Friday, June 28
Gov. Northam’s agenda will ‘disarm honest, law-abiding populace’
Letters to the Editor
Re “ ‘Votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers’: Gov. Northam calls for special General Assembly session to deal with gun violence,” Free Press June 6-8 edition: Gov. Ralph S. Northam, in an attempt to divert the public’s attention from his administration’s scandals and incompetency, has called a special session of the General Assembly for July 9.
Why won't Fairfax’s accusers talk with police?
Letters to the Editor
For months now, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax has asked that police open investigations into allegations that he sexually assaulted two women – one 15 years ago and the other 20 years ago.
Making mental health no longer stealth
Columnists
We’ve seen Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James and others draw attention to challenges in our community. At the recent hearing on reparations, we heard from Danny Glover. We’ve also just heard from Taraji P. Henson on the subject of mental health.
Forum focuses on how to keep progress going after Ashe street renaming
“Richmond, stand up!” Those opening words from Dontrese Brown of the Arthur Ashe Boulevard Initiative were the backbone of the Arthur Ashe Social Justice Forum last Thursday as more than a hundred people talked about how to bring the energy generated by the renaming of the new Arthur Ashe Boulevard to other important issues in the Richmond.
Poison hierarchy of human value
Columnists
Months after Gov. Ralph S. Northam came under fire for the racist images on his 1984 yearbook page from Eastern Virginia Medical School, he remains in office, a battered and chastised public figure. But maybe this isn’t a bad thing.
Honoring Ashe’s legacy
Editorials
We are still basking in the gloriousness of the Arthur Ashe Boulevard street renaming ceremony and events last Saturday at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
7 members of Flying Squirrels to play in EL All-Star Game
The host Richmond Flying Squirrels will be well represented in the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 10 at The Diamond.
Rosie's
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
On Monday, July 1, the new Rosie’s gambling center in Richmond will welcome its first customers to the location in the 6800 block of Midlothian Turnpike in South Side.
MLB’s men of color are a big hit in big league
As big league baseball reaches midseason, here are a few story lines regarding the national pastime’s men of color. Minority matters: You can’t help but notice Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Michigan’s Bullock playing in College Baseball World Series
Christan Bullock is a prime example of the talent participating in the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League games.
Milwaukee’s Antetokounmpo named NBA’s MVP at 24
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has passed the MVP baton to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
VMFA acquires Kehinde Wiley sculpture ‘Rumors of War’
It all started on Monument Avenue. In 2016, world-renowned artist Kehinde Wiley traveled to Richmond for the premiere of his exhibit, “Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic,” at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Making his way to the museum on Arthur Ashe Boulevard, he encountered the statue of Confederate J.E.B. Stuart on horseback at the thoroughfare’s intersection with Monument Avenue.
Astoria Beneficial Club to host 46th annual commemoration of Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson
The legacy of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson will be honored 10 a.m. Saturday, June 29, in a ceremony sponsored by the Astoria Beneficial Club at the statue of Mr. Robinson the club put in place 46 years ago at Leigh and Adams streets in Jackson Ward.
3 from U.Va. picked in NBA draft
Call them The Three Basketeers. The swashbuckling trio of De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy led the University of Virginia to the NCAA Tournament basketball title.
High-intensity workouts end with prayer
On a Tuesday evening under the roof of a public picnic shelter, a group of women ages 20 to 55 groaned through a series of high-intensity exercises in the 88-degree heat and humidity.
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Bladensburg Peace Cross
A 40-foot-tall cross-shaped war memorial standing on public land in Maryland does not represent an impermissible government endorsement of religion, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a major decision testing the boundaries of the federal Constitution’s separation of church and state.
History of enslaved sold for Georgetown University detailed in new genealogical website
A genealogical association has launched a new website detailing the family histories of enslaved people who were sold to keep Catholic-run Georgetown University from going bankrupt in the 1800s.
Martha Brown Wall, educator with the Va. Dept. of Corrections, dies at 54
Martha Augusta Brown Wall counseled and taught hundreds of Virginia prison inmates during her more than 30-year career with the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Personality: George P. Braxton
Spotlight on national president of National Negro Golf Association
“8-0-FORE!”If you’re familiar with this play on Richmond’s area code, you’ll know it as the nickname of the Richmond chapter of the National Negro Golf Association.
