Thursday, September 28
Civil rights, labor unions back casino campaign
The current campaign to win Richmond voter support for $562 million casino, resort and entertainment complex has secured support from civil rights groups and a big thumbs up from the labor unions that will build it.
47 acres and a dream
Developer seeks to expand family’s legacy in Tappahannock with housing for seniors, workers
Business is in Shiree Monterio’s blood.
Quincy Jones receives State Department’s first Peace Through Music Award
Quincy Jones, who once embarked on an international diplomatic tour with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, will receive the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Peace Through Music Award. A ceremony honoring the 28-time Grammy winning producer, musician and arranger will be held Wednesday night and as part of the launch of the State Department’s new Global Music
House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as Senate pushes ahead to avert federal shutdown
As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: Approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open.
Pernell Calhoun Taylor Jr. remembered
Sports was a big element of education for Pernell Calhoun Taylor Jr.
Richmond area events celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year to acknowledge the history and contributions of individuals with roots in Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean.
Bringing people together one conversation at a time
StoryCorps’ One Small Step, a national effort pairing strangers with opposing political views to get to know each other through conversation, will record conversations at the Library of Virginia Oct. 2-6. The program seeks individuals in the Metro Richmond area who would like to participate in the conversations.
Black voices and stories celebrated during Richmond’s recent Afrikana film festival
During the The 8th Annual Afrikana Film Festival Sept. 14-17 in Richmond, stories of Black and Brown people were told through a global lens with more than 50 films, several workshops, panel discussions and dining events.
Lights and cameras
The 8th Afrikana Film Festival recently presented the premier of its first film production “Ninki Nanka” on Sept. 16. The film was written by revel denkyem, directed by LeRon Lee, and produced in partnership with Oakwood Arts and VPM.
Can’t beat it
The Philadelphia Eagles‘tush push’ is becoming the NFL’s most unstoppable play
The most unstoppable play in the NFL was on full display under the bright lights Monday night.
TJ’s win streak keeps flying by opponents
Vikings v. Justices Friday at Hovey Field
With Rashaud Cherry’s steady hands on the steering wheel, Thomas Jefferson High School has its GPS set on “all the way to the top.” The Vikings have taken off so fast you wonder if they’ve left patches of burned rubber along Richmond’s West End roadways.
Ronald Acuna’s impressive homers, steals MVP-worthy
Combining power plus speed like few others, Ronald Acuna Jr. has joined one of baseball’s most prestigious fraternities — “The 40-40 Club.” On Sept. 22, the Atlanta Braves leadoff hitting right fielder became just the fifth in history to accumulate at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season.
Trojans big man Bruno super sizes offense
All capital letters and an exclamation point are needed to describe Virginia State University’s offensive left tackle. Bruno Onwuazor is not just big; he’s BIG!
Rain is a pain for Panthers
On a night when players needed windshield wipers on their face masks, Virginia Union University veered off course and eventually went under.
Voter registration drives
Members of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority are doing their part to help area residents register to vote in the upcoming General Assembly elections on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Virginia NAACP endorses Richmond Grand project
The NAACP Virginia State Confer- ence (Virginia NAACP) is joining the Richmond Branch NAACP in endorsing the Richmond Grand project in the city of Richmond and encouraging Richmond residents to vote “yes” for the casino referendum on Nov. 7.
Dismantling ‘separate but equal’, by David W. Marshall
As a sitting vice president, it remains to be seen if Kamala Harris will eventually follow the political pathway of Joe Biden and ultimately ascend to the highest office in the nation.
Class warfare always has existed, by Julianne Malveaux
The United Auto Workers and the Big Three automobile manufacturers – Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis haven’t been able to agree on worker compensa- tion, and no wonder. The UAW leader, Shawn Fein, is fiercely committed that workers should be better compensated and should recoup some of the concessions they made to manufacturers when the automobile industry was in trouble in 2009. On the other side, the CEOs of the big three are touting their “generous” offer to the union, claiming they’d be bankrupt if they met union demands, and using terms such as “class warfare” to describe the current stalemate.
