Richmond Free Press Feb. 29-March 2, 2024 edition

Moving the needle

Holland and Nelson energized by Chesterfield, Henrico growth

By George Copeland Jr.

“We’re on a journey toward excellence, to be the very best we can be, to be a model of what is expected by you, for you.”

With those words, James M. “Jim” Holland assumed chairmanship of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Jan. 3., following a unanimous vote.

Mr. Holland shared a similar speech in 2008, when he first began serving on the board as the representative for the Dale District, the third African-American to be elected to the panel. He became the first African-American to serve as its chair in 2014 and again in 2021.

About 20 minutes away from Mr. Holland’s district, another African-American continues to rise in Henrico County, which neighbors Chesterfield and the city of Richmond.

Tyrone Nelson, who represents Henrico’s Varina District, was unanimously elected to his third chairmanship of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors during its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 9. “I would urge us, all of us, as supervisors, staff and community to embrace the moment that we have and take the time to listen, understand and appreciate what each of us brings to the table,” said Mr. Nelson, who’s also a minister. “We can do this, and we will do this, because we all take seriously the call to serve the residents of this great county.”

Different constituents, same objectives

The similarities between Mr. Holland and

Biden ‘continues to be fit for duty’ his doctor says after president’s annual exam

The Associated Press BETHESDA, Md.

President Biden “continues to be fit for duty,” his doctor wrote Wednesday after conducting an annual physical that was closely watched as the president seeks re-election.

“President Biden is a healthy, active, robust,

81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote in a six-page memo on the president’s health, following a physical that took President Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2½ hours.

Mitch McConnell stepping down as Senate Republican leader in November

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Long before Sen. Mitch McConnell surprised colleagues Wednesday announcing he would step down as the Republican leader this fall, he knew the time had come.

Hard-right Republican senators aligned with Donald Trump wanted to oust him. Mr. Trump was easily becoming the party’s frontrunner for a do-over election with President Biden. And, having largely recovered his health from a devastating fall last year, Sen. McConnell was back on his game.

In assembling top aides in January to disclose his intentions, ahead of his 82nd birthday, Sen. McConnell told

Republican

Community rallies to preserve historic Black hospital

By George Copeland Jr.

Richmonders will rally for an important symbol of the city’s Black history Sunday afternoon at the former Richmond Community Hospital on Overbrook Road.

Virginia Union University, a historically Black university which owns the former hospital, plans to demolish the historic building and replace it with housing.

Related coverage on A9

Mr. Nelson run far deeper than speeches and sentiment. Both men appear genuinely open to the idea of their respective counties one day working together. Acquainted with one another by way of meetings attended by administrative and regional leaders, they both spoke highly of each other when the possibility of collaboration was raised. “We’re people of faith at the highest echelon,” Mr. Holland said. “What we’re about is making sure that our communities are the very best in terms of inclusion, in terms of opportunity, in terms of a great place to live.”

Mr. Flowers

Sunday’s rally is being organized by former Virginia Delegate and Secretary of Administration Viola Baskerville. Testimonies are expected to come from residents whose lives and histories were impacted by the hospital, first established in 1907 under the vision of Dr. Sarah Garland Jones, the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in Virginia. The Overbrook Road hospital was built in 1932 to mainly treat Black patients who faced medical discrimination. The hospital moved again in 1980 to its current location at 1500 N. 28th St. with personal financial investment from 21 doctors. That hospital is now owned by Bon

Registrar offers options for voting amid snail mail issues

Free Press staff report

Richmond’s General Registrar Keith Balmer said at a recent meeting that he was offering practical solutions to ensure eligible voters in Richmond can cast ballots without hindrance in next week’s presidential primary, according to The Washington Post and other news outlets. The city’s Office of Elections posted Mr. Balmer’s remarks from the meeting on social media Monday with a message encouraging voters to use one of three drop boxes located around the city instead.

Anyone who hasn’t received a requested

ballot or is worried that a ballot may not reach its destination in time can visit an early voting center to fill out a form and cast a ballot or cast a provisional ballot on March 5, the day of the primary, Mr. Balmer said.

“I understand that these issues extend beyond mere inconvenience; they represent a fundamental threat to our democracy,” Mr. Balmer said in his remarks.

Data collected by the Virginia Department of Elections showed that about 33% of the roughly 2.5 million Virginians who voted in statewide

Please turn to A4

Tearful testimony highlights second day of Huguenot High graduation shooting trial

By Joe Dodson Courthouse News Service

Loved ones and police officers gave jurors a clearer picture on Tuesday of a fatal shooting that occurred after a 2023 Virginia high school graduation ceremony on day two of the shooter’s trial.

State prosecutors aim to convict Amari Pollard of the first degree murder of 18-year-old Shawn Jackson, who was killed moments after his high school graduation.

The prosecution said Mr. Pollard, 20, shot Mr. Jackson six times outside of Huguenot High School’s graduation on June 6, 2023. Mr. Jackson’s friends returned fire, but the bullets meant for Mr. Pollard pierced bystanders watching the scene unfold.

no choice but to shoot in self-defense.

The trial now revolves around the series of events leading up to the shooting and the interactions Mr. Pollard had with police in the aftermath. The defense argues that Mr. Jackson, his stepfather, Renzo Smith — who died in the crossfire — and Mr. Jackson’s friends antagonized Mr. Pollard in a park directly across the street from the graduation venue, leaving Mr. Pollard scared for his life.

Mr. Jackson

“I seen my little brother on the ground looking at me but not looking at me,” Mr. Jackson’s sister Destiny told the jury. “I fell to the ground and cried.”

Mr. Jackson’s relatives, close friends and police officers testified for the prosecution, who are hoping to convince the jury that Mr. Pollard premeditated his killing of Mr. Jackson. The defense instead claims Mr. Jackson cornered Mr. Pollard and threatened him, leaving him

Mr. Jackson’s mother, Tameeka Jackson-Smith, cried on the stand as she recounted the moment she saw her husband and son on the pavement and heard retaliatory shots fired in Mr. Pollard’s direction. A car hit Ms. Jackson-Smith’s 9-year-old daughter when she attempted to run away from the gunfire, leaving her in a wheelchair for over a month.

“I seen him shoot my son in the goddamn head twice,” Ms. Jackson-Smith said of the chaotic scene. “If you are going to shoot someone else, just shoot me.”

Mr. Pollard, who attended the ceremony to see his cousin graduate, purportedly had bad blood with Mr. Jackson and his friends. The exact reason for the beef is unknown, but Mr.

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Delegate Baskerville

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky walks off the Senate floor after speaking Wednesday at the Capitol in Washington. Mr. McConnell says he’ll step down as Senate Republican leader in November. The 82-year-old lawmaker is the longest-serving Senate leader in history. He’s maintained his power in the face of dramatic changes in the

Party.

The Associated Press

President Biden departs Walter Reed National Military Medical Center following a physical Wednesday in Bethesda, Md.

Photo courtesy of Henrico County

Tyrone Nelson, who represents Henrico’s Varina District, was unanimously elected to his third chairmanship of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 9. Mr. Nelson is shown announcing the Jan. 17 purchase of Varina Farm. Seated next to him is Fairfield Supervisor Roscoe D. Cooper III.

Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Media Services

James M. “Jim” Holland, chairman of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, delivers remarks last December during the Cricket Pitch Field groundbreaking ceremony at Beulah Park in the Dale District. The field, which is located next to the new Beulah Recreation Center, was a longtime goal that has come full circle for Mr. Holland.

Joseph Lowery is City’s first manager of new Richmond Civilian Review Board

Free Press staff report

Richmond City Council has announced the appointment of Joseph Lowery as the first manager of the new Richmond Civilian Review Board.

Mr. Lowery’s duties include oversight and management of the administrative and operational functions of the Richmond Civilian Review Board.

A native Virginian, Mr. Lowery earned a bachelor’s degree in justice and risk administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mr. Lowery

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lowery served as a supervisory special agent with the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), leading teams of special agents through various forms, stages, and phases of investigations.

During his more than 20 years of distinguished service with the FBI, Mr. Lowery earned numerous recognitions, awards, and letters of commendation reflecting his work, commitment, dedication and integrity, states a City Council news release. Mr. Lowery also served five years with the Chesterfield County Police Department.

“I am committed to justice for all people and am grateful for being chosen to help guide the Richmond Civilian Review Board in this new and critically important role for our community,” Mr. Lowery said. “I look forward to dedicating my knowledge, experience, and love for people to create and foster honest and effective collaboration, coordination, and communication between the Richmond Civilian Review Board and the Richmond Police Department. Working together, we will help ensure a comprehensive approach to accountability and transparency that benefits all Richmond residents and the work of the Richmond Police Department.”

City Council and the mayor’s administration established the Richmond Civilian Review Board to review, investigate, and make recommendations to Council, the mayor, and the chief of Ppolice concerning internal investigations conducted by the Richmond Police Department regarding police officer-involved shootings; deaths or serious injuries of persons while held in custody; accusations of physical or verbal abuse by officers; appeals by citizens of a finding or decision; and, providing recommendations on law enforcement practices, policies, and procedures.

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues

The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:

Thursday, Feb. 29, 1 to 5 p.m. - Henrico Arms Apartments, 1566 Edgelawn Circle.

Friday, March 1, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Southside Women, Infants and Children Office, 509 E. Southside Plaza.

RHHD’s Resource Centers are providing free at-home tests for pickup at select locations:

• Creighton Court at 2150 Creighton Road, call 804-3710433 for more info

• Fairfield Court at 2311 N. 25th St., call 804-786-4099 for more info

• Gilpin Court at 436 Calhoun St., call 804-786-1960 for more info

• Hillside Court at 1615 Glenfield Ave., call 804-230-7740 for more info

• Mosby Court at 1536 Coalter St., call 804-786-0204 for more info

• Southwood Court at 1754 Clarkson Road. Unit #B, call 804-230-2077 for more info

• Whitcomb Court at 2106 Deforrest St., call 804-786-0555 for more info

Call the Richmond and Henrico Call Center at (804) 2053501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information on testing sites, or go online at vax.rchd.com.

The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID-19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/ coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites.

Want a COVID-19 vaccine?

Those interested can schedule an appointment with RHHD by calling (804) 205-3501. Vaccines.gov also allows people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine, and those interested can also text your ZIP code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old may need multiple doses of the updated vaccines depending on their COVID-19 vaccine status and whether they had previously received Pfizer and Moderna.

Waiting periods for additional vaccines can range from three to eight weeks or four to eight weeks depending on the vaccine dose previously received.

Children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old who are unvaccinated or have received a vaccine before Sept. 12, 2023, should get one updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Those age 12 years and older who are unvaccinated should get either one updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two doses of the updated Novavax vaccine. People in that age range who received a vaccine before Sept. 12, 2023, should get one updated Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccine.

People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine, and are encouraged to talk with their health care providers about how and when to receive them.

Information compiled by George Copeland Jr.

By Debora Timms

Richmond City Council voted unanimously to declare East End, Evergreen and Forest View cemeteries a public necessity. The ordinance passed on Monday night also authorizes the city to acquire the parcels in order to preserve and maintain the historic Black cemeteries.

