NFL great Michael Vick introduced as Norfolk State’s football
coach
The Associated Press
To shouts of “Coach” and “Let’s go Spartans,” Michael Vick was introduced Monday as Norfolk State’s football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years.
Vick, who grew up about 30 minutes away in Newport News, donned a Norfolk State letterman jacket and cap in front of a crowd of supporters that included fellow Hampton Roads, sports greats Allen Iverson and Bruce Smith.
Vick’s introduction was the culmination of a whirlwind courtship, the timing of which took even Vick by surprise.
“I was talking to my high school coach a couple weeks ago, and I told him I wanted to be a football coach one day, a couple years from now,” he said.
Vick said he then got a surprise call from former Virginia Tech football player Aaron Rouse, who is now a Virginia state senator, and Norfolk State Athletic Director Melody Webb, gauging his interest in becoming the Spartans’ coach.
“It wasn’t the easiest decision to make,” Vick said. “I’ve got family that I considered, I care about and I love. This requires a lot of change in lifestyle. But at the same time, it allows me to serve young
Mayor’s exit Richmond
Please turn to A4
‘I work too damn hard to have any regrets’
RPS distributes food for holiday season
By Paula Phounsavath
Richmond Public Schools held its Holiday Harvest Distribution on Saturday at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, where volunteers assembled meal boxes to support families facing food insecurity during the school division’s winter break.
RPS partnered with local food organizations — Feed More, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger and Lulus Local Food, a low-cost e-commerce platform for farmers to sell produce to customers — to feed about 400 families within the community.
The volunteers included a mix of RPS community members, faculty and administrators. Some were seen at one end of the cafeteria sorting bulk pantry items, such as instant rice, canned yams, tuna packets and stuffing mix. Another group sifted through fresh produce, including collard greens, watermelons, yams and potatoes. Volunteers also organized proteins like ham and chicken. The remaining items were used to create meal boxes, each serving approximately four to six people.
Although the cluttered boxes and volunteers rushing to distrib
through the tape. That’s the message written on a markerboard by Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s office. It likely refers to his busy final days in office, which included a “Faring Well” tour, “exit interviews” with local news outlets, in addition to his usual responsibilities. It could also be a reminder that he needs to keep up the pace, as he prepares to focus on another race that’s already started.
Custodians demand justice after alleged retaliatory firings,
By George Copeland Jr.
the City of Richmond delivered a lump of coal to their former employer, along with federal charges alleging they were
fired in retaliation for their union activities due to disability discrimination.
Clarissa McGhee and Sharonda Smith filed a complaint last week with the National Labor Relations Board against Nu-Tech Janitorial Services, alleging they were fired for their involvement in efforts to unionize their co-workers.
Smith and McGhee helped gather signatures, deliver a petition to their employers and appeared on fliers announcing workers’ desire to form a union, according to the regional chapter of the Service Employees International Union, which filed the labor complaint on their behalf.
McGhee also filed a separate disability discrimination charge against Nu-Tech with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging a violation of the Americans with
Randy Singleton Michael Vick is introduced as the head coach of the Norfolk State University Football Team during a press conference on Monday, Dec. 23.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Mayor Levar M. Stoney reflects on his time in office during a recent interview. In his final days as mayor, Stoney discusses his proudest moments, such as the removal of Confederate monuments, while also looking ahead to his campaign for lieutenant governor.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Denise Lewis, of the Richmond Chapter of The Links, volunteers at the Holiday Harvest Food Distribution event on Dec. 21 at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. The event, which distributed food to local families, was hosted by Richmond Public Schools in collaboration with Feed More and Lulus Local Food.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Custodians rally outside Richmond City Hall, holding picket signs to demand justice following allegations of retaliatory firings and disability discrimination by Nu-Tech Janitorial Services.
Just days before Christmas, two custodians contracted with
Amira, 2, and Caleel, 4, take a photo with Soul Santa at the Black History Museum of Virginia on Saturday, Dec. 7. The museum welcomed children and families to enjoy a festive day of activities, including Christmas stories, arts and crafts, and a chance to meet the iconic Soul Santa.
Holiday schedule
In observance of New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, please note the following:
Government State and federal offices:
Closed.
City of Richmond offices:
Closed Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1.
County offices in Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover: Chesterfield closed Tuesday, Dec. 31 and Wednesday, Jan. 1, and Henrico and Hanover closed Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Public schools
Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover
public schools are closed until Friday, Jan. 3.
Public libraries
Richmond libraries are closed Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan.1.
Public libraries close in Chesterfield County at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 31, and reopen Thursday, Jan. 2. Henrico County
31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1. Richmond Free Press office Closed.
Senate passes McClellan’s bill to rename Petersburg Post Office
Free Press staff report
The U.S. Senate has passed Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan’s (VA-04) first standalone bill, H.R. 7385, to rename the Petersburg Post Office as the John Mercer Langston United States Postal Service Building.
The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature. “John Mercer Langston was a trailblazer who broke barriers for Black Americans,” McClellan stated. “He had a profound impact on the Petersburg community as president of Virginia State University and the first Black man to represent Virginia in Congress — also from Virginia’s Fourth. As the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress, I stand on his shoulders. I hope this newly renamed post office will inspire other children to learn more about Langston’s life and legacy. I commend my Senate colleagues for passing this legislation.” Langston, an abolitionist, attorney, diplomat, voting rights advocate and community leader, served as president of the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute — now Virginia State University — from 1855 to 1857. He was the first Black man to represent Virginia in Congress.
The Senate passed McClellan’s bill by unanimous consent.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
For the week ending Saturday, Dec. 14, COVID-19 accounted for .8% of all emergency department visits in Virginia, with overall respiratory illness levels moderate and stable compared to previous data. No deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported within that period at time of publication. COVID-19 wastewater levels for Richmond and Henrico County were unavailable at press time.
RHHD’s resource centers are providing free at-home tests for pickup at select locations:
• Creighton Court at 2150 Creighton Road, call 804-3710433.
• 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 804-230-2077.
• Whitcomb Court at 2106 Deforrest St., call 804-786-0555. For Virginia Department of Health testing locations, visit vdh. virginia.gov. Additional testing site information can be found at vax.rchd.com. Want a COVID-19 vaccine?
The CDC recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone age 6 months and older. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are approved for everyone age 6 months and up, while Novavax is for those age 12 and older. Vaccines are available at pharmacies and health care providers.
Individuals interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine also 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 also can order four free at-home COVID test kits at covidtest.gov, while supplies last.
Compiled by George Copeland Jr.
Cousins announces re-election bid for House of Delegates
Free Press staff report
Democratic Delegate Rae Cousins announced her re-election campaign for the 79th District in Virginia’s House of Delegates last week. Since her election in 2023, Cousins has focused on improving public schools, affordable housing, accessible health care, food insecurity and safeguarding the rights of Virginians, according to a statement from her campaign. She currently serves on the Education, Courts of Justice and Public Safety committees.
“Over the past year, I have worked to ensure my constituents, and all Virginians, have the opportunity to thrive,” Cousins said.
“Virginians are facing high costs in everything from health care to housing, our public schools remain underfunded, and reproductive freedom is under constant attack.”
In her first General Assembly session earlier this year, Cousins secured $11.65 million for Richmond, including funding for Richmond Public Schools, the Richmond Teacher Residency program and cultural institutions such as the Valentine Museum and the JXN Project, according to
a press release. She also passed 10 bills to fund public education, protect tenants from eviction, reform the criminal legal system, address food insecurity and improve maternal health. She also supported legislation aimed at reducing gun violence in communities.
“As the daughter of a retired Richmond Public School-teacher, I was honored to be named Virginia Education Association Rookie of the Year and Freshman Legislator of the Year by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce,” Cousins said. “There is still significant work ahead and I am eager to continue advocating for a brighter, safer and more affordable future for my constituents and for all Virginians.”
Chavis leaves Maggie Walker
CLT Board, citing setbacks with Bensley Agrihood project
By Paula Phounsavath
Duron Chavis, executive director of Happily Natural Day, recently announced his resignation from the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust Board of Directors after serving for seven years.
Chavis’ letter, posted on his website and social media platforms last week, stated that his resignation was due to leadership discrepancies within MWCLT, a nonprofit organization that develops and maintains affordable and equitable homeownership.
The letter highlighted several setbacks faced by Bensley Agrihood, a proposed affordable housing project centered around urban farming and a wellness center in Chesterfield County’s Bensley neighborhood, as a major factor in his decision. In June, leaders of the organizations involved in the project withdrew a rezoning application after the county’s planning commission issued four deferrals, stalling the project’s progress. They cited discrimination in the zoning process as the primary reason.
The Bensley Agrihood project, organized by MWCLT, Happily Natural Day and Girls For A Change in 2021, was a $6.5 million proposal for a 7-acre site that would include 10 single-family homes, four “micro-homes” and 1.62 acres of farmland. However, Chavis said MWCLT was not sincere in its commitment to affordable and equitable housing.
“Over the course of the last year, the Bensley Agrihood project has given me unrequited insight into the anxiety and lack
of resoundingly firm commitment to racial equity that the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust has,” Chavis stated in his letter.
In response to inquiries about the project and Chavis’ allegations, MWCLT Chief Executive Officer Erica Sims issued a statement acknowledging Chavis’ departure from the board but did not address the trust’s involvement in the project or the allegations regarding its leadership.
“We thank Duron for his service on our board,” Sims said. “We remain focused on our mission to develop and steward permanently affordable housing opportunities that foster racially equitable communities.”
Chavis emphasized that there was no animosity between him and the trust, adding the letter was intended to ensure public transparency. However, the letter was inaccessible on his social media and website on Sunday.
Chavis said the project will continue its partnership with Happily Natural Day and Girls For A Change. The organizers also are exploring the next phase of their strategy, including alternative methods to subdivide parcels and identifying a new partner for affordable housing.
“We feel like we have a solid vision and with the right partners in place, we can make it real,” Chavis said.
