Richmond Free Press September 26-28, 2024 edition

A homecoming dance

Keith Balmer

Registrar faces scrutiny as early voting begins amid investigation

By George Copeland Jr.

With early voting underway, Richmond Registrar Keith Balmer is focused on getting people to the polls, as other officials call for his removal or continue to investigate his misconduct in office.

Balmer made an appearance during Sunday service at the Metropolitan African American Baptist Church to provide information and encourage the congregation to vote, alongside Electoral Board Secretary

Joyce Smith and employees of the Office of Elections.

Their appearance was part of an effort across the city’s churches to raise awareness and establish polling places for Election Day, according to Balmer, and came days after Electoral Board Vice Chair C. Starlet Stevens said she wanted him removed as registrar.

Meanwhile, Balmer focused on his work.

“I’m just trying to run the election and

ensure that people can come out and cast their ballot,” Balmer said. “I’m not too concerned with anything else.”

A major part of Stevens’ criticism was the suspension of Balmer’s city credit card in May after almost $70,000 in purchases made last year that included furniture, food and art for the office, and hotel, motel and resort rooms.

Other instances of financial misconduct

By Cruz Walden

2022 federal election, known as the midterm. Nationwide, turnout is usually lower during midterms.

Adeline Sajko is a freshman at William & Mary, a college in Williamsburg. Sajko is from the Harrisonburg area. This will be the first election she votes in, but she feels uninformed about the process.

“I’ve never seen or been provided with an example of what it looks like,” Sajko said. “So I’m kind of going into the unknown.”

That won’t discourage her from voting, but she knows she will have to research and

City Council: Evictions a public crisis

By George Copeland Jr.

City Council has declared evictions without legal representation a public crisis. Council members unanimously approved Monday evening a resolution that also outlines the council’s support for programs providing counsel for those facing evictions.

“This is our effort to make sure we respond to these calls to action,” said Andreas Addison, 1st District, who introduced the resolution in July. “This is an important step

in the right direction.”

While City Council cannot alter the General District Court’s approach to legal representation in eviction cases, they can allocate funds to support organizations offering assistance. An allocation of $500,000 was previously set aside in the city’s budget as part of a pilot right-to-counsel program.

Richmond’s issues with evictions have been a long-standing problem, gaining more attention and scrutiny in 2018 after a study of high eviction rates ranked it second in the country.

The resolution notes the impact evictions can have on resi-

dents, not just in terms of housing but also “a loss of mental and physical health, child custody, education, employment, public benefits and personal property.”

Members of the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, whose work raising awareness of and addressing Richmond’s eviction issues are cited in the resolution, voiced their support during public comments. They also made clear, however, that more will be needed to ensure all facing eviction in Richmond have

State Fair of Virginia returns with concerts, agriculture, family fun

Free Press staff report

The scent of fried dough and fresh-cut hay will fill the air once again as families stroll through rows of food vendors, games and agricultural exhibits. The State Fair of Virginia, a tradition dating back more than 165 years, is back at The Meadow Event Park from Sept. 27 to Oct. 6 with the theme, “Where Home Grown Happens.”

Visitors to the fair can expect a blend of the old and new, with Virginia-grown food, local crafts and agriculture on display. This year, new attractions include lawnmower racing, chainsaw carving, and Doc Belmont’s Magnificent Magical Medicine Show. Fair favorites like Rosaire’s Royal Racers, the Triple Crown Circus and the Ultimate Stunt Show return.

Jolliffe,

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Voters line up at the Richmond Office of Elections on Sept. 20 to cast their ballots for early in-person voting in the 2024 presidential election, along with U.S. Senate, congressional, mayoral, City Council and School Board races. The office is located at 2134 W. Laburnum Ave. See page A4 for more voting information.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Richmond runs

Preston Freeman, 11, center, leads the starting line of the 6.19 race, one of two courses in the third edition of the Run Richmond 16.19 cultural run-walk event Sept. 21 at Kanawha Plaza. More photos on B2.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press, file photo

Defendants charged in Otieno’s death return to court

By George Copeland Jr.

Three defendants are set to appear in court in the coming months for trials and hearings related to their role in the death of Irvo Otieno more than a year after he died at Central State Hospital while pinned down by Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies and hospital employees during a mental health crisis.

Former hospital employee Wavie Jones will be in court starting Sept. 30 as part of a five-day series of jury trials at Dinwiddie County Circuit Court, according to online court records. Sheriff’s deputy Kaiyell Sanders will appear in court on Oct. 16 for a status hearing, with trial dates set for Dec. 2 through Dec. 6. Deputy Brandon Rodgers’ trial, originally scheduled for Oct. 7 to Oct. 11, has been canceled due to continued defense motions. A new hearing is set for Nov. 19, with additional details to be provided later. Jones, Rodgers and Sanders are charged with involuntary manslaughter, a downgrade from previous charges of second-degree murder. The three are the last remaining defendants from the seven deputies and three hospital staff initially indicted by a Virginia grand jury for their roles in Otieno’s death.

Last year, former Dinwiddie Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill dropped charges against two of the hospital employees. Her successor Amanda Mann, requested in early May that charges against five deputies be dropped as part of an effort to reschedule the order of trials.

Otieno’s family criticized the move and called for federal officials to get involved. Mann downgraded the charges for the remaining defendants weeks later.

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues

For the week ending on Saturday, Sept. 21, COVID-19 accounted for 1.6% of all emergency department visits in Virginia, trending down from previous data. No deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported within the same timeframe. Data on COVID-19 wastewater levels in the Greater Richmond area showed plateaus starting Sunday, Sept. 8.

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

• Thursday, Sept. 26, 2 to 4:30 p.m. - Calvary United Methodist Church, 1637 Williamsburg Road.

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

• Creighton Court at 2150 Creighton Road, call 804-371-0433.

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

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

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

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

• Southwood Court at 1754 Clarkson Road, Unit #B, call 804230-2077.

• Whitcomb Court at 2106 Deforrest St., call 804-786-0555. The Virginia Department of Health testing locations are listed at vdh.virginia.gov. For more information on testing sites, visit vax. rchd.com. Want a COVID-19 vaccine?

Individuals interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine can schedule an appointment with the Richmond and Henrico health districts by calling (804) 205-3501. Additionally, vaccines.gov provides a list of pharmacies and clinics offering the vaccine. You also can find locations by texting your ZIP code to 438829 or calling 1-800-232-0233.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers a vaccine locator at vaccines.gov. Residents can order four free at-home COVID test kits at covidtest.gov.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved updated versions of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines. Everyone age 6 months and older can get the new COVID19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are recommended for everyone age 6 months and older, while the Novavax vaccine is recommended for those age 12 and older. New vaccines are available at pharmacies and healthcare providers, with health officials encouraging eligible individuals to receive their booster doses.

People who received doses prior to the release of the updated vaccine should wait at least two months before getting the new doses, according to the CDC. Exceptions exist, however, for those who are completing an initial vaccination series, the immunocompromised and those who’ve previously had COVID-19 and those receiving an initial series of Novavax doses.

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.

Correction

Last week’s article about The Black History of Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia incorrectly attributed the collection of items in its latest exhibition, “A Prescription for Change.” The items were curated and collected by public historian and author Elvatrice Belsches.

A boat sails on the James River during the recent James RiverEco Fest on Sept. 7. The event was hosted by The James

Cityscape

River Association’s recently opened James A. Buzzard River Education Center. The facility serves as an environmental education hub for students and improves river access for visitors.

Third forum for Richmond School Board candidates highlights key issues

By Paula Phounsavath

Ding, ding. That wasn’t a school bell, but the start of round three in an important job interview for Richmond School Board candidates during Monday night’s forum at Huguenot High School.

The candidates were divided into two groups due to their large numbers. The first group included candidates from the odd-numbered districts: Matthew Percival, an unopposed candidate from the 1st District and U.S. Department of State security engineer; Ali Faruk, a senior policy analyst; consultant Charlene Riley; and community advocate Kevin Starlings from the 3rd District; incumbent Stephanie Rizzi and former RPS teacher Mamie Taylor from the 5th District; and Shovonda Dixon Fernandez, the incumbent from the 9th District, who is also running unopposed. Incumbent Cheryl Burke, 7th District, who also is running unopposed, was not present at the forum.

The second group consisted of candidates from the even-numbered districts: former educator Katie Ricard and incumbent Mariah White from the 2nd District; Angela Fontaine, incumbent Garrett Sawyer, and Collegiate School social studies teacher Wesley Hedgepeth from the 4th District; incumbent Shonda Harris-Muhammed from the 6th District, who is running unopposed; and Emmett Jay Jafari and P.H. Crus Sherman from the 8th District.

The forum was hosted by the League of Women Voters and moderated by The Richmonder Founding Editor Michael Phillips. Each round had the same set of questions and candidates had a minute to respond.

The majority of the candidates from

both groups shared common ground on a need for more funding, increasing teacher retention and equitable resource distribution.

On the topic of working together for adequate governance, all candidates were open to collaborativeness and willing to respect each other’s differentiating views for the betterment of RPS students.

“We don’t always have to agree. Disagreements are good to have,” said 3rd District candidate Kevin Starlings. “It’s important that we also respect each other at the same time and understand that we all have the mindset of doing what’s best for our kids.”

5th District incumbent Stephanie Rizzi agreed with Starlings.

“I agree with Kevin, more times to collaborate, more times to work together, more times to have training. I’d love that together,” she said.

In addition to those needs, all candidates also were in agreement with banning cellphones while in school, suggesting that the School Board should have creative approaches to a cellphonefree environment.

“I think that each school should have autonomy over what that looks like. I also think that students should be involved in what that looks like,” said 4th District candidate Angela Fontaine. “We have to focus on how we can have creative ways to still meet the goals that we want to meet academically.”

While candidate Matthew Percival is for banning cellphones in schools, he also believed Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order on implementing the use of a cellphone-free education environment – which will be in effect next year – is an “overreach” of his executive privilege.