Air conditioning fixed at Broad Rock Elementary
The broken air conditioning system finally has been fixed at Broad Rock Elementary School, one of the newest public schools in Richmond.
Job fair Saturday
Looking for work? At least 32 public and private employers seeking to hire new employees have signed up to recruit at the Job Fair and Career Resource Event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St.
Tax Relief Fund reminder
Virginia tax officials are reminding taxpayers that they must file their individual income taxes by Monday, July 1, in order to qualify for the Tax Relief Refund.
VUU names new business school dean
Robin Renee Davis has the responsibility of molding a new generation of business leaders studying at Virginia Union University.
Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin selected as new Petersburg schools superintendent
Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin will start Monday, July 1, as the new superintendent of the 4,200-student public school division in Petersburg.
City Hall again hit with overtime lawsuit
City Hall has spent more than $12 million since 2012 to settle lawsuits over its failure to pay required overtime to employees ranging from police officers to social workers, sheriff’s deputies and former mayoral bodyguards.
New laws tax cigarettes in city, raise smoking age statewide
Smoke ’em if you got ’em, because the cost of cigarettes and vaping is about to go up in more ways than one.
Anne Holton new interim president of George Mason
She has been called “First Lady,” “Your honor,” “Madame Secretary” and now “President.” Anne Holton, wife of Virginia’s U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, has been named interim president of George Mason University in Northern Virginia.
Waiver expansion undermines RPS absenteeism policy
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras has quietly undermined a Richmond School Board effort to crack down on the serious problem of chronic absenteeism by students.
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.
Rekindling memories of childhood and pal Arthur
For one group of men, Arthur Ashe Jr. is more than a tennis superstar and internationally recognized crusader for human rights and bringing awareness and resources to the AIDS epidemic.
Arthur Ashe Jr., ‘A true champion’: Thousands celebrate dedication of Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Local, state and national figures joined a crowd of thousands Saturday at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to celebrate the official renaming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
‘We already have reparations’
Letters to the Editor
Re “Lawmakers hear the case for reparations,” Free Press June 20-22 edition: There are no block grant monies that have or will be solely targeted to the African-American community in an attempt to make amends for the wrong the government and others have done.
Voting is key to change, CBC members say
Call it better living through politicking. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus emphasized the importance of political power as the key to positive change locally, statewide and nationally Saturday afternoon at the State of Black America Town Hall.
New police chief promoted from the ranks
Six police chiefs have come and gone since William C. “Will” Smith joined the Richmond Police Department as a patrolman in 1995.
Friday, June 21
A moral demand
I had the opportunity recently to participate in the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. Along with Jerry Paris, general manager of WPFW-FM 89.3, and the Rev. Graylan Hagler, I was invited to co-anchor the program carried by WPFW-FM radio.
RPS officials fail to explain faulty, fluctuating graduation figures
There has been a sudden surge in the number of students graduating from Richmond Public Schools — and not just from Armstrong High School. RPS officials this week are reporting that 963 seniors received their diplomas during recent graduation ceremonies from the city’s nine high schools.
Grand Slam: Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Politics, personalities merge in this historic moment honoring late hometown hero
Richmond is preparing to pull out all the stops to celebrate native son Arthur Ashe Jr. as it renames one its major streets in his honor.
Lawmakers hear the case for reparations
The debate over reparations catapulted from the campaign trail to Congress on Wednesday as lawmakers heard impassioned testimony for and against the idea of providing compensation for America’s history of slavery and racial discrimination.
New Coliseum plan to launch Monday?
Will this be the City Council meeting at which Mayor Levar M. Stoney introduces ordinances on the Richmond Coliseum replacement plan?
Ambition, urgency at Democrats’ gala
It was a night of big plans and high stakes last Saturday as nearly 1,800 Virginia and national Democrats, including two presidential hopefuls, gathered at Richmond’s Main Street Station for the political party’s annual Blue Commonwealth Gala fundraiser.
