Thursday, October 28
Traffic concerns lead to removal of several curb planters on Brookland Park Boulevard
A battle over traffic safety measures in North Side has ended in at least a partial win for supporters of on-street vehicle parking in business districts.
‘Preserve a woman’s right to choose’
Life is full of choices. From the decision to follow a particular faith to the adoption of a distinct world view, our civil liberties have been exercised since the conception of this nation. And with the new Texas abortion law that went into effect Sept. 1, our freedom to choose has been stripped away from us.
Richmond casino ‘will exploit Black families’
In our lives, it is rare to live, much less participate in, a watershed moment. But the Richmond casino referendum may be such a moment.
Black turnout is key in high-stakes Va. election, by Keauna Gregory and Alexsis Rodgers
As Virginia’s statewide general election approaches on Tuesday, Nov. 2, let’s re- member what happens when Black people get to the polls and vote.
Chesapeake elementary schoolteacher named Virginia Teacher of the Year
Daphne Tamara Fulson, a second-grade teacher from Port- lock Primary School in Chesapeake, has been named the 2022 Virginia Teacher of the Year.
Panel on the Civil War and the African-American perspective Nov. 4
How can the history of the Civil War be taught without treating the Black experience as an “add on”?
RVA Black Farmers Market Oct. 31 at VUU
Virginia Union University will host its first farmers’ market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at Hovey Stadium.
Grand opening of Sankofa Community Garden slated for Oct. 29
A 2-acre park that includes 80 fruit trees will officially open to the public at noon Friday, Oct. 29, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, it has been announced.
World Series gets underway with the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez and Eddie Rosario celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month a little late by leading their teams to the World Series.
Big 10 football rivalry creates George Jewett Trophy
George Jewett broke the Big 10 color barrier away back in the ’90s—the 1890s, that is.
Things looking ‘bullish’ for NSU’s Justin Smith
Justin Smith seems destined to make his name on Wall Street. But for now, the native Richmonder is quite content watching his own football stock soar like a rocket at Norfolk State University since arriving a few years ago as a lightly recruited freshman out of Benedictine College Preparatory.
VSU basks in homecoming victory before readying for Chowan this weekend
Virginia State University now has its foot firmly on the gas, speeding toward what might be a winning season.
Tennessee city adds statue honoring Black Civil War soldiers
Four years ago, a deadly white supremacist riot in Charlottesville, Va., led pastors in the Tennessee city of Franklin to call for the removal of a Confederate monument in their town square. A lawsuit and political maneuverings made that impractical, but a local leader of a Civil War history nonprofit had a different idea.
Memorial service set for wife of former Councilman Hilbert Nov. 3
A memorial service for Sheila Kavanagh Mandt, the late wife of former Richmond City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert, will take place 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 815 E. Grace St., Mr. Hilbert has announced.
Activists demand greater public accountability from Richmond Federal Reserve Bank
The streets of Richmond’s financial district echoed with calls for accountability last week as activists gathered outside the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond to call for better transparency and representation following a series of scandals among the nation’s banking leadership.
City Hall moves forward with year-round shelter
City Hall is taking significant steps toward creating a year-round shelter to serve the homeless during extremely cold, hot or stormy weather.
Mayor strikes conciliatory tone on design funds for new George Wythe High
A speedy resolution? That may be on the way for a funding roadblock that could disrupt the Richmond School Board’s plan to hire an architectural firm in mid-November to begin the design for a replacement George Wythe High School.
New program will award 25 Henrico students full-tuition scholarships to VUU
Virginia Union University and Henrico County Public Schools have partnered to establish “VUU Henrico Scholars,” a new program that will award full, four-year tuition scholarships to 25 eighth- graders to attend the university when they graduate in 2026.
Congressional redistricting also heads to Va. Supreme Court
The Virginia Supreme Court just got a new assignment: Draw new boundaries for Virginia’s 11 congressional districts based on results of the 2020 Census.