“I don’t appreciate the governor getting involved in these schools,” said Percival on Youngkin’s executive order. “We are tasked by the Virginia Constitution to oversee our schools and [Executive Order 33] was an overreach.”

The executive order gives local school boards the power to decide how to implement the policy within its schools, but some School Board candidates also attest that the nuances of Youngkin’s policy are broad.

“It’s nuanced, that it needs to be a building decision. As an educator, I’ve read a whole lot about this, and witnessed it firsthand,” said 4th District candidate Wesley Hedgepeth. “There is a lot of data that supports taking cellphones out of the classroom, but I don’t think that a blanket ban is what works.”

Phillips then asked the candidates about their rating of RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. The first group of candidates gave a neutral opinion on the superintendent, but 6th District incumbent Shonda Harris-Muhammed, suggested to her incumbent School Board colleagues not to answer the question, due to the school division’s policies.

“We cannot talk about anyone’s performance in public, so I’m just encouraging my School Board colleagues not to respond to that question,” Harris-Muhammad said. “I like my paycheck.”

2nd District incumbent Mariah White agreed.

“When you come out of board [closed meeting], you do not come out and talk about your employee,” she said. “The superintendent works for the board.”

This forum marks the third forum of the election season, which may be the last job interview the School Board candidates will have.

Equality Virginia announces Brandon Wolf as keynote speaker

Free Press staff report

Brandon Wolf, a nationally recognized advocate for gun safety and LGBTQ+ civil rights, will serve as the keynote speaker at Equality Virginia’s Commonwealth Dinner. The event, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, takes place Saturday, Oct. 5, at Main Street Station. The Commonwealth Dinner will feature two receptions, a live and silent auction, and a raffle, bringing together over 800 attendees, including community members, business leaders and elected officials. This year’s

event commemorates the 10-year anniversary of marriage equality in Virginia and will support Equality Virginia’s ongoing efforts to advance LGBTQ+ rights in the state. Sponsors include Altria, Amazon, Wells Fargo, Dominion Energy and others. Wolf, the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, became an advocate following the 2016 Pulse Night-

club shooting in Orlando, Fla., where he lost two close friends. Since then, he has dedicated his work to honoring the victims’ legacies by pushing for social change and equality.

“Virginians deserve the freedom to live, love and be—fully, authentically, and unapologetically,” Wolf said. “I am honored to join this community in celebrating Equality Virginia’s impact and standing together as we continue to fight for full equality for all Virginians.”

For more information and tickets, visit equalityvirginia.org

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

courtesy League of Women Voters

Due to the number of candidates, School Board candidates were split into two groups during a forum at Huguenot High School on Monday.

Irvo Otieno

Brandon Wolf

Voting Information

The presidential election, as well as contests for the U.S. Senate, Congress, Richmond Mayor, City Council and School Board, take place:

Tuesday, Nov. 5

Early in-person voting

Friday, Sept. 20, to Saturday, Nov. 2

Deadline to register to vote and cast a regular ballot

Tuesday, Oct. 15

Same-day registration begins

Wednesday, Oct. 16

Deadline to request an absentee ballot

Friday, Oct. 25

For voting details, contact the Virginia Department of Elections at elections.virginia.gov or 800-552-9745. They can provide information on early in-person voting, voting by mail, requesting absentee ballots and acceptable forms of ID for voting.

Richmond

Early in-person voting

• Richmond Office of Elections, 2134 W. Laburnum Ave.

- Friday, Sept. 20, to Saturday, Nov. 2

• City Hall, 900 E. Broad St., Monday, Oct. 7, to Saturday, Nov. 2

• Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Blvd.Monday, Oct. 7, to Saturday, Nov. 2

All three open for early voting from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday when early voting begins at their locations, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27 Drop box locations for mail-in ballots

• Richmond Office of Elections, 2134 W. Laburnum Ave.

- Friday, Sept. 20, to Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.

• City Hall, 900 E. Broad St.

• Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Blvd.Monday, Oct. 7, to Saturday, Nov. 2.

Details: (804)646-5950, vote@rva.gov or rva.gov/ elections/voting

Henrico County

Early in-person voting

• Henrico Western Government Center, 4301 E. Parham Road

– 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting Friday, Sept. 20, to Nov. 1.

• Henrico Eastern Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Road – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting Friday, Sept. 20, to Nov. 1.

• Varina Library, 1875 New Market Road, Monday through Friday starting Monday, Oct. 21, to Friday, Nov. 1.

Both locations open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2.

Drop box locations for mail-in ballots

• Administration Annex building at the Henrico County Government Center, 4305 E. Parham Road

• Eastern Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Road

• Deep Run Park Recreation Center, 9900 Ridgefield Pkwy.

• Varina Library, 1875 New Market Road

• Tuckahoe Area Library, 1901 Starling Drive

All locations will be outdoors and accessible 24 hours a day starting Friday, Sept. 20. Ballots will be mailed out on Sept. 20. Details: (804)501-4347, registerandvote@henrico.gov or henrico.gov/registrar

Chesterfield County

Early in-person voting

• Central Library, 7051 Lucy Corr Blvd. – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting Friday, Sept. 20, to Friday, Nov. 1, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Four satellite locations open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting Monday, Oct. 21, to Friday, Nov. 1. They include:

• Clover Hill Library, 6701 Deer Run Drive; Meadowdale Library, 4301 Meadowdale Blvd.

• LaPrade Library, 9000 Hull Street Road

• North Courthouse Road Library, 325 Courthouse Road

• Ettrick-Matoaca Library, 4501 River Road.

All five locations open for early voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2.

Drop box locations for mail-in ballots

• The Chesterfield Office of the General Registrar, 9848 Lori Road - Friday, Sept. 20, to Friday, Nov. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, Saturday, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Central Library and the four satellite locations will provide drop boxes when early voting begins at their locations. Drop boxes at regular polling places will be available on Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Curbside voting will be available at all early voting locations when early voting begins and at all polling locations on Election Day, from Friday, Sept. 20, to Tuesday, Nov. 5. Details: (804)748-1471 or .chesterfield.gov/Registrar

Hanover County

Early in-person voting

• Early Voting Center in the Wickham Building, Hanover Courthouse Government Complex, 7497 County Complex Road – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2. Curbside voting options will be available. Drop box location for mail-in ballots

• Outside the Wickham Building at the Hanover County Government Complex, from Friday, Sept. 20, to Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.

Details: (804)365-6080, HanoverVoting@hanovercounty. gov or hanovercounty.gov/365/voting

Young voters urged to participate as early voting kicks off

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be “self-sufficient.” Voting every year is important, although her family has emphasized the importance of voting this year, she said.

“I feel like it’s the most crucial it has been in a while,” Sajko said. “I think as part of the younger generation, I think we all kind of recognized that.”

Alexandra Reckendorf is an associate professor and associate chair of the political science department at Virginia Commonwealth University. She co-teaches a class called VCU Votes, which encourages civic engagement and helps students become more familiar with the voting process.

A goal is to help drive participation in off-year state and local races.

“VCU Votes is really concerned about how to create voters every year, so not just in a presidential year,” Reckendorf said.

Younger voters often underestimate what they know about politics, in comparison to older voters, Reckendorf said. They need to give themselves more credit and “stop being gaslit by older generations that you are not prepared to participate in politics.”

Older adults are not necessarily more informed, but they vote regardless.

“They don’t care; they’re going to vote anyway, because it’s a habit,” Reckendorf said. “They know that on Election Day, they go out and vote. They know that their numbers still matter.”

Young voters need to make at least one voting plan, she said.

“If you don’t early vote, you can absentee vote,” Reckendorf said. “If you can’t absentee vote, you can vote on Election Day. But if you just have one plan and you miss it, you miss it.”

Early voting is a convenient way to participate, without facing large crowds or taking time off work, according to spokespersons Katherin Cardozo and Selna Shi with the Richmond City Office

of Elections.

“Having that 45 days before actual Election Day gives a lot of people the leeway to find a time to actually go vote,” Shi said.

Still, first-time voters might choose to vote on Election Day because of the “hype” and excitement, and because the results come in later that day, Cardozo said.

Election Day is a holiday for state employees, but otherwise there is no mandate for employers to give workers paid time off to vote.

First-year students had registration and process questions at a recent tabling event at VCU, according to Shi.

Students in dorms need to be sure they use the correct mailing address, which can be different from their building address. Those living in dorms need to put their room numbers down, and double check the correct ZIP code, according to Shi.

Specific information voters need to know:

Where do I register? Online at the state

Department of Elections website, at the Department of Motor Vehicles or through a candidate’s campaign, a political party or a political outreach organization. Vote at college or hometown? Depends on convenience, what is on the ballot, where you are registered, and personal choice. In-state students can register to vote with their current address or vote in their hometown. Out-of-state students can be registered in only one state, and need to register in Virginia to vote here. How do I vote early? Check your local registrar’s office to vote in person, or request a mail-in ballot. Your early voting location is not usually the same as an Election Day location.

What do I bring when I vote? One form of identification, including any DMVissued ID card, student ID or passport. Or a current utility bill with name and address can be used. The full list of acceptable identification can be found on the state Elections website.

What is on the ballot? Six presidential candidates on the Virginia ballot. Also, two congressional races per ballot, including one Senate and one House of Representatives seat. Local races such as mayor, City Council or School Board, but it depends on the voter’s location. An amendment to the Virginia constitution. Checking “yes” would allow surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty to receive a real property tax exemption. Checking “no” keeps the exemption with surviving spouses of soldiers who were killed in action.

Key dates: Voter registration ends Tuesday, Oct. 15, but same-day registration is still allowed. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 25. Early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Mailed ballots must be received by noon on Friday, Nov. 8. Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture.

Registrar faces scrutiny as early voting begins amid investigation

Continued from A1

in the Office of Elections are being investigated by Richmond Inspector General James Osuna alongside allegations of nepotism in hiring practices and contract labor.

A prior investigation by the city’s Department of Human Resources into Balmer and Deputy General Registrar Jerry Richardson confirmed allegations from ex-employees that the two employed family members.