Technical problem thwarts court case to remove Agelasto from office
Fifth District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto gained a reprieve Tuesday from an effort to immediately remove him from the city’s governing body. Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant refused on Tuesday to consider a former councilman’s request for a temporary injunction that would have ended Mr. Agelasto’s tenure before his planned departure on Nov. 30.
Candidates throwing hats into ring for 5th District seat
The first candidates have begun to emerge in the race to succeed Parker C. Agelasto as the 5th District representative on Richmond City Council.
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Virginia’s redrawn House of Delegates districts
Virginia voters and candidates now can have full confidence in the boundaries of the redrawn House of Delegate districts ahead of the Nov. 5 general election to fill the 100 seats.
Free summer meals sites available throughout Richmond area
Now that school is out for the summer, where can families find free breakfast and lunch for their students who enjoyed such meals when classes were in session?
RPS officials offer free bus service in bid to boost preschool enrollment
Free bus transportation. That’s the carrot the Richmond School Board is offering in a bid to boost enrollment in its shrinking preschool program called the Virginia Preschool Initiative, or VPI.
RPS whistleblower to be moved to another school
A Spanish teacher who blew the whistle on student grade-changing by officials at Lucille Brown Middle School in Richmond will not be fired.
Nuns sell St. Emma and St. Frances property
A historic Powhatan County estate that was once home to two Catholic residential schools for African-Americans, including a military academy for boys, now belongs to a Petersburg area businessman.
Personality: David O. Harris Jr.
Spotlight on advocate who spearheaded effort to honor Arthur Ashe Jr.
David O. Harris Jr. is the driving force behind renaming the Boulevard in Richmond for Arthur Ashe Jr., the late Richmond native who made his mark on the tennis court and on the world stage as a civil and human rights advocate and philanthropist.
Dementia and religion: Inside a church’s Alzheimer’s support group
They sat in a circle in a room usually used by high schoolers and talked about the people they loved who no longer recognized them or who had died forgetting the names of family caregivers in their last days.
Report urges congregations to support family caregivers
A new report on family caregivers details how congregations can play a role in supporting the increasing number of members caring for elders.
Hard hats replace bishops’ miters at Notre Dame’s first Mass since fire
Everyone, it seems, has an idea for how to rebuild Notre Dame.
Armstrong High scholar-athlete taking his talents to U.Va.
Hollywood has produced numerous Superman movies over many decades. Should another sequel come to a theater near you, Corvell Poag could be the star.
Flying Squirrels to host 4-day extravaganza for Eastern League All-Star Game
The Eastern League All-Star Game, set for Wednesday, July 10, at The Diamond, is much more than just a baseball game.
Will Kawhi Leonard stay with new NBA champs?
The NBA playoffs are over, but the excitement continues. Combining the brilliance of Kawhi Leonard and his teammates with good fortune, the Toronto Raptors are NBA champions, having thwarted the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty.
One of ‘Fab Five’ returns to alma mater as Michigan’s new basketball coach
Juwan Howard is a towering man facing a towering task.
‘Food Justice, Healthy Eating Fair’ this Saturday
A coalition of faith-based groups is hosting “Food Justice, Healthy Eating Fair,” featuring interactive healthy food demonstrations, performances by dancers and drummers, a vendor marketplace and a tour of a community garden 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.
Dr. Watson to speak Saturday at Black History Museum
Dr. Lance D. Watson, senior pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church, will talk about his childhood, mentors, mantras and memories Saturday, June 22, as part of the Inside Out series of conversations with influential people in Virginia at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
Trump and trade
Columnists
For Donald Trump, America First is increasingly translating into America alone. He apparently believes the United States is so dominant that it needs no friends.
More on Ashe celebration
Letters to the Editor
Re “Friends of Battery Park to celebrate Mr. Ashe,” Free Press June 13-15 edition: Thank you so much for publicizing the event we are planning in celebration of the naming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard on Saturday, June 22.
Making benches at GRTC bus stops an issue would get results
Letters to the editor
Re Letters to the editor, “All GRTC bus stops need benches,” Free Press, June 6-8 edition: Ernest Parker Jr. is absolutely right that every GRTC bus stop should have a bench. Stops should have a shelter as well. Human dignity demands it.
Make GRTC bus stops graffiti-free
The letter writer of “All GRTC bus stops need benches” has a great point!