There’s something about Richmond
For the past several weeks, film lovers have had their choice of movies to watch while enjoying a day or evening in the city. From the Afrikana Independent Film Festival Sept. 14-17, this week’s 12th Annual Richmond International Film Festival, and the upcoming Sitelines BLM Action Film Festival, Richmond is awash in a range of festivals and themes designed to make you think, offer diversity and provide opportunities for filmmakers to have their work seen and celebrated.
Four teachers but no students
Four Richmond Public Schools teachers have been assigned to teach in empty classrooms at the Richmond Technical Center, the school system has confirmed.
Council changes housing zoning policies
Richmond is taking a swing at boosting the supply of housing in hopes of stabilizing the soaring costs that are making it hugely expensive to rent or own.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
City’s switch to VRS approved
Richmond city employees could soon have the option of becoming members of the Virginia Retirement System.
HumanKind’s direct cash funds may soon dry up
Concern is growing over the dwindling money in a family crisis fund that Richmond created to provide direct cash payments.
People’s tribunal on state prisons scheduled for Oct. 7
Hundreds are expected to attend an Oct. 7 discussion about how Virginia treats incarcerated and detained men and women.
Council: Sheltering the unsheltered during Ophelia did not work well
Richmond is rated by the National Weather Service as a storm-ready community. But when Tropical Storm Ophelia was about to hit, the city’s emergency shelter seemed less than prepared to provide a refuge for people like Robert Harrison, 23, and Ron Thomas, 38, who are homeless.
Downpour fails to dampen Trojans’ 33-0 victory over Livingstone
Williams plus Williams has added up to four victories and zero defeats for Virginia State University football. Romelo and Jimmyll Williams aren’t siblings but do share a common talent – getting the Trojans into the end zone.
Richard Samuel “Major” Reynolds III, corporate leader, civil rights advocate and philanthropist, dies
Richard Samuel “Major” Reynolds III lived his life by an axiom of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, who said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Mr. Reynold died Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, at age 89.
Personality: Darius A. Johnson
Spotlight on Medical College of Virginia Foundation board chair
Darius A. Johnson says the heart of who he is as a person can be traced to his parents, Jerome J. Johnson and Roslyn A. Johnson, and his sister, Leslie N. Johnson.
Thursday, September 21
Huguenot High School gymnasium honors Bo Jones Sr.
From now on, every time a basketball fan enters the Huguenot High School gym, they will be reminded of one of the Falcons’ most successful and beloved coaches.
Finding a safe space
Virginia State University will host a free discussion focused on African-American men and mental health as part of several HBCU Across America forums participating in Real Talk Drives Real Change events.
Run Richmond 2023 is a race for Black history
RUN RICHMOND 16.19, the cultural running and walking event hosted by the Djimon Hounsou Foundation in collaboration with the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and Sports Backers takes place Sept. 30.
Richmond International Film Festival returns
Filmmaking and musical guests from around the world will be in Richmond for the 12th Annual Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF). The six-day festival will kick off on Tuesday, Sept. 26, with film premieres, live music performances, panel discussions and more.
NCAA rules against VCU’s Joe Bamisile
The VCU basketball team will likely be missing a key ingredient this upcoming season. Joe Bamisile’s waiver for eligibility has been rejected by the NCAA. That means he will not be permitted to suit up for the 2023-24 season.
Soccer takes off at VSU
Virginia State University women’s soccer is kicking off a new era in Ettrick ... and even has an early victory and a tie to its credit.
RRHA gets REAL about reducing gun violence
A crime-reduction initiative that Mayor Levar M. Stoney has spurned apparently will come to Richmond after all. The city’s housing authority is partnering with the nonprofit REAL LIFE to implement the same initiative in Richmond that is credited with dramatically cutting shootings and violent crime in Hopewell.