Virginia State Police investigates drone activity, calls for public cooperation
Free Press staff report Virginia State Police is investigating more than 150 reports of drone activity across the Commonwealth this month. The tips, received by the Virginia Fusion Center within VSP’s Homeland Security Division, are being examined and shared with key stakeholders. The rise in reports coincides with similar concerns about drone activity in other states, including New Jersey. Authorities urge citizens to report suspicious drone behavior, particularly near critical infrastructure such as energy facilities or military installations, to the Virginia Fusion Center at vfc@vfc.vsp. virginia.gov. The fusion center is a collaborative intelligence-
sharing hub that facilitates the exchange of information between law enforcement agencies.
“We encourage anyone who witnesses a drone flying over critical infrastructure to contact the Virginia Fusion Center,” said VSP Special Agent D. Robinson. “This will enable us to work with our partners to determine exactly what is occurring and how to move forward.” State law prohibits flying drones within 50 feet of a residence unless authorized by the federal government. In a press release, law enforcement officials remind the public of the importance of vigilance and proper reporting to ensure the safe and lawful use of drones in Virginia.
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Even after the big day, Santa’s still hanging around the 3200 block of Brood Road in the City’s North Side.
Cityscape
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press Duron Chavis
Petersburg Post Office
John Mercer Langston
Delegate Cousins
New poll shows over half of Va. drivers are driving distracted
Free Press staff report
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Drive Smart Virginia are urging Virginians to stay focused while driving this holiday season as part of their “Your Presence is the Real Present” campaign. The initiative encourages drivers to buckle up and avoid distractions to ensure they arrive safely.
Drive Smart Virginia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting safe driving habits, recently commissioned a poll that revealed concerning statistics about distracted driving in the state. Sixty-six percent of respondents admitted to driving distracted in the past six months, and 22% regularly use smartphones without hands-free mode while driving. However, 83% of Virginians consider smartphone use behind the wheel without hands-free mode to be extremely or very dangerous.
“As we approach the holiday season, it’s crucial to recognize that using a handheld device behind the wheel, is not just a bad habit — it’s an epidemic. Just as we treat addiction with urgency, we must address this deadly behavior, because distracted driving is taking lives,” said DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey.
Preliminary data for 2024 shows 87 people have been killed in distracted driving crashes, including 13 fatalities linked to drivers using cell phones. Despite 83% of drivers acknowledging the dangers of phone use while driving, 66% continue to drive distracted.
“Distracted driving is particularly frustrating because, as our recent poll reveals, people recognize its dangers yet still engage in it,” said Kristin Pettway, executive director of Drive Smart Virginia. “We work closely with many families who have experienced the devastating consequences of distracted driving. It can happen to anyone. Stay focused on the road—lives depend on it.”
One of the families affected by distracted driving is that of
to recycle Christmas trees into mulch starting Dec. 26
Henrico County will accept Christmas trees for recycling into mulch from Dec. 26 through Jan. 9. The free service, offered by Keep Henrico Beautiful and the Department of Public Utilities, helps conserve landfill space and supports environmental protection. It is available exclusively to Henrico residents.
Trees can be dropped off at the Henrico County Government Center, located at 4301 E. Parham Road in the lower parking lot, and at the Eastern Government Center, located at 3820 Nine Mile Road in the front parking lot. Trees also can be dropped off at the Springfield Road Public Use Area at 10600 Fords Country Lane, near Nuckols Road and Interstate 295, and at the Charles City Road Public Use Area at 2075 Charles City Road. Dropoff is available anytime at the Henrico Government Center and Eastern Government Center. At the Springfield Road and Charles City Road public use areas, trees can be dropped off from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Trees must be free of tinsel, lights, ornaments, tree stands and water bowls. Residents are reminded not to place trees in their curbside trash collection carts, as they will not be picked up, even if cut into pieces.
Karen Giles, whose daughter Meredith Spies has become an advocate for raising awareness. “My mother, Karen Giles, was killed by a man texting and driving a dump truck. We’ve lost our mom, grandmomma, dedicated EMT instructor and firefighter
all because of one person’s decision to drive distracted,” Spies said. “When tempted to pick up the phone while driving, remember our story and don’t be the one responsible for the death of another beloved family member.”
To prevent distracted driving during the holiday season, drivers are advised to connect their phones to their car’s Bluetooth or hands-free system and activate the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” setting. It is also recommended to set music
and directions before starting a trip, and ask passengers to send text messages if necessary. If a message or call needs to be made and cannot be done hands-free, drivers should pull over to a safe location. Additionally, wearing a seatbelt remains one of the
most effective ways to protect oneself in case of a crash. For more information on how to avoid distractions while driving, visit Drive Smart Virginia at drivesmartva.org and the Virginia DMV at dmv. virginia.gov.
Free Press staff report
Henrico
Mayor Stoney’s exit
Continued from A1
“I began my campaign for lieutenant governor back in April, but I have not been a full-time candidate,” he said. “I think my first day out of office will be considered the first full-time day on the campaign.”
The 43-year-old seems built for this, and not just because of the salad and bottled water he was finishing up when reporters visited his office Dec. 16. Stoney has been mayor for the past eight years, and it’s easy to forget that his political career has progressed quickly. After working for the Democratic Party of Virginia for several years, he became the Secretary of the Commonwealth under Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2014. Just two years later, he was sworn in as the youngest person to serve as mayor, at 35 years old, after coming out on top in a crowded race.
A lot has happened since then. The mayor, now a husband and father, shepherded the city through the pandemic, navigated a changing political climate and attempted to balance economic growth with social equity, among other challenges. The road hasn’t always been a smooth one, but the mayor hasn’t broken his stride often and kept his eye on his next goal.
RFP: What will you miss about being the mayor?
Stoney: The people. I know as a candidate, the people will not be far away, or as the next lieutenant governor, people won’t be far away, but I’ll miss the day to day interactions with people from all across our community who make the city just a great place to live. I’m going to miss the folks who not only cheered me on, but also the folks who, you know, may have been critical now and again.
RFP: What won’t you miss?
Stoney: What won’t I miss? You know, when you become mayor, you lose your privacy, no matter where you are …
RFP: You’re the mayor.
Stoney: You’re the mayor, right? I could be at the gym. I could be eating dinner with my wife. You know, I could be at a restaurant with some friends, but you’re the mayor 24/7 and so you lose privacy. I thought when I became mayor at 35 that I could continue life as a 35-year-old, you know, unobstructed. But that’s not the case when you’re the mayor and you’re the chief executive of the city, and so I will not miss not having a private moment.
RFP: Were there any campaign promises that you feel you fell short of fulfilling?
Stoney: You know, one campaign promise that I think that, you know, we may have gone in a different direction, but we were still able to fulfill it, but just not in the same light that I wanted it in — was what I wanted to do with public housing. Creighton Court, Gilpin Court … 70 and 80 years [old], respectively. And I just think that beyond the notion that we should not be concentrating poverty in just certain places around the city, but the conditions in which you live in are inhumane, was the driving reason why I wanted to see those parts of the city redeveloped. We have made tremendous progress on redeveloping Creighton Court with the Armstrong Renaissance and the development that’s occurring there on the site today. And I know that we have a development in the works for Gilpin as well.
But I had hoped that we would have done more.
RFP: Is there a particular moment that you’re most proud of, when you look back on your term?
Stoney: The one that I know that historians will always tag me with will be the removal of Richmond’s Confederate monuments. This was the former Capital of Confederacy, and to remove monuments that stood for over a century is no small feat and it’s not until this moment of reflection, toward the end of my tenure, that I can really take full account of what we did. Many cities haven’t done what we did. And the fact that I am still experiencing a number of our Black residents who grab me by the hand and say, ‘I would have never thought in my time, in my life, that I would ever see those monuments come down. You’re always going to have my vote,’ that warms my heart, but also to know that my daughter is living in a city in which her great-great-grandparents grew up in, and it’s going to be a totally different city, a city that will not have those monuments.
RFP: The Richmond Coliseum is an iconic venue in the
city’s history. Do you think it was a missed opportunity there to keep that venue open and to develop that space?
Stoney: I work too damn hard to have any regrets about my time as mayor. But with the wisdom of hindsight, I wish that we could have done something about Navy Hill and the Coliseum site. I wish that we would have found success there, because it is iconic and is very significant and important to the Black community. One of the reasons why I led with that as my initial economic development endeavor was because I wanted a project that would reach all corners of the city, but also people from all different walks of life. So I led with that, thinking this was something that would pull our community together. And is there not a moment that goes by when folks still say to me, ‘Mayor, we need that Coliseum, Mayor, we need that Coliseum.’ And I was like, ‘Man, that is, we have run our course on that project,’ and I know that Henrico’s endeavoring to build an arena. I hope they do that, because I believe this region deserves such a venue.
RFP: What would you say to people in the city who feel they’ve been displaced due to gentrification?
Stoney: I’m a big believer that we can’t put up walls around our city. We have to avail ourselves to growth and investment and over the course of the last eight years, we’ve been able to reduce poverty by a third because we’ve been able to bring together economic growth and economic opportunity. But with all this opportunity that might be coming into the city, with all this investment that’s coming into the city, the one thing that we should try our best to prevent is displacement. Neighborhoods renewing, I think, is a good thing, right? That means that many of those who have seen their property values rise when they are able to pass this property off to the heirs, they’re able to actually gain some value in terms of generational wealth. However, we know the flip side of that is rising taxes and rising assessments. We should do everything we can to ensure that “Ms. Jenkins,” who who got us through the ’70s the ’80s, that the crack epidemic, white flight — she should be able to stay here as long as she can, and that’s why I’m glad that the City Council joined me in adopting our RVA Stay plan that freezes their assessments at a certain year … for a lot of our seniors, but also offers relief to our renters and homeowners alike. We need to be more creative, not just as a locality, but as a state, on how to protect long-term homeowners.
RFP: Any advice for the next mayor?
Stoney: Advice for the next mayor is to be bold and continue to be audacious. Over the last eight years, we’ve been able to buck the status quo here in the city. I heard a lot of couldn’ts, shouldn’ts when I first was elected mayor, and I don’t take too kindly to people in general, telling other people what they can’t do or what they shouldn’t do. And so we have to learn how to be comfortable with pushing the envelope. And it’s my hope that Dr. Avula’s administration does exactly that when it comes to the issue of housing, economic opportunity and closing the inequality gap that we have in the city. You have to be bold. You have to be audacious. And so my request from the next administration, and also the next iteration of City Council, is to continue to push the envelope.