City employees will pay more for health insurance in 2022
City Hall employees will face an average increase of 17 percent in the cost of health insurance effective Jan. 1, with significant new limits on coverage for retiring workers, according to a report to City Council.
City Council Oks plan for $155M in federal American Rescue Plan funds
Richmond is preparing to pour $64 million into the develop- ment of new and improved community recreation centers in the East End, South Side and Gilpin Court.
Artist vows to restore vandalized Ashe mural in Battery Park
“We’re planning to make it bigger and better,” vowed Sir James Thornhill, the lead artist in creating a mural honoring to the late tennis great, humanitarian and Richmond native Arthur Ashe Jr. in Battery Park in North Side.
Vacancies continue to rise in Richmond Police Department
The Richmond Police Department is continuing to shrink in size.
Saturday, Oct. 30 is deadline to vote early in person
Voters in the Metro Richmond area will be able to vote early in person through this weekend, with polling places in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover open on Saturday, Oct. 30. After Saturday, voters will have to cast their ballots at the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2. Polls across Virginia will be open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday.
Herring seeks third term, battles challenger Miyares in attorney general race
Do Virginia voters want an activist attorney general who is ready to use the office’s legal firepower to battle housing discrimination, protect workers’ rights, defend abortion rights for women and pursue criminal justice reform?
2 women of color battling it out to become next lieutenant governor
History will be made on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, when the race for lieutenant governor is decided.
Murder trial of three white men in the death of jogger Ahmaud Abery refocuses national spotlight
The glare of the national spotlight is focused on this small city of 16,000 on the Georgia coast that is the now epicenter of the sensational racial profiling trial of three white men accused of murder in the slaying of an unarmed Black jogger, Ahmaud M. Arbery, who was running in their neighborhood.
Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute offers sense of empowerment to program participants
Richmonder Karla Almendarez-Ramos says her professional and personal life have been enhanced by the empowerment of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute.
VUU gets crushed by Bowie State, but still has chance for 2nd place in CIAA
Virginia Union University so needed its “A” game to upset Bowie State University. Instead, it settled for a “D”—short for disappointment.
Historic Mount Olivet Cemetery in South Side to receive state funds for maintenance
A historic city-owned Black cemetery in South Side has received a state grant to assist with maintenance of 4,617 graves.
Rev. Herbert R. Plummer Sr., retired pastor of Swansboro Baptist Church, dies at 86
The Rev. Herbert Ralph Plummer Sr., who led Swansboro Baptist Church in South Side for 47 years, has died.
Personality: Tonie Stevens
Spotlight on co-founder and board president of FETCH a Cure
Pets are just as vulnerable to illness and cancer as any living creature, and Tonie Stevens is working to further public awareness about pet cancer and treatment.
Jury selection begins in federal lawsuit against white supremacist organizers of deadly Charlottesville ‘Unite the Right’ rally
The violence at the white nationalists “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017 shocked the nation, with people beaten to the ground, lighted torches thrown at counterdemonstrators and a self- proclaimed Hitler admirer ramming his car into a crowd, killing a woman and injuring dozens more.
Nearing finish line: Former President Obama brings last minute boost to Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign
Former President Obama brought a welcome gift to Democrat Terry McAuliffe in his campaign for governor – a surge of energy ahead of Election Day next Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Turnout expected to be key in race for governor
Virginia is for lovers of close elections, as one wag put it, and one more is just about to happen.
Thursday, October 21
‘Slave Trail Commission became a sham’
Re “Defunct: Richmond Slave Trail Com- mission, formed in 1998 by City Council to advocate for educating people about the en- slaved and the city’s long and sordid history with slavery, no longer exists,” Free Press Oct. 14-16 edition:
‘Transition by the Slave Trail Commission was not because of dysfunction’
Re “Defunct: Richmond Slave Trail Commission, formed in 1998 by City Council to advocate for educating people about the enslaved and the city’s long and sordid history with slavery, no longer exists,” Free Press Oct. 14-16 edition:
Rev. Sharpton endorses Richmond casino
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 teaches us that there is a time for everything, and that God is the ultimate authority on everything under the sun. God has created stages which we call seasons for the various cycles of all life. And while humans have learned to master many aspects of life, the one area that God retains total control of is time. Only in God’s infinite mercy can we experience the best time to achieve certain undertakings when and if we are able to recognize those best times.