On a mission: LifeNet’s quest to increase organ donations
Black Virginians make up half of the patients on the state’s organ transplant waiting list, despite accounting for 19% of the population
“Don’t take your organs to heaven — heaven knows we need them here.” This phrase, commonly used by organ donation advocates, stuck with Donnetta Quarles-Reese when she first saw it on bumper stickers and license plates in her youth. It would stay with her in the decades that followed, when she agreed to donate the organs of her daughter Clarke Danielle and her husband Charles Michael after their deaths in 2007 and 2017, respectively.
Personality: Sylvia Clute
Spotlight on The Alliance for Unitive Justice president
When former trial attorney Sylvia Clute read the book “A Course in Miracles” in 1987, her concept of justice shifted.
Willard Bailey Classic
Panthers return for first home game of season
Bye bye cramped bus seat. Hello Hovey Field. Finally, the road-weary, yet road-conquering Virginia Union University Panthers will merely have to stroll across Lombardy Street to play a football game. Now 3-0 after three long bus rides, Coach Alvin Parker’s squad will play host to Fayetteville State 6 p.m. Saturday under the Hovey lights. It also will serve as the Willard Bailey Classic, honoring the former (and still avid supporter) who posted a 157-73-6 record in two stints of duty, 1971-1983 and 1995-03.
‘Walk Through Fire’
Sheila Johnson’s memoir explores love, loss and triumph
For four days and three nights in mid-August, Sheila Crump Johnson, cofounder of Black Entertainment Television and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, hosted hundreds of guests at her 340-acre Salamander Resort and Spa near Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Winter shelter’s opening may be delayed
A planned 150-bed winter shelter for Richmond’s homeless population may not open until Dec. 1, or well after freezing temperatures could hit the city, it has been learned.
Early voting begins Sept. 22
The next election is the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and early voting for this election begins tomorrow and ends Nov. 4.
VCU names Faye Belgrave as vice president, chief diversity officer
Faye Belgrave, Ph.D., a respected scholar, author and equity advocate, has been named vice president and chief diversity officer at Virginia Commonwealth University, effective Oct. 23.
Richmond employees gain new benefits
In a bid to ramp up retention of current workers and recruiting of new workers to fill hundreds of vacancies, City Hall plans to improve benefits offered to employees in the area of workforce training and home purchase assistance. Topping the list is a new partnership between the city government and Reynolds Community College’s Community College Workforce Alliance.
RPS approves changes in selection process for three high schools
In an effort to enable more underprivileged students to attend Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, Richmond Community High School and Open High, the Richmond School Board approved changes for admissions to those schools on Monday.
RPS names new leadership at McClenney and Overby-Sheppard elementaries
Richmond Public Schools recently announced two new interim principals.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
Family of Irvo Otieno agrees to $8.5M settlement
The family of a man who died while handcuffed and pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes as he was being admitted to a Virginia psychiatric hospital has reached an $8.5 million settlement with the state and the county and sheriff whose deputies were involved in restraining him. A judge approved the out-of-court wrongful death settlement Tuesday, according to an agreement filed in Henrico County Circuit Court.
New agreement appears to move forward Diamond District, stadium
A breakthrough in negotiations has put the $2.4 billion Diamond District deal back on track, the Free Press has learned.
Virginia Organizing challenges Youngkin’s voting rights move
The Charlottesville-based grassroots group Virginia Organizing plans to lead a public march and protest in Richmond at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, to protest Republican Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin’s rollback of the virtually automatic restoration of voting rights for released felons, it has been announced
Report details City jail stabbing
The dangers at the Richmond City Justice Center were re-emphasized Monday when one prisoner repeatedly stabbed another in the head around 6 a.m. Monday as breakfast was being served, according to internal reports the Free Press obtained.
Community festival with a focus on health
VCU’s Massey Cancer is throwing an open-to-everyone family-friendly carnival from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St.
Justice and accountability needed in Irvo Otieno’s death
Yesterday’s announcement about a settlement being reached in the case of Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man who died while being restrained at a Virginia psychiatric hospital, elevates discussions about the need for mental health and policing reforms.