NFL great Michael Vick introduced as Norfolk State’s football coach
Continued from A1
men in my community.”
Vick led Virginia Tech to the national championship game as a redshirt freshman and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro Bowl pick in six seasons in Atlanta, he revolutionized the quarterback position with his dynamic running ability.
Vick’s career was derailed by his conviction in 2007 for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. He pleaded guilty and served 21 months in federal prison before resuming his career in 2009. He retired in 2017 and had been working as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports and as an animal rights activist.
Vick’s legal troubles were not mentioned Monday, except indirectly by Webb, who praised his ability to “inspire and overcome challenges” and said it is in keeping with the values the school wants to instill in its student-athletes.
“His journey is one of resilience and redemption and unwavering commitment to growth,” Webb said.
Vick has no coaching experience and is the latest former NFL star who had not coached before to take the helm of an HBCU program, a club that includes Deion Sanders and Eddie George. Norfolk State has made only one playoff appearance since moving to FCS in 1997. The last five Spartan head coaches have had losing records, including Dawson
Odoms, who was fired in November after going 15-30 in four seasons. School officials hailed Vick’s hiring as transformational, however. Webb said Vick’s name “resonates around the world.”
Added rector Kim Brown: “Today we turn the corner and we embrace a new season for our football program.”
For his part, Vick said he won’t be outworked, and that he will recruit hard in his home region, long a hotbed of talent.
He said he attended Norfolk State games while playing youth football in Newport News and has followed the program over the years.
“It’s a lot of pressure being in your hometown,” he said. “I’ve always thrived off it.”
Custodians demand justice after alleged retaliatory firings, file federal charges
Continued from A1
back to work.”
McGhee, who worked at the Marshall Plaza Social Services Building, said her manager, Russell Dandridge, told her in October that she could not work at the company while using a cane. She explained that she has used a
cane since 2023 due to arthritis but is able to perform her job and other normal tasks without it, relying on the cane only for long distances or her commute to work.
McGhee said despite explaining her situation to Dandridge, she was instructed to clock out and return with a doctor’s note explaining her medical leave and need for a cane when she came
RPS distributes food for holiday season
Continued from A1
ute meals to the lined cars might seem chaotic to some, Feed More’s Chief Collaboration and Programs Officer David Waidelich, described it as “strategically” organized.
“They are actually doing a wonderful job with organizing and coordinating a lot of the effort,” Waidelich said.
RPS Director of Culture, Climate and Student Services Angela Jones volunteered for the Holiday Harvest Distribution because she wanted students in need to have food for their winter break.
“Children are getting ready to go into two weeks of no school, which is super exciting for some and it’s super stressful for others,” she said. “We wanted to ensure that families had an opportunity to really get some good food in their homes.”
The Federation of Virginia Food Banks
reported that 11.1% of the Commonwealth’s population is food insecure, especially in the rural Southwest region. According to Feeding America, a nationwide organization working toward ending hunger in the U.S., food insecurity often affects rural communities due to a lack of transportation and underemployment. In addition, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks reported that 13.6% of children in Virginia experience food insecurity.
Waidelich explained that urban communities such as Richmond are food insecure due to higher poverty rates and increased grocery costs.
“Food insecurity is an issue here in Richmond. We’ve got about one in nine individuals that suffer from food insecurity and about one in six kids, and it’s increased over the last few years,” he said. “I think particularly during the holiday season, it’s so heartwarming to see the community rally together to help their neighbors in need.”
back to work in mid-November after a weeklong absence. She said she has not been called back to work since submitting the note a week later.
“I’m broke and got no one else to support me so I rely on food stamps,” McGhee said.
“I feel terrible, it’s shutting me down — I just want to work again.”
The charges against Nu-Tech come after previ-
ous complaints from employees, highlighted by SEIU, about poor working conditions, including the lack of paid leave, sick leave, holiday pay and low hourly wages.
Nu-Tech officials had not responded to the allegations, commented on the coal delivery or answered inquiries from the Richmond Free Press before publication.
Randy Singleton
Michael Vick was joined by former NBA player and Hampton native Allen Iverson at the press conference.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Mayor Levar M. Stoney looks ahead as his term nears its end.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Iliana Davis volunteers at the Holiday Harvest Food Distribution event packing bags of food in the cafeteria of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Dec. 21.
Biden commutes federal death sentences, spares 37 lives
By Will Weissert and Darlene Superville
The Associated Press
President Biden on Monday announced that he is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.
The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.
It means just three federal inmates continue to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
“I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden said in a statement. “Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”
Reaction to the president’s end-of-year act of clemency was strong, particularly among those who were victimized by Roof.
Michael Graham, whose sister Cynthia Hurd was killed by Roof, wants him to die for his crimes and was thankful Biden kept him on death row. He said Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the U.S. means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for.
“This was a crime against a race of people who were doing something all Americans do on a Wednesday night – go to Bible study,” Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.”
Felicia Sanders, who shielded her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson, sent her lawyer, Andy Savage, a text message that
called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift.
The Biden administration in 2021 announced a moratorium on federal capital punishment to study the protocols used, which suspended executions during Biden’s term. But Biden actually had promised to go further on the issue in the past, pledging to end federal executions without the caveats for terrorism and hate-motivated, mass killings.
While running for president in 2020, Biden’s campaign website said he would “work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.”
Similar language didn’t appear on Biden’s re-election website before he left the presidential race in July.
“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden’s statement said. “But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president, and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”
He took a political jab at Trump, saying, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that
I halted.”
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech announcing his 2024 campaign, Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China’s harsher treatment of drug peddlers. During his first term as president, Trump also advocated for the death penalty for drug dealers.
There were 13 federal executions during Trump’s first term, more than under any president in modern history, and some may have happened fast enough to have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus at the federal death row facility in Indiana.
Those were the first federal executions since 2003. The final three occurred after Election Day in November 2020 but before Trump left office the following January, the first time federal prisoners were put to death by a lame-duck president since Grover Cleveland in 1889.
Biden faced recent pressure from advocacy groups urging him to act to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The president’s announcement also comes less than two weeks after he commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the
COVID-19 pandemic, and of 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.
The announcement also followed the postelection pardon that Biden granted his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges after long saying he would not issue one, sparking an uproar in Washington. The pardon also raised questions about whether he would issue sweeping preemptive pardons for administration officials and other allies who the White House worries could be unjustly targeted by Trump’s second administration.
Speculation that Biden could commute federal death sentences intensified last week after the White House announced he plans to visit Italy on the final foreign trip of his presidency next month. Biden, a practicing Catholic, will meet with Pope Francis, who recently called for prayers for U.S. death row inmates in hopes their sentences will be commuted.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has long called for an end to the death penalty, said Biden’s decision is a “significant step in advancing the cause of human dignity in our nation” and moves the country “a step closer to building a culture of life.”
Martin Luther King III, who publicly urged Biden to change the death sentences, said in a statement shared by the White House that the president “has done what no president before him was willing to do: take meaningful and lasting action not just to acknowledge the death penalty’s racist roots but also to remedy its persistent unfairness.”
Madeline Cohen, an attorney for Norris Holder, who faced death for the 1997 fatal shooting of a guard during a bank robbery in St. Louis, said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws” and thanked Biden for converting his sentence to life in prison. Holder, who is Black, was sentenced by an all-white jury.
“Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said.
Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was converted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.”
“The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.”
hours of electricity per month by $2.60.
• An evidentiary hearing will also be held on May 8, 2025, at 10 a.m., or at the conclusion of the
courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive the
Staff.
• Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. On November 15, 2024, pursuant to § 56585.1 A 6 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Company”) and OSW Project LLC completed the filing with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) of an annual update with respect to Rider OSW for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project (“Application”). Through their Application, the Applicants seek to inform the Commission of the status of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project (“Project”) and to provide the proposed cost allocation, rate design, and accounting treatment for service rendered during the proposed Rate Year commencing September 1, 2025, and extending through August 31, 2026.
According to the Application, the Project is proceeding on time and on budget, with certain minor modifications to the permitting schedule, although the Applicants state those modifications are not expected to impact the planned in-service date of late 2026. The Applicants represent that the total Project cost forecast remains $9.8 billion (excluding financing costs), including approximately $1.4 billion of combined transmission costs. The Applicants request that the Commission approve the updated expenditures for the Project, subject to subsequent true-ups, and find that such expenditures are reasonable and prudent in order to fulfill the Company’s service obligations as a public electric utility.
In this proceeding, the Applicants are requesting a total revenue requirement of $639,500,653 for recovery in Rider OSW for the Rate Year. The Company has provided several changes to its revenue requirement calculations approved by the Final Order in Case No. PUR2023-00195: (1) the Company is utilizing an updated revenue lag based on calendar year 2023 for calculating the cash working capital component of rate base and the Company requests that any issues related to the revenue lag be litigated in the Company’s currently pending Rider GEN proceeding, Case No. PUR-2024-00097; (2) the Company proposes to establish a decommissioning trust fund to manage for the future asset retirement obligation activity of the Project; and (3) the Company has made two accounting changes related to Operations and Maintenance costs and uncollectible expenses currently recovered in base rates for generation and distribution services.
If the proposed Rider OSW revenue requirement for the Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. According to the Applicants, implementation of the proposed Rider OSW on September 1, 2025 would increase the bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $2.60 compared to the current Rider OSW. The Company indicates it has calculated the proposed Rider OSW rates in accordance with the same methodology approved by the Commission in the previous Rider OSW proceeding, Case No. PUR-2023-00195.
Interested persons are encouraged to review the Applicants’ Application and supporting documents in full for additional details about this matter.
TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Application and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Application and supporting documents.
The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on the Application. A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Application shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on May 8, 2025. On or before May 1, 2025, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission: (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting Beginning at 10 a.m. on May 8, 2025, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above. On May 8, 2025, at 10 a.m., or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the
and
and
hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Application from the Applicants, any respondents, and the Commission Staff.
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
Electronic copies of the public version of the Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Vishwa B. Link, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or vlink@mcguirewoods. com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Application and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia. gov/pages/Case-Information
On or before May 1, 2025, any interested person may submit comments on the Application by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia. gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00206.