Each of the three cemeteries are more than 100 years old. The largest and oldest of them, 60-acre Evergreen Cemetery, dates back to 1891. Among the hundreds of African-Americans buried there are notables that include businesswoman and community leader Maggie L. Walker, as well as former editor of the Richmond Planet, John

Free Press staff report

Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, members of the Richmond City Council and representatives from the Shockoe Institute yesterday unveiled “The Shockoe Project,” a 10-acre site in Shockoe Valley that they say is “dedicated to telling the full history of the Richmond slave trade and its national and global significance to the growth of our country.”

According to officials affiliated with the project, it will “share an accurate and inclusive narrative of the history of Shockoe — memorializing the traumatic experiences of enslaved Africans and Native Americans and honoring their struggles toward liberation.”

The 10 acres in Shockoe Valley will include:

• The Shockoe Institute at Main Street Station

• The site of Lumpkin’s Slave Jail

• The Mary Lumpkin Event Lawn

• Memorials to the African Burial Ground and to the hundreds of thousands of enslaved sold and traded through the area

• A commercial development along Broad Street

• A pedestrian bridge serving as a gateway to the site

• The National Slavery Museum

• And greenspace and walking trails.

“The Shockoe Project acknowledges and celebrates a national site of conscience, and today we celebrate the collaboration, teamwork, and effort of every single stakeholder who has been committed to this work over the years,” Mayor Stoney said. “We’re choosing to uplift Richmond’s full history and use its unique position to tell a national, and even global, story of

how slavery was integrally connected to the complex evolution of this country’s history, economy, and culture.”

“We are deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their unparalleled support of our mission to understand the enduring impact of the domestic slave trade on American life through evidence-based scholarship and innovative storytelling.” said Shockoe Institute President and CEO, Marland Buckner. Our team is working diligently to build a nearly 12,000 square foot immersive educational facility within Main Street Station that will take visitors on an evidence-based, emotionally impactful journey that showcases the central role of the domestic slave trade in America’s rise to global economic dominance, and the ‘throughlines’ of that history to today,” said Mr. Buckner.

“Between now and our opening next year, we are working with a host of partners from London to Los Angeles to create and showcase content that, more than simply acknowledging our past, uses a deeper understanding of our past to confront today’s challenges

Mitchell Jr. Evergreen and the adjacent 16-acre East End Cemetery are located in the Richmond’s East End, while Forest View Cemetery occupies less than a half-acre on Bassett Avenue in the city’s South Side. Before the vote on the ordinance that she first sponsored a year ago, 7th District councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille acknowledged “all of those who’ve been working over the years to make sure that these cemeteries, these sacred burial grounds, are secured, preserved, restored and maintained.” The action was prompted following the collapse of the Enrichmond Foundation and its affiliate Parity LLC. Founded in 1990, the nonprofit provided financial services for a number

to that uniquely American story: the story of the struggle to expand human freedom.”

“It warms my heart that after roughly twenty-five years, the Shockoe Project is moving from a dream to reality,” Delegate McQuinn said. “We have worked diligently over the past two decades to share the painful history of our ancestors. Our work warranted a deep commitment as we plowed through crumbling pages of history books and documents; yet, the passage of time has not dulled our passion. I am extremely grateful that there is now a collective effort to finally memorialize our ancestors’ stories beyond the grave, and I am very appreciative for the statewide support this project has garnered. I am happy to say I look forward to witnessing its progress with a renewed spirit.”

“After dedicated efforts spanning over 25 years, we are thrilled to announce a significant milestone today,” said Richmond Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, who represents the 7th District. “The collective hard work and commitment have led us to the realization of a long-awaited dream. Our vision is to establish a site that not only sheds light on this terrible chapter in our nation’s history but also serves as a beacon of enlightenment, education, and remembrance. It is our sincere belief that this site will become a cornerstone for fostering a brighter and more promising future for all of humanity.”

Funding for the project, projected to be complete in 2037, includes $25 million from the City of Richmond, $13 million from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and $11 million from the Mellon Foundation.

To review the project’s master plan, please visit https://bit.ly/434qplp

of smaller “friends” groups. Between 2017 and 2019, they acquired the cemeteries but its upkeep and maintenance of the properties was soon criticized. When the foundation was dissolved in July 2022, more then 80 local groups were left unable to access the funds they had entrusted to Enrichmond.

The FBI and Virginia Attorney General’s Office began investigating the closure last year. It is unclear exactly how much money was lost by the foundation, but estimates are in the hundreds of thousands.

A number of residents spoke in support of two ordinances that were among those also passed that evening.

One ordinance will designate the corner of

2300 Third Ave. and Juniper Street in honor of the late Dr. Clifton Whitaker Jr., a former police detective who, after retiring from the force, became an ordained minister. He established multiple community outreach programs while serving as pastor of Grayland Baptist Church for 33 years. Dr. Whitaker died on Sept. 20, 2021, at age 79.

Another ordinance designates the corner of 300 North 11th St. and East Broad Street in honor of the late Dr. Lindsey Grizzard Braun, a nurse practitioner with VCU Health Systems known for both her dedication to her patients and her compassion in caring for them and their families. Dr. Braun was 30 when she died on Aug. 2, 2023.

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Community rallies to preserve historic Black hospital

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Secours.

The rally is just one of many reactions to emerge after Virginia Union University announced its decision during a news conference earlier this month to partner with the Steinbridge Group to build up to 200 general-use residences in a 2-acre area across from the VUU campus’ northern side.

The hospital’s demolition is part of a $42 million housing project created through a partnership between VUU and the New York-based company The Steinbridge Group. Numerous VUU and city officials who attended the gathering at the university’s Living and Learning Center greeted the announcement with hearty applause.

The project is part of Steinbridge’s efforts to help historically black colleges and universities, and other minority-focused groups, transform underused resources into economic assets.

However, Ms. Baskerville and others who oppose the demolition, believe that VUU and other HBCUs should not have to destroy the history of a community to attain economic success.

The rally, she said, is “a way to hopefully inform the president of Virginia Union, the Board of Directors of the community of the Virginia Union, and of course the developer ... of the significance of this site,” Ms. Baskerville said.

In a statement announcing the project on Feb. 2, VUU President and CEO Hakim J. Lucas said:

“Virginia Union is going places we have never been before, statewide and nationally, because students and the community have high expectations of this institution.

“The Steinbridge investment will enable Virginia Union to create new sources of income, which will further strengthen our ability to create opportunities for students and the community.”

Ms. Baskerville believes it’s possible and necessary to include the hospital in VUU’s plans for the area, and pointed to adaptive reuse of the building and its components as a way to allow it to stand and be part of the housing project.

approach to growth.

“We cannot repair the sins of our racist past if that means destroying monuments to Richmond’s Black history in the process.”

Meanwhile, VUU’s President Lucas issued this response on Wednesday.

“Those who want to preserve Black History should look to VUU, as this development project shows how Virginia’s oldest HBCU is building on a 158-year legacy, celebrating history, and shaping the Commonwealth’s future,” he said.

“As part of our work, Virginia Union is working collaboratively with the Black History Museum and others to preserve and tell the history of our people in Richmond and

the Commonwealth. VUU is home to the Center for African American History and Culture, which will play a lead role as VUU engages with the community as the development moves forward.

“We welcome the groups who will gather this weekend, and the Center will participate and record oral histories of the neighborhood and the Richmond Community Hospital site. The University welcomes broad participation in how we memorialize the important history of the site, as we plan for its future. “

The rally to save the historic Richmond Community Hospital will take place 1 p.m. Sunday, March 3, at 1209 Overbrook Road.

Timothy Roberts is an archeologist and principal, owner and founder of Black Star Cultural Resources, which works to raise awareness of and responsibility for historic community resources. He echoed Ms. Baskerville’s idea about how to preserve the site.

“We’re not talking about a no-action alternative,” said Mr. Roberts, who acknowledged that decades of neglect and lack of upkeep have limited the options for the hospital’s usage. “But these other kinds of alternatives are not being entertained.”

“Why don’t we start from where we are and work with what we have?” he said.

Radio host Gary Flowers, who was born in the hospital in 1963, and whose family has a strong connection to the site and the doctors that worked there, saw the decision as adding further distrust of VUU’s leadership over a lack of transparency for its board and the public at large.

When it came to future use of the hospital, Mr. Flowers suggested a more active role in the

community, turning it into either a museum or a training facility for physician’s assistants.

“The Richmond Community Hospital … is an altar, a sacred altar in the Black community of Richmond,” Mr. Flowers said. “I pray that the leadership of Virginia Union makes truth and transparency its guiding star.”

Mr. Flowers said that his March 3 program, which airs at 10 a.m., will focus on “the threat/value of black hospitals in communities around the nation.” Scheduled guests include former Richmond Community Hospital Physician Ferguson Reid, Theo M. Moore II of Alabama, who helped preserve John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital on the Tuskegee Institute campus, and Ms. Baskerville.

Additional alternatives have been highlighted by Richmonders in the weeks after VUU’s announcement, in particular a social media group, “Save Community Hospital” organized by Ms. Baskerville and other residents.

The group, which has about 150 members, has highlighted

past efforts by HBCUs across America and organizations in Richmond to ensure the survival of historic assets, sites and resources. Concerned residents also have worked to share their concerns with other leaders in Richmond and other localities.

Some political officials have offered their own alternatives regarding the potential demolition of the hospital, however. Richmond City Council member and mayoral candidate Andreas Addison voiced his concern over VUU’s plans Monday, suggesting that the institution work with the Department of Historic Resources and City Hall to preserve the site in some way.

“There’s no denying that our city is facing a historic housing crisis, and we need to find innovative ways to increase our stock of accessible units,” Mr. Addison said. “We must also remember that at the root of this crisis is Black displacement, redlining, and the legacy of systemic racism that for too long informed our city’s

Registrar offers options for voting

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elections in 2023 voted by absentee ballot, news media reported Monday.

More than 40% of the ballots that were mailed out in Chesterfield County have been returned, Registrar Missy Vera told WRIC-TV 8

Henrico County Registrar Mark Coakley told the station last week that mail problems haven’t affected sending or receiving ballots there.

The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement that it is committed to “secure, timely” delivery of election mail and has been working with officials to meet that goal. It recommends that voters allow time to complete and return their ballots by their state’s deadlines.

The Postal Service said it has addressed complications experienced during the setup

and rollout of Richmond’s new regional processing center, one of the first of its type under modernization efforts, but it continues to struggle with the tight labor market.

To read Mr. Balmer’s remarks, please visit: https://twitter.com/RVA_Votes/ status/1762149536686854625

The next election is the March primary on Tuesday, March 5. You can view a sample ballot for this election at:

Republican Party Presidential Primary: https://www.rva.gov/sites/default/ files/2024-01/LPW_YB_RICHMONDREPUBLICAN-GENERIC-sample.pdf

Democratic Party Presidential Primary. Sample ballot: https://www. rva.gov/sites/default/files/2024-01/LPW_ YB_RICHMOND-DEMOCRATICGENERIC%20-sample_0.pdf

You can find out what your voting precinct number is by visiting: https://rva. gov/elections/precincts

Early voting began Friday, Jan. 19, and ends Saturday, March 2.