Vote early and make your voice heard
As the upcoming Nov. 7 elections in Virginia draw near, it is essential that every eligible citizen exercise his or her right to vote.
Hardball game of politics, by Clarence Page
Like numerous other folks who did not support Mitt Romney’s election when he was challenging then-President Barack Obama in 2012, I think he looks a lot better to me now than he did then — and not just because he decided to retire from the Senate.
Saving planet matter of choice, by Ben Jealous
There’s a phrase you hear from business schools to board rooms that comes from L. John Doerr, a legendary investor who backed Google, Amazon and Intuit: Measure what matters. Those words certainly jumped to mind this summer as leaders from Washington to London sent signals that protecting a safe, livable planet hardly matters because it’s not worth accounting for accurately and honestly.
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center’s new designation driven by the community, by Dr. Robert A. Winn
Building engines for General Motors was going to be my one-way ticket to the other side of the tracks. Growing up, I dreamt of getting that job at the plant in my working class Buffalo, N.Y., neighborhood, earning a steady paycheck and setting myself up for life. It didn’t even occur to me to look beyond the borders of familiarity because I had no idea how I would get there. Eventually higher education came into play and medicine found me. But I’m still one part M.D. and one part M.C., connected to that kid down the block who knew there was something bigger out there, even if it seemed out of reach.
New plans in place for 2 Richmond cemeteries
Richmond is getting a thumbs up from the community for its plan to take over the historic Evergreen and East End cemeteries on the city’s East Side, but only if volunteer groups are kept in the loop.
VCU forum addresses HBCUs
“HBCUs and the Absence of Support” will address the funding gap for Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the 2023 Wilder Symposium Sept. 28 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Trojans’ transfer sparks hot start
Romelo Williams is starting to pile up statistics while Virginia State University is piling up victories.
Thursday, September 14
Passing the ball
John Marshall basketball hall of famer now trains youths for global stages
Milton S. Bell Jr., 53, began playing basketball at age 7 in the Randolph Community in Richmond’s West End where he grew up. At the time, he didn’t realize that basketball would lead to him becoming fluent in Spanish and take him around the world to play professionally for nine different countries.
Control of the state legislature, a casino in Richmond top ballots in coming elections
Abortion, clean energy, public education funding and state tax policy will all be on the ballot in the upcoming election for the General Assembly.
Sex for sale
Candidate in high-stakes Virginia election performed intimate acts in live videos
A candidate in a high-stakes legislative contest in Virginia had sex with her husband in live videos posted on a pornographic website and asked viewers to pay them money in return for carrying out specific sex acts.
5 former officers charged with federal civil rights violations in Tyre Nichols beating death
Five former Memphis Police officers were charged Tuesday with federal civil rights violations in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing.
Personality: Alycia Wright
Spotlight on Cultural Roots Homeschool Cooperative’s director, founder
Alycia and Steven Wright began homeschooling their children about a decade ago. While their two eldest daughters attended Richmond Montessori School — Alexandra until the fourth grade and Jordan for kindergarten — their younger daughters, Kennedy and Stevie, have always been homeschooled. Mrs. Wright says because there is no separation between learning and education, the family is able to be “life learners with no limits.”
Metropolitan Business League founder Neverett Alexander Eggleston Jr. dies at age 90
Neverett Alexander Eggleston Jr., a well-known Jackson Ward entrepreneur and a founder of a Richmond trade association for Black businesses, has died.
U.S. Open champ Coco Gauff wants to get better and win more major titles — don’t doubt her
Now that Coco Gauff is a Grand Slam champion, she’s ready for stardom.
Sacrifice for success
Parents of student athletes willingly go, and pay for, the extra mile(s)
Willie Starlings, 50, became a sports parent when his son, Joel Starlings, played flag football as a 4-year-old at Hotchkiss Field Community Center in Richmond.
Va. student test scores show no significant improvement
Virginia students continue to struggle academically, according to the latest results from the state’s Standards of Learning tests.
