Thursday, April 30
The coronavirus and achievement gap, by Julianne Malveaux
The coronavirus has upended our way of life, especially in urban America, where social distancing has replaced the laughter of children playing on the street, the excitement of preparing for graduation and prom and the frenzy of last-minute test preparation.
All Americans deserve better, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
If we didn’t know before, we now know that we have a failed federal government. The man in the White House is so bad that we don’t really need to look for failures down the line.
COVID-19 testing
We appreciate that city health officials are now announcing the days and locations for COVID-19 testing for people in the city’s public housing communities.
Prudence and leadership
We took a principled — and now seemingly prescient — stance against the $1.5 billion Coliseum replacement and Downtown redevelopment plan that was pushed so hard by Mayor Levar M. Stoney and Dominion Energy CEO Thomas F. Farrell II, leader of the Navy Hill District Corp.
Census deadline to be changed; jobs still available
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the 10-year census, officials report.
We need to protect children from human trafficking
Slavery has been abolished for more than 150 years nationwide since the enactment of the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
State education official disputes findings of state inspector general
Virginia Inspector General Michael C. Westfall has reported that a top official in the state Department of Education set up a private consulting business that used resources developed through her state job and tweeted an announcement after setting up two websites to advertise her business.
Goal of COVID-19 testing is to protect Richmonders and their families, by Mayor Levar M. Stoney
The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc across the globe and hitting the United States especially hard. And the hardest hit racial demographic in the U.S. is African-Americans, who are both contracting the disease and dying from the disease at a much higher rate than any other group.
Corrections officers’ union calls for testing of all inmates and staff at Virginia facilities
A union representing state correctional officers is calling on Gov. Ralph S. Northam to immediately begin coronavirus testing for all officers, staff, residents and incarcerated people in facilities run by the Virginia Department of Corrections and the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
Cityscape
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Workmen use a bucket truck to install panels at the 154-unit Jackson Ward Apartments in the block bounded by Duval, 1st, 2nd and Jackson streets.
Oprah to keynote #Graduation 2020
Just when high school and college seniors across the country were starting to think all was lost for their graduation ceremonies canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the richest and most influential women in the nation comes to the rescue: Oprah Winfrey.
Federal unemployment checks ease money worries for newly laid off during pandemic
Just a few weeks ago, journalist-turned-bartender and server Lyndon German was feeling desperate. In the past year, the 26-year-old Mechanicsville native has seen his reporter jobs in Hopewell and Petersburg end as a result of newsroom cutbacks, and now his restaurant job in a popular local café has disappeared as a result of COVID-19.
Racist memorabilia puts Trammell in the hot seat
As a longtime member of Richmond City Council, Reva Trammell has come to be known as a reliable and outspoken advocate for the poor and elderly in the city’s 8th District. She has a reputation for challenging her political peers to govern and enact policies that protect the least powerful.
Revival linked to COVID-19
Deaths of 6 Metro Revival attendees may be connected to the coronavirus
A three-night revival in early March that brought more than 1,200 people from across the Richmond area to Cedar Street Baptist Church of God in Church Hill each evening appears to have helped spread the coronavirus in the African-American community.
Dozens turn out for free testing at city sites
Zohao Maziri took short, painfully slow steps Monday as she fought the cool, windy weather to get tested for COVID-19 at Hillside Court on Richmond’s South Side.
RRHA submits revised annual plan to HUD; details not public
Seven months after getting a rejection letter, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has submitted changes to its 2020 annual plan in a bid to win approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
City Hall grants parking ticket amnesty until Aug. 31
City Hall is giving a break to people with outstanding parking tickets.
City Council gives OK for Voter Registrar’s Office move
Richmond City Council cleared the way Monday night for the city’s Voter Registrar’s Office to move to 2134 W. Laburnum Ave. to provide needed room for voting and for storage of voting machines.
Witness signature dropped for absentee ballots during pandemic
Absentee voters who receive their ballots by mail likely will not need to have a witness present when they cast their vote at home in Virginia’s June 23 primary election to choose candidates to run for the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House of Representatives. Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced Tuesday that he agrees with a federal lawsuit seeking the temporary suspen- sion of the state’s current requirement that voters casting mail-in ballots have someone present as they open the letter containing
GRTC gets $32 million infusion from federal CARES Act, keeping rides free
Free fares on GRTC buses will continue through June 30 and could be extended at least through Dec. 30, according to information provided April 21 to the transit system’s board.