On or before January 31, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Applicants, any other respondents and Staff electronically as described above. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00206. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing.
On or before March 28, 2025, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. A copy of all testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Staff, the Applicants, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-202400206.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.
The public version of the Application, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information
AP Photo/Rod Lamkey
President Biden speaks Monday in the East Room of The White House. 23
Richmond Free Press
Holiday greetings
May the spirit of the season fill your heart with joy, hope, peace and love. Happy holidays from the Richmond Free Press
The political weaponization of the justice system has become a dangerous norm. Marilyn Mosby, former Baltimore State’s Attorney, represents a troubling example of how blurred the lines between justice and politics have become. President Biden has a moral and constitutional obligation to address this by granting Mosby a presidential pardon, ensuring the principles of fairness and equality under the law remain intact.
Mosby, a trailblazing prosecutor, made national headlines in 2015 for her bold decision to charge six officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed Black man whose death in police custody sparked widespread protests. Her pursuit of accountability was lauded by many as a necessary step toward justice in a system riddled with racial bias. Her zealous advocacy brought significant reforms to the criminal justice system, including implementing police bodyworn cameras, decriminalizing marijuana, securing exonerations for the wrongfully convicted, and ending prosecutions for low-level
offenses. However, her actions as a prosecutor also made her a target of the entrenched stalwarts of the status quo.
Mosby’s indictment on charges of perjury and making false statements related to COVID-19 financial relief programs has raised serious questions. The charges allege that Mosby improperly accessed funds from her own retirement account under the CARES Act and made misleading statements on mortgage applications for two Florida properties. While public officials
should be held to high ethical standards, the context and vigor of her prosecution—amidst a sea of similar cases involving far less scrutiny—raises questions about selective prosecution and suggests something far more insidious. These charges seem less about justice and more about punishing a prominent Black woman who dared to challenge systems of power.
The pattern is disturbingly familiar. Across the nation, progressive prosecutors — especially Black women and other people of color advocating for criminal justice reform — face heightened scrutiny from politi-
cal adversaries and segments of the justice system resistant to change. Cases like those of Marilyn Mosby and Kim Gardner illustrate how dissenting voices can be silenced through legal means, turning the scales of justice into tools of political retribution. This trend, which gained momentum during the Trump administration’s Department of Justice, often involves aggressive investigations and prosecutorial overreach, disproportionately targeting Black officials and reform advocates to maintain the status quo.
The prosecution against State’s Attorney Mosby has been driven by malicious personal, political, and even racial animus on the part of the prosecutors including notably, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise, who has handled numerous highprofile criminal prosecutions against Black elected officials — including against Mosby, former Mayor Catherine Pugh, U.S. Representatives Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters.
Unbelievably, Wise personally donated to both of Mosby’s opponents in her successful 2018 re-election campaign and further demonstrated his animus by leaking details of a secret grand jury investigation to the media, seemingly to harass and embarrass her.
Musk takes on Washington, but can he take over?
Watching the year-end budget fights in Congress as we await the second term of President-elect Donald Trump, I find myself wondering: Will this era be remembered as the time when Trump was president and Elon Musk ran the country?
Trump earned such nicknames as “Captain Chaos” and worse for his unpredictable, constantly changing and easily dis tracted approach to governing during his first term. But close observers of Trump’s political ups and downs understand a key to understanding the chaos: his mountainous self-regard.
Like Glenn Close’s character in “Fatal Attraction,” the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president is not going to be ignored. The corporate class has gotten wise to this, which explains the procession of tech CEOs, founders, venture capitalists and other “broligarchs” who have filed through Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks to flatter and supplicate Trump. So far it seems to have worked. “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Trump squealed on Truth Social, his social media platform.
Trump hasn’t been sworn in yet, but he’s already pushing the buttons and pulling the levers of power in his old, familiar style of upheaval, veiled threats and name-calling. But now in the run-up to his inauguration, Trump finds himself competing for headlines with another champion grandstander, Musk, the world’s wealthiest human.
Musk famously spent a quarter-billion dollars this year to get Trump elected, and lately he’s been swanning around Mara-Lago like he co-owns the place. He’s been on hand, reportedly, to welcome Trump’s tech-world dinner guests, including his space-biz nemesis, Jeff Bezos. Musk, whom Trump has
tapped to be the co-leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which is not going to be an actual government department but rather a presidential advisory commission, has used his social media network X to exert his new political powers.
We could see the apparent beginning of a new regime of attention-grabbing in Musk’s tweetstorm Wednesday criticizing the proposed congressional spending measure unveiled by House Republicans this past week.
Denouncing the more than 1,500-page measure as a big “piece of pork,” he called on the Grand Old Party’s lawmakers to oppose it.
“Stop the steal of your taxpayer dollars!” read one post. “This bill is criminal,” read another.
He also declared that any lawmaker who voted for the bill “deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” In other words, any Republican who defies Trump’s wishes can expect Musk to use his money to primary them.
It’s been something to see, this co-presidency that hasn’t even taken office yet. It was aptly summed up in a recent Bloomberg headline: “Trump, Musk Threaten U.S. Shutdown
and Republican Party Revamp.” Balanced budgets are easy to demand when you don’t have much of any real obligation to come up with remedies and “pay-fors,” as lawmakers say when they want to know how you pay for your legislative dreams.
Sarcastic talk of “President Musk” began to bubble up in the ranks of both parties Wednesday, followed Thursday by frustrated budget hawk Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who took a different tack, suggesting Musk as speaker of the House.
If Trump was feeling upstaged, he didn’t say so. He focused his energies on the legislation, calling for it to be dismissed and proposing Congress pass a clean continuing resolution with a debt ceiling increase.
But after that proposal was rejected Thursday night, congressional leaders set to work on a “Plan C” — with less than 24 hours to go to avoid a shutdown. Again, the new effort didn’t have much in the way of pay-fors.
The sorry affair shows the limits of Musk-enabled Trumpism. With dozens of dashed-off posts, Musk made the telephones ring off the hook in many Republican representatives’ offices, demonstrating the awesome new political and media power he’s garnered in the two years since he completed his takeover of Twitter. But neither he nor Trump had any real guidance to offer on how lawmakers from both parties could compromise and write a bill that would keep the government running. Is this a foretaste of the next four years?
The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
This controversy must be viewed within the broader historical context of how reformist Black leaders, from the civil rights era to today, face heightened scrutiny and resistance from the ruling class — a pattern that cannot be ignored.
Critics will argue that a pardon is condoning Mosby’s alleged actions. However, pardons have historically been used to address miscarriages of justice and restore balance when prosecutions are tainted by bias or overreach. Just as Biden called out selective prosecution in the case of his son – a case also prosecuted by Leo Wise – Biden can use this pardon to reaffirm the principle that our justice system must be blind to race, gender, and political ideology. The writer is president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
The case for a presidential pardon for Marilyn Mosby
Clarence Page
Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
For enslaved people, the holiday season was a time for revelry – and a brief window to fight back
During the era of slavery in the Americas, enslaved men, women and children also enjoyed the holidays. Slave owners usually gave them bigger portions of food, gifted them alcohol and provided extra days of rest.
Those gestures, however, were not made out of generosity.
As abolitionist, orator and diplomat Frederick Douglass explained, slave owners were trying to keep enslaved people under control by plying them with better meals and more downtime, in the hopes of preventing escapes and rebellions.
Most of the time, it worked.
But as I discuss in my recent book, “Humans in Shackles: An Atlantic History of Slavery,” many enslaved people were onto their owners and used this brief period of respite to plan escapes and start revolts. Feasting, frolicking and fiddling
Most enslaved people in the Americas adhered to the Christian calendar – and celebrated Christmas – since either Catholicism or Protestantism predominated, from Birmingham, Ala., to Brazil.
Consider the example of Solomon Northup, whose tragic story became widely known in the film “12 Years A Slave.” Northup was born free in the state of New York but was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana in 1841.
In his narrative, Northup explained that his owner and their neighbors gave their slaves between three and six days off during the holidays. He described this period as “carnival season with the children of
bondage,” a time for “feasting, frolicking, and fiddling.”
According to Northup, each year a slave owner in central Louisiana’s Bayou Boeuf offered a Christmas dinner attended by as many as 500 enslaved people from neighboring plantations. After spending the entire year consuming meager meals, this marked a rare op-
portunity to indulge in several kinds of meats, vegetables, fruits, pies and tarts.
There’s evidence of holiday celebrations since the early days of slavery in the Americas. In the British colony of Jamaica, a Christmas masquerade called Jonkonnu has taken place since the 17th century. One 19th century artist depicted the celebration, painting four enslaved men playing musical instruments, including a container covered with animal skin, along with an instrument made from an animal’s jawbone.
In the 1861 narrative of her life in slavery, abolitionist Harriet Jacobs described a similar masquerade in North Carolina.
“Every child rises early on Christmas morning to see the Johnkannaus,” she wrote. “Without them, Christmas would be shorn of its greatest attraction.”
On Christmas Day, she continued, nearly 100 enslaved men paraded through the plantation wearing colorful costumes with cows’ tails fastened to their backs and horns decorating their heads. They went door to door, asking for donations to buy food, drinks and gifts. They sang, danced and played musical instruments they had fashioned themselves – drums made of sheepskin, metal triangles and an instrument
fashioned from the jawbone of a horse, mule or donkey.
It’s the most wonderful time to escape
Yet beneath the revelry, there was an undercurrent of angst during the holidays for enslaved men, women and children.
In the American South, enslavers often sold or hired out their slaves in the first days of the year to pay their debts. During the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, many enslaved men, women and children were consumed with worry over the possibility of being separated from their loved ones.
At the same time, slave owners and their overseers were often distracted – if not drunk – during the holidays. It was a prime opportunity to plan an escape.
John Andrew Jackson was owned by a Quaker family of planters in South Carolina. After being separated from his
wife and child, he planned to escape during the Christmas holiday of 1846. He managed to flee to Charleston. From there, he went North and eventually reached New Brunswick in Canada. Sadly, he was never able to reunite with his enslaved relatives.
