Henrico awards grants to support environmental projects
Henrico County has awarded grants to eight local organizations for environmental initiatives as part of the first round of its new Community Impact Grants program.
Flying Squirrels split doubleheader but fall in series finale
The Richmond Flying Squirrels snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday night at Canal Park, before falling, 2-1, in extra innings in the second game.
Women’s conference offers spiritual growth, networking
A two-day women’s conference focused on worship, personal growth and spiritual empowerment will be held May 2 and 3 at New Life Outreach Church, 1005 Turner Road.
City cuts back on p-cards, overhauls purchasing program
The City of Richmond is making major changes to its purchasing card (p-card) program, reducing the number of cards in circulation by more than 80% and tightening restrictions on what they can be used to buy.
English appointed to National PAL Chiefs’ and Sheriffs’ Council
Henrico County Police Department Col. Eric D. English has been selected as a founding member of the National Police Activities/Athletic League’s (PAL) Chiefs’ and Sheriffs’ Council. English took his place on the council during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., last month.
Concert to feature young musicians and VCU Health Orchestra
Music Orchard Richmond (MOR) will host its first Side-by-Side Concert in collaboration with the VCU Health Orchestra on Friday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m.
Flying Squirrels blank Baysox, 10-0, for first home win of season
The Richmond Flying Squirrels broke out of a slump in dominant fashion Friday night, shutting out the Bowie Baysox 10-0 at The Diamond to earn their first home win of the 2025 season.
Richmond students compete in inclusive Big Feet Meet at Huguenot High
Students from across Richmond gathered April 16 at Huguenot High School for the annual Big Feet Meet, a day of track and field events celebrating inclusion and athleticism for Unified Athletes and partners.
Gloucester woman receives Chancellor’s Award for philanthropy
Carolyn A. Lemon of Gloucester recently received the 19th Annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy.
UR’s Chloe Goode makes good as Truman Scholar
University of Richmond junior Chloe Goode was recently named a 2025 Truman Scholar. The Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States.
Vick makes debut as Norfolk State football coach at spring game
Norfolk State fans got their first look at Coach Michael Vick in action Saturday as he led the Spartans through their annual spring football game at William “Dick” Price Stadium.
SBA opens business recovery centers in Richmond, Henrico to aid storm-affected businesses
The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened two Business Recovery Centers in Richmond and Henrico to assist businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by severe storms that occurred Jan. 5 through 11. The centers aim to provide support with disaster loan applications and other recovery resources.
Black Men Vote names Michael Bland as executive director
Black Men Vote has appointed Michael Bland as its new executive director, the organization announced last week. Bland brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership and political strategy, with a focus on equity-centered policy, coalition-building and advocacy.
Richmond juvenile court to host annual Oliver Hill Day
The Atrium of the Oliver Hill Courts Building will be filled with reflection and celebration Friday, April 25, as the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court hosts its 28th Annual Oliver Hill Day. The event, honoring the legacy of civil rights icon Oliver White Hill, Sr., will mark a day of remembrance and recognition in close proximity to Hill’s birthday and the American Bar Association’s National Law Day.
¿Qué Pasa? Festival returns with a celebration of Hispanic heritage
The ¿Qué Pasa? Festival returns to Brown’s Island in Downtown Richmond on May 3, for a day of cultural celebration and community connection.
Marita Golden to share insights from new book at main branch library
Award-winning author and literary activist Marita Golden will visit Richmond on Friday, May 2, for a reading and book signing of her latest work, “How to Become a Black Writer: Creating and Honoring Black Stories That Matter.”
Women gather at Hilton Short Pump for day of financial empowerment
More than 350 women gathered April 15 at the Hilton Short Pump for Virginia Credit Union’s Financial Success for Women Summit, a daylong event focused on personal finance, wealth-building and career development.
Gooden 1st Black recipient of prestigious Dwight Waldo Award in public administration
Susan T. Gooden, a leader in public administration and social equity, was awarded the prestigious 2025 Dwight Waldo Award from the American Society for Public Administration, this month. The award, given for sustained and impactful scholarship, recognizes Gooden’s decades of work advancing equity in government.