State executioner who turned against the death penalty dies at 67
For 17 years, Jerry Bronson Givens carried out death sentences as Virginia’s chief executioner. The Richmond native then spent the rest of his life crusading against the death penalty.
Personality: Michelle Johnson
Spotlight on board chair of Senior Connections
While the coronavirus affects all people regardless of gender, race or class, the elderly have seen an outsized impact in their lives. In this tense time, many are relying on the services of Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging,
Memories of Tommie Aaron in Richmond live on
The former Richmond Braves drew headlines in 1977 by making Tommie Aaron the International League’s first African-American manager.
Former Highland Springs players drafted into NFL
NFL fans in Highland Springs now have local connections to the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Chase Young, Washington’s first NFL draft pick, plans to ‘Terrorize the Moment’
Chase Young is all business on the football field — and thinking about business off the gridiron.
VUU and VSU announce 2020-21 football schedules
CIAA football starts in September, but Virginia Union University fans won’t see their Panthers at home until October.
Coach Gilbert leaves Lady Panthers for Detroit Mercy
Virginia Union University’s next women’s basketball coach has a tough act to follow.
Coronavirus and public tantrums
Re “Timeout for COVID-19,” Richmond Free Press April 23-25 edition: Most people have an understanding of the unusual virulence of COVID-19 and the need to limit exposure and spread.
Thursday, April 23
COVID-19 testing in Richmond’s high-risk communities
With data showing that COVID-19 is disproportionately infecting and killing African-Americans in Richmond and across the state, we were pleased to learn late last week that city health officials were going to step up efforts to provide testing in the city’s largely black, high-poverty areas.
Virus testing expands in state prisons with push from advocates
The Virginia Department of Corrections has ramped up testing of inmates and prison staff and stepped up parole consideration as state legislators and advocacy groups pressure authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19 inside state prisons.
Student learning continues via VA TV Classroom on public television stations
Richmond area students can tune into teacher-led classroom instruction on TV thanks to a new initiative by Virginia’s public media stations.
Area meal programs feed first responders, help restaurants
City Hall is planning to pump more than $500,000 over the next two months into Richmond-based restaurants that serve meals to Richmond police officers, firefighters and ambulance staff.
City, Henrico health districts start COVID-19 testing in targeted areas
The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free, walk-in COVID-19 testing targeted to people in low-income communities of color who do not have health insurance or whose insurance does not cover COVID-19.
Richmond Convention Center not needed for auxiliary pandemic hospital
The plan to convert the Greater Richmond Convention Center into an emergency hospital for COVID-19 patients has been sidelined for now, according to Dr. Danny Avula, director of the Richmond City and Henrico County Health districts.
Think of groundbreaker George Taliaferro during NFL draft
George Taliaferro was a game changer regarding the NFL draft. He also took versatility to a higher level.
Cityscape
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
These two views document that mask wearing and social distancing do not appear to be common practices among some Richmond Police officers.
State officials stay the course on the coronavirus
Keep on keeping on. That’s the continuing message from officials as Virginia dramatically increased its coronavirus testing capability, data collection and access to health information.
Beating COVID-19
Delegate Delores McQuinn is on a mission to help others avoid getting the coronavirus after she and her family were stricken
When Delores Jordan Mc- Quinn was a promising youngster volunteering for voter registration efforts in the Bungalow City neighborhood of Eastern Henrico County, she would always do her best to get the word out — register and vote. She did so well that, one year, she was chosen Miss NAACP of Henrico County.
Plasma from recovered patients may hold cure for others
If you have recovered from COVID-19, the antibodies you developed could help save someone who is struggling to survive.
General Assembly delays minimum wage hike until May 1
Forget a Jan. 1 raise for the Virginia minimum wage.
Class of 2020 has hope in President Obama
Could Barack Obama deliver a national graduation address to students? Stay tuned.
Overall crime down in Richmond during pandemic
One silver lining during this pandemic is a reduction in crime, according to Richmond Police Chief Will Smith.
City to step up housing aid with $4.3M in federal funding
Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced Tuesday that Richmond will use an infusion of federal cash and city funds to pour $5.8 million into emergency housing for homeless people, the creation of more housing and services to those at risk of eviction when courts resume action on cases, possibly on Monday, May 18.