Even Harriet Tubman took advantage of the holiday respite. Five years after she successfully escaped from the Maryland plantation where she was enslaved, she returned on Christmas Day in 1854 to save her three brothers from a life of bondage.
‘Tis the season for rebellion
Across the Americas, the holiday break also offered a good opportunity to plot rebellions.
In 1811, enslaved and free people of color planned a series of revolts in Cuba, in what became known as the Aponte Rebellion. The scheming and
preparations took place between Christmas Day and the Day of Kings, a Jan. 6 Catholic holiday commemorating the three magi who visited the infant Jesus.
Inspired by the Haitian Revolution, free people of color and enslaved people joined forces to try to end slavery on the island.
In April, the Cuban government eventually smashed the rebellion.
In Jamaica, enslaved people followed suit. Samuel Sharpe, an enslaved Baptist lay deacon, called a general strike on Christmas Day 1831 to demand wages and better working conditions for the enslaved population.
Two nights later, a group of enslaved people set fire to a trash house at an estate in Montego Bay. The fire spread, and what was supposed to be a strike instead snowballed into a violent insurrection. The Christmas Rebellion – or Baptist War, as it became known – was the
largest slave revolt in Jamaica’s history. For nearly two months, thousands of slaves battled British forces until they were eventually subdued. Sharpe was hanged in Montego Bay on May 23, 1832. After news of the Christmas Rebellion and its violent repression reached Britain, antislavery activists ramped up their calls to ban slavery. The following year, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, which prohibited slavery in the British Empire. Yes, the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day offered a chance to feast or plot rebellions. But more importantly, it served as a rare window of opportunity for enslaved men, women and children to reclaim their humanity. The writer is a professor of history at Howard University. This article was first posted on TheConversation.com.
The Liberty in Laundry Act sounds like a joke – it’s not
The incoming Trump administration is supposedly interested in “efficiency.” It has a whole quasigovernmental department – the Elon Muskand Vivek Ramaswamy-chaired Department of Government Efficiency – purportedly ready to take aim at government waste. So why are the very same people going to such extremes to make wasting energy one of their highest priorities?
Among the final acts of the MAGA-led House of Representatives to end this Congress was the passage of the absurdly named Liberty in Laundry Act. It prohibits the Secretary of Energy from setting or enforcing energy efficiency standards for clothes washers and dryers. It is but one of several legislative attacks on energy efficient home appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators, advanced by the House’s Republican majority. While the bill may have no chance of passing in the Senate, this is a clear signal about the GOP’s backwards priorities in the next Congress. Energy efficiency simply means an appliance uses less energy to do its job. It not only can save households hundreds
of dollars a year, it is one of the best – and most readily accessible – ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings, and mitigate our impact on the climate. Not only that, it is an area where the product manufacturers, sellers, and climate advocates agree.
money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (a fifth of which in the U.S. come from people’s homes).
The Department of Energy is required by law to regularly evaluate and set energy efficiency standards for a wide range of appliances. Yet every time the DOE wants to ensure we have options that meet at least a minimum standard, it seems there is an extremist politician or talking head ready to scaremonger about Big Government coming into your home to take your beloved appliances. In reality, energy efficiency standards simply provide consumers with better choices – more high-tech products that work even better than outdated inefficient models and will save households
Donald Trump has railed against water efficient toilets and showerheads, and against replacing inefficient lightbulbs that still use the same basic design from over a hundred years ago and waste up to 90% of the electricity powering them. After all, Thomas Edison’s invention was groundbreaking at the time,
but technology has come a long way since then. In 2023, far-right media and politicians tried to ignite a firestorm over gas stoves, peddling the falsehood that the Biden administration was trying to ban them. In reality, the DOE proposed improved efficiency standards for both gas and electric stoves that would not go into effect until 2027 and would help consumers save as much as an estimated $1.7 billion. This is part and parcel of the myths being used to stoke outrage about regulations that would protect consumers – both
their wallets and their health (don’t forget that producing excess energy from fossil fuels adds to the climate crisis and the air and water pollution that kills and sickens millions of Americans every year).
While it seems utilities and energy companies might not mind consumers buying more of their product than they use or need, many electric utilities actually support efficiency measures. They bring down overall demand on their grids, reducing costs for them as well as their consumers.
Most news coverage of the issue highlights interest group opposition from homebuilders. However, it seems the National Association of Home Builders may actually be inflating the upfront costs, while ignoring the savings on utility bills over time that more than make up for them. Those savings are especially important to lowincome families, who carry a higher energy burden by spending a greater portion of their household income on energy bills. Low-income households are forced to spend as much as four times more on energy bills. And there is research
that shows families that fall behind on their utility bills are at risk of the state taking their children away.
Of course, not all homebuilders subscribe to the NAHB’s rhetoric. They know that homes can be constructed to be more efficient, solar-ready, and in ways that cut costs and actually enhance quality of living. And for new construction of all-electric buildings, costs are even lower because there is no need to run a gas line, which saves tens of thousands of dollars.
But at the end of the day, opposition to energy efficiency standards is not just about doing the bidding of an industry group like NAHB. More than anything, based on the fallacious claims and outright distortions of what these regulations actually do, it seems to be simply about manipulating voters by making them angry. People do not like being told what to do. They do not like being told the products they like – or at least have no problems with –will be banned or taken from them. When framed in a way that means less choice – or “freedom” – for consumers, too
many people are ready to take the bait and believe the lies. The truth is, these standards are simply about providing consumers with better choices on the shelf for when their existing appliances ultimately do need to be replaced. In Washington and state capitals alike, lawmakers need to put their constituents first, and not traffic in lies and misinformation. No one benefits from wasted energy other than the fossil fuel industry executives whose bank accounts get fatter with the selling and burning of an unnecessary excess of their product. Well, them and the politicians who benefit from misleading voters about what energy efficiency actually means. The writer is the executive director of the Sierra Club and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ben Jealous
This painting, by Adolphe Duperly, depicts the devastation of the Roehampton plantation during the Jamaican slave rebellion, known as the Baptist War, which took place in 1831-1832.
Ana Lucia Araujo
Boxing’s next generation stars in Richmond’s national championships
Smoltz returns to Richmond for Flying Squirrels’ opener
Free Press staff report
Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz will return to Richmond to throw out the ceremonial first pitch opening night for the Flying Squirrels on April 4, 2025, the team announced Monday. Smoltz, who pitched for the Richmond Braves in 1987 and 1988, will headline the season opener against the Akron RubberDucks at The Diamond.
The game begins at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. Smoltz’s first pitch is scheduled for approximately 6:30 p.m.
A limited number of VIP meet and greet packages are available for $150, including a field-level ticket, pre-game buffet, commemorative keepsake, and a photo and autograph with Smoltz.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some incredible opening night guests over the past 14 seasons, but this one is truly historic,” said Flying Squirrels Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Ben Rothrock.
As a 20-year-old prospect in 1987, Smoltz was traded from the Tigers to the Braves. He pitched three games in Richmond to close the 1987 season and returned to make 20 starts in 1988 before his MLB debut.
During his 21-year major league career, Smoltz won 213 games, recorded 154 saves and struck out 3,084 batters. He was an eight-time National League All-Star, won the 1996 NL Cy Young Award and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Tickets are available at SquirrelsBaseball.com/tickets. All 14 home openers have sold out previously.
By Saurav Pathak
Richmond’s Nnajai Wright and six Olympians shined at the 2024 USA Boxing National Championships, which concluded Saturday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center after a week of intense competition featuring nearly 900 boxers from across the country.
The five-day event brought boxers from nearly every state to compete in divisions ranging from bantam (10-11 years old) to elite non-Olympic weight classes (18-39 years old).
The Championships also served as a launching point for the next Olympic cycle, with athletes setting their sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Among the standouts was Wright, who claimed victory in the Youth Male 198+ lbs division, earning hometown cheers. A student at Thomas Jefferson High School, Wright trains under his grandfather Omar Aleem and uncle Immanuwel Aleem, a professional boxer and former WBC Silver Middleweight Champion.
The competition also showcased 2020 Olympian Naomi Graham and 2024 Olympians Jajaira Gonzalez, Jennifer Lozano, Roscoe Hill, Jahmal
Harvey, Alyssa Mendoza and Morelle McCane, each clinching titles in their respective weight classes. Following Saturday’s competition, Mendoza was named Elite Female Outstanding Boxer, while Thomas Covington earned Elite Male Outstanding Boxer honors. Laila Zakirova took home Youth Female Outstanding Boxer honors, and Salim Ellis-Bey was recognized as Youth Male Outstanding Boxer. Guadalupe Ruiz and Javier Mitchell were named Junior Female and Male Outstanding Boxers of the tournament, respectively. Results from the tournament will help shape USA Boxing’s junior, youth, and elite High Performance teams for 2025. The top eight competitors in each weight class also earned points toward the 2025 national rankings. For more details, including full results, rankings and boxer profiles, visit usaboxing.org
VSU volleyball lands 4 on Academic All-District Team
Free Press staff report
Four members of the Virginia State University volleyball team have been named to the Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Communicators. Seniors Helena Eubanks and sophomores Peyton Reese, Leila Jackson, and Adrianna Bacon earned the distinction, which recognizes academic and athletic excellence.
To qualify for All-District, players must have competed in at least 90% of their team’s games or started in 60% of
Colonial Downs sets race season schedule
Free Press staff reports
Colonial Downs will host a record 44 days of live racing in 2025 including Virginia’s first Kentucky Derby qualifier on March 15. The Virginia Racing Commission approved the expanded schedule on Dec. 3, marking an increase of 17 race days from the previous year. The centerpiece of the season will be a threeday Virginia Derby meet in March highlighted by the $500,000 Virginia Derby. The winning horse will secure a spot in the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
“We’re excited to bring a Kentucky Derby qualifying race to Virginia for the first time in 2025,”
Senior Director of Operations Frank Hopf said.
“We look forward to an outstanding 2025 season with participation from horsemen not only from Virginia but also from throughout the Mid-Atlantic as we expand our summer dates.”