Annual prayer breakfast brings Christian leaders together May 1
The 32nd Annual Christian Leadership Prayer Breakfast is set for Thursday, May 1, bringing together more than 300 Christian leaders from across the Richmond area for worship, fellowship and reflection.
VCUarts and VSU exhibitions spotlight emerging artists’ voices
Two exhibitions are showcasing the dynamic work of emerging artists in the area. The VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) and Virginia State University’s (VSU) “Seeing Red” at the Petersburg Area Art League (PAAL) are offering a platform for students to present their research-driven, socially engaged work.
Hanover County names Binokhar Harris as new deputy fire chief
Hanover County has named Binokhar “Bino” Harris as the new deputy chief of Hanover County Fire-EMS, with the appointment set to take effect May 1.
Restaurants, salons top recipients of small business grants
Last week, the Metropolitan Business League (MBL) selected 117 Richmond small businesses to receive grant disbursements from the Small Business Recovery Grant Fund, which provides financial support to businesses impacted by the January water outage.
Squirrels drop back-and-forth game to close road trip
Victor Bericoto launched two home runs, but the Richmond Flying Squirrels fell to the Harrisburg Senators, 8-6, in a back-and-forth contest Sunday afternoon at FNB Field.
Winston-Salem State wins first CIAA women’s flag football championship
Winston-Salem State University made history Saturday by winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s inaugural Women’s Flag Football Championship, defeating Fayetteville State University 9-6 in a defensive battle at Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belk Complex.
Big dill: Regency Mall to host first Pickleball Festival
Pickleball takes center stage next month as the first Pickleball Festival comes to Regency Mall on Saturday, May 3, offering a full day of competition, community and fun.
Kickstarter CEO, Richmond Fed president to speak at local commencements
Two prominent business leaders will deliver commencement addresses at Richmond-area universities in May.
Richmond Free Press staff earns honors in statewide journalism contest
The Richmond Free Press has added to its long tradition of excellence, with multiple staff members recognized in the 2024 Virginia Press Association News & Advertising Contest.
Ashland Train Day rolls into town with family fun and rail-themed festivities
Ashland Train Day returns to Downtown Ashland on Saturday, April 26, offering a day of family-friendly fun, food and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
VSU music chair receives grant for HBCU band research
The syncopated rhythms of marching bands have long been a hallmark of HBCU. Now, a Virginia State University professor is digging into that legacy with support from one of academia’s most competitive grants.
Iverson Classic returns to Hampton, featuring top NBA prospects
The next generation of basketball royalty arrives in Allen Iverson’s hometown May 1-3 as the Iverson Classic showcases the nation’s top high school prospects at Bethel High School’s Allen Iverson Gymnasium.
Top basketball talent honored at Spring Maxie Awards
NOAH (Natives of African Heritage) Sports presented the annual Spring Maxie Awards on Saturday night, celebrating Richmond’s top high school basketball players, coaches and teams. The event was held at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia and emceed by NOAH Sports founder Clarence Kenney.
Torian succeeds Bagby as leader of Virginia Legislative Black Caucus
The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus elected Delegate Luke Torian as its new chair last week, succeeding Sen. Lamont Bagby, who led the group for seven years.
Richmond Poetry Fest celebrates community through verse
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond will host its second annual Poetry Fest this weekend, April 11 and 12, featuring free workshops, readings and performances. The event showcases Richmond’s literary community with former City Poet Laureate Roscoe Burnems hosting Saturday’s poetry slam.
Flying Squirrels stumble late, swept by RubberDucks in season-opener
The Richmond Flying Squirrels learned a hard lesson Sunday afternoon: no lead is safe against Akron’s red-hot Jorge Burgos. After building a comfortable 4-0 advantage behind rookie Sabin Ceballos’ first Double-A homer and Adrian Sugastey’s two RBIs, the Squirrels watched their early dominance evaporate in a crushing 5-4 loss to complete a franchise-first season-opening sweep at The Diamond.