Richmond School Board grapples with $24.5M budget shortfall
The Richmond School Board is holding a special meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, April 23, to continue discussing how to handle a $24.5 million shortfall in the proposed 2020-21 budget from the loss of city revenue stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
Waiver of penalties and interest on late real estate and vehicle taxes in works
Richmonders are being promised some relief as they face a Friday, June 5, deadline for paying city taxes on real estate and vehicles.
Bobby Mitchell, a trailblazer with the Washington NFL team, dies at 84
Former NFL great Robert Cornelius “Bobby” Mitchell, famous for immense talent and racial trailblazing, died Sunday, April 5, 2020.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis dies at 85
When historians reminisce about the Green Bay Packers dynasty of the 1960s, William Delford “Willie” Davis’ name is among the first to come up.
Black clergy memorialize the dead; ask gov’t. to address disparities
The Rev. Frank Williams has been so busy leading two black churches in the New York borough of the Bronx that he hadn’t really considered the full extent of COVID-19’s impact on his congregation, his family and his community.
Rev. Frank Lomax Jr., minister of stewardship at Quioccasin Baptist Church, dies at 89
The Rev. Frank Lomax Jr. spent his working life as an auditor for the Internal Revenue Service. But after retiring, he found his way into the ministry.
Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney dies
Award-winning jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney, who studied under and collaborated with the Miles Davis, Art Blakey and other jazz greats during his 40-year career, died Tuesday, March 31, 2020, of complications from COVID-19.
David C. Driskell, noted artist, art historian, curator and collector, dies at 88
David C. Driskell, one of the nation’s most influential African-American artists and a leading authority on black art, has died. He was 88.
As Ramadan nears, prisons urged to accommodate faith needs during pandemic
A coalition of 20 faith groups is pressing prison officials across the country to accommodate all prisoners’ religious needs during the outbreak of the coronavirus, particularly with Ramadan beginning this week.
Noted reggae musician Drummie Zeb returns to his Richmond roots
Inspired by the vibrations from the marching bands at the Richmond Christmas Parade, 10-year-old Ernest Myron Williams begged his mother for a set of drums. She scrimped and saved to provide one.
Personality: Shantell J. Chambliss
Spotlight on board president of the nonprofit Oakwood Arts Inc.
At the end of East Broad Street in the Oakwood neighborhood is Oakwood Arts Inc., a nonprofit focused on teaching creative skills to youths, building new career opportunities and increasing diversity across multiple fields. For the children of the neighborhood, Oakwood Arts is an avenue to learn and grow, even during a pandemic.
Weldon Edwards planted seeds as first black football player 50 years ago at UR
“Last August the University of Richmond signed its first Negro football player, Weldon Edwards,” so wrote Mark Holpe of The Collegian, UR’s campus newspaper, in 1970.
Former John Marshall player Isaiah Todd jumps from high school to pros
Petersburg native Moses Malone pioneered the term “Preps to Pros” in August 1974. Now former Richmonder Isaiah Todd is a pacesetter in a new option to bypass college basketball and fast break straight from high school to dunking for dollars.
Safety first in watching out for pedestrians
This is a request to skateboarders and electric scooter riders: Please slow down, watch out for pedestrians and give plenty of alert to people you are passing.
Suggestions to curb COVID-19 transmission at nursing homes
I have been a medical professional, having completed an internal medicine and pulmonary fellowship, and was one of the first hospitalists in Hampton Roads until 2004. Since then, I have been the medical director for long-term care, or LTC, facilities and a hospice organization, practicing medicine to ensure the well-being of our aging population. Unfortunately, this population is the most vulnerable for having fatal outcomes from the coronavirus.
Cure needed for evil virus of racism
The country is clouded with a virus that knows no time. Racism is its name.
Thoughts on identifying asymtomatic spread of COVID-19
In order to systematically detect the presence of an invisible asymptomatic pathogen like COVID-19, you must deploy a multilayered systematic approach to identifying the problem and eradicating it.
No time for Sisyphus leadership
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world much devastation, with a climbing death rate, grocery hoarding and lack of community closeness. However, it also has given us many heroes through their selfless acts.