Former Armstrong High School site
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Call it a brand new look for the site of the former Armstrong High School in the 1600 block of North 31st Street in the East End, where these nearly complete apartments now line the street.
Friday, June 14
Central Park Five: Harrowing, humanizing
Columnists
Many know them as the Central Park Five, but filmmaker Ava DuVernay forces us to see the five wrongfully convicted men as individuals. Their names are names we must remember, as individual, courageous, principled black and brown men. They are Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray and Kevin Richardson.
Police arrest 6 in Ortiz assassination attempt in DR
Six men have been arrested in the ambush shooting of former Boston Red Sox slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz, as he sat in a nightclub late Sunday in his native Dominican Republic, authorities said.
Upset: Challenger ‘Joe’ Morrissey garners Petersburg support to handily beat incumbent Sen. Rosalyn Dance in Tuesday’s primary
Challenger Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey, proving tougher and more resilient than his critics anticipated, cruised Tuesday to a surprisingly easy victory over incumbent state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance of Petersburg in a Democratic primary election.
Other Richmond area primary victors
Around the state, the wave of primary contests included a Northern Virginia thriller in which the Senate’s top Democrat was almost unseated. Sen. Richard L. “Dick” Saslaw, 79, of Fairfax County, ended up edging two women challengers by about 500 votes, even though the 43-year General Assembly veteran outspent his challengers 20-1 in his Northern Virginia contest.
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.
Top of the class
Richmond Public Schools is turning out scholars. The highest-achieving students in the Class of 2019 at each of the city’s high schools were celebrated at the annual Valedictorian Luncheon held May 30 at the Science Museum of Virginia. Theme for the event: “Dream Big & Dare to Fail.”
Armstrong graduation figures better than initial report
Armstrong High School is providing best evidence that more seniors are graduating from Richmond Public Schools this year than the public could have expected given the pessimistic projections released three weeks ago by Superintendent Jason Kamras and his staff.
Agelasto’s council fate may rest with hearing
Parker C. Agelasto’s service on Richmond City Council is now in the hands of a Richmond Circuit Court judge after months of controversy over the 5th District councilman’s move to a home outside the district.
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.
RPS official says LEED standards haven’t returned big savings
Richmond Public Schools’ chief operating officer confirmed a Free Press finding that building new schools to a national energy standard has failed to pay off in energy savings. Darin Simmons told the Richmond School Board on June 3 that building Huguenot High and three other schools to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED gold standard has not resulted in “significant” savings.
RPS attendance officers cut without placement assistance
Butler Peterson has spent the past five years visiting families of truant Richmond Public Schools students to improve their attendance. That’s just one of the jobs he has held in his 18 years with RPS and why he hoped to be considered for one of the school-based attendance liaison positions that is to replace his role as an attendance officer.
Facial hair? Richmond Police uniformed officers now have the OK
If you see uniformed Richmond Police officers sporting beards and mustaches, they have the OK of the top brass. Interim Police Chief William C. Smith made it possible. He quietly amended the department’s grooming policy to allow patrol officers to grow and wear neatly trimmed beards, goatees and mustaches.
Bike lanes proposed for 1st Street
Busy 1st Street in Jackson Ward would be reduced to one lane for traffic under a city proposal to install bike lanes on the west side of a roadway that is a significant link between North Side to Downtown and routes to South Side.
Sledge named city’s director of economic development
Leonard Sledge, who previously led economic development in Hampton and an Atlanta suburb, has been named the new director of economic and business development for Richmond.
HOME challenges Chesterfield apartment complex policy in federal court
How far can a landlord go in banning people with felony or serious misdemeanor convictions as tenants? A new federal lawsuit seeks to find out. The fair housing watchdog Housing Opportunities Made Equal filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Richmond June 4 to challenge a Chesterfield County apartment complex’s policy banning anyone “who has ever been convicted of any felony” from becoming a tenant.
Rally calls on Gov. Northam to remove Lee statue from Monument Ave.
More than two dozen people called on Gov. Ralph S. Northam to remove the statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue during a recent rally in Richmond. The contingent, which included members of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, held a protest June 1 to counter a band of about 25 neo-Confederates who staged their own rally in support of the Lee statue.