Protect and promote Black economic and political independence, by A. Peter Bailey
In an August 1992 column, I noted the need for Black folks to focus more on achieving economic and political independence.
9/11 touring exhibit gives insight into terrorist attacks, plays tribute to fallen
A free traveling exhibit paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks will be on display in Richmond through Monday, Oct. 25.
Poet Claudia Rankine talks about CRT and microaggressions at UR forum
Acclaimed poet and author Claudia Rankine emphasized the importance of critical race theory and the impact of microaggressions in her recent keynote address to the Weinstein-Rosenthal Forum on Faith, Ethics & Global Society at the University of Richmond.
Chicago Sky wins first WNBA championship
Candace Parker returned home to bring Chicago a championship. She did just that, leading the Chicago Sky to the franchise’s first WNBA title.
Study estimates slavery museum would cost up to $220M
A hefty price tag would be attached to creating a national slavery museum on the site of the “Devil’s Half Aacre,” a once notorious slave jail that Richmonder Robert Lumpkin operated before the Civil War and that later became the birthplace of Virginia Union University.
SWAC and Pac-12 ink agreement
The historically Black Southwestern Athletic Conference, or SWAC, and the Pacific-12 Conference, or Pac-12, have shaken hands on a historic scheduling agreement.
Henrico recognizes Highland Springs football pioneer Ronald White
When Ronald White first went out for football at Highland Springs High School in 1966, he readily discovered he looked different from everyone else.
VCU to meet VSU Nov. 1 at the Siegel Center
A hoops rivalry that began more than a half century ago will be renewed Monday, Nov. 1, when Virginia Commonwealth University hosts Virginia State University in an exhibition game. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at a likely jam-packed Siegel Center on the VCU campus.
Confluence of circumstances causes John Marshall to cancel rest of football season
Problems were popping up all over.
VSU looking to Saturday’s homecoming; boost in win column
Virginia State University’s returning alumni and friends could be in store for some offensive fireworks this Saturday, Oct. 23, at Rogers Stadium in Ettrick.
RRHA board begins process to redevelop Mosby Court South
Dr. Basil I. Gooden is the new chairman of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s nine-member Board of Commissioners.
$3.4M in federal rent relief has aided families in RRHA housing
Virginia’s rent relief program is providing real relief to public housing tenants in Richmond who have fallen months behind in paying rent due to the pandemic.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Oct. 23
This Saturday, Oct. 23, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It’s a time to dispose of unused or expired medications—especially opioids—before they are misused, abused or accidentally ingested.
Win with ONE Casino
Like most cities, Richmond loves big shiny new projects because they symbolize progress.
School Board voices support for collective bargaining; opts for committee
Eight members of the Richmond School Board vocally expressed support Monday night for authorizing collective bargaining of a new contract between Superintendent Jason Kamras and his staff and a union that secures majority support from teachers and other employees.
Crusade endorses candidates
The Richmond Crusade for Voters is marking its 65th anniversary by urging voters to support the ONE Casino + Resort and the Democratic ticket in the Nov. 2 election.
City voters will cast ballots for constitutional officers — commonwealth’s attorney, sheriff and treasurer
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette W. McEachin is unopposed in her bid for re-election to a four-year term.
House District 27: Delegate Roxann L. Robinson, Republican (incumbent) vs. Debra D. Gardner, Democrat
Only two precincts in Richmond are in House District 27. They lie in the area of South Side near Chesterfield County, which comprises the lion’s share of the district.