Time to correct the disparities
It’s no exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has upended Virginians’ lives. We’re practicing new routines — like social distancing, obsessive hand washing, preparing kids for a day of remote learning and sewing masks — while grappling with difficult, new economic realities and the constant fear of becoming sick during a time when health care resources are limited.
Money vs. lives
We hope Virginia officials won’t be swayed by the small, but noisy group of protesters pushing for a reopening of businesses, schools and other public and private facilities in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday, April 16
Kudos to the Free Press on RRHA coverage
Thank you for the Free Press’ continuing objective coverage of the public housing community in the city and for giving Richmond City Council an opportunity to make the needed changes at the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for the residents and the employees.
COVID-19 testing to begin in high-risk areas of city
The Richmond City Health District plans to ramp up testing for coronavirus in neighborhoods that appear to be the most at risk — low-income areas of the city that are home to many African-Americans.
A bishop till the end
New Deliverance’s Gerald O. Glenn dies of COVID-19
Bishop Gerald Otis Glenn vowed to keep his Chesterfield County church open during the coronavirus pandemic “un- less I am in jail or in the hospital.” Just three weeks later, the respected leader of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church joined the list of people who died from the coronavirus.
Nursing homes on front lines battling the coronavirus
Nursing homes are hot spots for the spreading coronavirus pandemic in Virginia, with 60 of the state’s 108 outbreaks occurring in long-term care facilities, state Health Department numbers show.
City budget amendments reflect reduced revenue anticipated from pandemic impact
Richmond residents would not see any hikes in utility rates that would have added $5.56 a month to the average bill beginning July 1.
Washington NFL team drops its $500,000 annual fee to train in Richmond
It is still up in the air whether the Washington NFL football team will hold its annual summer training camp in Richmond or whether there will even be a football season, given the coronavirus pandemic.
Sweeping changes signed into law by Gov. Northam
Democratic Gov. Ralph S. Northam has signed sweeping changes into state law that will allow people to vote up to 45 days before Election Day, remove jail time for possession of marijuana, impose new controls on gun sales and grant Richmond and other localities authority to remove Confederate statues from public property.
City Council raises percentage of vehicle taxes residents must pay
As people struggle to pay their bills amid the pandemic, City Council has quietly approved a 1 percent increase in the tax that owners of vehicles garaged in Richmond must pay by Friday, June 5.
RRHA shuts down food deliveries from Feed More
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has cut off April food deliveries from the area’s largest food bank, Feed More, to needy families in public housing communities. The cutoff started last week after RRHA found that food deliverers were not wearing masks and other protective items or adhering to social distancing guidelines — keeping a 6-foot distance from other people.
City voter registrar’s office may be moving to North Side
The headquarters for voting in Richmond soon could move out of City Hall.
Telehealth grows during pandemic as safe way to confer with health professionals
Richmonder Melissa Hanson survived a vicious assault, but she still lives with the physical damage, mental scars and post-traumatic stress disorder. Like many people needing mental health therapy, Ms. Hanson found the pandemic disrupted her ability to meet with her caseworker three times a week and to get help with errands such as grocery shopping.
Registration is needed for some to receive federal stimulus money
If you didn’t file taxes in 2018 and 2019, you can still get a $1,200 stimulus payment from the federal government. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has launched a new online tool that is accessible by computer or cell phone with internet access to allow people to register and receive the stimulus payment, it has been announced.
GRTC subsidy in question
Instead of a route number, GRTC is now sending a message on its bus displays urging people to avoid riding unless the trip is necessary to get to work, a grocery store or to health care. The purpose: To help prevent the spread of coronavirus by reducing the number of people joy riding on buses now that fares have been eliminated.
Righting the wrongs of the past
Kudos to Gov. Ralph S. Northam for signing common sense legislation that takes first steps in getting rid of the Confederate flotsam and jetsam that litters Virginia communities, undermines our psyches and devalues the lives of generations of enslaved people who were kept in bondage for the benefit of white supremacists.
COVID-19 and inequities in health care system, by Kristen Clarke
In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.”
RRHA, Feed More and the pandemic
We don’t get it. Yes, we understand there is a pandemic going on and many workers have been furloughed or sent home to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But we don’t understand why Damon E. Duncan, the short-timer CEO of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, would stop the fresh food and grocery distribution program to the city’s public housing neighborhoods by Feed More, the area’s main food bank, at a time when people need help the most.