The final report, submitted in July to local and state election officials, recommended “an immediate departmental restructuring to correct any nepotism,” as well as a more transparent recruitment process and training emphasizing the of-

fice’s code of ethics.

When asked about the timing of her comments Tuesday afternoon, Stevens emphasized that she had raised concerns over Balmer’s conduct repeatedly.

The importance of Osuna’s investigation has grown over the months, with other cases in his office put on hold to focus more on completing it in a comprehensive, timely fashion.

“We’re getting a little bit of pressure from the State Board [of Elections], just because it’s an election year,” Osuna said during an Audit Committee meeting in July.

“We’re trying not to disrupt the election process as well, and doing everything we can to get it out and get it accurate.”

Stevens, for her part, doubted that Balmer

would be removed from his position before the end of the election, citing a lack of majority support on the Electoral Board and the process needed to remove him.

Despite these reasons and the long personal history she has with Balmer, including appointing him as registrar, Stevens was clear that action needed to be taken to address this misconduct.

“This is the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do as a board member, given the fact that I have known Mr. Balmer for a number of years,” Stevens said.

“The way things have played out with this situation is totally a shock to me. If someone had told me this a couple years ago after I appointed him, I would have said ‘no way.’ But here we are.”

City Council: Evictions a public crisis

Continued from A1

legal counsel.

“When added to the resources now devoted by CVLAS to Richmond eviction defense, about 900 tenant families a year facing eviction will have an attorney,” CVLAS Attorney Marty Wegbreit said. “The other 94% will not. We hope for a yearly expansion of right to counsel until it assists all tenants.”

The funding council added to the city budget, according to Wegbreit, will help them hire three new housing attorneys and one new housing paralegal who will assist about 450 families a year.

Council members also expressed concern about not doing more to address this issue and related ones such as homelessness and affordable housing, as well as worries over the sustainability of this initial effort.

“It’s a start, we have to start somewhere, but I don’t want the start to stop there, by just championing a paper that is going to run out when the money runs out,” Nicole Jones, 9th District, said. “We have a long way to go.”

Council members also unanimously approved seven affordable housing development projects that would create over 740 new units across the city through grants as part of their consent agenda.

State Fair of Virginia returns

Continued from A1

include a Taylor Swift tribute band on Sept. 27, country artist Cooper Alan on Sept. 28 and Motown hits from the Brencore Allstars Band Sept. 29. Other notable performers include rock band Hinder on Oct. 2 and rock and roll icon Chubby Checker on Oct. 3. In addition to entertainment, agriculture remains central to the fair. Guests can watch milking demonstrations, visit Young MacDonald’s Farm, and see giant fruits and vegetables at the Giant Veggie Weigh-Off on Sept. 28. Alpaca Days, a new feature on Sept. 28 and 29, will showcase different alpaca breeds and offer fleece demonstrations. This year’s fair includes a 4,700-square-foot restroom facility at the main gate, part of several improvements aimed at enhancing guest comfort. Tickets for the State Fair of Virginia are available online, and all Main Stage concerts are included with admission. For more information, visit StateFairVa.org.

Capital News Service

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Early voters arrive at the Richmond Office of Elections on West Laburnum Avenue on Sept. 20 as a poll worker provides assistance.

Mississippi mayor says a Confederate monument stays in storage during lawsuit

By Emily Wagster Pettus

Associated Press

The

A Confederate monument that was removed from a courthouse square in Mississippi will remain in storage rather than being put up at a new site while a lawsuit over its future is considered, a city official said Friday.

“It’s stored in a safe location,” Grenada Mayor Charles Latham told The Associated Press, without disclosing the site.

James L. Jones, who is chaplain for a Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter, and Susan M. Kirk, a longtime Grenada resident, sued the city last Wednesday — a week after a work crew dismantled the stone monument, loaded it onto a flatbed truck and drove it from the place it had stood since 1910.

The Grenada City Council voted to move the monument in 2020, weeks after police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis and after Mississippi legislators retired the last state flag in the U.S. that prominently featured the Confederate battle emblem.

The monument has been shrouded in tarps the past four years as officials sought the required state permission for a relocation and discussed how to fund the change.

The city’s proposed new site, announced days before the monument was dismantled, is behind a fire station about 3.5 miles from the square.

The lawsuit states the monument belongs on Grenada’s courthouse square, which “has significant historical and cultural value.”

The 20-foot monument features a Confederate solider. The base is carved with images of Confederate president Jef-

ferson Davis and a Confederate battle flag. It is engraved with praise for “the noble men who marched neath the flag of the Stars and Bars” and “the noble women of the South,” who “gave their loved ones to our country to conquer or to die for truth and right.”

Latham, who was elected in May along with some new City Council members, said the monument has been a divisive feature in the town of 12,300, where about 57% of residents are Black and 40%

By Paula Phounsavath

are white.

Some local residents say the monument should go into a Confederate cemetery in Grenada.

The lawsuit includes a letter from Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, a Republican who was a state senator in 2004 and co-authored a law restricting changes to war monuments.

“The intent of the bill is to honor the sacrifices of those who lost or risked their lives for democracy,” Chaney wrote

It was a summer to remember for the Armstrong Leadership Program and its student leaders. Leaders road-tripped around the South in exploring and contemplating the African American experience during slavery, Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement.

The trip was a part of ALP’s Cultural History Immersion Project, a summer program designed to educate youths on Black history. Ten student leaders, known as “CHIP ambassadors,” out of 33 ALP members from Armstrong High School were selected to travel to Greensboro, Atlanta, Tuskegee, Montgomery and Selma. Student leaders completed research-based learning in Richmond from July 23 to 25, then hopped on the road from July 31 to Aug. 3. The cultural immersion project was coordinated by Yvette Davis-Rajput, ALP’s executive director.

“Our belief is that when the students are given to learn more about the history and culture, the struggle and triumph, that it will inspire them to be a better version of themselves,” Davis-Rajput said. “I really believe in cultural exposure.”

Kristin Smith, the RPS business applications manager and one of the trip’s chaperones, noted that visiting the historical sites evoked emotional responses due to the sobering legacy of African-American oppression.

Tuesday. “If it is necessary to relocate the monument, the intent of the law is that it be relocated to a suitable location, one that is fitting and equivalent, appropriate and respectful.”

The South has hundreds of Confederate monuments. Most were dedicated during the early 20th century, when groups such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy sought to shape the historical narrative by valorizing the Lost Cause mythology of the Civil War.

“One moment you’re encouraged and you’re happy, and then those moments when it was the reminder of America’s past, it was a range of emotions coming from students,” Smith explained during

“It was an exhibit where you could see the Atlantic Ocean,” she said. “I remember being so fearful to walk through [it] because this is what my people went through and I was so emotional reading about how many people actually died.”

Hamilton said the trip was a “culture shock,” but it also was enlightening to learn more about Black history.

the trip to the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, its first stop. Alana Hamilton, a rising senior at Armstrong High School, said she was moved by an exhibit detailing how 8 million Africans died en route to the United States during the slave trade, during her tour of the International Civil Rights Museum.

“When they teach us about these things in school, it’s basically a rough draft,” she explained. “They teach about our founding fathers and how our country was made, but they don’t teach us how Black people were actually treated. They teach us about slavery and segregation, but they don’t teach us about what we actually had to go through.”

Being inspired from the program, the rising senior plans to apply her learning by further educating herself and her peers.

While most seniors may be excited for their final homecoming and prom, Hamilton said she is more focused on her studies. She plans on applying to

James Madison University in hopes of becoming a pediatric psychologist.

“I want to help rising Black women,” she said.

The Armstrong Leadership Program was founded in 2001 by the community organization Richmond Hill. The program is open to all Armstrong High School students.

The program will present a minidocumentary this fall.

Armstrong students Zion Lundy, Anthony Stokes and Alana Hamilton at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.

AP Photo/Emily Wagster Pettus

Pieces of a Confederate monument are secured onto a flatbed truck Wednesday, Sept. 11, after a crew removed them from the spot where the monument had stood since 1910, in downtown Grenada, Miss.

Photos courtesy Armstrong Leadership Program

Armstrong Leadership Program students explore the African American experience at the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Ala. during their cultural immersion trip through the South.

Spanberger and Earle-Sears tied

By Markus Schmidt

A little over one year before the 2025 gubernatorial election, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Prince William, the two leading declared candidates for governor, are tied at 39% support each, according to a new statewide poll by the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies.

The remaining 22% of respondents in the survey of 1,000 Virginians said they were undecided, did not plan to vote, would back another candidate or refused to answer.

The poll is in line with the results from another UMW survey that also found Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a tight contest in Virginia, with the Democrat edging her Republican opponent 48% to 46%.

Spanberger, who has represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District since 2019, was the first candidate to announce her gubernatorial bid in November 2023. Earle-Sears, the first Black woman in the Commonwealth to hold statewide office, and the first woman to attain such a role since Mary Sue Terry’s tenure as attorney general in the 1990s, launched her

NAACP

in first 2025 gubernatorial poll

Survey also found 22% of voters remain undecided, did not plan to vote or would back another candidate

campaign earlier this month.

big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the Commonwealth.”

Virginians were more negative about the direction of the nation than the direction of the Commonwealth, with 24% saying Virginia was headed in the right direction and 26% saying it was headed in the wrong direction. The rest offered mixed views.

For the nation overall, 51% of those surveyed said that things in the country were headed in the wrong direction, with only 16% saying the nation was on the right track.

Virginians in this new survey said they approved of Youngkin’s job performance by a 46% to 34% margin. As for President Biden’s job performance, 37% of survey respondents approved while 53% disapproved.

Miyares has not announced his intentions for 2025, but Virginia attorney generals often either run for re-election to the commonwealth’s top legal office or campaign to become governor.

Republican Glenn Youngkin, the current governor, cannot run for re-election next year because of

Attorney General Jason Miyares, another potential Republican candidate for his party’s gubernatorial nomination, would be equally competitive in a general election, the poll found. In a possible matchup between Spanberger and Miyares, 40% of survey respondents backed Spanberger while 39% favored Miyares, well within the survey’s margin of error.