The season will begin with the Virginia Derby meet from March 13-15. Tickets for the March 15 Derby will go on sale in the coming weeks with general admission options at family friendly prices. Racing continues from July 9 to Sept. 13 featuring 41 days of live action every Wednesday through Saturday as well as a special Labor Day card on Sept. 1. The Colonial Downs Festival of Racing returns Aug. 9 showcasing high-profile graded stakes races.
games while maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.5.
Eubanks, a senior outside hitter, recorded 203 kills this season and reached her 1,000th career point. Off the court, she serves as president of the Virginia State Student-Athlete Advisory Council and vice president of the CIAA SAAC.
Reese, a sophomore setter, tallied 493 assists this season and maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA. She also is an active member of SAAC.
Jackson, also a sophomore setter, contributed 229 assists this season. Off
the court, she serves as SAAC’s social media coordinator.
Bacon, a sophomore defensive specialist, ranked third on the team with 146 digs. She works with the YMCA as a Miracle League buddy, helping young children, and is part of the VSU Blue Athletic Team, which recognizes studentathletes with GPAs between 3.71 and 4.0. Bacon also is a finalist for Academic All-American honors. The CSC will announce Academic All-American teams, divided into first, second and third teams, on Jan. 14, 2025.
John Smoltz
Courtesy Colonial Downs
Eubanks
Bacon Jackson Reese
Jockey Jose Ortiz rides thoroughbred Moira to a close victory at Colonial Downs’ Festival of Racing in August. Racing season returns on March 13.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Nnajai Wright, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, takes on Carlos Muniz at the USA Boxing National Championships, held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Saturday.
Christmas Memories
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian
Iwas born in South Africa and because it is in the southern hemisphere, it is usually boiling hot this time of year. Growing up, I was always away from home because I went to boarding schools basically my entire life. So it’s always special to be home over that season because I get to see my whole family. I used to travel a lot for concerts and was at boarding school so, my late Mother, Jessey Chakane, loved it when I was home for the holidays. The Christmas season is a very special time for me, as it’s also my birthday. For a good nine or 10 years, whenever I’d come home for the Christmas period, my mom would always wake me up on Christmas Day with a glass of bubbly and Mariah Carey singing on the radio “ All I Want for Christmas is You.” I’ve always kind of associated that song with my birthday, just because it really plays the whole of
November and December practically. I find it comforting because of the memories that are associated with it. We would then often have a late breakfast followed by a day of relaxing at the pool with all my loved ones. One dish we liked to serve is pap, the South African equivalent of grits. This would typically be served with a protein, such as a braai or barbecue. Due to the heat, there is also a whole selection of cold salads.
My sister would often be making the salads and she’d make a good five or six different kinds of them and we’d eat them throughout Christmas and Boxing Day.
I find this season to be magical. From working with kids as a teacher and director, I have seen how the kids really start to sparkle up as November hits. Most of all I love seeing all the happy smiles on my cousins, nieces and nephews as they awake on Christmas morning. It’s truly the very best time of year!
After Thanksgiving, people get sick from being around a lot of people – so the holidays are busier than you’d think for pediatricians. Some parents want to make sure their kids aren’t sick on Christmas Day, so there are plenty of office visits. I can’t make those guarantees, so I jokingly tell the parents I left my magic wand at home. Thankfully, people are considerate, so I haven’t had to work much on Christmas Day when I’m on call.
I don’t have a specific Christmas memory, and I’m not one for material possessions. My most precious gift is the time spent with my loved ones. The sheer delight on my kids’ and grandkids’ faces as they come downstairs on Christmas morning fills my heart with joy.
My parents instilled in us the value of family, making Christmas a cherished time. We’re always together at Christmas — from Christmas Eve dinner to Christmas brunch and dinner. Christmas Eve dinner can be as simple as take-out or elaborate as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It’s whatever we feel like doing and how much work we want to put into it.
Holiday memories are shaped by the families we hold dear — whether they are the families we are born into or the ones we build through the bonds formed at church, work, or through social connections. In this season of warmth and togetherness, may these reflections of cherished holiday moments, shared by four Greater Richmond residents, inspire and remind us of the deep connections that make the holidays so special.
Ithink Christmastime for us growing up was just a special time when people seemed a little bit kinder. There was just a spirit of anticipation and goodwill. It might sound a little corny, but I felt like people were a lot more mindful of the way they treat others, at least growing up. I feel like as a child, there was always this rush of just happiness and joy that started somewhere after Thanksgiving, I think in anticipation of what was to come in the holiday season.
Seeing all of the lights and the decorations, I just remember being young and being so excited for little things. We would ride around and see houses lit up, and think
about gifts we would buy other people. My parents always made us give away all of our old toys to charity, “in order to make room for the new things,” they would say. Toys for Tots ... was always a part of our household, and making sure that we gave to others in need, which is still something that I carry on to this day. My mother was born on Christmas Eve, so she always told us a story about how she was the gift to her sibling when she was born.
I think Christmas is a time for giving and charity and for being kind to other people. And I definitely think that’s rooted in my family, but I think that’s what everyone thinks about at Christmas.
On Christmas Day, brunch and dinner flow together like a continuous party. We start with brunch around 10 or 11 a.m. at my house, which will go through the afternoon. It’s not limited to just our family, though. Friends and co-workers pop in and out, so we can have as many as 30 or 40 people. The menu consists of things we can make ahead of time, like quiches and breakfast casseroles, so we’re not cooking much on Christmas morning. My daughter makes a yummy French toast casserole. I make a special ham and cheese casserole that I only make once a year and my husband makes made-to-order waffles. We also have traditional Virginia classics like fried apples and country ham and biscuits.
In the early evening, we head to my sister’s house for dinner. Then, we visit my husband’s family. At night, we end up back at my sister’s house, where the kids play trivia games in the dining room while the adults talk and have fun in the living room. It truly warms my heart that we can enjoy spending time together. We’re living what my parents taught us — the value of family.
the Symbol Producer,
Idon’t vividly remember a lot of the Christmas mornings in my life, but I do remember Christmas of 1998. Any other 10-year-old boy wanted a PlayStation or Nintendo 64 games. I just wanted “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” on CD, from which I had heard songs from pretty much endlessly on the radio.
One thing no 10-year-old boy wanted was clothes, especially when he only asked for one thing. But when I woke up on Christmas morning, the tree had nothing but clothing boxes. I even shook all of them in disbelief and disappointment. When the time came to open the gifts, I reluctantly reached toward the one in the front of the tree. I shook it again just to make sure. Once I opened it and removed the tissue paper, I found the CD taped to the bottom of the box, much to my surprise. I listened to the album on the CD boombox
I owned at the time. I knew I would get what I wanted, but I didn’t know that it would end up being one of my favorite albums of all time. I love it because it covers every musical mood I love in one album. The various genres helped me to become a more versatile listener. My mother really got me good that morning– And it really shows that she loved to see the look of surprise on my face and how dedicated she was to giving me the Christmas that I wanted.
This year will be my first Christmas as a father. I look forward to celebrating Christmas with a whole family unit including my wife, daughter and my mother, who is equally (if not more) excited for her first Christmas as a Grandma. This memory inspires me to do the same for my daughter. As she grows up, I want to do the best that I can to make sure she gets what she puts on that list.
Anika L. Hines
Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Public Health
Vicki Lovings, M.D. - Pediatrics Capital Area Health Network
Roshan Chakane Organist and Associate Director of Greater Richmond Children’s Choir
Ant
Artist
Personality: Rebecca McCray
Spotlight on Richmond Public Schools Teacher of the Year
Rebecca McCray remembers settling in with a good book on her grandmother’s plaid couch as a child. Since then, each experience with a book is unique and special, allowing her to relive those early moments with her family. She developed into a critical reader, which deepened her connection to the broader world and laid the foundation for her work as a reading specialist.
“Those experiences shaped who I am,” she said. “I want my students to find the same joy, connection and love through the stories they read.”
McCray believes reading provides her students with the access and freedom to move toward independence and agency. After more than a decade as a reading interventionist, her passion, focus, and dedication have earned her the title of Richmond Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year.
Teaching wasn’t on McCray’s radar, despite years of encouragement from peers, family, teachers and professors. She was focused on becoming a school-based speech-language pathologist. The lightbulb went off when she decided to get classroom-level experience before taking on a parallel support role in a school setting. She enrolled in the School of Education at William & Mary. And from there, everything just clicked.
“I spent a full year in a second-grade classroom,” McCray said. “I was challenged every day to be creative and flexible. I was afforded opportunities to think critically, collaborate with teams, and continue my learning. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time. It was the kids. It is always the kids!”
McCray said that Richmond Public Schools motivates her to keep learning and growing alongside her students while
making a difference every day. She considers it both a privilege and her greatest achievement to be in the classroom, shaping young minds and striving to make a positive impact. Her reward comes from knowing her students no longer need her support and watching them become independent readers.
McCray hopes to do more for the community through advocacy and local programs. She’d like to develop partnerships with students at local universities to start a free after school program offering one-on-one or small-group reading tutoring for kindergarten through second-grade students. McCray is also interested in pursuing another degree that would allow her to explore other leadership and administration programs.
Meet the ardent reading teacher, who reads everything from “Peter Pan” and “Things Fall Apart” to Jane Austen and Lily Brooks-Dalton and this week’s Personality:
Latest accomplishment: 2024 Richmond Public Schools Teacher of the Year.
Date and place of birth: Nov. 26 in Richmond.
Where I live now: West End.
Education: Master’s in curriculum and instruction, reading education, University of Virginia; master’s in curriculum and instruction, William and Mary; bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with a double major in linguistics and biopsychology.
Family: Parents, Mark and Beth McCray, and dog, Juniper.
Occupation: Title I Reading Interventionist at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School.
Reaction to the 2024 RPS Teacher of the Year award: I am deeply honored to receive this recognition. This award
represents not just my work but the collaboration, support and inspiration I receive daily from my students, colleagues and our school community. I am proud to be part of a district that values the power of education and invests in the success, experience and voice of every child.
How I got the news: My co-worker, Keishada Brown, hatched a scheme to get me out of the building, so my school family could pull off the incredible and humbling surprise.
Students and teachers lined the entry of the school and the walkways all the way down to the cafeteria, showering me with encouraging words, gigantic grins and hugs. The Bellemeade Rockin’ Rams, a student drumline sponsored by the Bellemeade Community Center, was there to serenade me. They even included my family in the celebration. I was surrounded by love. It was beautiful!