House District 74: Delegate Lamont Bagby, Democrat (incumbent) vs. James L. “Jimmy” Brooks, Republican
Delegate Lamont Bagby, who has represented House District 74 since 2015, is being challenged by political novice Republican James L. “Jimmy” Brooks.
House District 73: Delegate Rodney T. Willett, Democrat (incumbent) vs. Mary Margaret Kastelberg, Republican
Delegate Rodney T. Willett will be seeking a second term representing House District 73, running against the same opponent as in 2019 – Republican Mary Margaret Kastelberg.
House District 71: Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne, Democrat (incumbent) vs. Nancye A. Hunter, Republican
Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne is seeking re-election to House District 71, which he has represented since 2017. He is facing a challenge from Republican Nancye A. Hunter, a political novice.
House District 70: Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, Democrat (incumbent) vs. David B. Vaught, Independent
Democratic Delegate Delores L. McQuinn is facing the first challenger for her seat representing House District 70 since 2009.
House District 69: Delegate Betsy B. Carr, Democrat (incumbent) vs. Dr. Sheila M. Furey, Republican
Delegate Betsy B. Carr is looking to secure a seventh term in the House of Delegates in a district that is solidly Democratic.
House District 68: Delegate Dawn M. Adams, Democrat (incumbent) vs. Mark Earley Jr., Republican
Delegate Dawn M. Adams, who was first elected to represent House District 68 in 2017, has a tough challenger in Republican Mark Earley Jr.
With legislative control at stake, House of Delegates races take on more urgency
Can Democrats hold the Virginia House of Delegates after two years of control?
Where to vote
Voters in the Metro Richmond area will be able to vote early in person this weekend, with polling places in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover open on Saturday, Oct. 23.
Need a ride to the polls?
Need a ride to the polls to vote? Local and national groups are again providing options.
Wanda Gill gives back to alma mater with $10,000 gift to VUU Alumni Association
Homecoming is always a big time for alumni to get together, have fun, reminisce and support their alma mater.
VUU defeats Cowan; next up, Bowie State
Virginia Union University finally has a bold-letter victory. Now it needs to add another and another and another.
Gang demands $17M ransom for 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti
A gang that kidnapped 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group has demanded a $17 million ransom for them, according to Haiti’s justice minister, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal.
Retired pediatrician Dr. Cynthia Charity succumbs at 73
Dr. Cynthia Anne McClennon Charity sought to keep a generation of Richmond children healthy.
Personality: Monica L. Darden
Spotlight on honorary chair of the AKA Sorority’s 15th Annual Sauté and Sizzle
Things are getting a bit spicy as Monica L. Darden nears the end of the first year of her term as president of the Rho Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Gen. Colin Powell and his legacy in the struggle
As an American leader, Gen. Colin Powell’s credentials were impeccable: He was national security adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs and secretary of state. But his legacy as the first Black person in those roles is murkier, with some African-Americans saying that his voice on their behalf could have been louder.
Crackdown
Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights goes after possible housing discrimination by filing 13 lawsuits against 29 area companies that allegedly refused to accept renters using federal housing vouc
Owners and operators of apartment complexes in Richmond and across the state commonly have rejected rental applications from people using federal government-backed Housing Choice Vouchers to pay.
Top Dems energize Va. voters to turn out for McAuliffe
With the clock winding down to Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe is calling in the national heavy-hitters to get voters to turn out to the polls.
Thursday, October 14
Remembering Gabriel and the enslaved
More than 220 years after Gabriel planned a rebellion against his enslavers in Henrico in 1800, more than 80 people gathered at the site in Shockoe Bottom where he was executed and where roughly 22,000 other African-Americans of that time are buried.
‘Vote now!’
As an activist and engaged pastor, I am appalled at the lack of voter excitement in the Black community.
Remedies for years of neglect, by Marc H. Morial
Filibuster. Cloture. Reconciliation. The chatter surrounding President Biden’s landmark infrastructure investment and Build Back Better agenda seems endlessly focused on the legislative process, on political maneuvering, on faceless numbers taken out of context.