Average value of Richmond homes hits new record
Homeowners in Richmond can expect to pay bigger real estate tax bills in 2024 as the value of their property continues to rise, though at a more modest pace than the blistering double digit growth rates of the past two years.
Fairfield District meeting includes housing, transportation talks
Henrico County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Fairfield District Supervisor Frank J. Thornton will hold a Constituent Meeting on Sept. 18 to discuss group homes and transportation challenges.
SUN announces co-op solar initiative
The Nonprofit group Solar United Neighbors (SUN) announced the launch of the Metro Richmond 2023 Solar and EV Charger Co-op to help residents and small businesses in the Metro Richmond area go solar.
VCU to host naturalization event
Virginia Commonwealth University will host up to 600 people in a naturalization ceremony 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in the Stuart C. Siegel Center at 1200 W. Broad St.
Chesterfield-Colonial Heights announces housing assistance guide
In response to rising levels of housing insecurity, the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services has created a digital housing assistance guide to help residents access critical resources at their convenience.
RPS mechanics appeal to School Board
Bus mechanics who service Richmond Public School buses are appealing to the Richmond School Board for help.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
Chesterfield focuses on suicide prevention
During September, which is National Suicide Prevention Month, Chesterfield County and the Chesterfield Suicide Awareness and Prevention Coalition are raising awareness about how to recognize and respond to signs of suicide in older adults.
Shattered wings
City cuts bird-safe glass from new community centers
As plans for three new community centers in Richmond took shape, an internal City Hall review committee recommended that the windows and glazing on the buildings be designed in a way that would reduce the risk of birds being killed by smashing into them. However, without any explanation, Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration rejected the modest change that the Urban Design Committee (UDC) sought.
Ornithologist and wildlife ecologist J. Drew Lanham to address racism and the great outdoors
McArthur Fellow J. Drew Lanham, an ornithologist and wildlife ecology professor at Clemson University, will deliver VCU Libraries’ 2023 Social Justice Lecture to discuss “Coloring the Conservation Conversation.”
An ode to self
About six years ago, Neverett Eggleston Jr. sat in a narrow back entry of Sugar’s Crab Shack, the popular Chamberlayne Avenue eatery that his son, Neverett A. Eggleston III, opened in 2016.
Wealthy extremists attacking funding for Black women entrepreneurs are desperate, by Marc H. Morial
“In the face of persistent, systemic discrimination against Black people and all people of color arising from our country’s long history of racism, Ed Blum and his recently created front group are bent on dismantling programs benefiting the Black community. They seek to kneecap any effort to undo entrenched racial inequalities and further cement the status quo of inequitable market access.”— Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Haters, you don’t know Black women, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
Like many of our sisters who are doing their very best to do the right thing, I’ve had my fill of threats, too—one as late as the past week.
When will we raise the minimum wage?, by Julianne Malveaux
The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. Several states have a higher minimum, but a predictable few, including Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Alabama, are stuck at that low minimum.
White brings win to NSU
Norfolk State has its first football win of the season and Joseph White is a crucial reason why.
Bailey’s VSU performance sparkles with speed
Scoring touchdowns is “no problem, mon” for Upton Bailey.
Reid’s reach is real in VUU win over Shaw
Panthers beat Bears 26-13
Virginia Union University began this season with a question mark at quarterback. Christian Reid has turned any questions into resounding answers.
Richmond Kickers sign Simmonds to USL Academy contract
Nicholas Simmonds isn’t your average 16-year-old athlete. While most soccer players his age would be happy to just make their school team, Simmonds has gone pro with the Richmond Kickers.
Armstrong whomps John Marshall 54-0
Anthony Allen Jr., A.J. Byrd are exciting duo
Life is good these days on Cool Lane in Richmond’s East End.
The renaissance wasn’t just a concert tour, by Errin Haines
We have just witnessed the Summer of the Black Woman.
Gary Flowers takes his show national
Beginning this Sunday, radio listeners can tune in again to “The Gary Flowers Show.”