Retired judge honored with Carrico Award
For 32 years, Judge Wilford Taylor Jr. served on the bench in his hometown of Hampton. State judges have saluted the retired jurist with the 2019 Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award for his work on the bench.
Personality: Anne Moss Rogers
Spotlight on recipient of 2019 Pat Asch Fellowship for Social Justice
Anne Moss Rogers wants to foster a “culture of connection” to help prevent suicide. Being selected as the 2019 recipient of the YWCA’s Pat Asch Fellowship for Social Justice will help her achieve that goal.
Dr. Patricia Bath, whose patents advanced cataract treatment, dies at 76
Dr. Patricia Bath, a pioneering ophthalmologist who became the first African-American female doctor to receive a medical patent after she invented a more precise treatment of cataracts, has died. She was 76.
Boston church stamping Harriet Tubman on its $20 bills
Three years ago, the Treasury Department announced that it would put Harriet Tubman’s face on the front of the $20 bill by 2020. A portrait of the abolitionist, championed by activists, would replace that of President Andrew Jackson, who would be moved to the back of the bill.
SBC president: Racial insensitivity disregards the gospel
Speaking at a black church last Sunday in a city that is nearly 75 percent African-American, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. J.D. Greear, said white Christians who are racially insensitive are disregarding the gospel.
Warriors hope to go the distance after Game 5 squeaker
Inside their blue and gold jerseys still beats the heart of a champion. The Golden State Warriors are hobbling and clinging to survival, but they’re still kicking — or more accurately — and swishing 3-pointers in a valiant bid for a third straight NBA title.
4 John Marshall basketball players sign with college teams
Years ago, the basketball coaches and players at Richmond’s John Marshall High School sowed the seeds of success, which have been watered with the perspiration of hard work. Now the players are harvesting the rewards.
MJBL Inner City Classic set for July 30-Aug. 4
The Metropolitan Junior Baseball League Inner City Classic is returning to the Richmond area. Games featuring youngsters in age groups from 19 and under are set for July 30 through Aug. 4 at a variety of diamonds in Richmond and Henrico County.
Benedictine’s Jamari Baylor drafted in MLB third round by Philadelphia Phillies
Jamari Baylor is about to become a wealthy teenager. The former Benedictine College Preparatory school shortstop soon will sign a professional baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Vanderbilt’s Kumar Rocker throws no-hitter to land in NCAA record book
Kumar Rocker is the talk of college baseball as the NCAA World Series is set to begin in Omaha, Neb. The Vanderbilt University freshman threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts in the Commodores’ 3-0 win over Duke University on June 8 in the NCAA Super Regional in Nashville.
Mariah Stackhouse narrowly misses LPGA win
Mariah Stackhouse’s bid to become first African-American to win an LPGA event came up a few shots short. The 25-year-old, former Stanford University standout flirted with the lead and finished in a tie for fifth at the ShopRite Classic in Galloway, N.J., last Sunday.
City to host 3-day celebration honoring Arthur Ashe Jr.
Three days of celebrating Arthur Ashe Jr. Next week, Richmond’s focus will be on honoring the late hometown tennis star and humanitarian.
Remembering Dads on Father’s Day
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16. It’s a day for letting dads, or the father figures in our lives, know how much we appreciate them by taking them out to eat and just kicking back and remembering the good times shared.
‘Juneteenth: A Freedom Celebration’ set for this weekend
On June 19, 1865, U.S. Gen. Gordon Granger took control of Texas, the last major element of the defeated Confederacy, and immediately announced, “All slaves are free.” His words triggered celebrations.
63rd Festival of Arts opens this weekend at Dogwood Dell
Corey El, an up-and-coming local R&B, urban pop and soul singer, songwriter and music producer, will be among the headliners when the city-sponsored 63rd Festival of Arts at Dogwood Dell opens this weekend at the amphitheater in the Byrd Park.
Denzel receives AFI’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Denzel Washington was the man of the hour June 6 with everyone from Spike Lee to Julia Roberts turning out to celebrate him as this year’s recipient of the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.
Friends of Battery Park to celebrate Mr. Ashe
It’s not on the official schedule, but Richmond’s Battery Park will be offering its own salute to the late Arthur Ashe Jr. next weekend, it has been announced.