The locations, dates and times are as follows: Office of Elections: 2134 W. Laburnum Ave. through March 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Satellite locations for early voting that started Tuesday, Feb. 20. City Hall: 900 E. Broad St. through March 2.

a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 2

Hill Community Center: 3000 E. Belt Blvd. through March 2.

a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March, 2

Tearful testimony in graduation shooting trial

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Jackson’s close friend Jamon Flowers testified Tuesday that Mr. Pollard had poked fun at Mr. Flowers on Instagram for being shot on his way to his bus stop in September 2022.

After Mr. Jackson walked the stage but before the ceremony ended, Mr. Smith, several of Mr. Jackson’s friends and Mr. Pollard all separately retrieved firearms from their cars. Mr. Jackson’s friends told the jury they grabbed their guns because they had recently been shot and wanted extra protection in the large crowd gathering after the ceremony. The defense argued that the real reason for retrieving the guns was to kill Mr. Pollard after realizing he was at the ceremony.

from the situation,” Mr. Flowers said. “He didn’t have the chance to run.”

The defense put a lot of weight into Mr. Pollard’s behavior after the shooting as proof that he acted in self-defense. They showed a video of Mr. Pollard running to a nearby parking deck, where he suffered a visual panic attack while pleading for help.

Mr. Pollard

Mr. Pollard first interacted with Virginia Commonwealth University safety ambassador Denise Smith, an unarmed member of the university police department. The video shows Mr. Pollard’s gun dropping from his pocket as he verbalizes that Mr. Jackson’s friends are trying to kill him.

Mr. Pollard, who hugged Officer Pullman. Bodycam footage showed Mr. Pollard claiming he would turn himself in to the police but that he needed to leave the area. Officer Pullman, also unaware of Mr. Pollard’s full involvement, handcuffed Mr. Pollard and hid him in a stairwell for his safety.

Biden ‘continues to be fit for duty’ his doctor says

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The memo added that President Biden, “feels well and this year’s physical identifies no new concerns.”

The oldest president in U.S. history, President Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term, should he win one. After his last exam, performed in February 2023, doctors declared President Biden “healthy, vigorous” and “fit” to handle his White House duties. But voters are approaching this year’s election with misgivings about President Biden’s age, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a tumble off his bicycle.

After he returned to the White House, President Biden attended an event on combating crime and suggested that when it came to his health, “there is nothing different than last year.”

He also joked about his age, gesturing toward the assembled press corps and telling police leaders at the gathering, “They think I look too young.”

Former President Donald Trump, 77, is the favorite to lock up the Republican nomination later this month, which would bring him closer to a November rematch against President Biden. Mr. Trump was 70 when he took office in 2017, which made him the oldest American president to be inaugurated, until President Biden broke his record by being inaugurated at 78 in 2021.

A recent special counsel’s report on the investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified documents repeatedly derided Biden’s memory, calling it “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations.” It also noted that President Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.

Still, addressing reporters the evening of the report’s release, President Biden said “my memory is fine” and grew visibly angry as he denied forgetting when his son died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that Dr. O’Connor was one of a team of 20 different medical specialists who helped complete the physical and told her he “was happy with how everything went.”

Asked why he wasn’t undergoing a cognitive test as part of the physical, Ms. Jean-Pierre said that Dr. O’Connor and President Biden’s neurologist “don’t believe he needs one.”

“He passes a cognitive test every day, every day as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said, noting that President Biden tackled such diverse issues as Wednesday’s crime prevention event before his planned trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday and next week’s State of the Union address.

“This is a very rigorous job,” she added, “and the president has been able to do this job every day for the past three years.”

President Biden’s last physical showed that the president had a lesion removed from his chest over the previous year, but the results then otherwise largely matched the findings after President Biden’s previous exam in November 2021. That report said his occasional coughing was due to acid reflux, while his stiffened gait was the result of spinal arthritis, a previously broken foot and neuropathy in his feet.

Mitch McConnell says he’s stepping down

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them he had just one more priority to secure: Supplemental aid for Ukraine as it battles Russia.

time to go.

“I think it’ll be great, because I think Trump will win, we have a leader who can work well with the next Republican president,” said Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

What is undisputed is that

Mr. Jackson — surrounded by his friends and Mr. Smith — and Mr. Pollard — surrounded by his cousin and family — had an oral argument that intensified before Mr. Pollard pulled out his gun and shot Mr. Jackson.

Mr. Flowers and Mr. Smith attempted to shoot Mr. Pollard but ended up wounding five others as he ran from the scene. The parties dispute who threatened whom in the lead-up.

“Shawn was walking away

Ms. Smith, unaware of Mr. Pollard’s involvement at that time, tried to keep him away from the gun, but video showed Mr. Pollard — in between vocalizing his fear of going to jail for life and apologizing — grabbing the weapon from the ground and attempting suicide. The gun was out of bullets.

“I’m about to go to jail for life,” bodycam footage shows Mr. Pollard saying before pulling the trigger. “I’m sorry, I thought they was gonna kill me.”

VCU Police Officer David Pullman then arrived and approached a visibly distraught

Though the defense portrayed Mr. Pollard as someone scared for their life, the prosecution argued that Mr. Pollard was attempting to escape from the scene when he ran to the parking deck rather than turning himself in. Bodycam footage also showed Mr. Pollard trying to walk away from the authorities and find his car multiple times in the aftermath of the shooting. Other witnesses included Mr. Jackson’s girlfriend, two of his close friends who attended the graduation and Jada Silver, an ex-girlfriend of Mr. Pollard’s friend who was with Mr. Pollard throughout the day. The ex-girlfriend, Ms. Silver, told the jury that Mr. Jackson approached Mr. Pollard in the lead-up, while Mr. Flower said the opposite was true.

The FBI produced a 90-minute video compiling responding officers’ body cam footage and surveillance tape. The prosecutors walked the jury through the video evidence Wednesday. Only a couple of witnesses are left to testify.

“Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time,” Sen. McConnell said in a speech delivered midday Wednesday from the Senate floor. His voice cracking at times, he said that’s why he worked so hard to see the national security aid pass the Senate this month, insisting “America’s global leadership is essential.”

He said: “I have many faults, misunderstanding politics is not one of them.” Though the aid is still tied up in the House.

Sen. McConnell’s departure leaves the Senate, and the Republican Party itself, at an uncertain crossroads, days before the Super Tuesday presidential primary elections when Mr. Trump is expected to sweep up more states in his march to the Republican Party nomination.

Mr. Trump’s ascent proved to be an almost untenable political situation for Sen. McConnell — the two men have not spoken since December 2020 when Sen. McConnell declared that President Biden had legally won that year’s election. Sen. McConnell lashed out at the defeated president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, calling Mr. Trump “morally responsible” for the bloody siege. He has not endorsed Mr. Trump for president in 2024.

Like the House, where Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker last fall, the latest in a growing list of GOP speakers sent prematurely to the exits, the Senate is now following suit in the Trump era, essentially leaving the long-serving Sen. McConnell with few options but to decide for himself it was

There was a time when few senators would dare criticize Sen. McConnell, a Ronald Reaganera Republican first elected in 1984, who now controls a vast political operation that can make or break elections.

In fact, a majority of Republican senators still back Sen. McConnell’s leadership, many heaping praise on the taciturn strategist who secured the Trump tax cuts in 2017 and led Senate confirmation of three justices to the Supreme Court, tilting its balance toward conservatives.

Behind closed doors, Republican senators gave Sen. McConnell a standing ovation during a private luncheon. Even some of Sen. McConnell’s biggest critics praised him after he spoke. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said it was a “poignant moment.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said while he thinks Sen. McConnell could have won another term if he sought one, he acknowledged the historic political shift underway in the GOP.

“I think the Republican Party is going through a pretty dramatic transition,” Sen. Rubio said. “And that’s obviously playing out in the halls of Congress as well.”

And increasingly emboldened detractors piled on Wednesday saying Sen. McConnell’s leaving could not come fast enough — and in fact, he should step down before his announced November departure.

“This is a good development — my question is: Why wait so long?” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

Sandra Selllars/Richmond Free Press

President Hakim J. Lucas used Virginia Union University’s Founders Day celebrations to announce a partnership with a New York-based development and investment firm to build affordable housing along Brook and Overbrook Roads. The Steinbridge Group has committed $42 million to build 130-200 residences on the northern edge of VUU’s campus. From left, Leonard Sledge, City of Richmond, City Council Vice President AnnFrances Lambert, Steinbridge Group Founding Partner and CEO Tawan Davis, VUU Board Chair W. Franklyn Richardson, COO of Student Freedom Initiative Keith Shoates, and VUU President Hakim Lucas.

Holland and Nelson energized by Chesterfield, Henrico growth

Continued from A1

Mr. Holland and Mr. Nelson arrived in their current roles led by a common interest in education. For Mr. Holland, his experience in segregated schools and his mother’s dream of becoming a nurse were major influences in his life long before he called Virginia home.

When he arrived in Chesterfield County in 1987, Mr. Holland became active in the Chesterfield County Council of PTAs and assumed leadership roles on the Chesterfield County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Task Force.

That background in education has continued to shape Mr. Holland’s work on the board. One project, in particular, is the transformation of Beulah

Elementary School into the Beulah Recreation Center last June. Located in Mr. Holland’s district, the center’s renovation cost $12.1 million. More than 5,000 square feet, it can accommodate activities for youth, adults and senior citizens. Interior features include a classroom, a multipurpose room with a stage, a conference room, a gym and a catering kitchen. All of these spaces are available for rent by the public. “(It is a) commitment to the past, to my parents, to my community and to AfricanAmericans everywhere to be a difference to be a model of service,” Mr. Holland said. “Those are the things that drive me, day in and day out, because I know what excellence is, and

I want to obtain it.”

Mr. Nelson, who also has served as pastor of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Richmond since July 2005, ran for the Henrico County School Board in 2007 because he was concerned about racial diversity in teachers and staff in schools in the county — worries that arose as his child entered elementary school in 2005.

Although Mr. Nelson lost that election, the late A. Donald McEachin encouraged him to run for office a few years later. He provided the political staff necessary for Mr. Nelson to win a spot to represent Varina on the Board of Supervisors in 2011. (Congressman McEachin served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1996-2002 and from 2006-2008, and as a Virginia senator 2008-2017. He died in November 2022.)

In the years since, Mr. Nelson has continued to champion improvements in education as a staple of his political career. He is proud of having helped to approve more than $100 million in the creation, renovation or improvement of schools across the county, he said.

Mr. Nelson has balanced these duties alongside his work on the Capital Region Airport Commission, Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Board of Visitors. For him, the ability to see the impact his work has had in Henrico County, particularly its eastern region, is why he said he continues to seek office.

“I know there’s still a lot more to do,” Mr. Nelson said, “and I’ve got the energy and the

drive and the will to continue to do it.”