Why I became a teacher: Like every teacher I know, I became
Richmond Symphony teams up with Butcher Brown to celebrate Black film scores
Free
The classically trained musicians of the Richmond Symphony are preparing to share the stage with hometown heroes Butcher Brown, weaving together two musical worlds to breathe new life into some of Black cinema’s most memorable soundtracks. From the gritty funk of “Shaft”
Jacky Flav
Butcher Brown brings their genre-defying jazz, hip-hop, and funk fusion to the “Celebration of Black Music in Film” on Jan. 18, 2025, alongside the Richmond Symphony. The event will showcase iconic soundtracks from films like “The Wiz,” “Shaft” and “Superfly,” blending classic scores with contemporary flair.
to the psychological tension of “Get Out,” this January performance promises to transform these iconic scores through an innovative lens that bridges orchestral grandeur with Butcher Brown’s signature jazz-hip-hop groove.
On Jan. 18, 2025, the Dominion Energy Center will host the “Celebration of Black Music in Film,” featuring music from groundbreaking films including “The Wiz,” “Shaft,” “Get Out,” “Superfly,” “Crooklyn,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Purple Rain,” “Dreamgirls” and others. The collaboration brings together the Richmond Symphony with local entrepreneur James CrumpWallace to create this landmark showcase.
At the helm will be guest conductor Naima Burrs, director of orchestral studies at Virginia State University, leading both the symphony and Butcher Brown. The band has earned national recognition for their boundary-pushing sound that is a fitting match for reimagining these classic scores.
“We’re excited to partner with Butcher Brown to elevate this event to new heights,” said Matt Wilshire, vice president of artistic operations for the Richmond Symphony. “Their unique blend of jazz, hip-hop and funk will add a modern dimension to these classic soundtracks.”
Joey Wharton Naima Burrs
a teacher for the kids. Their willingness to show up and be vulnerable, their trust in you, their individuality, resilience and authenticity — that’s the magic!
Why I became a reading interventionist teacher: I pivoted to focus on reading because I saw my students progress, but not enough to close all the gaps in their reading skills. As a lifelong learner, I knew I needed to prepare myself with all the tools possible to provide access to my students.
What is a reading interventionist: I’m a specialized educator, trained in evidence-based assessments and interventions to support students struggling with reading. I work with small groups or individual students, delivering interventions to improve foundational literacy skills.
Other topics I teach in the classroom: The five components of literacy — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
My teaching philosophy: For students to truly engage in learning, educators must create opportunities for meaningful connections like linking new concepts to prior learning, fostering relationships among peers and staff, and nurturing ties to culture and self-awareness.
I’ve been a teacher since: The 2015-2016 school year.
First teaching assignment: My first full-time teaching position was at Cold Harbor Elementary School in Hanover County.
Grades I teach: Students in grades K-5.
What is the role of parents/ guardians in the learning process: Parents and guardians can support learning by reinforcing the value of education, providing a conducive environment for study, and staying involved in school activities. Regular
events enhance a child’s sense of belonging and accountability.
Biggest problem facing students today: We need more human resources for support staff like counselors, social workers and behavioral specialists to address students’ emotional and mental health. We also need more layers of support for reading, math and science instruction.
Changes needed in the elementary school system: Greater emphasis on socialemotional learning (SEL) programs and teacher professional development to better support diverse student needs is essential – especially as Richmond’s student population continues to change, including a growing number of multilingual learners.
The impact of technology on teaching: Technology can make teaching easier by providing access to diverse learning resources, enhancing student engagement through interactive platforms, and making assessment more efficient. However, can it also be a challenge due to issues like the digital divide, screen time concerns and the need for constant training to keep up with evolving tools.
Most rewarding aspect of teaching: Seeing a student overcome obstacles, whether academic or personal, and witnessing their growth and development.
Biggest obstacle: Balancing the varying needs of students, particularly in diverse classrooms with different learning levels and backgrounds and providing individualized attention while managing classroom dynamics can be challenging.
Advice to aspiring teachers: Stay patient, adaptable and open to learning from all in your community. Build strong relationships with students and families and focus on continuous improvement. Don’t be afraid or too proud to ask for help or collaborate.
How I have made a difference in a student’s life: When I
but progress dramatically after targeted interventions, I know my work has an impact.
A good teacher is: Patient, empathetic, collaborative and passionate about helping students succeed.
A good student is: Engaged, curious, and willing to take responsibility for their learning.
A good school is: A supportive, inclusive environment where students feel safe, valued and motivated to learn.
How I start my day: I try to start each day with reminders to stay flexible, focus on student outcomes, keep relationships at the core of the work, find patience and gratitude, and reflect on personal learning.
The three words that best describe me: Determined, passionate and creative.
If I had 10 extra minutes in the day: I would spend more time with my students.
Best late-night snack: Airpopped popcorn.
Top three on my music playlist: All of my top songs are from the soundtrack to the musical “Wicked.”
Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I love to watch Formula One Grand Prix.
A quote that inspires me: “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” — Frederick Douglass.
The best thing my parents taught me: They pushed me to never settle, work hard for what I believe in, trust my judgment, show up for myself, not shy away from my opinion on something, use my voice and skills for good and to learn from and own mistakes.
Most influential book: “The House of the Spirits” by Isabel Allende.
What I’m reading now: “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune.
Next goal: Get my students through the academic year with confidence and joy.
For CrumpWallace, who cofounded the Secret Supper Society, the vision came after experiencing similar tribute concerts by the Charlotte and National Symphony Orchestras. His goal was to bring that energy home to Richmond while adding a distinctive local flavor.
“I wanted to take something that people already connect with — things that hold so much weight in Black culture — and present it in a place that is historically known for displaying the talents of the best of the best,” Crump-Wallace said.
“’The Celebration of Black Music in Film’ will affirm Black art is, in fact, fine art.” Burrs, sister of Butcher Brown guitarist Morgan Burrs. emphasized the deeper resonance of the evening’s program. “I’m looking forward to highlighting some of the best musical scores written across a variety of genres which have served as significant soundtracks for Black cinema,” she said. “These films reflect the power and beauty of the Black experience, sharing history and celebrating a shared identity. It’s a true celebration of Black culture and the impact that it has had on the world of arts and entertainment and on the world.”
Tickets for the “Celebration of Black Music in Film” are available online and at the Dominion Energy Center ticket office.
Press staff report
Giving Machine offers unique way to support local, global causes
for donations on Dec. 20.
Richmond is one of 106 cities worldwide hosting a Light the World Giving Machine this
By Brodie Greene
Holiday shoppers at Short Pump Town Center were serenaded last Friday with a rendition of “Joy to the World” by a quartet from the Richmond Concert Chorale followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the return of a vending machine that works in reverse.
The Light the World Giving Machine allows donors to sponsor specific gifts or services for those in need, offering options at a range of price points. Among the 30 available choices are homeless kits, school supplies and respite care.
While the machines are maintained and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the featured options represent five local charities and two international causes not directly affiliated with the Church, according to Alan Earnshaw, the Church’s director of communications.
Oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments sells for over $5M
The Associated Press
The oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments sold for more than $5 million at an auction last Wednesday.
Sotheby’s said the 155-pound (52-kilogram) marble slab was acquired by an anonymous buyer who plans to donate it to an Israeli institution.
The New York-based auction house said the final price exceeded the presale estimate of $1 million to $2 million and followed more than 10 minutes of “intense bidding” during the global competition.
The tablet dates from 300 to 800 A.D. and is inscribed with the commandments in Paleo-Hebrew script — the only complete example of its kind from antiquity, according to Sotheby’s.
It was unearthed during railroad excavations along the southern coast of Israel in 1913
slab follows the Biblical verses familiar to Christian and Jewish traditions but omits the third commandment against taking the name of the Lord in vain. It includes a new directive to worship on Mount Gerizim, a holy site specific to the Samaritans, Sotheby’s said.
and was not recognized as historically significant at first.
Sotheby’s said the tablet was used as a paving stone at a local home until 1943 when it was sold to a scholar who grasped its significance.
The Baptist Ministers Conference of Richmond & Vicinity Celebrates
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 11:00 A.M.
Guest Preacher: Dr. Dwight C. Jones Pastor, First Baptist Church South Richmond
In Person at Sharon Baptist Church 500 E. Laburnum Ave. Richmond, VA
Conference President: Dr. Lester Frye
Chairperson: Rev. Ricardo L. Brown
For further information call (804)355-1044
The monies given for this day go to the branches of the NAACP in the Richmond Metropolitan Area
“A tangible link to ancient beliefs that have profoundly shaped global religious and cultural traditions, it serves as a rare testament to history,” the auction house said.
The text inscribed on the
“Each charity has selected certain items at different price points,” Earnshaw said. “So, for example, [through] Commonwealth Catholic Charities, you can purchase diapers for a family and they will then take the money that’s donated and use that to … provide those diapers to a family in need.”
Susan and Myron Lee, a married couple from Chesterfield, volunteered at the machine on opening day. One of the highlights of their experience, Susan shared, was when someone purchased every single diaper card in the machine.
“It’s so awesome that you have that option. Truly, you can donate as much or as little as you want, and it all makes a difference,” she said.
People who donate usually choose something that is meaningful to them, according to Susan. For families with children, the option to purchase a goat for a family in need is one of the most popular choices.
Volunteers handle questions from visitors about the initiative and restock the cards as needed, but they do
AP Photo/Richard Drew Sharon Liberman Mintz, Sotheby’s Judaica specialist for books and manuscripts, discusses the oldest complete tablet of the Ten Commandments, a 115-pound artifact more than 1,700 years old, sold at Sotheby’s in New York on Dec. 18.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/ Richmond Free Press
Susan Lee uses the reverse vending machine, which opened
Christmas season, marking the second year of participation.