Virginia’s one consecutive term limit for governors.

“Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The

“Elections never stop in Virginia, and 2025 looks to be another very interesting electoral year in the commonwealth,” Farnsworth said. The UMW poll was conducted by Research America Inc. between Sept. 3 and 9, 2024. The survey included a total of 1,000 Virginia residents, consisting of 870 registered voters and 774 likely voters. The margin of error is +/- 4.1%.

This story originally appeared on Virginia Mercury.com

forum addresses Project 2025’s impact on Black communities

By Paula Phounsavath

Local NAACP leaders and pastors gathered for a forum at St. Paul’s Baptist Church last Thursday evening to inform voters about Project 2025 and its potential impact on local Black communities.

The forum was organized by four local NAACP branches –Richmond City, Hanover, Chesterfield and Henrico – in response to the community demand to help inform voters for the upcoming presidential election. The panel discussion consisted of Virginia NAACP Youth and College Division President, TyLeik Chambers, former Virginia Education Association President James Fedderman, Senior Pastor and Founder of Impact Church E.J. Simpkins, Dr. Jerome Ross of Providence Baptist Church and Dr. Lance D. Waston of The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church.

The panel discussion was moderated by Amy Tillerson Brown, who is the history department chair at Mary Baldwin University and Virginia NAACP Education Committee chair.

In addition to the forum, the church also held voter informa-

tion booths on registering to vote, as well as confirming voter registrations.

“People know about Project 2025 on a surface level, but they don’t know about Project 2025 with all the details in the 800 plus pages,” said Greta Randolph, director of outreach for Saint Paul’s Baptist.

Project 2025 is an 800-paged manifesto proposed in April 2022 by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank firm based in Washington. The proposal offers a series of ideologically conservative plans for a Republican candidate if they win the presidency.

Some of the Heritage Foundation’s recommendations are years old and were used in former President Donald Trump’s first term. Project 2025 has been viewed unfavorably by the public, according to recent polling data. The proposal’s controversy revolves mainly on the authoritative structure of the executive branch, dismantling consequential federal agencies such as the Department of Education and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“It is an attack on Black history,” said Waston, during the panel discussion on eliminating critical race theory. “Eliminating

this educational tool from education will lead to a diminished focus on historical and contemporary experiences of Black individuals and communities – not just Black – but also brown, and by larger implication, minorities.”

The NAACP forum focused on Project 2025’s proposal on education and how it may locally impact the Black community.

“One of the things that a lot of college students that I talk to when they think about Project 2025, they’re thinking about their future, what it’s going to look like for them in the workforce and what’s going to be the expectation for them,” said Chambers, during the panel discussion on speaking on Project 2025’s proposed elimination of student loans. “I think we’re seeing a lot more activism and a lot more engagement politically than we have in – I would say – a long while.”

Trump has stated that he has no direct affiliation with Project 2025, but it has been reported that his former advisers worked on portions of the manifesto. While Project 2025 is a proposal, critics are concerned that Trump’s administration would implement most of these policies if he wins the presidential election.

DISCOVERING HOME GRANT

Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury

Candidates in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial contest U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Prince William (left) and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (right).

Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury

OCT. 5-6

•

FREE

THREE STAGES OF GREAT MUSIC, ARTS, FOOD AND FUN!

STAGE SCHEDULE 2024

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

WAVERLY R. CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE

1st and Marshall Streets

11:40 - 12:30pm Tuesday Verses

1:00 - 1:30pm Richmond Urban Dance Company

1:50 - 2:40pm Glennroy & Company

3:00 - 3:50pm Kemel Patton –The Line Dance King of RVA

4:20 - 5:20pm Soul Unlimited Band

5:50 - 7:00pm Arrested Development

JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE, Sponsored by Walmart

Clay and 3rd Streets

12:00 - 1:00pm Michelle Lightfoot & The Crescendo School of Music

1:30 - 2:30pm Curv Appeal

3:00 - 4:15pm Chan Hall Quartet

4:45 - 6:00pm Nathan Mitchell

EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE 2nd and Leigh Streets

11:50 - 12:00pm Welcome – Historic Jackson Ward Association; Lift Every Voice and Sing – Milani Hopkins

12:15 - 12:45pm RU

1:15 - 2:15pm Kadencia

2:45 - 3:45pm Sweet Potatoes Music

4:00 - 5:00pm Line Dancing with Rhonda

Festival Weekend

Ceremonial Kick-Off Parade

The short parade starts at 11:15am on Saturday at 2nd and Broad Street and moves three blocks northward to the Eggleston Community Stage. Official Festival Poster Artist, Amiri Richardson-Keys

The 2024 official poster was commissioned to Amiri Richardson-Keys. Posters and tshirts for sale at the Venture Richmond tent on 2nd Street at the festival.

Radio One “2nd Street MIX” Weekend

Tune into 99.3/105.7 KISS FM on Saturday, October 5 from 4:00pm-midnight and Sunday, October 6 from noon-7:00pm. Hear mixes from DJ King Tutt, DJ Drake, and DJ Lonnie B playing all your favorite 2nd Street Festival hits!

FREE Walking Tours, guided by Gary Flowers

FREE guided walking tours meet at the Maggie Walker National Historic Site, 2nd & E. Leigh Street, and leave at 3:00pm on Saturday and at 3:00pm on Sunday. Kidz Zone

The Children’s Museum and Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia are planning fun activities. Catch a special dance performance by the Richmond Urban Dance Company at 2:30pm. Balloon twisting is provided by Balloons By Extreme. The Kidz Zone is in the parking lot between Clay and Leigh Street of 2nd Street.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

WAVERLY R. CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE 1st and Marshall Streets

1:00 - 1:30pm Rev. D. Kay Logan & Nu Beginning Exp Ministry

2:00 - 2:30pm Mervin Mayo

3:00 - 4:00pm Aliyah The DJ

4:20 - 4:35pm Style to Empower with Dr. Bert

5:00 - 6:00pm Desirée Roots

JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE, Sponsored by Walmart

Clay and 3rd Streets

Women Take the Stage!

1:00 - 1:45pm Kia Bennett Duo

2:15 - 3:00pm Lucy Kilpatrick Quartet

3:30 - 4:30pm Marsha Meekins & Company

5:00 - 6:00pm “Lady E” Duchess of the Blues & Her Blues Synsation Band

EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE

2nd and Leigh Streets

1:00 - 1:15pm VSU Marching Band

1:30 - 1:45pm Style to Empower with Dr. Bert

2:15 - 2:45pm 40+ Double Dutch Club –Richmond, VA Subclub

3:00 - 4:00pm Rick Elliott

4:30 - 5:30pm Ban Caribe

Richmond Free Press

September 26-28, 2024

A Black con

The recent comments unearthed by reporters at CNN that were attributed to the first Black lieutenant governor of the state below us, are beyond excusable. We read some of what was deemed fit to print and we wish we hadn’t. The depraved thoughts and ideas of this public official aren’t fit for public consumption and belong on the dark corners of the internet, which is where he allegedly left them.

It appears that Mark Robinson, a gubernatorial candidate, was leading a double life – devout, staunch conservative in real life and a racist, sexist pervert online. Reports suggest that he called himself a “Black nazi” and advocated for slavery as well as endorsing quotes from tyrants such as Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. We won’t recount his ignorant comments about civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which prompted his daughter to politely suggest that he keep her father’s name out of his mouth.

He’s also accused of making lewd comments about his sister-in-law and describing in detail his preferred type of pornography, while hiding behind an online alias. Yet, so far, he’s refused to drop out of the governor’s race or resign from his current job. We think he should do both.

Now, our neighbors to the south might point out that we’ve had some high-ranking state officials that brought embarrassment on themselves and the Commonwealth in recent years. They might also suggest that these politicians pioneered the “ride it out” approach that some politicians adopt when faced with public discovery of past behavior. We understand the argument, North Carolina.

But this brother needs to go. He has no place in elected office. The comments and beliefs that have been attributed to him are antithetical to the ideas of democracy, equal rights and human dignity. If he won’t do the right thing, perhaps the voters of the Tar Heel state will do it for him.

Media mainstays

For those of us in the business of printed media, things have been better. Publications are struggling as subscribers dwindle as newspapers and magazines shrink in size. Staff reductions at publications have asked young reporters, aging editors and dogged photographers to do more with less, year after year. We may be entering the final years of print publications as we’ve known them.

But we’re still here, in case anyone has forgotten.

Have you seen this bench?

Last seen July 2024, coupled with a Confederate marker in Richmond’s South Side.

If you have any information that could help locate this bench, please contact us at (804) 646-0496.

Vivid

Unequal access to high-quality health services is one of the most pervasive problems in America’s health care system. Far too often, communities of color face reduced access, higher costs, and less comprehensive care and support than their predominantly white counterparts.

likely than white Californians to report waiting longer than reasonable for a doctor’s appointment. California is not the only place that will experience improvements in health care access with the passage of HR 2474, but its diverse population gives us an idea of which populations will gain most if it will successfully pass.

a range of health conditions that could be better and more affordably managed by physicians.

While this has been a growing cause for concern for decades, several factors – including the economic impact of the pandemic, ongoing supply chain issues, the increasing cost of providing medical care, high inflation, and a growing health care workforce shortage –have brought health equity issues to the fore. Add to that a broken Medicare physician payment system that is reducing access to care nationwide, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Throughout the Los Angeles region, there are a troubling number of federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, with disproportionately low-income, Black, and Latino neighborhoods seeing the greatest need. According to the California Health Care Foundation, lowincome Californians are the least likely to have access to a regular healthcare provider, and Black and Latino Californians are more

According to a study by the Commonwealth Foundation, Black Medicare beneficiaries are

more likely than white ones to be hospitalized or seek care in an emergency department setting to treat health conditions that could be manageable if they had appropriate access to primary care. This dire lack of primary care is forcing many patients of color to seek out the care they need in higher-cost settings like hospitals and emergency rooms.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that more than six in 10 Black adults say less access to quality medical care in the communities is a “major reason” why Black Americans generally have worse healthcare outcomes than other adults.