Population shifts settle in Chesterfield and Henrico

Mr. Holland and Mr. Nelson’s latest turns at county leadership follow a decade-long rise in the number of residents for both counties. The population of Chesterfield County in 2022 was 378,408, a 19.3% increase from 316,236 in 2010, according to U.S. Census data. Henrico County saw an 8.7% rise within the same period to 333,962 from 306,935.

Part of that increase has come from residents moving in from the city of Richmond and other locations in Virginia. This also has contributed to a changing demographic, resulting in populations that are older and more racially diverse than ever before, including increases in African-American and Latino communities.

For Mr. Nelson, this change has been most noticeable in his work as a politician, and he said he believes it has further highlighted pressing community needs, particularly affordable housing and resource

investment.

Still, he said, Henrico offers residents numerous rewards.

“I think Henrico is just a good place to raise a family or it’s a good place to start,” Mr. Nelson said. “I think that speaks to our region in general.”

When asked about Chesterfield’s population growth, Mr. Holland said that the living standards of the area, shaped by a commitment to safety and education, are primary motivators for new residents.

He celebrated the diversity and inclusivity the demographic shifts have brought to the county. He also noted that, while the community has changed over the years, its needs and interests have remained the

Chesterfield development projects

• Springline At District 60 hotel project, located near Midlothian Turnpike and Chippenham Parkway, to include 298 apartment units and 28,000 square feet of retail space, along with a market, sports entertainment venue, parking garage, police precinct, walking and bike trails Cost: More than $80 million.

• Courthouse Landing mixed-use development project, and will stretch across at least 250,000 square feet, and is set to include a 120-room hotel, 365,000 sq. ft. of retail, office and medical office space, and 600 multifamily units split between apartments, and townhomes and condos Cost: $290 million.

• A 340-acre, $1 billion carbon-neutral Lego factory to be completed in 2025, located in Meadowville Technology Park.

• Construction of a new, 111,500-square-foot A.M. Davis Elementary School, scheduled to open in 2025. Cost: $51 million.

• Two middle schools, a high school and four elementary schools to accommodate a rising number of county residents, increasing student capacity by more than 6,000 seats across Chesterfield, with one of the middle schools and expected openings in 2025 and 2026.

• Other completed or ongoing projects in Chesterfield include an Amazon facility in the 1900 block of Meadowville Technology Parkway, Project:HOMES and its work in the 46-unit Bermuda Estates Manufactured Housing Community, and the Welcome Center at the Manchester Family YMCA, which opened in 2022

Henrico County development projects

• Green City, a mixed-use development project stretching across 204 acres that will include a 17,000-seat arena, two hotels with 600 rooms, 2,100 residential units, green space and plazas, 280,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 2.2 million square feet of office space, 280,000 square feet of retail space, 2,100 residential units and green space and plazas Cost: $2.3 billion.

• The Henrico Sports & Events Center, a 185,000-squarefoot venue that opened in December after three years of construction Cost: A $50 million investment.

• An Amazon robotics facility near the Richmond Raceway on Meadowbridge Road, a 650,000 square foot factory that is the first of its kind in Central Virginia and the second of its kind in the state.

• Rebuilding Jackson Davis Elementary School ($36 million for construction), R.C. Longan Elementary School ($37 million), Quioccasin Middle ($89 million), Highland Springs Elementary ($45 million), new buildings for Fairfield Area Elementary ($46 million. Elementary ($47.7 million) and renovation for Charles M. Johnson Elementary ($26.5 million).

• Construction of an environmental education building at Wilton Farm on the James River for use by HCPS students.

*Not all of Henrico’s projects have been successful. An investment by the Board of Supervisors into An Achievable Dream Certified Academies, championed by Mr. Nelson after he visited their Newport News academies, began in 2017. Achievable Dream’s Henrico academies started with K-2

same — safe schools, wellmaintained public spaces and a good quality of life.

“What I’ve noticed is that we all want the great things of life,” Mr. Holland said. “We all want the best of life regardless of who we are and how we look.”

Maintaining that quality of life for both Chesterfield and Henrico will depend on the policies in place. In that regard, Mr. Holland, 73, and Mr. Nelson, 50, share several commonalities for 2024 and beyond. Job creation and education are major areas of focus for both supervisors, along with improvement and investment in county infrastructure.

Other major priorities for Mr. Holland include enhanced public safety and small business development.

Mr. Nelson, meanwhile, cites housing, public and private investment, and mental-health support for communities of color as priorities.

“I think we just want to continue to keep on moving the needle forward,” Mr. Nelson said.

Mr. Nelson and Mr. Holland said they believe that the same desire for progress is shared by the other members of their respective boards. While elections last year brought a new supervisor to Chesterfield, three new members to Henrico and a political shift to Democratic-majority boards, both said they believe that collaboration will supersede conflict.

“Our goal is to coalesce and to work together,” Mr. Holland said. His Henrico County counterpart is excited about the future.

“I’m excited about our board,” Mr. Nelson said. “I think the best is yet to come.”

Remarks“ ”

John A. Vithoulkas , County Manager, Henrico County:

“Mr. Holland and Rev. Nelson are two giants in the Richmond region, collectively serving their respective communities with heart and distinction in an elected capacity for a combined 28 years. Under Rev. Nelson’s leadership, Henrico County has made significant investments in the East End, highlighted by the brand new Highland Springs High School, the new Varina Library and the new Taylor Park — which is under construction. As the senior member of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, funding for schools, environmental efforts, road and mobility projects, and mass transit is at historic levels. Rev. Nelson is a leader in the region — his voice is heard — and he now serves as the chairman of the GRTC Board of Directors and is a member of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority Board. I am absolutely humbled to be able to work for this man and I very much look forward to what challenges he brings forward next for our county staff to meet.”

Joe Casey, County Administrator, Chesterfield County:

“I have had the honor and privilege of a front-row seat to two regionallyminded leaders that I respect, Mr. Holland and Mr. Nelson. When either of them are part of a meeting, productive discussions arise in making their locality or region better. They both ask the questions that should be asked, but often not thought of by others, and position staff to do productive work in addressing their question or advancing their topic. When both of them are together in the same room, it is something even more amazing in what can be done together. I look forward to the years ahead and being in the same room with one or both of them often.”

Mr. Holland Mr. Nelson

Mr. Casey

Mr. Vithoulkas

Photos by Sandra Sellars for Richmond Free Press

From left Ashley Armstrong, Kiara Solice, Ronald Jackson and Kailynn Archer put the final touches on a banner for a wedding in one of the multipurpose rooms at Beaulah Recreation Center in Chesterfield County, which opened in 2023. The center offers youth, adults and older adults programs, lifestyle and therapeutic recreation programs, fitness classes, tai chi and an open gym. The center also functions as administrative headquarters for the Parks and Recreation Department, with offices for approximately 30 staff members.

The VIP Lounge, below, at the new Henrico Sports and Events Center at 11000 Telegraph Road in Glen Allen boasts impressive stats and will be the site of the 2024 A10 Women’s Basketball Championship. The 185,000 square foot building with 115,000 square feet of contiguous court space includes ceiling-mounted athletic equipment, a massive 39,000square-foot event space with center court seating large enough to accommodate 3,500 spectators or staging and seating for up to 4,500 for meetings and events.

United Daughters of the Confederacy would lose Virginia tax breaks, if Youngkin signs off

By Sarah Rankin The Associated Press

Legislation that would end tax benefits for the United Daughters of the Confederacy — the Richmond-based women’s group that helped erect many of the country’s Confederate monuments — is on its way to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who hasn’t said whether he supports it.

The Democratic-led House of Delegates gave final passage Monday to a bill that would eliminate both a recordation and property tax exemption for the group. A separate, companion measure that reached final passage last week also eliminates those exemptions.

The bills have moved through the legislature with mostly party-line support and relatively little debate. The few individuals who have spoken out against the legislation have called it discriminatory, while supporters argued the tax benefits have amounted to state-sponsored subsidies for Confederate monuments and are out of line with 21st century values.

“Since Virginia no longer supports the legacy of the Confederacy, we need to reflect that in our legislation,” Democratic Sen. Angelia Williams Graves of Norfolk, the sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, said in a legislative hearing.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy for over a century has “spread the lie” of the Lost Cause — an ideology that downplayed the role slavery played in the Civil War — and “instilled fear in marginalized groups by erecting Confederate monuments around the United States,” Williams Graves said.

The nonprofit group, which owns a marbleclad Memorial Building positioned on a prominent Richmond boulevard with an assessed value of over $4.4 million, did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

But last week, it told TV station WRIC-TV8 the state created the property tax exemption in 1950, also extending “an offer of land in Richmond” to erect the Memorial Building.

The property tax exemption helps the group, which had members in the House gallery Monday, provide aid to other organizations, including the Wounded Warriors Project and homeless veterans organizations, the statement said.

“It is our hope that Gov. Youngkin appreciates the complicated history of this organization,” the statement said. The group added that it wanted the governor to see the bill as an “unfair and unwarranted tax-reform bill targeting and punishing the United Daughters of the Confederacy for simply existing.”

Both bills were amended as they went through the legislative process to also end the property tax-exempt designation for two other groups related to the Confederacy: the Stonewall Jackson Memorial and the Confederate Memorial Literary Society.

An entity called the Confederate Memorial Literary Society is listed in city property records as the owner of the former White House of the

Bronze pieces from MLK memorial in Denver recovered after being sold for scrap

The Associated Press DENVER

Three bronze artworks stolen from a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in City Park in Denver, along with seven bronze pieces taken from a nearby fountain, were recovered after being sold to a scrap metal business, Denver Police said Tuesday. Police said because the items were taken from two memorials and sold as scrap, they do not believe it was a bias-motivated crime. Two suspects are being sought and one of the men has been identified, police said.

A large plaque depicting Black military veterans from the “I Have a Dream” monument was cut into four pieces prior to being sold, police said. A torch and angel taken from the King monument also were recovered last Friday.

Investigators learned the pieces missing from the King monument were taken early on Feb. 18.

The thefts from the Joseph Addison Thatcher Memorial Fountain had not been reported until the items were recovered from the scrap business. Some pieces from the fountain remain missing, police said in a Crimestoppers poster announcing a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. The fountain was dedicated in 1918.

Artist Ed Dwight created the King memorial in 2002. It features a bronze statue of Dr. King and smaller statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. Police returned the artworks to Denver Arts & Venues, which manages both monuments. Police declined to say how much the scrap business paid for the pieces, citing the ongoing investigation.

Confederacy, which is part of Richmond’s multisite American Civil War Museum. A museum representative didn’t respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

United Daughters of the Confederacy was founded in 1894 and is open to membership by female descendants of individuals who served in the Confederate military or who “gave Material Aid to the Cause,” according to the group’s website. The group denounces white supremacy, is “grieved” that certain hate groups have adopted the use of the Confederate flag, and believes Confederate monuments are part of “our shared American history and should remain in place,” its website said. Articles and studies have found the group

helped erect hundreds of monuments and other tributes to the Confederacy around the country. The group has also been involved in lawsuits in more recent years aimed at stopping the removal of monuments from public spaces.