Why I went to jail Oct. 5, by Ben Jealous
Sometimes friends have to hold friends accountable. That’s why I got arrested outside the White House on Oct. 5. I was there with other civil rights and religious leaders to call on President Biden to do more to protect voting rights that are under attack.
Lines form to taste Richmond ice cream queen’s winning creation
The line was long, but Richmonders had the opportunity to finally taste and enjoy the new prize-winning Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor created by Richmond’s own Rabia Kamara.
Russell Wilson sidelined with injury
Russell Wilson, among the most talented and durable quarterbacks in NFL history, will be taking some time off to mend.
St. Christopher’s standout Andre Greene Jr. among top national prospects
Andre Greene Jr. checks all the boxes.
VSU to take on dreaded Bowie State after trouncing Elizabeth City State
Virginia State University’s football offense has sprung to life at just the right time.
Va. redistricting commission fails to agree on boundary changes for state legislative districts
The Virginia Supreme Court will do it. The state’s highest court has been handed the constitutional task of redesigning the boundaries of the 100 state House of Delegates and 40 state Senate districts.
3 City Council districts likely to see boundary changes
Redistricting could end up being a breeze for Richmond City Council.
Wrinkle in process means RPS doesn’t have access to city-managed school construction money
Richmond Public Schools has hit an unexpected roadblock on its way to hiring an architectural team to design a replacement for decaying George Wythe High School.
$22.3M: The amount the city expects the surplus to be from 2020-21 fiscal year
A $22.3 million surplus, equal to $96 for every man, woman and child in Richmond.
New programs at George Wythe and John Marshall aimed at boosting student achievement
George Wythe and John Marshall high schools are big winners of the Virginia Department of Education’s 21st century Community Learning Center grants.
School Board members introduce teacher collective bargaining resolution
Is collective bargaining coming to Richmond Public Schools?
Community Vaccination Center opens at Richmond Raceway
A reinstated mass vaccination clinic at Richmond Raceway on Laburnum Avenue got off to a busy, though rocky start this week, with officials promising a quick adjustment to accommodate the unexpected demand for shots.
Kaine-Holton household split on casino
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine gave casino opponents a boost when he announced that he had voted against the proposed South Side gambling mecca.
Area leaders talk about the next steps for Richmond in the post-Confederate monument era
The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee may be gone from Monument Avenue, but the work to create a better Richmond continues.
Former City Councilman Chuck Richardson tells all in new book, ‘Cease Fire! Cease Fire!’
He was the man called Chuck when he served on Richmond City Council.
VUU rolls over Lincoln 32-0; faces Chowan this Saturday
Virginia Union University celebrated its homecoming in festive fashion. Now it hopes to play party pooper on an opponent’s special occasion.
Archaeologists uncover remnants of one of nation’s first Black churches in Williamsburg
The brick foundation of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches has been unearthed at Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum that continues to reckon with its past storytelling about the country’s origins and the role of Black Americans.
Personality: Elwood ‘Coach Pat’ Patterson Jr.
Spotlight on co-founder of the East End Boxing Club
Everyone needs an emotional outlet to cool off, unwind or clear their head of life’s troubles. For Richmond youths, the East End Boxing Club offers a unique way to re-center their minds and improve their bodies, courtesy of Elwood Patterson Jr.
Grandparents may hold key to overcoming COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Black seniors who themselves are vaccinated could be the trusted messengers the community needs to push the COVID-19 vaccination, public health experts said at a recent news briefing.
Defunct
Richmond Slave Trail Commission, formed in 1998 by City Council to advocate for educating people about the enslaved and the city’s long and sordid history with slavery, no longer exists
The Richmond Slave Trail Commission – an advocacy group created by Richmond City Council to raise awareness of the role slavery played in the capital city’s history – is defunct.
Former President Obama, First Lady Jill Biden, other big-name Dems to stump for McAuliffe
Former President Obama and other prominent Democrats are headed to Virginia in a bid to rally voters for the party’s candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe.
