For now, William C. Smith is in charge of the Richmond Police Department. The 23-year department veteran took over as interim chief on Tuesday, New Year’s Day, following the official retirement of former Chief Alfred Durham.

For more than two decades, people who cannot pay court fines and costs in Virginia automatically have had their driver’s licenses suspended.

Court Watch of Central Virginia is seeking volunteers willing to watch the action in courtrooms in the Richmond area and gather information on how the legal system works.

Richmond Public Schools students can apply to historically black colleges and universities for free, thanks to a partnership between RVA Future, the RPS Education Foundation and Common Black College Application.

Two events next week in Richmond will raise the banner for equity, justice and empowerment for women, including a rally at the State Capitol on the opening day of the 2019 General Assembly session and a women’s march and expo …

Public housing residents and others in Richmond who lose heat have a new alternative. A Richmond advocacy group is distributing space heaters to those who are shivering in cold apartments.

Richmond’s representation in the General Assembly could be reduced from five members in the House of Delegates to four if a three-judge federal court panel accepts changes proposed by a California professor to end racial gerrymandering.

More than 3,800 employees at City Hall, from janitors to executives, will be affected by the long-awaited overhaul of the city’s pay plan that Mayor Levar M. Stoney is expected to introduce Monday, Jan. 7, to Richmond City Council.

Minister Hasan K. Zarif has been “Mr. Re-Entry” for untold thousands of people making the transition from prison to civilian life. A former prisoner himself who rebuilt his life, Minister Zarif has been influential in helping others undertake the hard …

When it comes to marijuana, Virginia has lagged behind many states where the drug has been decriminalized or legalized for recreational use.

The mayor announced a plan on Dec. 20 to provide the $800 million that Richmond Public Schools wants to improve and modernize schools, a majority of which are 60 or more years old and seven of which are 100 years …

In an extraordinary action, national NAACP President Derrick Johnson has suspended for a year the membership of Frank J. Thornton, president of the Henrico Branch NAACP and son of Frank Thornton, chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors.

Parker C. Agelasto’s future as the 5th District representative on City Council apparently will depend on whether the General Assembly or another state entity gets involved.

Gentrification has emerged as a major threat to black communities that have been centers for black business and economic development, cultural and civic life for generations.

Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham is done. He wrapped up Dec. 20 by issuing promotions to 12 officers, including naming three deputy chiefs and tapping one, William C. Smith, to serve as acting chief.