Many of Virginia’s Confederate monuments have been removed since the passage of a 2020 law that gave local governments control over their fate.

Gov. Youngkin has not sought to restore removed monuments and did not strenuously object to the removal of a massive statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from state property during his 2021 campaign. But he has said he believes monuments that are removed should be placed in museums or battlefields.

Gov. Youngkin will “review any legislation that comes to his desk,” said spokesman Christian Martinez when asked whether the governor supports the bills.

In 2022, a teenager launched the push to remove the group’s exemption, according to reporting from The Virginian-Pilot, bringing the issue to Democratic Del. Don Scott, who is now speaker of the House of Delegates.

Del. Scott’s effort to repeal the benefits died last year — when the House was under Republican control — without a recorded vote after it was left in a committee.

House speakers preside over the chamber and typically don’t sponsor many bills. This year, the House version was carried by Democratic Del. Alex Askew, who represents parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

“This bill does not attempt to challenge the UDC’s right to exist. It is not about free speech, about taking down monuments or which version of history is accurate. It’s about fairness and the financial priorities of the Commonwealth,” Del. Askew said during a hearing, adding that the tax revenues being foregone now could help pay for schools, workforce development or mental health programs.

Several female speakers who testified against his bill in a subcommittee hearing argued that it unfairly targeted the group.

The Richmond Assessor’s Office told VPM News the group’s headquarters would be taxed at the city’s regular property tax rate if the bill passes. That would mean an annual tax bill of over $50,000.

2 men convicted of killing Run-D.M.C.’s Jam Master Jay nearly 22 years after rap star’s death

By Jennifer Peltz and Cedar Attanasio The Associated Press

NEW YORK

More than 20 years after Run-D.M.C. star Jam Master Jay was brazenly gunned down in his recording studio, two men close to him were convicted Tuesday of murder, marking a long-awaited moment in one of the hip-hop world’s most elusive cases.

An anonymous Brooklyn federal jury found Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington guilty of killing the pioneering DJ in 2002 over what prosecutors characterized as revenge for a failed drug deal.

The musician, born Jason Mizell, worked the turntables in Run-D.M.C. as it helped hiphop break into the pop music mainstream in the 1980s with such hits as “It’s Tricky” and a fresh take on Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”

Like the slayings of rap icons Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. in the late 1990s, there were no arrests for years. Authorities were deluged with tips, rumors and theories but struggled to get witnesses to open up.

Mr. Jordan, 40, was Mr. Mizell’s godson. Mr. Washington, 59, was an old friend who was bunking at the home of the DJ’s sister at the time of the shooting on Oct. 30, 2002.

Both men were arrested in 2020 and pleaded not guilty.

“Y’all just killed two innocent people,” Mr. Washington yelled at jurors following the guilty verdict. Mr. Jordan’s supporters also erupted at the verdict, cursing the jury. Defense lawyers said they asked the judge to set aside the verdict and acquit them.

“My client did not do this. And the jury heard testimony about the person who did,” one of Washington’s lawyers, Susan Kellman, told reporters.

The men’s names, or at least their nicknames, have been floated for decades in connection to the case. Authorities publicly named Mr. Washington as a suspect in 2007. He told Playboy magazine in 2003 he’d been outside the studio, heard the shots and saw “Little D” — one of Mr. Jordan’s monikers — racing out of the building.

Relatives of Mr. Mizell welcomed the verdict and lamented that his mother did not live to see it.

“I feel like I was carrying a 2,000-pound weight on my shoulders. And when that verdict came today, it lifted it off,” said Carlis Thompson, Mr. Mizell’s cousin, who wiped away tears after the verdict was read. “The wounds can start to heal now.”

Mr. Mizell had been part of Run-D.M.C.’s anti-drug message, delivered through a

public service announcement and such lyrics as “we are not thugs / we don’t use drugs.” But according to prosecutors and trial testimony, he racked up debts after the group’s heyday and moonlighted as a cocaine middleman to cover his bills and habitual generosity to friends.

“He was a man who got involved in the drug game to take care of the people who depended on him,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell said in his summation.

Prosecution witnesses testified that in Mr. Mizell’s final months, he had a plan to acquire 10 kilograms of cocaine and sell it through Mr. Jordan, Mr. Washington and a Baltimorebased dealer. But the Baltimore connection refused to work with

Mr. Washington, according to testimony. Prosecutors said Mr. Washington and Mr. Jordan went after Mr. Mizell for the sake of vengeance, greed and jealousy.

While the case may complicate Mr. Mizell’s image, Syracuse University media professor J. Christopher Hamilton says it shouldn’t be blotted out.

If he was indeed involved in dealing drugs, “that doesn’t mean to say his achievements shouldn’t be lauded,” Mr. Hamilton said, arguing that acceptance from local underworld figures was a necessity for successful rappers of the ’80s and ’90s.

“You don’t get these individuals without them walking through the gauntlet of the street,” Mr. Hamilton said.

Powering the morning rush.

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of power lines to reduce outages. Deployed new technologies to protect the grid. And installed smart meters to help our customers manage their electricity use and save money every month.

From international airports to your local diner, today and years into the future, Dominion Energy is proud to provide the energy that keeps Virginia going.

Clark’s record run doesn’t tell full story

By now, you know Iowa sharpshooter

Caitlin Clark has broken the all-time NCAA women’s scoring record, or at least you’ve heard her name.

To be sure, Clark, a senior guard, is a transcendent talent whose specialty is the 3-pointer. On Feb. 15, she broke the all-time scoring mark held by former University of Washington player Kelsey Plum, 29, who has won back-to-back WNBA championships with the Las Vegas Aces. Plum finished her college career (2013-2017) with 3,527 points.

Both are fine athletes who continue to excel in their sport. But their story isn’t the only one that needs to be told.

As Clark, 22, chased the record, few media reports – print or electronic – included two other important pieces – Pearl Moore and Lynette Woodard.

For 45 years, Moore has held the overall women’s scoring mark of 4,061 points (1975-79). Moore played at tiny Francis Marion University in her hometown of Florence, S.C.

Former Kansas star Lynette Woodard holds the major college women’s scoring record of 3,649 points (1978-81).

So why aren’t the two African-American basketball phenoms recognized for their accomplishments? In short, it’s complicated, and probably has nothing to do with race, although Clark and Plum are white.

Rather, shortsightedness by the NCAA is the culprit.

Moore and Woodard, both of whom are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, played when women’s college basketball was governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). The organization ran the sport from 1971 to 1983, before the NCAA took over.

That means statistics from non-NCAA associations “are not currently included in NCAA record books, regardless of gender,” a NCAA spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.

Unfair, you say? How can all that hard work and sweat go unrecognized by the NCAA?

Well, something similar happened in Major League Baseball, which only decided to include Negro League stats in 2020. The decision covers seven Negro League teams that operated between 1920 and 1948 – or roughly 3,400 players.

While MLB finally rectified its mess, the NCAA still is doing business as usual, despite a chorus of voices pushing for change.

Clearly, it’s time. The NCAA should just admit it made a mistake with players such as Moore and Woodard and move to embrace their numbers. And it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to throw in an apology to those who have been left out of the record books all these years.

Throughout Clark’s record run, Moore and Woodard have been gracious and excited about her breaking the record. But you can’t help but feel there’s a little bit of sadness attached to it.

“I’m not the only one that it affects,” Moore, 66, told the Washington Post. “Players like Lynette Woodard and Carol Blazejowski would’ve had bigger totals as well because of how we played.”

“Those records should have been merged a long time ago,” Woodard, 64, also told the Washington Post. “We’re so quick to erase anything we don’t like or think we don’t like. It’s just not fair. There’s a lot of history there and it just should not be dismissed.”

It’s hard to disagree with that.

Biden, Dems need to get their message out now!

Spoiler alert! Donald Trump will be allowed to remain on the ballot this fall.

with no intention of following through, and in completely dishonest ways.

One way or another, the Supreme Court is going to decide that a state cannot remove Mr. Trump from the ballot based on the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists holding elected office. Mr. Trump is an insurrectionist. But that is not the question currently before the court. The decision will likely be joined by some of the court’s moderates. It could even be unanimous.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it or the narrowness of the ultimate decision, another barrier will be removed for Mr. Trump. His base will be further energized.

Increasingly, the question on many people’s minds is this: With the Trump train picking up speed again, what can President Biden do to stop it?

The economic and social struggles of the broad base of working-class America define the political moment that we are in. It is a populist one. This has allowed Donald Trump to speak to Americans’ anxieties

appearance of impropriety can be just as damaging as the real thing. Sometimes worse.

That’s particularly true in a “heater case,” house slang for a case that attracts an inordinate amount of media focus. Needless to say, it is hard to get much hotter than the courtroom drama in Georgia, where fourtimes-indicted Donald Trump and almost 20 co-defendants (some of whom struck plea deals) face charges of election interference.

And that parade of heaters spawned yet another: a drive by former Trump crony Michael Roman, among other interested parties, to have Fani Willis — Fulton County’s district attorney — disqualified from the sprawling RICO case she brought against Mr. Trump and the others.

At issue: Ms. Willis’ romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, an outside attorney she hired as a special prosecutor in the election interference case. Earlier this year, before Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade admitted to a romantic relationship, defense attorneys pounced, accusing Ms.Willis of a conflict of interest.

The defendants claimed Ms. Willis personally profited from hiring Mr. Wade because Mr. Wade spent some of the hun-

Mr. Trump has been stealing Bernie Sanders’ talking points since back in 2016. Remember before all the “rigged election” rhetoric, Mr. Trump spoke of the “rigged economy.” He truthfully told voters our health care system is broken but dishonestly said he would give us a better one. And, of course, he lambasted

NAFTA as the disaster it was. It was all empty rhetoric. Mr. Trump lacked the conviction, knowledge and genuine desire to do anything about these issues. Take the issue of trade. All of Mr. Trump’s tough “America first” talk about trade belies the fact that his policies would do nothing to ensure American competitiveness. Despite China being a favorite target from the stump, Mr. Trump would allow China to dominate the emerging global economy by preventing the domestic growth of the industries at its center.

The irony is that what working-class America is demanding, President Biden is delivering. He is just not talking about it. President Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is reopening American factories,

dreds of thousands of dollars he earned from the assignment on trips with Ms. Willis to such locations as Belize, Aruba and Napa Valley.

On the witness stand, Ms. Willis spent a cringeworthy day defending her integrity and firing back at the attorneys she

said were attempting to smear her name.

“You’ve been intrusive into people’s lives,” she said to defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant. “You think I’m on trial. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”

This case became so hot on a number of levels that it turned into a peculiar blend of courtroom drama and soap opera. On Jan. 14, days before even admitting to the relationship and before taking the witness stand, Ms. Willis stood before the congregation at Atlanta’s Big Bethel AME Church and described herself as “flawed” and “imperfect.”

Both Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade deny they’ve done anything improper. Indeed, their relationship has run its course, and yet he remains the special prosecutor.