Beware of payday, car loans now, by Charlene Crowell
For the foreseeable future, “normal” life will be indefinitely suspended due to the global pandemic known as the coronavirus.
No cure yet
Re “U.Va. enrolls first patient in COVID-19 medication study,” Free Press April 9-11 edition:
Varina High sophomore makes All-State Team
All-State boys basketball teams generally are reserved for experienced seniors, with perhaps a junior here and there. Alphonzo Billups is an exception to that largely because of his exceptional talent.
NBA one-on-one tournament would be interesting about now
Going crazy with no sports? Wouldn’t a live NBA one-on-one tournament be entertaining about now?
Get ready for Team Fiction
Baseball All-Stars put together from film and television
We still have peanuts and Cracker Jacks to munch on this spring, but there is no live baseball to enjoy with the snacks.
Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer Tim Brown dies
Former NFL great Tim Brown, who drew acclaim as an athlete, actor and singer, died Saturday, April 4, 2020, of complications from dementia. Mr. Brown was 82 and living in Palm Springs, Calif.
Personality: Chandler M. Hubbard
Spotlight on local playwright and finalist for national best new play award
“Disbelief. Shock. Gratitude. Confusion? Mostly gratitude.” That’s how local actor and playwright Chandler Marshall Hubbard describes his reac- tion after learning his play, “Animal Control,” was selected as a finalist for the American Theatre Critics Association’s Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award.
UR president to present Facebook Live performance
Move over Andrea Bocelli and John Legend. University of Richmond President Ronald A. Crutcher is sharing his music with the world as well.
Popular Richmond musician Herbert Allen ‘Debo’ Dabney III dies at 68
Herbert Allen “Debo” Dabney III, a popular and beloved Richmond musician, died Thursday, April 9, 2020. He was 68.
Thursday, April 9
Black people and COVID-19, by Dr. Oliver Brooks
It is oft stated in the black community that “When the country gets a cold, we get pneumonia.”
Earl G. Graves Sr., founder of Black Enterprise magazine and champion for black economic empowerment, dies at 85
Earl G. Graves Sr., who inspired generations of African-Americans to build wealth through stories published in Black Enterprise, the magazine he founded, died Monday, April 6, 2020, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 85.
Robert W. “Bob” Peay, longtime social work educator, dies at 75
Robert W. “Bob” Peay helped train two generations of social workers in the Richmond area and beyond during his 27 years as a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work.
Jazz pianist, professor and family patriarch Ellis Marsalis Jr. dies at 85 of complications from coronavirus
Ellis Marsalis Jr., the jazz pianist, professor and patriarch of a New Orleans musical clan, died late Wednesday, April 1, 2020, from pneumonia brought on by coronavirus, leaving six sons and a deep legacy. He was 85.
Grammy Award winner Bill Withers dies at 81
Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me,” “Grandma’s Hands” and “Just the Two of Us,” died Monday, March 30, 2020, from heart complications. He was 81.
Community spirit
The coronavirus pandemic may have slowed or closed some businesses, but it hasn’t dampened the community spirit of merchants in the 300 block of North 2nd Street in Jackson Ward.
Personality: Dr. Kristin E. Reed
Spotlight on chair of the interim governing board of Richmond For All
The first week under Virginia’s stay-at-home order was a time of preparation and isolation for many Richmond residents. For Dr. Kristin E. Reed, it was made up of efforts to educate the public, ensure political transparency and accessibility and build a fairer, more equitable Richmond – and she wasn’t alone in that work.
University of San Francisco broke unwritten ‘two black max’ rule to win NCAA in the 1950s
During NCAA basketball’s early years, there was a “gentleman’s agreement” not to play more than two African-American players at a time. Fortunately, not everyone shared that same bigoted mindset.
With postponement of Olympics, Biles fighting time, age to win gold again
Simone Biles was an overwhelming favorite to repeat as All-Around Artistic Gymnastic champion at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Then, because of the coronavirus, the 2020 Olympics were postponed to 2021, when Biles will be 24 years old.