Key Awareness publisher Robert W. Evans Sr. dies at 77
Robert Wright Evans Sr. described life as “a never-ending journey” that is best done with the aim of using God-given gifts and talents “as uplifting blessings with the many souls and spirits encountered along the way.”
Harvard Divinity School selects first Black woman as dean
A cultural anthropologist of the Black religious experience has been named dean of the Harvard Divinity School, effective Jan. 1.
Thursday, September 7
Tenants rally against poor maintenance
‘Housing is a human right! That is why we stand and fight’
Patrick Saddon is supposed to have central air conditioning in his Chamberlayne Avenue apartment. But for the past two years, Mr. Saddon said his air conditioning unit hasn’t worked. He said that he has received visits from maintenance staff, but nothing changes.
Former MCV researcher LaVerne Wingo Cooper dies at age 92
LaVerne Amelia Wingo Cooper devoted her life to trying to find cures for diseases as a clinical researcher at the Medical College of Virginia – most notably sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that is most prevalent among African-Americans.
In ‘Equalizer 3,’ Denzel Washington’s assassin goes to Italy
Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua has been dreaming about taking the Equalizer abroad for years. The action franchise (very loosely based on a 1980s television series) starring Denzel Washington as the reluctant assassin Robert McCall had rooted itself in humble domestic beginnings, in Boston. But after two films and $382.7 million in box office receipts in the past decade, the time seemed ripe to travel.
Afrikana Film Festival returns next week
The Afrikana Independent Film Festival returns Sept. 14-17 with more than 50 films, workshops and panel discussions.
Artist talks coming to 2 local museums
Visitors to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) have until Sept. 10 to see two exhibitions that share a connection to Richmond before they come to an end — “Benjamin Wigfall and Communications Village” and “Whitfield Lovell: Passages.”
Ex-CIAA star is world champ
Danielle Williams has put the CIAA back on the world track and field map.
Local basketball referees help reboot SlamBall league
Ray Bullock Sr. has refereed nearly every level of basketball there is, from youth leagues to the NBA. Now he can add SlamBall to his list.
Coach Prime comes out swinging
“Sanford & Son” has given way to Sanders & Son as a top entertainment attraction. Only this is real life drama minus any funny business.
Trojans get the best of a crazy ending
VSU 33-24 win over NSU a breakthrough victory
It couldn’t have ended any better for Virginia State or any worse for Norfolk State.
Here’s how Tim Scott, the top Black Republican in the GOP presidential primary, discusses race
Tim Scott seldom specifically brings up race in Iowa. Nor does the Republican presidential candidate have to.
No, Donald, you’re not being persecuted like the Scottsboro Boys, by Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
The Scottsboro Boys were victims of racism; Donald Trump, conversely, has long been known for his racism
“War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, Ignorance Is Strength.” So wrote George Orwell in 1984, his famous dystopian novel about authoritarian- ism. The book gave us the term “Orwellian,” describing situations where facts are ignored, truth is turned on its head, and 2+2=5. Now, almost 75 years after its publication, the United States is confronting its own brush with authoritarianism, by prosecuting former President Trump for his attempt to seize power after losing the 2020 election.
Enigma of high-stakes testing, by Ashley Clerge
Hello again, folks. Let us continue to go down the rabbit hole of understanding standardized testing and why it has become the cornerstone of the American education system.
Razzle-dazzle vs. racial violence, by Clarence Page
Sixty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic March on Washington, much of his dream is still just a dream.
It’s for the culture
Just a reminder that the city’s 2023 edition of the Summer Festival of the Arts will wrap up this weekend with a really cool, free festival from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater in Byrd Park.
Neighborhood Housing Services closes
Neighborhood Housing Services of Richmond has quietly closed after 40 years of promoting neighborhood improvement and helping people purchase their first home.