Faith, business leaders gather for final T.D. Jakes leadership conference
T.D. Jakes’ International Leadership Summit, presented by Wells Fargo, will hold its final gathering April 10-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, bringing together faith and business leaders for a last time under its current format.
Documentary screening to honor culinary pioneer Edna Lewis at Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia will host a free screening of “Finding Edna Lewis,” followed by a panel discussion onThursday, April 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The event celebrates the Virginia-born chef during what would have been her 109th birthday week.
Virginia State’s Coach Blow earns spot on national coaching honor roll
Virginia State University head men’s basketball coach Lonnie Blow Jr. has been selected for the 2025 Achieving Coaching Excellence Honor Roll, recognizing his outstanding leadership this season.
Kickers fall to Forward Madison in Henny Derby opener
The Richmond Kickers (2-2-0, 6 points) fell 2-1 to Forward Madison (1-1-0, 3 points) in a hard-fought first leg of the Henny Derby on Saturday.
Henrico seeks new developer for arena project at Best Products site
After the collapse of a previous development deal, Henrico is once again looking for proposals to transform the former Best Products headquarters into a mixed-use development anchored by an arena.
‘Go with the Flow’ project aims to map flooding patterns across Richmond
Southside ReLeaf and the University of Richmond have launched the “Go with the Flow” community science project to collect data on flooding patterns across the city. The project, which runs from March 20 to Sept. 1, encourages Richmond residents to participate in a flood survey each time it rains.
VMFA hires Karen Daly to lead provenance research
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently appointed Karen Daly as the museum’s first senior manager of provenance research.
VUU hosts first CIAA Flag Football Roundup
Under bright Friday afternoon skies at Virginia Union University, whistles blew and flags flew as history unfolded with the school’s first CIAA Flag Football Roundup.
Richmond grapples with second data mishap in weeks after erroneous mailings
City of Richmond officials announced Tuesday that 226 debt collection letters were mailed to incorrect addresses last month, marking the second time in weeks Richmond has disclosed errors in sensitive mailings.
Donamatrix Day returns to Petersburg with fitness festival, charity events
Celebrity trainer and Petersburg native Don “DB Donamatrix” Brooks brings his signature fitness event back home with the annual Donamatrix Day Fit Fest on Saturday, April 5, at Petersburg High School.
Flying Squirrels introduce new GM ahead of last season at Diamond
Anthony Oppermann is the general manager of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the team announced Monday.
Norfolk State’s Diamond Johnson named HBCU National Player of the Year
Norfolk State guard Diamond Johnson has been named the HBCU National Player of the Year, headlining the 2024-25 HBCU Division I Women’s All-American teams presented by BOXTOROW (Bringing Out the Excellence in Sports through Recognition of Outstanding Winners).
VUU athletes shine in field events at season opener
Virginia Union University men’s track and field team had a strong showing in its first outdoor meet of the season at the University of Richmond on March 13 and 14.
Baseball game raises funds for inclusive sports programs
The rivalry between Benedictine College Preparatory and St. Christopher’s School will take on a different meaning when they face off in the 15th Annual Pass the Hat Baseball Game 7 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at RF&P Park’s Glen Allen Stadium. The game has become a beloved tradition in Richmond, where competition meets community to support a greater cause — raising funds and awareness for Jacob’s Chance inclusive sports programs.
¡FridaFest! at VMFA to honor Frida Kahlo and her Mexican heritage
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will bring Frida Kahlo’s legacy to life April 5, with a community celebration. From 1 to 7 p.m., ¡FridaFest! will mark the opening of the museum’s “Frida: Beyond the Myth” exhibition, offering visitors an experience filled with music, art, food and culture.
Richmond 34 event rescheduled for March 28 at VUU
The postponed Richmond 34 event will take place this Friday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Claude G. Perkins Living and Learning Center at Virginia Union University.