Thursday, October 7
Doubling down
Alfred C. Liggins III and Urban One go all in to win voter approval of the $565M casino project proposed for South Side. The referendum is Nov. 2, with early voting going on now.
Do you want a gambling casino built on a 100-acre commercial property in the South Side?
Dissatisfied voter calls for write-in support
I am very dissatisfied at the choice of candidates we have for governor this fall. There are many Virginians who don’t trust Republican Glenn Youngkin for governor and believe he is a RINO, a Republican in Name Only.
Republicans and the Santa Claus strategy
Re: Editorial “Playing politics,” Free Press Sept. 30-Oct. 2 edition:
Police policing themselves, by David W. Marshall
I wish Cariol Horne had been on the scene when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes. If she had, George Floyd may be alive today.
U.S. asylum policy needs to be clear, by Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Today, the makeshift migrant border camp in Del Rio, Texas, is virtually empty, cleared of thousands of Haitian refugees who went there seeking asylum in America. State troopers now line the border area to discourage others from gathering.
Captain Kirk of ‘Star Trek’ fame to rocket into space next week
Actor William Shatner, who is known for his long- time role as Captain Kirk on “Star Trek,” is rocketing into space this month — boldly going where no other sci-fi actors have gone.
Elegba Folklore Society to host cultural history tour Oct. 9
The Elegba Folklore Society is hosting a cultural history tour exposing some of the city’s and state’s hidden history at noon Saturday, Oct. 9, beginning at the society’s Cultural Center, 101 E. Broad St.
Folk Festival returns to city this weekend
Following an all-virtual event last year, the Richmond Folk Festival is set to return in person to the Downtown riverfront Friday, Oct. 8, to Sunday, Oct. 10.
Waller glides into QB role for VSU; next up, battle of the coaches, both former NFL players
D’Vonte Waller led Highland Springs High School to two state championships. Now it seems he may be the quarterback to lead Virginia State University out of a rough patch.
Cold meals another hot topic at School Board meeting; new vendor sought
Most students in Richmond elementary schools started receiving hot meals on Monday, just hours before the Richmond School Board met and voted unanimously to rescind the $12.9 million food contract awarded during the summer to Illinois-based Preferred Meals to provide breakfast and lunch.
Dejected Panthers hoping for homecoming win Saturday against Lincoln
Virginia Union University’s road to football riches has grown long and bumpy, but there is still a lane to the top.
Religious groups call for commission on Indian boarding school policy
A number of Catholic groups and Protestant denominations are calling for the United States to establish a Truth and Healing Commission to reckon with the country’s history of boarding schools that separated thousands of Indigenous children from their families and cultures during the 19th and 20th centuries.
RPS students testing positive for COVID-19 told to quarantine for 21 days
Richmond students who have tested positive for COVID-19 are being kept away from in-person learning for up to 21 days – at least a week longer than the 14 days that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, the Free Press has been told.
Fewer Black youths in Richmond getting vaccinated, officials find
Richmond health officials are working to address the latest disparity in COVID-19 vaccinations, a racial difference among children.
VSU requiring proof of vaccination to attend athletic events
Want to go to Virginia State University’s homecoming football game on Oct. 23? What about the “Take a Kid to the Game” day this Saturday, Oct. 9, at Rogers Stadium on the Ettrick campus? If so, make sure you take your COVID-19 vaccination card with you. VSU officials announced last week that, effective immediately, all guests at Rogers Stadium and other campus athletic events are required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination before entry. The new requirement is part of an effort to ensure the health and wellness of the VSU community and campus visitors. “Right now, our campus has an infection rate below 1 percent,” stated Peggy Davis, VSU’s associate vice president for intercollegiate athletics. “Our goal is to maintain or even reduce our already low positivity rate in an effort to eradicate the virus on campus all together. At all times, the safety of our students comes first and this step further demonstrates that as our priority.” Anyone 18 and older will need to provide proof of vaccina- tion, along with a photo I.D. Masks also are required to be worn outdoors at VSU, except when eating or drinking. University officials stated that the requirements will be enforced, including at the homecoming game against Lincoln University.