Census shows city’s Black population declining
The Black community’s share of Richmond’s population is continuing to fall, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
City acts to secure local cemeteries
City Hall has quietly signed a letter of intent to take over abandoned, but historic Black cemeteries in the East End and a far smaller and less well known burial ground on Forest View Drive in South Side, the Free Press has learned.
VSU students help address teacher shortage
On Tuesday, students in Virginia State University’s College of Education got a head start on their careers while helping to address teacher shortages in Petersburg through a new program. Starting this semester, five VSU students began work as teachers in Petersburg’s K-12 school system as part of VSU’s Hybrid Education Residency Opportunity (HERO) program.
Opening set for GRTC’s new $2.2M transfer station
GRTC will officially cut the ribbon to open its new $2.2 million Downtown transfer station at 8th and Clay streets on Monday, Sept. 11.
Regional transportation alliance elects new leadership
Chesterfield County Supervisor Christopher M. Winslow and Hanover County Supervisor W. Canova Peterson will lead the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization for the 2024 fiscal year.
UR presents African Film Weekend
Mati Diop was initially disappointed when she, by reading a news article, discovered that she was the first Black female filmmaker in the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious competi- tion in its 72-year history.
Middle Peninsula genealogy group to host virtual talk ‘Tracing Our Ancestors’
Historian and genealogist Karice Luck-Brimmer will discuss “Tracing Our Ancestors’ Footprints” and how Black people can reclaim their heritage during a virtual meeting of the Middle Peninsula African- American Genealogical and Historical Society on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
Groups corral candidates for upcoming elections forum
Richmond residents who have questions for candidates who seek to represent them in the Virginia General Assembly can do so during a Sept. 17 forum at Virginia Union University, 1500 N. Lombardy St.
Help for elderly homeowners who are delinquent in paying taxes
City Hall has come up with a new way to help elderly homeowners who have fallen far behind in paying real estate taxes that have overwhelmed their fixed- income budgets.
City Council weighs employee pension proposal
City Hall is proposing that new employees be enrolled in the state’s pension system effective Jan. 1, according to a lengthy report City Council received Tuesday.
A congressman’s cookout
When 3rd District Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) hosted his first Labor Day cookout in 1977, about 50 people showed up. This year the popular annual gathering in Newport News at Rep. Scott’s family home drew more than 1,100 people.
City’s new homeless services plan includes opening North Side shelter, working with Salvation Army
City Hall has rolled out a revamped plan for helping people who have no shelter. The plan includes opening a housing resource center to better connect the homeless with housing options, expanding year-round shelter beds and providing a temporary space for people to sleep during winter, summer and heavy rains.
Filmmaker finds his passion while fighting for his life
Nile Price uncovered his passion for film from a hospital bed.
National audiences watch VUU crush Morehouse 45-13
Virginia Union University’s Panthers weren’t blinded by the bright lights. Playing in front of national TV (NFL Network) and radio (Westwood One) audiences, the squad was up for the challenge – and then some.
Coming full faith circle
New pastor at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist
The Rev. Donté McCutchen has taken the pulpit at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, adding to an already busy schedule.
Personality: Angela Kelly-Wiecek
Spotlight on board chair of Richmond Region Tourism
It’s easy to tell Angela Kelly- Wiecek loves the Richmond region. The Hanover County resident was born in Petersburg and lived for a time in Chesterfield as a teen. She also has served as the Chickahominy District Representative on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors since 2011. Those combined experiences, including her current role as board chair for Richmond Region Tourism, have provided what Ms. Kelly-Wiecek describes as a “regional perspective.”
McConnell tries to reassure colleagues about his health, vows to serve out term as Senate GOP leader
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell declared again Wednesday that he plans to finish his term as leader despite freezing up at two news conferences over the summer, brushing off questions about his health as he sought to reassure colleagues he’s still up to the job.
Heads up for a head start?
$19M from projected Casino revenue proposed for child care needs
An already short supply of child care operations could soon grow worse in Richmond and across the country, experts say. But the good news is City Hall has a solution, even though it could take three years to fully come to fruition.