Kickers’ 2025 schedule includes 5 home matches with new clubs
Free Press staff report
As the largest season in USL League One history looms, the Richmond Kickers are gearing up for a milestone-filled 2025 campaign. The league’s recently released schedule confirms the seventh season kicks off Saturday, March 8, with the Kickers traveling to face South Georgia Tormenta. The regular season will culminate Saturday, Oct. 25, with the final leg of the Henny Derby against Forward Madison at City Stadium. The 2025 season will feature the largest field in USL League One history, with 14 clubs competing in 210 regular season matches. Each team will play 30 games, including home-and-home series against all 13 opponents and four additional matches as part of a
single-table format. The Kickers’ home opener is scheduled for March 22 against League One newcomer Antelope Valley. Richmond will also welcome four other expansion teams to City Stadium this season. Westchester SC visits on April 19, Texoma FC on June 7, FC Naples on Aug. 2, and Portland Hearts of Pine on Sept. 17. Adding a new dimension to the schedule, the expanded USL Jägermeister Cup will feature all 38 professional men’s clubs in a World Cupstyle tournament. Group play begins April 25 and concludes July 26, with designated Jägermeister Cup weekends each month. The Kickers open their group play April 26 at Louisville City, host matches against NCFC on May 31 and Lexington SC on June 28, and finish the group stage on the road at Charlotte Independence on July 26. The Jägermeister Cup Final is
The Richmond Kickers are gearing up for a milestone-filled 2025 season, as USL League
One expands to a record 14 teams. This growth brings increased competition with the Kickers set to face a broader range of opponents at City Stadium.
slated for Saturday, Oct. 11.
One of the season’s early highlights comes March 15,
when Richmond renews its decade-long rivalry with the Charlotte Independence. The
two oldest clubs in the league will clash for the 23rd time at American Legion Memorial Stadium, with longtime coaches Darren Sawatzky (Richmond) and Mike Jeffries (Charlotte) on the sidelines.
The highly anticipated Henny Derby begins March 29, as the Kickers host Forward Madison in front of what is expected to be a boisterous City Stadium crowd. The rivalry continues with a road match in Madison on Sept. 13 before culminating in the regular season finale Oct. 25 in Richmond.
The top eight teams in the regular season standings will advance to the 2025 USL League One Playoffs, set to begin the weekend of Nov. 1. The single-elimination tournament will conclude with the League One Final, scheduled between Nov. 14 and Nov. 16.
HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk
The undersigned respectfully requests this: Elizabeth F. Egan, Esq. VSB #44849 Attorney for the Plaintiff America Law Group, Inc. 8501 Mayland Dr. Suite 106 Henrico, VA 23294 Phone: 804-885-0051 Fax: 434-885-3600 Email: legan@americalawgroup.com
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MELISSA OWEN, Plaintiff v. CHARLES OWEN, JR., Defendant. Case No.: CL24003766-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.
It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident of Virginia, appear here on or before the 29th day of January, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests.
A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER FRANCISCO LUIS
UNZUETA CARRENO, Plaintiff v. MARGARITA UNZUETA, Defendant. Case No.: CL24003767-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.
It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident of Virginia, appear here on or before the 29th day of January, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests.
DIVORCE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO CECILIA GOMEZ RAMIREZ, Plaintiff, v. AMANDO OSCAR GABRIEL VAZQUEZ
A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO WANDA EVANS DADZIECOLEMAN, Plaintiff, v. KOJO DADZIE ASMAH COLEMAN, Defendant.
matrimony from the defendant on the grounds that the parties have lived separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption, and with Plaintiffs intent to terminate the marriage, for a period exceeding twelve (12) months, namely since September 20, 2020.
It appearing by affidavit that Plaintiff has no knowledge of the Defendant’s current address and Defendant’s present whereabouts are unknown and diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Plaintiff to ascertain in what county or city the Defendant is without effect. It is accordingly ORDERED that Kojo Dadzie Asmah Coleman whose whereabouts are unknown, appear before this court on or before February 3, 2025 at 9 a.m. And do what is necessary to protect his interests herein. A Copy Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk The undersigned respectfully requests this: Elizabeth F. Egan, Esq. VSB #44849 Attorney for the Plaintiff America Law Group, Inc. 8501 Mayland Dr. Suite 106 Henrico, VA 23294 Phone: 804-885-0051 Fax: 434-885-3600 Email: legan@americalawgroup.com
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGNIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO ASHLEY JENAY BROWN, Plaintiff, v. DENZELL DEMARCUS HARVEY, Defendant. Case No.: CL24-7225 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is for the Plaintiff to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the grounds that the parties have lived separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption, and with Plaintiffs intent to terminate the marriage, for a period exceeding twelve (12) months, namely since October 27, 2017.
It appearing by affidavit that Plaintiff has no knowledge of the Defendant’s current address and Defendant’s present whereabouts are unknown and diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Plaintiff to ascertain in what county or city the Defendant is without effect. It is accordingly ORDERED that Denzell Demarcus Harvey whose whereabouts are unknown, appear before this court on or before January 13, 2025 at 9 a.m. And do what is necessary to protect his interests herein. A Copy Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk Elizabeth F. Egan, Esq. VBS# 44849 Attorney for the Plaintiff America Law Group, Inc. 8501 Mayland Dr Suite 106 Henrico, VA 23294 Phone: 804-308-0051 Fax: 434-885-3600 Email:legan@americalawgroup. com
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER AARYN NEWCOMB, Plaintiff v. SARA ROSE, Defendant. Case No.: CL24003631-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 16th day of January, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk
I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 CUSTODY
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ELIJAH VENABLE, JR. & IZAHL VENABLE RDSS v. SHANTORIA VENABLE UNKNOWN FATHER Case No. JJ103825-08-00, JJ103825-10-00, JJ103826-10-00, JJ103826-12-00, ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of Shantoria Venable (Mother) & Unknown Father (Father) of Elijah Venable, child DOB 08/28/2021, and Iziah Venable, child, DOB 11/16/2022, child. “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 defendants Shantoria Venable (Mother), & Unknown Father to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 2/20/2025, at 9:40 A.M., COURTROOM #3
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re JAYLA VENABLE & EZEKEIL VENABLE RDSS v. SHANTORIA VENABLE UNKNOWN FATHER Case No. JJ103821-09-00, JJ103821-11-00, JJ103822-10-00, JJ103822-12-00, ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of Shantoria Venable (Mother) & Unknown Father (Father) of Jayla Venable, child DOB 11/24/2017, and Ezekeil Venable, child, DOB 05/10/2018, child. “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 defendants Shantoria Venable (Mother), & Unknown Father to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 2/20/2025, at 9:40 A.M., COURTROOM #3
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re CLIFTON VENABLE, JR. & SHARIYAH VENABLE RDSS v. SHANTORIA VENABLE UNKNOWN FATHER Case No. JJ103821-09-00, JJ103821-11-00, JJ103822-10-00, JJ103822-12-00, ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of Shantoria Venable (Mother) & Unknown Father (Father) of Clifton Venable, Jr., child DOB 08/01/2020, and Shariya Venable, child,
DOB 11/20/2016, child.
“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 defendants Shantoria Venable (Mother), & Unknown Father to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 2/20/2025, at 9:40 A.M., COURTROOM #3
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re DESZMEN VENABLE RDSS v. SHANTORIA VENABLE UNKNOWN FATHER Case No. JJ103827-10-00, JJ103827-12-00
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights {“TPR”) of Shantoria Venable (Mother) & Unknown Father (Father) of Deszmen Venable, child DOB 12/26/2023, child.
“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 defendants Shantoria Venable (Mother), & Unknown Father to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 2/20/2025, at 9:40 A.M., COURTROOM #3
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re DAVION DAVIS RDSS v. UNKNOWN FATHER Case No. JJ096814-09-00
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights {“TPR”) of Unknown Father (Father) of Davion Davis, child DOB 03/31/2015 . “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 (Father) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 4/2/2025, at 9:00 A.M., COURTROOM #5
PROPERTY
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MALIKA BLUME, et al. Plaintiffs, v. JOHN L. MINTER, III, et al. Defendants. Case No.:CL24003649-00
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to ascertain and designate the true western boundary line of, and to quiet title to, that certain parcel of land in the County of Hanover, Virginia being 5.0 acres, more or less, located north of Verdi Lane, having the Hanover County Geographic Parcel Identification Number 8716-32-1010, and situated adjacent to, and sharing the said western boundary line with, that certain parcel of land being 7.7 acres, more or less, having the Hanover County Geographic Parcel Identification Number 871622-7192. And it appearing by Affidavit filed according to the law that the following defendants cannot be found: (i) the unknown heirs, devisees, creditors and successors in interest of Clifton Britton, deceased, made parties hereto by the general description of “Parties Unknown”, and (ii) Robert Cosby, a/k/a Robert Britton, George T. Adams, Herman L. Harris, and Owens Charity, if living, or their unknown heirs, devisees, creditors and successors in interest, if they be deceased, made parties hereto by the general description of “Parties Unknown”. It is therefore ORDERED that the said named persons and others made defendants by the general description of “Parties Unknown”, if any there be, appear on or before the 17th day of January, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the Clerk’s Office of this Court and do what is necessary to protect/ his/her/their interest in said
real estate. And, it is further ORDERED that this Order be published once a week for four (4) successive weeks in the Richmond Free Press, a newspaper of general circulation in the County of Hanover; and that a copy of this Order be posted at the front
George W. Gray, III (VSB# 87578) KERNS & KASTENBAUM, PLC 4900 Radford Avenue Richmond, VA 23230-3515 Telephone: (804) 355-2580 Facsimile: (804) 355-9297 Email: george@kemskast.com Counsel for Plainliffs
NOTICE VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HANOVER RICARDO D. EDWARDS, TRUSTEE OF THE THE LORETTA C. EDWARDS LIVING TRUST DATED AUGUST 14, 2020 Plaintiff, v. PARTIES UNKNOWN The Unknown heirs, descendants, devisees, assigns, and/or successors in title to Robert E. Clarke, Sr. and George W. Clarke, if there be any, the consorts of any of the said unknown heirs who are married, the lien creditors of the said unknown heirs, if any, and other persons who may have an interest in the subject matter of this suit, whose names are unknown and are included in the general description of “UNKNOWN HEIRS and PARTIES UNKNOWN” SERVE: By Order of Publication Defendant(s). Case No.: CL24003708-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit
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