could help provide more ESL teachers in the city, a schools official told members of the Richmond School Board on Monday.

RPS Shines volunteers add sparkle to Fairfield Court Elementary School
Richmond’s Fairfield Court Elementary School got a big boost on Wednesday. A cadre of 41 volunteers from Capital One’s leadership program flocked to the East End school from Richmond, Northern Virginia, Maryland and five other states, including Texas, to paint, scrub, landscape and generally spruce up the building and grounds as part of RPS Shines 2019.

FBI joins investigation, offers $20K reward in 9-year-old’s death
The FBI has announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the shooting death of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson, who was shot and killed May 26 as she played at a Memorial Day Weekend community cookout at Carter Jones Park in South Side.

Saying goodbye
More than 1,000 people from across Metro Richmond came out to honor the life of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson, the Chesterfield County third-grader who was shot and killed at Carter Jones Park in South Side during the Memorial Day Weekend.

Henrico’s Thornton, Gregory win primary contests
Frank J. Thornton, who has represented the Fairfield District on the Henrico County Board of Supervisors since 1995, handily won a Democratic primary challenge Tuesday with 64 percent of the vote. Mr. Thornton, 76, won the Democratic nod by outpacing challengers Maurice Tyler, a longtime athletic coach, who received 20 percent of the vote, and Joseph W. Brown, a retired Henrico Transportation Department employee, who garnered 16 percent of the votes cast.

Funeral service Friday for 9-year-old Markiya
As the family of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson prepares to lay her to rest, Richmond Police are still searching this week for three men wanted in connection with her shooting death.

Incumbent Thornton facing 2 challengers in Fairfield District primary in Henrico
All five seats on the Henrico County Board of Supervisors are up for election in November.

‘Senseless’
Police, community leaders seek leads in shooting death of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson on Memorial Weekend
Police are still searching for the person or people who turned a Memorial Weekend community cookout into a tragedy Sunday when gunfire broke out at Carter Jones Park in South Side, killing 9-year-old Markiya Dickson and wounding 11-year-old Jaquez Moses.

Who’s the fastest in the NFL?
George Wythe graduate wants chance to show it’s him
Richmonder Kevin Snead is in the running to be named the fastest man in the NFL.

RPS to hold school rezoning info sessions May 29
Richmond Public Schools is holding information sessions for parents and supporters to learn about the scheduled school rezoning.

In the black
Unexpected gift elicits cheers, tears at Morehouse College commencement
Commencement was a red-letter day for Morehouse College graduate Monte Hathaway of Henrico County and his family. That’s when the speaker at Sunday’s 135th commencement ceremony on the Atlanta campus, billionaire tech investor Robert F. Smith, made a surprise announcement that has since gone global.

In what unique way did your mother show you she loved you?
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12. It’s a day for pampering mom with flowers and gifts and taking her to dinner to show her how much we love and appreciate her for all she has done for us.

Nation’s top teacher celebrated in whirlwind of appearances
If the nation’s president won’t honor you publicly as National Teacher of the Year, at least your state senators and district’s congressman will.

The Market @ 25th opens Monday with fanfare and high expectations
A new grocery store reflecting Church Hill’s history and contribution to Richmond is set to open next week in the East End’s food desert.

Tim Reid to debut new clothing line
Actor, director and film producer Tim Reid is expanding into fashion design. The talented Norfolk native and Richmond resident will feature a limited look at his men’s clothing collection at the 4th Annual Legacy Media Institute Spring Fashion Showcase 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at RVA Event Space, 1 E. 4th St. in Manchester in South Side.

Head of the class!
Richmond Public Schools teacher Rodney A. Robinson, who mentors and inspires students at the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center, wins 2019 National Teacher of the Year
Rodney A. Robinson, the 40-year-old history and social studies teacher who inspires students each and every day inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center, where he has worked at the Virgie Binford Education Center since 2015, has been named 2019 National Teacher of the Year.

Inaugural Richmond Night Market kicks off April 13 at 17th Street Farmers’ Market
The Richmond Night Market, a new monthly gathering celebrating the city’s food, art and culture, will be held 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market in Shockoe Bottom and will take place the second Saturday of each month through December.

MathScience Innovation Center to be hampered by cuts
No matter how you do the math, one MathScience Innovation Center, minus four school systems, equals downsizing.

School Board to take up rezoning, budget resolution April 8
The Richmond School Board is still far from making specific decisions on rezoning the city’s 44 public schools, but it is starting to take preliminary steps to address a long sought goal of “right-sizing” the division.

Rev. Janie M. Walker retiring as co-pastoral director of Richmond Hill
After a 15-year relationship with Richmond Hill, the Rev. Janie M. Walker, co-pastoral director of the religious community on Church Hill, is retiring. Rev. Walker, whose last day is May 15, has led the residential ecumenical Christian community since 2014.