Ms. Willis said she paid Mr. Wade back for her share of the cost of the trips. There were no receipts of such payments, which she explained was because she paid him in cash. She said her father had taught her from an early age to keep cash on hand

rebuilding American manufacturing and creating jobs. Our current president is backing up industrial unions such as the United Auto Workers when they find themselves in a real fight. And he is ensuring that America seizes the moment to lead the world economy in this century like we did in the last one.

President Biden does not need to sound more like Donald Trump. Mr. Trump is all bluster and aims only to foment anger. What President Biden needs to do is make it clear that when it comes to cars and energy, there is only one future: electric vehicles and renewable sources such as solar and wind.

He needs to speak plainly about how, if America does not seize these markets and support the manufacturing sectors behind these industries, China will. China already controls more than 80% of the world’s solar-manufacturing capacity and the Chinese electric car industry is growing rapidly.

To be sure, there are many, many factors at play in this year’s election. But many of the big ones tie back to the working class. For instance, the gender gap has grown — but not necessarily in President Biden’s favor. Women skew more heavily toward the president in polls that follow public displays of Mr. Trump’s misogyny or

as financial protection. Defense attorneys were incredulous, so up to the stand went Ms. Willis’ elderly father, who testified that, yes, indeed that was what he taught his daughter.

The allegations against Mr. Trump in Georgia are serious, and the sideshow regarding the district attorney’s personal life has done nothing but distract from the matter at hand. It’s unclear at this point whether Ms. Willis will retain control of the case.

Whatever you might think of the case she has brought against Mr. Trump and his allies, Ms. Willis undermined the effort through her own poor judgment. In other words, she should have known better.

Yes, her legal argument might be sound enough to hold up in court. It’s not enough to be romantically involved with a co-counsel under Georgia law, according to some legal scholars. There needs to be some private gain to disqualify her as conflicted. Hence, the testimony about cash payments.

But legal distinctions are not the whole story, not when one of the most divisive politicians in American history is the defendant. Ms.Willis could survive this bid to disqualify her and still badly damage her future career.

And in the end, what really matters is that justice is served. Will that happen here? It’s hard to predict how this heater concludes.

The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

news of his sexual assaults. But, in general, recent polls are showing President Biden’s base advantage with women has shrunk.

Meanwhile, the gender gap for men skews more and more heavily toward Mr. Trump. That is driven by the trend among working-class men. And it is working-class men of all races – including growing numbers of Black men. We all grew up hearing that actions speak louder words. But talking the talk is becoming more and more important in our politics. This is not a case against action. Rather, where President Biden is already showing great leadership with his actions, he also needs to make sure the American people hear about it. The writer is the executive director of the Sierra Club and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Clarence Page

Ben Jealous

Richmond must create something meaningful for Richmond Community Hospital

As a lifelong resident of Richmond and a neighbor of Virginia Union University, I feel compelled to express my deep disappointment regarding the recent news concerning the fate of Richmond Community Hospital in the “shiny new penny project” for the Overbrook Road/ Edgehill neighborhood.

Richmond Community Hospital holds immense historical significance as a crucial landmark of African-American legacy in our city. During an era of segregation and medical mistrust, this hospital served as a beacon of trust and safety for our community. The doctors who practiced there were not just health care providers; they were pillars of our community who looked like us, understood our needs, and provided care with compassion and understanding. For many, including myself, it was the place where we sought health care, received medical treatment, and welcomed our children into the world. My four children were born at Richmond Community.

The decision to overlook the preservation of Richmond Community Hospital and settle for a mere plaque as representation is deeply

disheartening. As we strive to embrace the full spectrum of our nation’s history, it is essential that we honor and preserve the legacies of institutions like Richmond Community Hospital. The decision, particularly by Virginia Union, feels like a missed opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate our rich heritage.

While I understand the challenges of repurposing the building for medical use, I believe that Virginia Union and the City of Richmond have a responsibility to explore alternative options for preserving this historic site. There are numerous examples in our city where buildings have been repurposed or integrated into new projects, and I urge decision-makers to consider similar approaches for Richmond Community Hospital.

I sincerely hope that Virginia Union and the City of Richmond will reconsider their decision and work toward creating something meaningful with the property that holds such immense historical and cultural significance to our community.

GRACE H. TOWNES Richmond

Reader expresses gratitude for efforts to save hospital

Dear Mary DePillars:

Thank you on behalf of myself, the citizens of Richmond, and history generally for your beautiful letter for a critical cause. I pray that it may help to save this valuable landmark. I join you in beseeching Virginia Union University to save the Richmond Community Hospital building.

Your letter moved me in so many ways. There was no little irony for me personally in your writing this sentence in your penultimate

paragraph:

“I suspect that every Black citizen 60 years or older who lives/lived in the area has some connection to RCH from births to tonsillectomies to broken arms and beyond.” I was indeed born at RCH and later went back for a tonsillectomy.

In gratitude.

DARYL DANCE Richmond

Duty to preserve our legacy

Virginia Union University’s first listed item on its “Core Values at Union” page is “Innovation.” “Spiritual Formation” follows. Demolishing an historic Black structure committed to community learning and healing seems puzzling considering these expressed values. Given the brilliant minds cultivated by the university throughout its lifespan, the move to destroy the former Richmond Community Hospital site demonstrates a lack of creativity and a dishonor to our ancestral legacy. Possibilities abound when considering ways to integrate the facility into residence hall planning.

Furthermore, when observing preservation of Black historic sites in the Rich -

mond area, a struggle narrative emerges. For various reasons, ranging from racial injustices to intracommunal neglect and mismanagement, hardship marks the legacy of local, Black historic preservation. Now that an opportunity arises to safeguard a monument to a way Black people united for community uplift, the choice becomes to tear it down, leaving only a marker in its place. The same flippant, domineering mentality has undergirded the historic injustices imposed by eminent domain. Consider the consequences: When we within the Black community undervalue our own legacy, we lose grounds for demanding that others pay homage. Let it be known that not all

Crusading for better education outcomes

The Richmond Crusade for Voters would like Superintendent Jason Kamras to resign or have the present School Board relieve him of his duties. The Crusade said there was neglect in reading, writing, math, science and other career education. We all know that positive U.S.

Proposed new Virginia ‘tech tax’ sparks backlash from business community

The Associated Press

Trade associations representing hundreds of companies that do business in Virginia have come out swinging against a proposal to expand the state sales tax to cover digital goods, something Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed and Democrats endorsed in their budget legislation.

Both chambers of the legislature included the new sales tax on purchases like streaming subscriptions, cloud storage and online downloads in the two-year budget plans they passe d last week. The Senate went beyond the House of Delegates in also applying it to business-to-business transactions.

In a letter sent to lawmakers beginning Tuesday, the Northern Virginia Technology Council and other business-focused lobbying and trade organizations said the General Assembly should reject the proposed “tech tax,” which budget documents from both chambers show is estimated to generate over $1 billion in revenue over the next two-year state budget. At a minimum, the letter said, if policymakers move forward with the proposal, they should broadly exempt business-to-business transactions — or companies may be forced to pass along costs to consumers or move to other states.

“The proposed tech tax hike would put Virginia companies at a significant competitive disadvantage in industries where global competition is high and margins are narrow. The tax will very likely impact hiring and

reduce internal research and development investment, the majority of which is currently concentrated here in Virginia,” Jennifer Taylor, president and CEO of the group, said in a statement included with the letter, which a representative of the organization shared with The Associated Press.

The Technology Council states on its website it has nearly 500 members, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to academic institutions and government contractors.

Additional interest groups, including the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, a data center coalition and a coalition of broadband providers, also signed onto the letter.

So did the Virginia Manufacturers Association, whose president and CEO, Brett Vassey, said the proposed tax would drive up the cost of software and online training materials used by factories.

Democrats have said the expansion of the tax is a common sense adjustment that brings Virginia’s tax code in line with an increasingly digital world.

Currently, individuals would pay sales tax on a CD but not a digital download, and a company would pay taxes on a physical server but not cloud storage, Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas, chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, said while unveiling her chamber’s budget proposal.

“I find it only fair that the same taxes apply to individuals and businesses when consuming the same services,” said Sen. Lucas, who dubbed the proposal a “new economy” tax.

REV. JABRIEL M. HASAN Sandston

Stories by Fred Jeter

A year ago, Ashaun Moore could do nothing but watch as John Marshall High rolled to the State Class 2 basketball title.

This season, the senior is in the middle of the action — albeit often as sixth man — as the Justices close in on their third straight state crown and fourth since 2018.

“He’s gotten back into the groove,” said JM Coach Ty White. “People forget Shaun started the last 12 games for us as a sophomore. A very versatile player, he’s a capable 3-point shooter and very active defensively in our press.”

A bouncy, rangy 6-foot-4 wing with a long-distance jump shot, Moore missed the entire 2022-23 season with a torn ACL.

This go-round he’s averaging nine points, four rebounds, two assists and

two steals while hitting 34% from beyond the arc. The North Siders headed into this week’s state tournament with a 13game winning streak and overall 22-3 record. JM hasn’t lost since an upset at St. Christopher’s in early January.

JM rolled through the region playoffs, ousting Nottoway 105-23, Amelia 114-59 and Bruton 97-50.

“I’m 100% now,” Moore said of his ACL recovery. “My goal is to play hard defense and do whatever the team needs most.”

He enjoyed a bit of an advantage in the rehab program. His mother, Ashley Moore, is a certified athletic trainer with a “global” clientele, her son said.

“We spent a lot of early-morning and late-night sessions on my knee,” Moore said. Still, it cost him his junior

12:30 p.m. followed by the boys at 2:30 p.m.

season and spring and summer AAU play with Team Loaded. As a result, his college recruitment has been less than expected for a

John Marshall’s Ashaun Moore, number 3, is averaging nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals while hitting 34% from beyond the arc.

front-line athlete on a state championship squad.

He said a prep school or juniorcollege route might be his travel itinerary to an eventual mid-major Division 1 scholarship.

Moore grew up in eastern Henrico and starred in basketball and football (as quarterback) at John Rolfe Middle School in Varina. He helped the school to county championships in both sports.

Upton entering JM, he totally switched focus with full concentration on hoops. Coach White’s North Side juggernaut is on a historic run of success. The Justices are 116-14 since the 2018-19 season with three state titles (’20, ’22, ’23). They’ll be looking to add another on March 7 at the Siegel Center.

Do you believe in magic? VUU does

Virginia Union University’s Panthers had smiles on their faces while bussing to Baltimore earlier this week.

Not so for Virginia State.

In one of those “Oh, my gosh, did you see what I just saw?” moments, VUU ended a troubled regular season on a cloud-nine note at the host Trojans’ expense.

The regular season ended with a fantastic finish for the ages. Down 61-49 with 3:55 left at VSU’s Multi-Purpose Center, the Panthers clawed back for a 6463 win on a two-hand, alley-oop dunk and following free throw by Kaylen Vines with two seconds left.

The game was played before a crowd of 1,098 and national HBCUGO TV audience.

Vines’ show-stopping slam came off an inbounds, baseline lob pass from Travis Vaughn.

Perhaps it was an omen. Vines and Vaughn both grew up not far from Baltimore where VUU hopes to continue its momentum.