Smart public policy should help increase access to primary care to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and prevent underserved communities from relying on hospitals and emergency departments to treat

Unfortunately, however, current Medicare policy is doing just the opposite. Long-standing issues in Medicare’s physician payment system have put the program on an unstable, unsustainable path, threatening to further undermine access to primary care—particularly in underserved communities that are already reeling from a shortage of doctors.

You might think that the federal government would be doing everything it can to get more doctors into the field, especially in Health Professional Shortage Areas—but in fact, Medicare reimbursement to doctors has declined by 29% since 2001, when adjusted for inflation in practice costs, according to the American Medical Association.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to chip away at the already low reimbursements physicians do receive. After imposing cuts on doctors five years in a row, CMS is again proposing to slash Medicare reimbursement by 2.8% in 2025.

By failing to properly reimburse physicians for the true cost of providing care, CMS is forcing many independent physician practices to stop seeing new Medicare patients, scale back staffing or the services they

Lies too easy to tell, not dispel

Sometimes amid the hoopla and hogwash of political events, I find myself jerked alert by an accidental truth that manages to break through.

Such appeared to be the case when Sen. JD Vance, the Repub lican nominee for vice pres ident, urged Democrats to “tone down their rhetoric,” while not do ing much to tone down his own.

In a live interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Vance was trying to justify spreading what, even in polite terms, can only be called lies about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

Vance offered no names or other details about these unnamed witnesses or their accounts.

Instead, state and local officials denied the “firsthand accounts,” which are better described as debunked rumors.

What else do you call an alarming statement without witnesses or other tangible facts to back it up?

Defending the statement, Vance offered that, “It comes from firsthand accounts of my constituents.”

The lies really began to fly

after Donald Trump stoked debunked rumors during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent. Trump declared that migrants were hunting and eating their neighbors’ dogs and cats in Springfield, an industrial town of about 60,000 an hour drive west of the state capital,

Columbus.

Soon right-wing social media personalities were descending on the town to question wary local residents about the veracity of the claims. Bomb threats were made against local schools and other public buildings, causing many parents to keep their children at home.

Rumors of pet killing and eating turns out to have a long history as a slander against immigrants and other minority populations, especially in places where they can be singled out as posing a threat to local jobs and ethnic communities.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who still supports Trump and Vance, said in an open letter to the New York Times: “I am saddened by how they and others continue to repeat claims that lack evidence and disparage the legal migrants living in Springfield. ...

“The Springfield I know is not the one you hear about in social media rumors. It is a city made up of good, decent, welcoming people. They are

hard workers—both those who were born in this country and those who settled here because, back in their birthplace, Haiti, innocent people can be killed just for cheering on the wrong team in a soccer match.”

As a former Ohioan, born in Dayton and raised in Middletown, which later became Vance’s hometown, I sympathize with DeWine and others who have been working diligently against some negative economic and social changes since the heyday of the state’s industrial growth a half-century ago.

Ironically, the latest round of migrants are legally present in the country and came, mostly from Haiti, in response to active outreach efforts to relieve a local worker shortage in an industrial area that was a lot more robust when I was growing up there.

Vance surely knows that as well as I do. So does Trump, if he’s paying attention. But the drive to win votes in a tight election drives people to, let us say, exaggerate a bit.

“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people then that’s what I’m going to do.”

My fellow former Middletonian urged Democrats to tone down their rhetoric. He should do something similar with his own. So should the former president.

The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

provide, accept buyout offers from larger hospitals and health systems, or else close their doors. Any one of these scenarios is detrimental to patients, particularly in communities of color, where access is already scarce. Failure to fix this problem will only make it harder for Black, Latino, and low-income seniors to get medical care. There are many solutions that could help improve access to primary care for communities and patients of color, but one thing lawmakers could do immediately is work together to pass the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act. This bipartisan legislation, which has 164 cosponsors, would make critical updates to the Medicare physician payment system to help protect and improve access to primary care. The writer is an economist and author.

Clarence Page

Julianne Malveaux

What James Earl Jones can teach us about activism and art in times of crisis

The death of James Earl Jones has forced me to consider the end of an era.

Harry Belafont e , Sidney Poitier and Jones were giants in my industry. They were Black performers whose ascents to stardom occurred in the tumultuous 1960s, when I was an infant. All three were politically active, although each operated in a significantly different way.

In 1967, there were more than 150 riots fueled by racial tensions in U.S. cities Many Americans worried the nation would implode over racial conflict, and President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed the Kerner Commission to study the sources of racial turmoil. At the time, Jones was an actor of growing renown on television and the theatrical stage. He had performed in “Danton’s Death” on Broadway and was featured on NBC’s “Tarzan,” among other projects.

Jones found himself grappling with a question that has roiled many artists, then and now: In troubling times, what is an artist to do?

He didn’t give rousing speeches, as Belafonte di d Nor did he hand-deliver cash to student activists in Mississippi

during the Freedom Summer, as Poitier had done Instead, Jones decided to work on a play about a boxer, The Great White Hope,” which had been written by Howard Sacklerat Arena Stage, a Washington-based theater company in the growing regional theater movement.

Embodying Black power

While cities were burning all over America, why would an ac-

Dominic Taylor

tor hoping to make a difference sign on to play a boxer? If they aren’t willing to put their life on the line, shouldn’t they at least work on a play about the Civil Rights Movement, racism or police brutality?

However, “The Great White Hope” wasn’t a simple, sentimental sports drama. Sackler based the play’s protagonist, Jack Jefferson, on boxer Jack Johnson, who became the first Black heavyweight champion in 1908.

In his book “A Beautiful Pageant: African American Theatre, Drama and Performance in the Harlem Renaissance, 19101927,” theater historian David Krasner argues that Johnson’s victory was one of the key events that fueled the Harlem Renaissance, the Black intellectual and cultural movement that birthed

jazz music, the poetry of Langston Hughes, the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and the sculptures of Augusta Savage

The confidence Johnson inspired was contagious: If a Black man could handily beat a white man in a boxing ring, there was no reason Black artists and writers couldn’t fashion groundbreaking works, plumbing their lives and their histories – as Hurston did – to become champions of Black culture.

The play is written in three acts, and it follows Jefferson and his fictional white lover, Eleanor Bachman, from 1908 to 1915. After Jefferson wins the title, the government hounds the couple, in part because of their interracial romance. Officials eventually detain them as they enter Ohio under the Mann Act a law ostensibly enacted to halt prostitution but often used to intimidate interracial couples

The government tells Jefferson that it will drop the charges if he’s willing to throw a fight to an inferior white boxer.

Jones won a Tony Award for his portrayal of a Black man possessed with talent, confidence and strength, whose biggest problem was that he simply refused to stay in his lane.

Boxer Muhammad Ali was also a big fan of Jones’ performance.

Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight title in 1967

COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2025

The County Manager’s recommended amendments to the budget for fiscal year 2024-25 are prepared and published in synopsis form solely for the purposes of fiscal planning and public information. Publication of this proposed amendments does not constitute an appropriation of funds for those purposes by the Board of Supervisors. Funds cannot be allocated or distributed until they are appropriated by the Board. The amendments consist of estimates and are requests submitted to the County Manager with his recommendations concerning the requests.

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Henrico, Virginia, will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed amendments to the budget at a meeting on September 24, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., in the Board Room at the Henrico Government Center, Hungary Spring and East Parham Roads. The public hearing will be held pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-2507, and is for the purpose of allowing the public to question and comment on the proposed amendments to the budget. All citizens have the right to attend and share their views on the proposed amendments within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors.

At the September 24, 2024, meeting, after the public hearing, the Board will consider approving the amendments to the Annual Fiscal Plan and appropriating funds, as applicable, for fiscal year 2024-25. PROPOSED AME DME T ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

because he was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, refusing to enlist after being drafted. When Ali saw “The Great White Hope,” he felt like he was looking in the mirror.

“You just change the time, date and the details and it’s about me!” Life magazine quoted him saying It’s strange to think about how historical events can be distilled into emotions like fear, love, jealousy and righteousness.

But Jones was somehow able to hold a Black boxer who loved a white woman in conversation with someone unable to bring himself to fight in Vietnam.

Jones probably knew that a performance on a stage seen by a few thousand people would

do little to end the Vietnam War, racial inequality or police brutality.

But I think Jones was looking to change the culture. He was trying to change the country’s understanding of what it means to fight – and what a freedom fighter is.

Is a fighter someone who knocks out their opponent?

Or someone who follows their heart? Is a fighter someone who takes up arms at the behest of their government? Or is a

AP Photo/Chris

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press

6 NFL teams saved their season Sunday by earning their first win

That’s no overstatement considering only six teams since 1979 have made the playoffs after starting 0-3, including just one since 2000, and none have won a Super Bowl.

After the Ravens, Rams, Broncos, Colts, Giants and Panthers avoided that dreaded start, only the Titans are 0-3. The Jaguars and Bengals were winless going into Monday night. Jacksonville played Buffalo (2-0). Cincinnati hosted Washington (1-1).

Four of the six first-time winners on Sunday played on the road, including Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. They beat Dallas 28-25, holding on after Dak Prescott rallied the Cowboys back from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

The Ravens had the best record in the NFL last year but that didn’t matter when they blew a double-digit lead in their home opener against the Raiders last week.

Facing a defense that was dominated by New Orleans in Week 2, Jackson, Derrick Henry and the rest of Baltimore’s offense clicked. They scored four touchdowns on the first six possessions and built a comfortable lead.

“To be honest, every game is a big game for us, because we’re trying to get somewhere,” said Jackson, who played like the reigning NFL MVP. “We’ve got to win these games to get to the playoffs, man, and win these playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. But it starts with the game that’s in front of us. So, the 0-2 start, we didn’t want that to happen. Obviously, it’s the football league; everyone is good. We can’t look at opponent and think we can just go in

there and roll them over like this is high school or something or college, and we’re playing walk-on guys. ... They’re going to play their heart out against us, like it’s the Super Bowl, so we’ve just got to go out there and do what we’re supposed to do.”