Virginia native vying for ‘World’s Fastest Human’
Track and field enthusiasts will have to wait another year to see the unveiling of the next “World’s Fastest Human.” The 2020 Olympic Games set for this July and August in Tokyo have been postponed to 2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 must be addressed through the lens of equity, by Rep. Donald McEachin
The last few weeks have been difficult for us all. And in these incredibly challenging and scary times, we all are having to make great sacrifices to ensure that we defeat COVID-19 as quickly as possible.As non-essential workers across Virginia are working remotely, children are distance learning for the remainder of the academic year and families isolate from one another to conquer this viral enemy, we all are discovering new ways to come together.
Who will get the ventilators?, by Julianne Malveaux
The “big and bad” United States is seeing its world dominance recede. We are being van- quished both by a virus and by the ignorance of the commander in chief.
Happy Easter
May this season of renewal and hope give you strength in the face of change, faith to endure uncertainty and peace everlasting.
Local quilt guild makes face masks for VCU health workers
Naima Wares-Akers and her legion of Richmond area quilters are filling a deep gap in keeping hospital employees and other health care workers safe from the coronavirus.
U.Va. enrolls first patient in COVID-19 medication study
The University of Virginia Health System has joined a national clinical trial testing a potential COVID-19 medication.
How to clean your cell phone
You’re washing your hands countless times a day to try to ward off the coronavirus. You should also wash that extension of your hand and breeding ground for germs — your phone. Tests done by scientists show that the virus can live for two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends cleaning all “high-touch” surfaces daily, including phones, keyboards and tablet computers.
Allergies or the coronavirus?
What the symptoms tell you
Is it allergies or the coronavirus? That’s a major question in Richmond, the nation’s capital for allergies based on pollen counts, number of allergy specialists and purchases of allergy medicine, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.
Disinfecting your home and workspace are critical
In the past, they often went unnoticed, but now janitors, housekeepers and cleaning crews are front and center as the experts in cleaning and disinfecting amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Bishop Gerald O. Glenn and wife hospitalized with the coronavirus
A prominent Chesterfield County minister and his wife are both being treated at the hospital for the coronavirus.
City social services department finds itself stressed with a shortage of workers
As the coronavirus stalks the city, more people are turning to the Richmond Department of Social Services for help.
Bike lanes being installed on Brook Road and Patterson and Malvern avenues
Brook Road is starting to shrink with the installation of new bike lanes.
City offers help to families, businesses impacted by coronavirus
City Hall is providing $500 stipends to struggling families with children who can’t wait for federal assistance and is offering loans up to $20,000 to aid smaller businesses to meet payroll.
Richmond School Board approves grading policy during shutdown
The Richmond School Board approved a plan Monday night to calculate students’ final grades that will hold students harmless during the coronavirus shutdown.
City Council slated to vote April 9 on remote meetings
City Council is to take its final step Thursday, April 9, to enable online meetings that would include a method to allow the public to submit comments.
Faces of COVID-19
Virginians of all walks of life have been impacted by thecoronavirus,theairbornerespiratoryillnessthathas stricken more than 3,600 people in the Commonwealth and resulted in 75 deaths as of Wednesday. Their passing impacts their families and the larger communities in which they worked, volunteered, worshipped and lived. Here are some of their stories.
COVID-related furloughs push unemployment claims to new highs
Phillip Patterson has worked in various positions at the Mar- riott Hotel in Downtown for the past eight years – housekeeping, bellman, shuttle driver and maintenance engineer. Elton G. Christian Jr., a veteran cook, has been serving up savory barbecue, ribs and brisket at Pig and Brew, a restaurant in South Side, for the past two years. Both never expected to be laid off.
Hard hit again
It has been a week of recalculation and assessment, as Virginians collectively and individually continue to work to avoid the spread of COVID-19 amid new evidence that African-Americans and Latinos are being hard hit.
City Council readies for lower revenue projections
Ninth District Councilman Michael J. Jones, chair of City Council’s Finance and Economic Development Committee, esti- mates that projected Richmond revenues in the new fiscal year that will begin July 1 could shrink by $75 million to $100 million as a result of the coronavirus.
Thursday, April 2
Stay at home
Gov. Northam issues order through June 10
Life during the continuing coronavirus pandemic is taking a fresh turn following Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s stepped-up effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the state. On Monday, Gov. Northam turned his request for people to stay at home into an order.
COVID-19 changes funeral traditions
COVID-19 has taken thousands of lives and upended business as usual around the world during the past few months. Just as the pandemic is changing daily life for millions, it is rapidly changing how the living lay their loved ones to rest.