Despite all the close losses and frustration this season, VUU

wound up tied with Lincoln for the CIAA North title with 7-3 division marks. Overall, the young Panthers are 13-17. Lincoln is the top seed, based on a better CIAA mark – 10-7.

Virginia State, 5-5 in the division and 14-14 overall, arrived in Baltimore as the North’s third seed.

u

In the beginning: The CIAA tournament was born, with just four teams in 1946 at Turner’s Arena in Washington, D.C. The event stayed in D.C. until 1951 at Uline Arena before moving to Baltimore and the Morgan State campus in 1952.

Other host cities have been Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Hampton, Norfolk, Richmond (1987 and 1991-93), Raleigh and Charlotte (from 2006 to 2020.)

(North Carolina Central); Bobby Dandridge (Norfolk State); Earl Monroe (Winston-Salem); Marvin Webster (Morgan State); Rick Mahorn (Hampton); and Mike Davis, Terry Davis, Charles Oakley and Ben Wallace — all Virginia Union.

Brightest stars: Many CIAA standouts have gone on to significant NBA careers.

The list includes Al Attles (North Carolina A&T); Sam Jones

Manchester duo legacy leading scorers

If the names Woolfolk and Wright sound familiar to serious basketball fans, they should.

Manchester High’s top scorers, Mia Woolfolk and Rayne Wright, are the daughters of former University of Richmond star Pete Woolfolk and ex-Old Dominion University (ODU) standout Rasheed Wright, respectively. A senior who has committed to the University of Georgia, the powerful 6-foot-2 Woolfolk averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds while helping the Lancers into this week’s State Class 6 tournament. She has a dominant presence near the basket at both ends of the floor.

Wright, a 5-foot-11 junior, averaged 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals, playing for her father, Rasheed, at the Chesterfield County school.

The Lancers, after beating previously undefeated Thomas Dale

Mia Woolfolk

The burly, 6-foot-6 Pete Woolfolk helped lead Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe to a State Group AAA title in 1984 before going to UR and playing for Coach Dick Tarrant.

Helping UR to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1988, Woolfolk scored 1,604 Spider points and snared 859 rebounds between 1984 and 1988. He is a member of the UR Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rasheed Wright, a native of Greensboro, N.C., scored 1,185 points and snagged 465 rebounds for ODU between 1999 and 2003 for Coach Blaine Taylor.

The 6-foot-5 Wright played 13 professional seasons in France before getting into coaching. With the Woolfolk and Wright girls in the Manchester lineup, the Lancers are 61-13 the past three seasons. Last year, they reached the Class 6 finals before falling in overtime to James Madison of Vienna.

Mia Woolfolk made All-State in hoops last year and is a two-time All-State pick in softball. Her older brother, Jay, is a pitcher at the University of Virginia.

Pulley, Mbangue win conference honors

Keishawn Pulley has more than doubled his scoring in his sophomore basketball season at Randolph-Macon College (RMC).

After averaging 8.4 points as a freshman, the former St. Christopher’s guard picked it up

to 17.4 per game this season in earning first-team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) honors. Pulley had highs of 36 points against Shenandoah and 32 versus Washington & Lee. Also earning first team All-

ODAC honors for the Jackets was senior Daniel Mbangue, who averaged nine points, nine rebounds and four assists per outing. After losing in the ODAC semifinals, RMC, now 23-4, is hopeful of an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Surprisingly, none of VUU’s future NBA players was on the 1980 (Keith Valentine MVP), 1992 (Derrick Johnson MVP) and 2005 (Antwan Walton MVP) national championship squads. Crabtown venue: CFG Bank Arena, located a short walk from the Inner Harbor and Baltimore Convention Center, opened in 1962 as the Baltimore Civic Center.

It was the home of the NBA Baltimore Bullets from 1963 to 1973. With seating for 14,000, it previously was called First Mariner Arena and Royal Farms Arena.

Almost: VUU’s Tahj Harding came close to winning the CIAA scoring title. The junior from Ohio averaged 18.7 points, just a few friendly rolls short of Bluefield State’s Jordan Hinds at 19.2 points. Two former Panthers were CIAA scoring leaders and NCAA Division II champions.

Mike Davis averaged 36.3 points in 1968, leading the nation. A.J. English accomplished the same in 1990, averaging 31.1 points. VUU’s Robert Osborne (20.2) led the league in scoring a year ago. In 2020, Terrell Leach was second in CIAA with 23.2 points per game.

Soccer star’s talent comes home

The inaugural W League RVA squad will feature a talented local woman this soccer season.

James River High of Midlothian graduate Kameron Simmonds, currently on the roster of NCAA champion Florida State (FSU), will play forward for the local entry in the USL W League. It is a pre-professional league that allows the women to also play for their school teams. The first game is March 16 in Spokane, Wash. Simmonds played locally for Richmond United before first enrolling at the University of Tennessee. She transferred to FSU following one season with the Volunteers.

The Simmonds family has a rich tradition with local pro soccer and with Jamaica.

Kameron Simmonds twice played for Jamaican national teams in 2022, once for the U-20 squad and later for the team representing the island in the World Cup.

Her father, Greg, played for the Richmond Kickers in the early 2000s and her younger brother, Nicholas, is currently on the Kickers’ academy roster.

Kameron Simmonds

Earl Monroe

Keishawn Pulley

Peter Woolfolk

Ben Wallace

Rasheed Wright

Photos by James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Personality: Utibe O. Bassey

Spotlight on honorary chair of Centennial American Heart Association 2024 Richmond Heart Ball

Nigerian-born Utibe O. Bassey grew up in Connecticut and has family scattered far and wide, but none in Virginia.

When she moved to Richmond in the summer of 2020 for a job with Dominion Energy, she was all alone and the pandemic was raging.

Fortunately, neither situation lasted too long.

Ms. Bassey’s adventurous nature and love of travel and people drove her to explore and learn more about her new hometown, both physically and virtually.

“Richmond has such a rich history — good and bad,” Ms. Bassey said in a recent telephone interview. “There are so many ways to learn about the depth of those historical places.”

Becoming involved with the American Heart Association — Virginia (AHA) about 18 months ago is one way she has worked to become familiar with Richmond’s volunteer community.

She joined as a member of the Executive Leadership Team for AHA’s Richmond Heart Ball. After stepping in as chair last year, she will serve as honorary chair this year.

The nation’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke is celebrating its centennial this year. Ms. Bassey said AHA’s work in Richmond — by funding local research, raising awareness and dealing with the practical aspects of heart health — is helping Richmonders to live longer, healthier lives.

Another reason she was drawn to working with the organization was the difference AHA can make in underserved communities.

“They were very open and welcoming to me as a Black woman,” Ms. Bassey said. “And they don’t dance around the fact there are inequities.”

AHA’s website notes that about 90% of people who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die, and that Black Americans are most likely to have those kinds of episodes. Administering CPR as soon as possible following a cardiac arrest can double or even triple the chance of survival.

She spoke of an incident about a year ago when a Dominion Energy work colleague collapsed during an evacuation drill. The worker was having a cardiac event and, fortunately, someone was able to perform CPR. The outcome was a good

one, but it made Ms. Bassey realize that she did not know what to do in that situation.

She has since become CPR-certified and adds that AHA’s “Nation of Lifesavers” campaign this year aims to encourage everyone to become CPR/AED certified and be prepared to save a life.

That kind of commitment to helping others is important to Ms. Bassey.

She has been greatly influenced by the Nigerian architect and philanthropist Olajumoke Adenowo, whose Awesome Treasures Foundation promotes business training and leadership development.

“[Olajumoke Adenowo] models this idea that wherever you are, you should add value and wherever you see a need, you should serve,” Ms. Bassey said.

She plans to self-publish her first book later this year. “LOVE as a KPI” will address love, not as a feeling, but as an outcome of businesses prioritizing people. Ms. Bassey said that if companies value their employees and customers, they should measure key performance indicators beyond revenue and profits and look at how they leave people feeling at the end of the day.

“People want to be seen and heard,” Ms. Bassey said. “AHA plays a role in helping everyone see each other as whole human beings, not just statistics. There are things we all can do. You can donate or you can lean into learning CPR. Everyone can make a difference.”

Meet a servant leader wit a servant’s heart and this week’s Personality, Utibe O. Bassey: Volunteer position: Chair, Heart of Richmond, American Heart Association and honorary chair of 2024 Richmond Heart Ball.

Occupation: Vice president of customer experience, Dominion Energy.

Date and place of birth: Dec. 27 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Where I live now: Richmond.

Education: management information systems, Central Connecticut State Univer -

sity; MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

American Heart Association is: An organization dedicated to “shining a powerful light on heart disease, its treatment and its prevention.” AHA supports all levels — be it funding research to grassroots awareness (of causes, drivers and factors impacting cardiovascular health) to actual “hands-on” skill building.

Why this organization is meaningful to me: The dedication, focus and consistency are some of the reasons — it is not easy to do this work consistently for a century. But far beyond that are the outcomes the American Heart Association drives. I love that the organization doesn’t just deal with research but also with practical aspects of heart health. I love the “no stone left unturned” approach.

Why I accepted the position as honorary chair of the Centennial American Heart Association Richmond Heart Ball: I am so proud to have the opportunity to positively impact health outcomes in underserved communities. While many recognize the American Heart Association as a national organization, they fund local research and help our neighbors right here in Richmond live longer, healthier lives.

No. 1 goal as honorary chair: To make a difference, big or

small … to raise awareness of the fact that heart disease touches all lives in our community.

Why I hope this is a hot ticket: While tickets are not being sold this year for the Richmond Heart Ball, we are always looking for more organizations and individuals to join in the fight against heart disease. To see how you or your organization can support this important work, visit heart. org/RVAHeartBall.

How the event will benefit Richmonders: We know that heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 killers of all Americans. Locally, these diseases claim nearly 35,000 lives each year. The funds raised are to help improve health outcomes in Central Virginia so that we see that number lessen

NOVEMBER THEATRE ARENSTEIN STAGE

over time.

Details of Richmond Heart

Ball: Saturday, April 27, at Main Street Station.

How I start the day: In prayer, in worship, reading and in the gym. Mind, soul, spirit and body.

Three words that best describe me: Purposeful, joiede-vivre, humorous.

Best late-night snack: Flour Crackers or Plantain Chips. I could go on, actually. I’m a snacker.

My musical playlist: Very diverse and relatively obscure. Less than a 1% chance it will have anything currently on contemporary radio. But I’m a music person. I love music very much.

I love to: Travel, but not to say I traveled. I love to wander around new cities (preferably on foot) and immerse myself in other peoples’ way of “normal” life. I am motivated (in general) by learning and travel helps me learn, helps me connect with others and keeps me

grounded.

A quote that inspires me: “I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind’s problems.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The best thing my parents ever taught me: My mom, Stella Bassey, is one of the most resourceful and resilient people I know. From her example, I have learned, “There’s ALWAYS a way forward.” Even if you think you’ve hit a wall, look again. There’s a crack in that wall.

The person who influenced me the most: A woman named Olajumoke Adenowo. She lives out a commitment to service, leadership, excellence, purpose and impact like I have never seen otherwise.