The injury-depleted Rams, a playoff team last year, seemed headed for a third straight loss when they trailed the reigning NFC champion 49ers 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter. But Matthew Stafford led an improbable comeback, Kyren Williams ran four yards to score his third touchdown of the day with 1:51 remaining, and Joshua Karty hit a 37-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to give Los Angeles

a 27-24 win.

“I saw a team respond after a really humbling week last week,” Rams Coach Sean McVay said. “And three hours will never define you, good or bad, unless you allow it to, and we’ve got to do a good job of being able to build on this.”

The Broncos have plenty of reason for optimism after rookie Bo Nix led them to a stunning 26-7 rout in Tampa Bay against the previously unbeaten Buccaneers.

Nix completed 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards and ran for 47 yards and a score as Denver dominated from start to finish. The Broncos aren’t a playoff contender in the AFC West but Nix

and a strong defense will keep them competitive while Sean Payton builds around them.

“I haven’t seen him flinch,” Payton said of his quarterback. “We all get a little bit more confident with the win but I say that respectfully. He hasn’t flinched. I think that we had a good plan. The players did a good job and certainly (Nix) had more fun than he did in prior weeks.”

The Giants also got a standout performance from a rookie first round pick to secure their first victory. Malik Nabers had eight catches for 78 yards and two TDs in a 21-15 victory at Cleveland. Daniel Jones was terrific for New York, throwing for 236 yards

and the two scores to Nabers.

“I think it always feels good to get a win, however it comes,” Jones said. “First one is important, so we have to look at what we did well and build on it, and clean up the things we didn’t do well.”

A quarterback change helped the Panthers get coach Dave Canales his first win. Andy Dalton replaced Bryce Young, and threw for 319 yards and three TDs to lead Carolina to a 36-22 win in Las Vegas.

Maybe the supporting cast isn’t that terrible. Dalton was sharp, Chuba Hubbard ran for 114 yards and Diontae Johnson had eight catches for 122 yards and one TD.

Canales helped Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield resurrect their careers in previous stops. He was hired to get the best out of Young, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. But perhaps the 36-year-old Dalton will regain his Pro Bowl form under Canales.

“That’s Panthers football, team football right there. I get to show them that. I get to show them how it all complements and plays off of each other,” Canales said.

The Colts, who barely missed the playoffs last season, beat the Bears 2116 for their first win. Jonathan Taylor led the way with 110 yards rushing and two TDs on a day Anthony Richardson struggled again. Richardson, who was 10 of 20 for 167 yards and two interceptions, needs to improve for Indianapolis to have a shot at making the playoffs this season.

Getting to 1-2 was a big step for all six teams. Of course, they still have an uphill climb. Only two of the 32 teams that started 0-2 have made the playoffs since the NFL expanded the postseason field to 14 teams in 2020.

Virginia Union Panthers host Shaw University Bears in home opener

Free Press staff report

The Virginia Union University Panthers are preparing to kick off their 2024 home football season against the Shaw University Bears.

Fans can catch the action 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at Hovey Stadium.

These two teams have a rich history of competition, with their most recent clash resulting in a convincing 26-13 victory for

Free Press staff report

Jon Lugbill, the founding executive director of Sports Backers, will retire June 30, 2025, after 31 years leading the nonprofit organization. Since its inception in 1993, Lugbill has overseen the growth of Sports Backers into a leading promoter of active living in the Richmond region.

During his tenure, the organization has gained national recognition for its programs and events, which have attracted hundreds of thousands of participants. Lugbill highlighted the role of teamwork in the organization’s success.

“Our achievements reflect the collective efforts of our staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and local government

Virginia Union on Sept. 9, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C. This win improved VUU’s record against Shaw to 3-4 in their last seven encounters, dating back to Nov. 10, 2007.

The all-time series between these two teams has been closely contested since 2007, with Virginia Union currently trailing by a narrow margin. Their last meeting saw the

Panthers claim a solid 26-13 win, but their most dominant performance came on Oct. 4, 2014, when they secured a commanding 31-9 victory. Over the course of their matchups, the teams have combined for a total of 158 points, averaging an impressive 22.57 points per game.

While Virginia Union holds the momentum from their away victory last season, they’ll

Sports Backers Executive Director Jon Lugbill retires

partners,” said Lugbill. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many dedicated individuals.”

Under Lugbill’s leadership, Sports Backers was named the best sports commission in the country four times by the Sports Events and Tourism Association. Its Bike Walk RVA program was recognized with Bicycling Magazine’s People’s Choice Advocacy Award, and its Kids On the Move initiative was honored by Running USA. In 2024, Lugbill was awarded Leadership Metro Richmond’s Ukrop’s Community Vision Award.

Roy Grier, chair of the Sports Backers Board, commended Lugbill’s leadership, noting his focus on setting ambitious goals while ensuring attention to detail.

“Jon brings an energy to Sports Backers that emanates through the staff, board of directors, volunteers, and everyone who engages with our events and programs. His pursuit of excellence is evident in his focus on getting the details right while simultaneously setting lofty goals that challenge us,” he said.

Lugbill’s retirement coincides with the organization’s move to a new headquarters in early 2025. A search committee, with the assistance of the firm Warren Whitney, will oversee the process of selecting his successor, with the search to begin in January.

Colonial Downs ends successful season with big plans for spring

Free Press staff report

Colonial Downs Racetrack concluded its 2024 season on a high note, capping off 27 days of racing. The highlight of the season, Virginia Derby Day, took place on Sept. 7, drawing thousands of racing enthusiasts and families to witness top tier equine competition. Looking ahead, Colonial Downs is gearing up for a new spring meet in March 2025. The centerpiece of this meet will be the Virginia Derby, scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2025. In a significant

development, the Virginia Derby has been designated as a “win and you’re in” Kentucky Derby qualifier, guaranteeing the winner a coveted spot in the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2025. “This was another tremendous season of fun, excitement, and world-class racing here in Virginia,” said Frank Hopf, senior director of racing at Colonial Downs. “In just a few months, we will take things to another level with our first ever Kentucky Derby qualifier race.” The 2024 season featured a mix of

top-notch racing and family entertainment, including the track’s inaugural Wiener Dog races. On the track, Irishborn jockey Ben Curtis claimed the meet championship with 24 victories, while Mike Trombetta led trainers with 15 wins. Godolphin narrowly edged out Virginia’s Larry Johnson as the meet’s top owner. Fans can purchase tickets for the 2025 Virginia Derby now. Additional details on the 2025 racing schedule, including the new spring races, will be announced in the coming months.

be looking to improve their home record against Shaw. Currently standing at 1-2 when hosting the Bears at Hovey Stadium, the Panthers are eager to turn the tide in front of their home crowd. Fans can expect an exciting, high-scoring affair, given the average of over 22 points per game in this series. The Panthers will be aiming to capitalize on their recent success and start their home season on a strong note.

Commanders uniforms rank last in NFL fan survey

Free Press staff report

A recent study of NFL fan sentiment on social media revealed the Washington Commanders uniforms are the least popular in the league.

The survey, conducted by Oakleyforum.com, analyzed over 70,000 tweets from the preseason to the present, tracking positive comments about each team’s uniforms. The Commanders received only 829 positive mentions, placing them at the bottom of the list. This result suggests that Washington’s recent rebranding efforts, including their uniform redesign, may not have resonated with fans as much as the team had hoped. The Commanders’ new look, introduced with their name change, appears to be struggling to win over the NFL fanbase.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Los Angeles Chargers led the pack with 5,128 positive mentions, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. These teams’ uniforms seem to have struck a chord with fans, balancing traditional elements with modern design.

The Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns joined the Commanders in the bottom three, indicating these teams might want to reconsider their uniform designs in the future.

For a complete breakdown of the rankings and more information about the study, visit Oakleyforum.com.

Jon Lugbill

Julio Cortez/AP Photo

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) walks off the field Sunday after the team’s win over the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.

When 3,400 eligible voters were purged from Virginia’s voting roles last year by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration, the League of Women Voters of Virginia President Joan Porte, sprang into action. She called for an investigation and urged that their rights be restored. She also criticized the outdated law governing the restoration of voting rights for citizens who have completed their sentences for nonviolent felonies.

“Virginia is the only state to give sole and unfettered control over how and if people get their voting rights restored to the governor,” she said. “This system is a tragic holdover from our Jim Crow era laws, and the time is long overdue for this law to be replaced.”

Porte said she hopes Virginia voters will see a referendum on the ballot in 2026 to take the power out of the governor’s hands. According to the League of Women Voters’ website, the organization protected more than 25 million voters in courts nationally. Porte is doing the work in Virginia, where the League faces significant challenges in protecting voting rights.

Porte majored in political science and landed a job as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.

Personality: Joan Porte

Spotlight on President of the League of Women Voters of Virginia

during the 1980s. She then worked for a political action committee, became disillusioned, and started a corporate travel agency.

However, her passion for civic engagement and voting rights was too strong to ignore. She joined the Arlington chapter of the League of Women Voters, serving as president and vice president. Last year, she became president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia.

She divided her time between the Arlington chapter of the League of Women Voters and her travel business for years. Thirty-eight years later, she’s still running the travel agency, but not full time.

“It was difficult to juggle both, but it was fun. It never felt like a burden. It was a lot of work,” she said. “I loved doing it.” In her semi-retirement, Porte fills her time with other volunteer work. She runs the bed-andbreakfast for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington and works with the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Meet an activist with a passion for politics and this week’s Personality, Joan Porte:

Volunteer position: President, League of Women Voters of

Virginia.

Occupation: I run a corporate travel agency.

Date and place of birth: Oct 26 in Paterson, N.J.

Where I live now: Arlington.

Education: I have a bachelor’s in political science from George Washington University.

Family: I have three sisters, a brother who passed away and nieces and nephews.

League of Women Voters is: A nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education and litigation at the local, state and national levels.

When, why and where founded: Feb. 14, 1920. We were founded to register, educate and advocate for the women who were about to receive voting rights with the 19th Amendment.