Visit museums, gardens and historical sites in Richmond and the world online
Richmond area museums are offering on- line activities, virtual tours and resources to youngsters and families as schools are out for the rest of the academic year and museums and other public venues have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Kym Grinnage, seven others inducted into Virginia Communications Hall of Fame
Kym Grinnage, vice president and general manager of WWBT-TV NBC12, is among eight media professionals inducted March 26 into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame.
Personality: Dr. Pamela J. Royal
Spotlight on board chair of the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the work of the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond and the chair of its Board of Governors, Dr. Pamela J. Royal, goes on.
Les Hunter, who helped change the face of NCAA basketball, dies at 77
Les Hunter, famous for his role in the “Game of Change,” died Friday, March 27, 2020, near his home in Chicago.
Flying Squirrels get ready for the season with virtual tours despite coronavirus
The Diamond will be eerily quiet this early spring.
‘Curly’ Neal, who added skill and laughs to the Harlem Globetrotters for more than 20 years, dies at 77
Many people felt Frederick “Curly” Neal was like a magician on the basket- ball court. And his most dazzling trick of all— and one he never failed at—was putting glowing smiles on the faces of people of all ages.
Scoring his 1,000th point, Huguenot’s Jordan Parham gets a Gatorade bath
On special occasions, it can be OK for an athlete to take a shower even before getting to the locker room. At least that was the case for Huguenot High School’s Jordan Parham on Feb. 7, Senior Night.
Gun control measures won’t make our communities safer
A question to the members of the Richmond area delegation to the General Assembly, specifically Delegates Dawn Adams, Lamont Bagby, Jeffrey Bourne, Betsy Carr and Delores McQuinn and Sens. Jennifer McClellan and Joseph Morrissey:
Richmond family dealing with death of loved one from coronavirus
Richmonder Paul Amos Wright had a job he loved. And it killed him. Mr. Wright, 78, is among Virginia’s latest victims of COVID-19.
Where’s Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax?
During the last week or more, I keep getting this same question: “Where is our lieutenant governor?”
Billions for Boeing; pennies for people, by Julianne Malveaux
The development of the $2.2 trillion stimulus package was extremely flawed.
Can we handle the truth about coronavirus? By Glenn Ellis
Don’t you already know everything you need to know about coronavirus? What else is there for you to know that you haven’t already heard, you ask?
Duncan and his own advice
We are not surprised that Damon E. Duncan, chief executive officer of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, decided to pack it in and resign after less than a year on the job.
Social distancing has mixed practice around Richmond
Walk into any retail store, and it’s clear that the messages about social distancing and personal protection have penetrated only so far.
Attention paid to psychological changes, impact of COVID-19
As the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 continues to rise in Virginia and across the nation, more attention is being paid to the mental and psychological impact of both the virus and the measures being taken to stop its spread.
Pharmacist produces hand sanitizer to help people stay healthy
Dr. Shantelle L. Brown, the pharmacist, owner and operator of HOPE Pharmacy inside The Market@25th, is making hand sanitizer to combat coronavirus.
VCU researcher asks: Could AR-12 help combat COVID-19?
Dr. Paul Dent is frustrated that a virus-killing compound he spent years investigating is not being used as a treatment in the current coronavirus pandemic.
ChildSavers offers 24-hour Immediate Response Hotline
As the COVID-19 shutdown continues, there may be unintended consequences of domestic violence.
Monthly food stamp benefit amounts increased
More money for groceries is being rushed to families hard-pressed by job losses and other challenges.
Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club becomes temporary shelter for homeless
The Salvation Army this week turned its recently renovated Boys and Girls Club in Church Hill into a temporary 75-bed shelter for homeless people.
Richmond Public Schools offers range of food pickup sites
Richmond Public Schools has updated its system of food distribution for students and families to access meals.
City Hall to remain closed until April 13
Richmond City Hall, which has been shuttered to the public since mid-March, will remain closed to non-essential employees until at least Monday, April 13, it has been announced.
Rev. Joseph Lowery, head of SCLC and dean of civil rights veterans, dies at 98
The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery fought to end segregation, lived to see the election of the country’s first African-American president and echoed the call for “justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” in America.
RPS ramping up online learning
Distance learning via computers soon could become more robust for public school students in Richmond while schools are closed.