Book that influenced me the most: There’s a book I’m reading now, “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks that’s been really impactful so far.

Next goal: Finalize and publish my first book, “LOVE as a KPI,” this year.

RACHEL

Learn

MARCH 1 - APRIL 7

BY TERRY TEACHOUT

FEATURING JEROLD E. SOLOMON

DIRECTED BY RICK HAMMERLY

Richmond favorite, Jerold E. Solomon, portrays Louis Armstrong, the greatest of all jazz trumpeters; Joe Glaser, his manager; and Miles Davis, a rival musician, in this one-man, three-character play.

VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE | 804-282-2620 | VIRGINIAREP.ORG

Wed., March 6 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Library of Virginia Lecture Hall | Free

A book signing will follow the talk.

Registration required: lva.virginia.gov/public/weinstein

Yaegel T. Welch has long carried ‘Mockingbird’ role in his head

By George Copeland Jr.

It was the power and value of performance that first inspired Yaegel T. Welch to take to the stage. Growing up, he saw the arts as a way to express himself in a world that didn’t always know how to connect or communicate with him.

“When I was a kid, I would try to communicate, and I felt like I wouldn’t be heard or understood,” Mr. Welch said. “But when I could put things into the artistic mediums like poetry or storytelling ... people really understood where I was coming from.

“For me, that just seemed to be a natural fit for my life.”

Mr. Welch took his first major steps toward acting during his junior year at John W. North High School, when he auditioned for and earned a part in its theater program with a monologue from Athol Fugard’s play “My Children! My Africa!”

Now fully committed to theater, Mr. Welch would go on to earn a bachelor’s in theatre arts from Morehouse College, and a master’s in acting from Brandeis University and The George Washington University Academy for Classical Acting.

Once out of college, Mr. Welch moved to New York, where he bounced between work inside and outside of acting for over a decade, including a return to “My Children! My Africa!” as one of his early roles, off-Broadway productions of “Royale” and “Fly,” and appearances in TV shows like “The Blacklist” and “Madame Secretary.”

Mr. Welch

Now, Mr. Welch is entering his second year playing Tom Robinson in the Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” on a nationwide stage, helping to bring its story and characters to audiences in Richmond and across the country as part of its national tour.

“It’s a role that I’ve always known in the back of my head, if it ever came, I was right,” Mr. Welch said.

It was also a role that Mr. Welch has been connected to for years, from studying the performance of Brock Peters in the film adaptation during his time at Brandeis to earning his union card at the New Repertory Theatre for his work on a separate version of the play in the Boston area.

Mr. Welch joined the Broadway adaptation in 2019, after it first debuted in 2018 with its initial cast. Mr. Welch, who also debuted on Broadway in 2018 with “The Play That Goes Wrong,” was busy at the time, but he was determined to be a part of the production.

The week leading up to getting a role in the play, after Mr. Welch auditioned for the part, was a stressful time. He recalls lying in bed at home, depressed in the hours before his part was confirmed, wracked with worry that he had missed an opportunity and lacking any other work he could rely on. Friday Cheers, presented by Hardywood Park Craft Brew-

Julieta Cervantes

initially “nostalgic” approach to the play he saw audiences take when it first began.

“I think it gives voice to a situation that we know is happening that we sort of have swept under the rug,” Mr. Welch said, “but in recent times with George Floyd and Trayvon Martin and Breanna Taylor and Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, there’s so many instances where young and old people of color have died at the hands of the law unjustly.”

“It’s an important story and it’s nice to go around the country telling an important story that means a lot to people who are both black and white and everything in between.”

As Tom Robinson, Mr. Welch is given an elevated space to help tell that story. In comparison to the original novel and other adaptations, Tom Robinson’s tragic role in “Mockingbird” is expanded, thanks in part to a script that makes the character’s trial and death a more central point in the story.

Tom Robinson’s life and story also now serves as a fulcrum for change for multiple characters in the story, including its most famous, Atticus Finch. It’s a role that carries deep responsibility for Mr. Welch, who says the names of those lost to racial injustice before performances as part of his preparation for the role.

“I try to put their names out there in that universe, on that stage, in the air, because it’s not just a fictional tale,” Mr. Welch said. “It’s real, and it sort of grounds me in what the purpose of this is.”

“It gives me purpose every night, honoring people that have actually died like this in real life.”

The intense schedule of “Mockingbird’s” national tour means Mr. Welch’s life outside of the play is less of a focus for him, as he has to balance travel across the country and performances with promotional work like press interviews and school appearances.

However, Mr. Welch does have plans for what may come next when he moves on from “Mockingbird,” including long-term work with a network TV show, writing a one-person show and a less-demanding theater schedule.

The notification soon came through, however, and the joy Mr. Welch felt at being chosen to be an ensemble member and understudy for Tom Robinson is still clear all these years later.

“I was so excited,” Mr. Welch said. “I was thrilled I was gonna get to do something so relevant.”

The relevancy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” as a story is something Mr. Welch has seen evolve since he joined the production and the play began its national tour in March 2022, as awareness of and outcry against racial injustice changed the audience’s relationship to the story.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the many instances of police brutality and lack of accountability or justice seen in recent year has, in Mr. Welch’s experience, given “Mockingbird” a renewed place in society and culture. It’s a far cry from the

3

Yaegel T. Welch as Tom Robinson takes the stand in the stage adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” 8:20 p.m., Woody Woodworth & the Piners, 7:15 p.m. and Knifing Around, 6:15 p.m.

Across much of Mr. Welch’s creative ambitions, including “Mockingbird,” is a desire to make a meaningful social impact and share honest truths with the world. And for those who may be on the fence about seeing the play, Mr. Welch hopes they take the chance to see it and be inspired to make a meaningful impact as well.

“You’re going to see a story that yes, it seems like it’s heavy by nature,” Mr. Welch said. “But no, it’s actually a coming of age story of a Southern family and how they’re made better and more whole after this tragic experience.

“I think this story is about solving what’s unjust, and I would love for people to leave with a sense of awareness about injustices, and how they are going to help eradicate them.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” will run through Sunday, March 3, at Altria Theater at 6 N. Laurel St. Tickets can be purchased at broadwayinrichmond.com/show/to-kill-a-mockingbird.

Friday Cheers announces 2024 concert series

June 14 – Ritchy Mitch & the Coalminers, 8 p.m. with Deau Eyes, 6:30 p.m.

May 31 – Sir Chloe, 8:15 p.m. with Deux Visage, 7:15 p.m., and Prabir Trio, 6:15p.m.

June 7 – Mdou Moctar, 8p.m. with Leon III, 6:30 p.m.

June21–DigablePlanets, 8p.m. with Tre. Charles, 6:30 p.m.

June 28 – Sam Barber, 8:15 p.m. with Jake Kohn, 7:15p.m., and Villages, 6:15 p.m.

For all details on the event and to purchase tickets, visit Venture Richmond’s website. And, be sure to follow Friday Cheers on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) and use #CheersRVA all season long to be a part of the conversation.

Digable Planets

The Ingrammettes

Sam Barber

Bella White

At National Cathedral, leaders of different parties, perspectives call for civility

By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service WASHINGTON

Sitting under the imposing columns of the Washington National Cathedral, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox turned to longtime political strategist Donna Brazile and shared his change of heart about her.

“I grew up as a Republican; I grew up watching you on TV, as a Democrat, and there were so many times that I thought: I would love to just argue with her,” he said during a Feb. 21 forum on civility attended by more than 750 people.

“And I finally get up here on stage and I finally get to meet

people that even our worst enemies, political or otherwise, are the beloved children of God and should be treated as such.”

Gov. Cox and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore interviewed each other about their participation in the project and noted their efforts to seek bipartisan solutions in their states despite their party being able to pass legislation without the votes of the minority party.

“I believe in the idea that we don’t have to all come to the same conclusion but everyone just wants to be heard, everyone wants to feel like they were part of a larger process,” said Gov. Moore, a Democrat who is the grandson and great-grandson of ministers.

you and I just — I love you and I’m so impressed by you.”

The two were among the speakers at a forum at the cathedral called “With Malice Toward None, With Charity for All: Reclaiming Civility in American Politics.” The event, timed to the start of an already contentious election season, was held in partnership with Wesley Theological Seminary, along with the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University and Deseret Magazine, two institutions affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“As we head deeper into this election year, I can think of few topics more important than civility and the need for civil discourse in order for our democracy to thrive,” Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith said as the forum began.

He said the Cathedral’s programming focus this year on promoting humility, compassion, love and forgiveness should “remind

“You can’t claim to love the country if you hate half of the people in it.”

Gov. Cox, a member of the LDS church, said his interest in starting the initiative lay in a desire to model behavior that would aim to foster depolarization as he watched a deepening of political divides over the last dozen years.

“Politics was becoming religion for many people and then politics infiltrated their religion, and you started to see that more and more, and I just hated that that’s how we were seeing each other,” he said.

The conversation between Gov. Cox and Gov. Moore at the cathedral was followed by a panel discussion, facilitated by the Utah governor. Participants included political and legal panelists, such as Ms. Brazile, who spoke of the bipartisan work that went into establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday, as well as in sending aid to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

“The missing ingredient in American politics right now is trust,” added Ms. Brazile, a Catholic who said she is “praying for everybody.” “Trust in one another, trust in our institutions, and the belief that we can still get through this.”

Gov. Cox asked the panel about approaches to civility, including by faith-based organizations.

“If we don’t encourage and teach and preach and pray and speak about the strength of institutions that can be gathering places for us, then we leave this generation and ourselves with nothing but the contempt and the hate,” said Ruth Okediji, a law professor at Harvard Law School and co-director of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

She said there needs to be alternatives to the “idols” of hate

that can lead to clicks and followers on social media.

“There’s a place and a way of living that does not require you to debase yourself or your neighbor. These institutions are important, vitally important, because they give us hope.”

In a later discussion, between Joshua DuBois, a Pentecostal minister who became executive director of the Office of FaithBased and Neighborhood Partnerships during Barack Obama’s presidency, and Peter Wehner, a Trinity Forum fellow and former speechwriter for three Republican administrations, the two agreed that civility does not mean people should keep silent so as not to offend their listeners.

“We’ve got to find that sweet spot where you can still speak lovingly but prophetically when you see something that you just know in your gut is wrong,” said Mr. DuBois of preachers and other people of faith, citing the example of Dr. King’s critique of white moderates in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

“I think we need an active, a lived civility that is not quiet, that doesn’t take a back seat but leans into the healing of this country.”

Mr. Wehner, a Protestant who identifies as a former evangelical and a “politically homeless” conservative, added that civility includes listening and refusing to speak in dehumanizing ways.

“I think that the confusion that there is with civility is that it is synonymous with lack of conviction, that it’s devoid of principles and it’s always backing down — I really don’t think that that is what civility means,” he said. “But you can’t give up on justice at the altar of civility and you certainly can’t, as a person of religious faith, do that.”

Religion

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke about their participation in the “Disagree Better” project and noted their efforts to seek bipartisan solutions.

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