League of Women Voters of Virginia was established: Nov. 10, 1920.

The 19th Amendment is: The amendment that granted suffrage to mostly white women in the U.S. People of color were left out until the Civil Rights Act.

I initially got involved with the League of Women Voters of Virginia: Because I don’t like partisan politics and I wanted to register people to vote. Voting is sacred to me, and I want to promote voting and civics education wherever I can.

When elected president: July 1, 2023, through July 1, 2025.

No. 1 goal or project as president: To protect and expand voting rights and methods for voting.

Biggest challenge: The constant attacks on voting rights and those who feel that voting should be limited and not expanded.

League of Women Voters is important in the Black community: Because we want to ensure that all people of color have free and fair access to the polls and are not disenfranchised.

How League of Women Voters of Virginia plans to get voters to the polls: Our local leagues are sending more than 5,000 postcards to infrequent voters reminding them to vote. We have done videos of registrars explaining the voting system and next week we’ll have a map of all drop boxes on our website.

We have extensive voting information in several languages on our website and distribute materials throughout the Commonwealth. We participate in Vote411.org, which is a one stop shop for nonpartisan voting information in addition to conducting candidate forums throughout

the Commonwealth.

Ways to contact League of Women Voters of Virginia: Email us at info@lwv-va.org or call us at (804)214-6312.

Upcoming events and details: Our local leagues are hosting several candidate forums throughout the Commonwealth. We are having several forums on issues but not until after the election because we’re focused on getting out the vote right now.

Best late-night snack: Anything with chocolate.

Top three on my playlist: Sinatra, Beatles and Mozart.

A quote that inspires me: “Everybody counts in applying democracy. And there will never be a true democracy until every responsible and law-abiding adult in it, without regard to race, sex, color or creed has his or her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in government” — Carrie Chapman Catt.

Best thing my parents ever taught me: Get a good education.

What I’m reading now: Ha, ha, during election season? Next goal: Sleep – after the election.

Virginia Literar� Awards

NONFICTION AWARD

Elizabeth R. Varon Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AWARD Kwame Alexander An American Story

FICTION AWARD

Angie Kim Happiness Falls

POETRY AWARD

Janine Joseph Decade of the Brain: Poems

PEOPLE’S CHOICE NONFICTION AWARD

Sheila Johnson Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FICTION AWARD

Martin Clark The Plinko Bounce

Dwayne Betts

Special thanks to Adriana Trigiani for her 17th year as our event host!

Huguenot graduate brings acclaimed short to RIFF

By Jennifer Robinson

Richmond native Tamika Lamison screens her award-winning short film, “Superman Doesn’t Steal, ” at the Richmond International Film Festival this weekend. The film draws on Lamison’s experiences growing up in Richmond, while a series of murders of Black children were being committed in Atlanta in 1979.

This was a time when many Black parents around the country were on high alert, and the film explores themes of childhood, community and the challenges faced by Black children. It’s a coming-of-age story that she tells from her perspective, even portraying her mother in the film. When reminiscing about growing up in Richmond, Lamison recalls how she and her brother went about being kids, unaware of the community’s anxiety about the murders.

“The film is really about my brother and me. We used to play Batman and Robin,” she said. “We both loved comics and superheroes, and we loved riding bikes.”

The film opens with her and her brother,discussing Superman and other heroes and villains. However, the story shifts when they are sent on a routine errand to the neighborhood store for milk. This seemingly simple task triggers a series of events that profoundly impact the family, teaching the children difficult lessons while forcing the parents to confront their deepest fears for their children’s safety.

“I want people to take away the fact that Black children are not allowed to make mis-

takes,” she said. “It can result in death. But kids do stupid stuff. We don’t have the space like other children. It puts so much pressure on Black parents.”

The title, “Superman Doesn’t Steal,” is a reflection of the film’s central theme. It is Lamison’s reminder that situations can change

heroes into villains. She wrote, produced and directed the short film, which premiered earlier this year at the Pan African Film Festival, clinching the Audience Award. Lamison is a veteran in the film industry, writing and producing many films and documentaries throughout her career. Her work has been recognized at the Sundance Film

Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. Her film, “The Male Groupie,” aired on HBO, and she’s also been a writer and producer for the Amazon Prime/AllBLK show, “Monogamy,” for three seasons.

Although Lamison wanted to film in Richmond, logistical challenges led her to shoot in Atlanta. Jordyn McIntosh, from Hulu’s “Unprisoned ” who plays the young Lamiso, and Ellis Hobbs IV, who portrays her brother, both reside in Atlanta. Keslow Camera, an Atlanta-based rental house, donated the camera equipment for the production. Lamison also recognized thatAtlanta’s landscape could stand in for Richmond, allowing her to achieve her vision for the film.

The Huguenot High School graduate wears many hats as she continues to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Another passion project, her Make A Film Foundation, grants wishes to children with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. She teams the kids with writers, directors and producers who help them create short film legacies, creating four award-winning shorts and over 100 short documentaries.

Lamison advises aspiring screenwriters to write and connect through online writing communities, such as Sundance Collab, a worldwide community platform for artists.

“In the world we live in now, you can be anywhere to write and learn and have a community to write,” Lamison said.

“Superman Doesn’t Steal,” screens at the Byrd Theater at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. Tickets are $10 and include several other short films. Details: rvafilmfestival.com

The No BS! Brass Band performs with vocalist Sam Reed, center, at the RVA East End Festival last Saturday. The free annual event raises money for music in the schools. City offcials, below, present a plaque to Kernel Patton, also known as RVA’s Line Dance King, for his work in uplifting the community.

Virginia authors shine at Library of Virginia literary gala

By Paula Phounsavath

Reginald Dwayne Betts was 16 when he received a nineyear adult prison sentence for carjacking a man sleeping in his vehicle in Fairfax. During his incarceration, Betts endured over 14 months in solitary confinement. Despite these challenges, he completed his high school education behind bars and discovered a passion for poetry.

Betts is now a poet, legal scholar, prison reform advocate and an attorney with a law degree from Yale University.

Last Saturday at the Library of Virginia, he received a standing ovation from 250 attendees for being awarded the Patron of Letters degree, an honorary commendation recognizing individuals who made significant contributions to Virginia’s literary and archival sciences.

“I had never once considered being a writer,” said Betts when receiving his award, recalling the harsh times of being incarcerated. Readers, writers, former librarians, and publishers gathered in elegant attire for the Library of Virginia’s 27th Annual Virginia Literary Awards. The awards gala – dubbed the “Oscars of Virginia stories,” – is one of the biggest annual events awarding Virginia writers and their contributions to literature.

“I think Virginia has had a really long history, some good, some [not so good],” said Elaine McFadden, Library of Virginia’s director of development. “These authors are really brave to tell their own story, whether through a memoir or to express themselves in poetry, or to do research for nonfiction.”

The awards were hosted by New York Times bestselling fiction and non-fiction author and filmmaker,Adriana Trigani, who also receivedsa

reason

Patron of Letters degree for her contributions in literature.

In addition to the awards, the gala also held a silent auction during the dinner, with all proceeds going toward the Library’s conservation, education and community outreach initiatives.

The literary awards finalists are chosen by a committee of the Library’s literary judges, which consists of former winners and finalists. The nominating committee reads each eligible literary work published last year in nonfiction, fiction, children’s literature and poetry. After determining their eligibility, the com-

mittee would then discuss the merits of the work to determine the finalists and recipients.

“Virginia is a diverse state, and I think that this [nomination pool] reflects the talent and the stories that are now coming from Virginia and being uncovered from Virginia,” McFadden said. “Those kinds of hidden stories and those hidden narratives are really what the Library of Virginia is working to do and help through preservation and sharing these stories that are found within 140 million items in our collection.”

Other award recipients include:

● Elizabeth Varon: Literary Award for Nonfiction for “Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South”

● Angie Kim: Literary Award for Fiction for “Happiness Falls”

● Janine Joseph: Literary Award for Poetry for “Decade of the Brain: Poems”

● Kwame Alexander: Children’s Virginia Literary Award for “An American Story”

● Sheila Johnson: People’s Choice Award for Nonfiction for “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph”

● Martin Clark: People’s Choice Award for Fiction for “The Plinko Bounce”

● Katy Hessel: Mary Lynn Kotz Award for “The Story of Art Without Men”

Morgan Bullock, a 24-year-old Midlothian native now studying in Ireland, returns to Ricmond for a special performance. After rising to fame with viral TikTok videos during the pandemic, she will take the stage at the Folk Festival alongside John Doyle & the Irish American Music Masters at 7:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27. For more details visit richmondfolkfestival.org.

organized by the Djimon Hounsou Foundation, commemorates the sacrifices and achievements of African Americans.

Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian

Courtesy Tamika Lamison

Filmmaker Tamika Lamison on the set of her short film, “Superman Doesn’t Steal,” in Atlanta.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Native tree distribution event held at Mosby Memorial Baptist Church

Free Press staff report

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light and Mosby Memorial Baptist Church gave away 200 native trees and shrubs to Richmond residents last Saturday.

“Fall was the ideal time of year to plant new trees,” said Ann Jurczyk, CBF Virginia manager of urban restoration.

“These native species provided vital habitat for birds and pollinators, while also cleaning the air we breathe. Planting a well-placed tree could even save money on heating and cooling bills.”

Residents could choose from a variety of native trees and shrubs suited for the Richmond area. Species available included redbud, dogwood, serviceberry, inkberry and buttonbush.

“Many of us knew all the many health and ecological benefits of trees,” said Faith Harris, executive director of Interfaith Power & Light. “However, most did not know that trees played a significant role in many of our religious traditions. In the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and the Koran, trees provided a metaphor for wisdom, strength, perseverance, and good or godly character.”

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz visited the church during the event.

“Meeting with community organizations and residents is crucial for us to address environmental justice challenges in communities that are most affected,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz also met with Groundwork RVA and the City of Richmond’s Office of Sustainability to visit a few local environmental projects, including Hillside Farm, a grassroots project focused on urban agriculture and sustainability in underserved communities.