The deliverables
Editorials
Like many, we were surprised by the outcome of Tuesday’s Democratic primary election between state Sen. Rosalyn Dance of Petersburg and challenger Joe Morrissey of Richmond. Mr. Morrissey, whose past legal and professional ethics troubles are too numerous and well known to recite in the limited space here, defeated Sen. Dance quite handily with 56 percent of the vote compared to Sen. Dance’s 44 percent.
Vexed
Editorials
Our spirit is vexed by President Trump, whose words and actions seem to undermine the U.S. Constitution, the safety and security of our nation and the ideals we stand for. Where to begin?
Who represents black women?
Columnists
I can’t remember a time in my adult life when I wasn’t working on justice issues on behalf of people in my community. I’ve worked for the benefit of women who shared my views and some who don’t. But it’s rare that I’m embarrassed about something women are doing.
President Trump is no aberration
The American news media is deceiving the world when it consistently describes No. 45 as an aberration in the history of the United States presidency. Equally deceiving is its describing and romanticizing the American voting public as some kind of godly people devoted to liberty and justice for all citizens of this country.
‘Hill of Heroes’
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Nearly 12,000 flags fill the “Hill of Heroes” at the Virginia War Memorial on Belvidere Street. Planted by nearly 80 volunteers next to the Shrine of Memory, the flags recall the Virginians killed in conflicts since the start of World War II in 1941.
Farewell to a friend
Greg Roland and other comrades of George Edward “Buster” Booth scatter his ashes May 29 in Byrd Park’s Swan Lake in a final farewell to a lifelong friend.
Friday, June 7
3 Democrats seeking the party’s nod for open Henrico County sheriff’s position
Three Democrats will face off in the Tuesday, June 11, primary. All three are seeking the party’s nomination in the race to succeed Henrico County Sheriff Mike Wade, who announced in February that he will not seek re-election.
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.
2 area primaries for House of Delegates will be among races to watch
The battle for control of the 100-member Virginia House of Delegates will start to heat up next week as voters go to the polls in 19 party primaries to choose nominees to run in November.
Tuesday’s primary elections feature Dance-Morrissey contest
Voters on the east side of Richmond will play a big role next week in what has become one of the state’s hottest primary contests.
Richmond's new training Center for emergency dispatchers
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
It took 16 months and $2.8 million to build.
Teacher alleges her ouster tied to blowing whistle on students’ failing grades being changed
A first-year Spanish teacher who blew the whistle on a grade cheating scandal at Lucille Brown Middle School is to be fired.
Former teacher claims he is banned from RPS without official explanation
A former third-grade teacher who sought to volunteer at Chimborazo Elementary School where he taught has been banned from all Richmond Public Schools property.
Questions raised as council shifts money to help departments get through June 30
Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving has gained the $2.13 million she needs this month to issue paychecks every two weeks to her deputies.
GRTC’s Kelsey Calder wins VTA’s 2019 Unsung Hero Award
Kelsey Calder, a GRTC instructor who helps disabled people learn to ride buses safely, has won the 2019 Unsung Hero Award from the Virginia Transit Association.
VCU to turn over its bus service to GRTC
Students, faculty and employees of Virginia Commonwealth University will continue to ride free on GRTC buses, including Pulse, local and express service for at least three more years.
Ground-breaking ceremony Saturday for VCU’s new inpatient children’s hospital
Workers are still tearing down the old mirror-faced Marshall Street Pavilion — once an outpatient center for children — on the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Top prosecutor stepping down
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring has quietly left his mark on the criminal justice system in Richmond.
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.
The Heyward brothers are making their mark in baseball
Chicago’s Wrigley Field and The Diamond in Richmond have something in common this season.
neak peek at next year’s high school basketball season
High school basketball fans have an opportunity to preview the 2019-20 season.
VUU football team ranked 25th nationally in preseason poll
Virginia Union University’s football team is ranked 25th in the nation in Lindy’s Sports Magazine’s preseason poll for NCAA Division II.
At 45, the Kingsmen softball team still on top
In its 45th year of operation, Kingsmen softball is still knocking it out of the park.