Crusade for Voters to celebrate 65th anniversary with banquet Oct. 14
The Richmond Crusade for Voters, the area’s oldest Black political group, will mark its 65th anniversary with a scholarship banquet 6 p.m. next Thursday, Oct. 14, it has been announced.
DMV reopens for walk-in service without appointments
Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles offices are reopening for walk-in service three days a week.
Registrar issues reminder about witness signature for mail-in ballots
Richmond Voter Registrar Keith G. Balmer on Wednesday warned that voters using mail-in ballots to vote in the Nov. 2 election must have the return envelope countersigned by a witness — a requirement that was suspended before the governor ended the pandemic emergency during the summer.
City Council signals support for plans for American Rescue Plan money
As Mayor Levar M. Stoney proposed, four community recreation centers will get a major chunk of the $155 million flowing into Richmond’s treasury from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
RPS graduation rate improves; no longer the lowest in state
Richmond Public Schools no longer has the lowest on-time graduation rate in Virginia.
Surprised again, Richmond’s Ashley Bland named state Region 1 Teacher of the Year
Ashley S. Bland thought she was giving a simple tour Monday of the outdoor environmental learning center she helped create at John B. Cary Elementary to Gov. Ralph S. Northam and his wife, First Lady Pamela Northam, Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Richmond schools Superintendent Jason Kamras and Richmond School Board Chairwoman Cheryl L. Burke.
’Surviving COVID: Local author details battle her husband endured and she waged against the virus
He survived. This is the detail that Charlene Warner Coleman wants Richmond — and the world, really — to know about her husband, Ed Coleman, and his near-death battle with COVID-19 during the pandemic’s early stages in 2020 when the hope of a vaccine was moving into a national reality.
30 years after testimony, Anita Hill still waits for change
America had yet to really understand sexual harassment when Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas in front of an all-male U.S. Senate panel in October 1991. He was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court anyway, but Ms. Hill’s work was just beginning.
Henrietta Lacks estate sues company using her ‘stolen’ cells
COLLEGE PARK, Md. The estate of Henrietta Lacks sued a biotechnology company on Monday, accusing it of sell- ing cells that doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took from the Black woman in 1951 without her knowledge or consent as part of “a racially unjust medical system.”
VCUarts building now named for late dean Dr. Murry N. DePillars
The sound of jazz broke through the commotion of traffic and people on West Broad Street as the sun set on the city last Thursday. Bands played outside and within the former Virginia Commonwealth University Fine Arts Building at 1000 W. Broad St. as guests gathered for a ceremony officially renaming the building after Dr. Murry N. DePillars, the late dean of VCUarts.
Bubba Wallace claims victory, history as first Black to win NASCAR Cup Series since 1963
The hard part wasn’t dodging his way around a crash and then driving to the front of the field at Talladega Superspeedway. That was just instinct for Bubba Wallace.
Pat Robertson retiring at 91 from ‘The 700 Club’
Pat Robertson, who turned Christian TV into political power — and blew it up with wacky prophecy — announced last week his intention to retire as daily host of “The 700 Club.”
Personality: Omari Kijana Al-Qadaffi
Spotlight on recipient of Housing and Racial Justice Commendation from the National Housing Law Project
During a time where millions of people remain at risk of eviction in a pandemic, in a city that gained notice nationally for the second highest eviction rate in the country before COVID-19, Omari Kijana Al-Qadaffi has been a constant presence as a community organizer and housing advocate.
Pharrell Williams says ‘toxic energy’ tanked 2nd ‘Something in the Water’ in Va. Beach
Hometown or no hometown, music superstar Pharrell Wil- liams is pulling his hugely successful “Something in the Water” music festival out of Virginia Beach.