Second Presbyterian Church hosts speaker series on environmental justice

Free Press staff report

Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond will host a speaker series titled, “Rooting in Place: Planting Seeds of Resilience,” focusing on the intersection of environmental care and social justice. The series takes place Sundays from September through October, with events scheduled from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The series began on Sept. 8 with the Earthcare Fair, where church members shared sustainable living practices. On Sept. 29, Rachel James, a staff attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center,

New Life Outreach Church to host Unshakeable Conference in October

The Unshakeable Conference happens at New Life Outreach Church Oct. 2 through 6. Led by Pastors Carlos and Rosalinda Rivera, this year’s conference centers on a theme drawn from Hebrews 12:28-29, reminding participants that through Christ, they are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, according to the church’s website.

Attendees can look forward to presentations from notable speakers, including Jonathan Miller, lead pastor of New Beginnings Church in Orlando, Fla.; Duerre Thomas, an author and lead pastor of Relevant Kingdom Center in Exuma, Bahamas; and Phil Munsey, pastor, author and a community activist and frequent guest on TBN’s “Praise the Lord” program.

The conference also will feature performances by gospel singers Trenton and Maria Bernard. They have performed alongside artists such as Tori Kelly and Danny Gokey, and led worship at Liberty University and their home church, Legacy Church in New Mexico.

For more information, visit newlifeoutreach.church/conference

“This series invites participants to reflect on how environmental and social justice issues are interconnected,” according to the church’s website. “By engaging with speakers who embody these values, we hope to inspire action within our congregation and the wider Richmond community.”

The church encourages community members to join the discussions and consider their roles in fostering both environmental care and social justice.

is scheduled to speak. Following her, climate analyst Jenny Brennan from the Southern Environmental Law Center will present on Oct. 6. The theme of the symposium, “Spiritual Leadership: Honoring Creation and Embracing Justice,” reflects the church’s commitment to intertwining environmental responsibility with social justice initiatives. As an Earthcare and Matthew 25 congregation, the series seeks to connect these commitments, emphasizing that caring for creation is essential to achieving justice in the community.

Rachel James

Pastors Carlos and Rosalinda Rivera

Dr. Price L. Davis of Mosby Memorial Baptist Church meets with EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.

RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, IN RE JAMEKA ROOKS RDSS V. UNKNOWN FATHER (FATHER) File No. JJ094595-13-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Unknown Father (Father) of Jameka Rooks, child DOB 11/22/2016. ‘’TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father to appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before 11/07/2024 at 10:00 A.M., COURTROOM #3 PROPERTY

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HANOVER RE: CAROLYN R. HORNER, Deceased CWF 23000019 SHOW CAUSE ORDER It appearing that a report of the accounts of Rebecca C. Bowen, Executor of the Estate of Carolyn R. Horner, deceased, and the debts and demands against such estate has been filed with the Clerk’s Office, and that six months have elapsed since qualification, on motion of the personal representative, it is ORDERED that the creditors of, and all others interested in, the Estate, show cause, if any they can, at 1:30 p.m. on the 25th day of October, 2024, before this Court at its courtroom against the payment and delivery of the Estate to the persons thereunto entitled, without refunding bonds. A Copy Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR Clerk I ask for this: Andrea Yoak, VSB #73541 Thompson McMullan, P.C. 100 Shockoe Slip, 3rd Floor Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 649-7545 (804) 649-0654 Counsel for Rebecca C. Bowen, Executor of the Estate of Carolyn R. Horner, deceased BID COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION BID

ITB #24-2751-9JOK Tuckahoe Creek Trunk Sewer – Phase II Due: October 22, 2024 at 2:00 PM For additional information visit: https://henrico.gov/finance/divisions/purchasing/ solicitations/ COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION BID

ITB #24-2752-9JOK Westin Estates Sewer Improvements Due: October 28, 2024 at 2:00 PM For additional information visit: https://henrico.gov/finance/divisions/purchasing/ solicitations/ ABC LICENSE

EVERAGE C ONTRO l AUTHORITY (ABC) for a Retail Restaurant or Caterer ApplicationRestaurant, Wine, Beer, Mixed Beverages, Consumed On and Off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or (800 5523200.

NOTICE VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER HEATHER ANN BARTON, Petitioner,

v. Case No.: CL24002209-00 COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. ORDER OF PUBLICATION THE OBJECT OF THIS CAUSE is to obtain an order permitting the Petitioner, Heather Barton, who is a registered sex offender, to enter school property under specific circumstances as provided by Virginia Code § 18.2-370.5. It is therefore ORDERED that any interested parties appear on October 17, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. in the Hanover County Circuit Court and/ or submit written comments regarding

REQUEST FOR BIDS For Franchise, Right and Privilege For the Management of 3506 Hopkins Road and 3800 East Richmond Road In the City of Richmond

The City of Richmond is seeking bids for the management of the Hopkins Road Transfer Station located at 3506 Hopkins Road and the East Richmond Road Convenience Center located at 3800 East Richmond Road as set forth in the Franchise Agreement.

All bids for the easement hereby offered to be granted must be submitted in writing to the City Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024. Bids will be presented to the presiding officer of the Council of the City of Richmond on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in open session and then will be presented by the presiding officer to the Council and be dealt with and acted upon in the mode prescribed by law.

The City of Richmond expressly reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The successful bidder shall reimburse the City for all costs incurred in connection with the advertisement of this ordinance in accordance with section 15.2-2101 of the Code of Virginia and shall post the bond required by the ordinance. A copy of the full text of the ordinance is on file in the City Clerk’s Office, and the full text of the ordinance and Franchise Agreement to be executed is available at: https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail. aspx?ID=6857141&GUID=DD3A7D8F-0A46-46AABD5F-5236CE049BF2&Options=&Search=

Please address any questions or bids to: Candice D. Reid, City Clerk City of Richmond 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7955

REQUEST FOR BIDS For Easement, Franchise, Privilege, Lease or Right Upon, Over, Under, and Across Certain Property Located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue In the City of Richmond

The City of Richmond is seeking bids for an easement upon, over, under, and across certain property located in Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens at 1800 Lakeside Avenue for the construction, maintenance, and operation of improvements and associated appurtenances for the generation, distribution and transmission of electricity on that property as described and under the conditions set forth in the Right of Way Agreement.

All bids for the easement hereby offered to be granted must be submitted in writing to the City Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024. Bids will be presented to the presiding officer of the Council of the City of Richmond on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in open session and then will be presented by the presiding officer to the Council and be dealt with and acted upon in the mode prescribed by law.

The City of Richmond expressly reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The successful bidder shall reimburse the City for all costs incurred in connection with the advertisement of this ordinance in accordance with section 15.2-2101 of the Code of Virginia and shall post the bond required by the ordinance.

A copy of the full text of the ordinance is on file in the City Clerk’s Office, and the full text of the ordinance and Right of Way Agreement to be executed is available at: https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail. aspx?ID=6857140&GUID=744F8E9A-9A36-4591-B3FAF697CE23ACCB&Options=&Search= Please address any questions or bids to: Candice D. Reid, City Clerk City of Richmond 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7955

Libbie Avenue Road Improvements Henrico County, Virginia Public Information Meeting

The County of Henrico is proposing to modify Libbie Avenue to provide a combination of a 10-foot-wide paved shared-use path and two-way protected bike lanes on the east side of Libbie Avenue between West Broad Street and Bethlehem Road.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide information about this project and receive public input. The meeting will be open-house format and County staff will be available to answer questions.

The meeting will be held on Monday, October 7, 2024, at the Libbie Mill Library, 2100 Libbie Lake East Street, Henrico, VA 23230 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Project information including plans, project schedule, National Environmental Policy Act documentation in the form of a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion (PCE), National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR Part 800, and funding information can also be reviewed at the County of Henrico, Department of Public Works, 4305 E. Parham Road, Administration Annex Building, 3rd Floor, Henrico, Virginia 23228. Project information is also available at the website below. https://henrico.gov/projects/libbie-avenue-road-improvements/

The County ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact Sarah Briggs at the above address or at bri114@henrico.gov (804) 501-4616.

VDOT UPC115769

TRANSIT SYSTEM

GRTC TRANSIT SYSTEM

Professional Landscaping and Lawn Care INVITATION FOR BID

GRTC Transit System is seeking bids for Professional Landscaping and Lawn Care. Interested firms may download a copy of IFB 237-24-10 from GRTC’s website www.ridegrtc.com (menu options: About Us, then Procurement) or obtain a copy by calling Antionette Haynes at (804) 3583871 Ext 357. A Pre-Proposal Conference and Site Visit are scheduled for October 1, 2024. Bids are due prior to 3:00 pm on October 14, 2024. All inquiries pertaining to the request or any questions in reference to the solicitation documents should be directed to: Antionette Haynes Procurement Specialist (804) 358-3871, extension 357

GRTC’s Supplier Diversity Program –“providing equal opportunities for small businesses”

LORD JESUS KOREAN CHURCH (North Chesterfield, VA) seeks Associate Pastor of Missional Generation for pastoral care & manage Children/Youth prgm. Req. MDiv. & ordination. Resume to Lord Jesus Korean Church, Attn: Rev. Kim, 10201 Robious Rd, North Chesterfield, VA 23235

LORD JESUS KOREAN CHURCH (North Chesterfield, VA) seeks Associate Pastor of Worship for pastoral care & manage Family/Adult grp prgm. Req. MDiv. & ordination. Resume to Lord Jesus Korean Church, Attn: Rev. Kim, 10201 Robious Rd, North Chesterfield, VA 23235

The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: IFB No. 250003621: Hull Street Improvements UPC 15959 For all information pertaining to this IFB, please logon to the Richmond website (www.rva.gov). Bid Due Date: October 28, 2024/Time: 2:00 PM Pre-Bid Conference Call Meeting: October 9, 2024 at 2:00PM

Information or copies of the above solicitations are available at the City of Richmond website www.rva.gov or https://procurement.opengov.com/ portal/rva. The City of Richmond encourages all contractors to participate in the procurement process.

To advertise in the Richmond Free Press Call 644-0496