Golden State Warriors’ ‘strength in numbers’ more than a slogan
The Golden State Warriors’ motto during their historic glory run has been “Strength in Numbers.”
Votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers’
Gov. Northam calls for special General Assembly session to deal with gun violence
Gov. Ralph S. Northam is summoning lawmakers back to the state Capitol for a special legislative session to consider gun-control legislation, saying last Friday’s mass shooting in Virginia Beach calls for “votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers.”
School Board gives final approval to $418M spending plan
Backed by a $25 million boost in contributions from city taxpayers, the Richmond School Board Tuesday approved spending a record $16,814 for each of the 24,800 students projected to be served in the 2019-20 budget year that begins July 1.
Personality: Dr. M. Alex Wagaman
Spotlight on 2019 Peacemaker of the Year
Dr. M. Alex Wagaman, an assistant professor in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work, is Richmond’s 2019 Peacemaker of the Year.
Willie Lee Ford Jr., a founder of The Dramatics, dies at 68
Willie Lee Ford Jr., one of the founders of the soul group, The Dramatics, whose bass voice anchored their best known hits in the 1970s, died Tuesday, May 28, 2019. He was 68.
Legendary queen of Creole cuisine, Leah Chase, dies at 96
New Orleans chef and civil rights icon Leah Chase, who created New Orleans’ first white-tablecloth restaurant for black patrons, broke the city’s segregation laws by seating white and black customers together and introduced countless tourists to Southern Louisiana Creole cooking, died Saturday, June 1, 2019. She was 96.
Benjamin J. Lambert IV, financial advisor and civic leader, dies at 52
Benjamin J. Lambert IV, a member the prominent Lambert family whose many members have long contributed to the civic, social and political fabric of the Richmond area, died Monday, June 3, 2019, at his residence in the Midlothian section of Chesterfield County.
Evergreen Cemetery receives international recognition
Evergreen Cemetery, the historic burial ground of such Richmond greats as businesswoman Maggie L. Walker and crusading newspaper editor John Mitchell Jr. as well as thousands of other African-Americans, has just garnered international recognition.
10th Annual Richmond Jazz and Music Festival at Maymont slated for Aug. 8-11
Jill Scott. Stanley Clarke. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. Big Boi. Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective. Cameo. Ledisi. Those are just a few of the performers scheduled for the 10th Annual Richmond Jazz and Music Festival at Maymont.
Jennifer Hudson channels Aretha’s spirit in Pulitzer Prize honor for the Queen of Soul
With bad weather in Chicago on Memorial Day and her flight canceled, Jennifer Hudson worried at the thought of missing her performance at the Pulitzer Prize awards ceremony May 28 to pay tribute to honoree Aretha Franklin.
VMFA opens new exhibit, hosts free family day Saturday
A new exhibit focusing on African-American art from the American South will open Saturday, June 8, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 Arthur Ashe Blvd., it has been announced.
End male shaming
Letters to the editor
“Boy.” This isn’t a term regarding male minors. It’s the offensive and derogatory word used when shaming a male.
Slavery, history and distortions
Letters to the editor
Re Column, “Distortions of our history,” Free Press May 30-June 1 edition: In her column, Julianne Malveaux herself distorts the history of slavery when she said: “Let’s make it plain: Europeans went to the African continents (sic), kidnapped people (sometimes with African acquiescence), brought them to the Western Hemisphere and sold us.”
All GRTC bus stops need benches
Letters to the editor
Re “GRTC ridership up 17%” Free Press May 23-25 edition: It’s all well and fine that GRTC ridership is up 17 percent. But I noticed that many of the bus stops have nowhere for the riders to sit while waiting for the bus.
Ignorance, racism and a good book
Columnists
Ignorance breeds racism. By ignorance, I don’t mean the lack of college or other educational degrees. I’m really talking about how some families teach their children to hate certain people based upon lies.
Black bodies creating white power
Columnists
Almost every high school student in America knows about the compromise reached during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution resulting in enslaved people being counted as three-fifths of a person during the national census held every 10 years.
We must do more
Editorials
What does it take to tighten gun laws in Virginia? How many people have to die before the Virginia General Assembly takes action to curb the violence in our communities?
